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2018-08-30

• Eyesight Lost in Attack

  

  A young Christian in Karachi lost his sight in one eye after armed neighbours attacked his family on August 18th. Other family members were also assaulted but suffered only minor injuries.

  Since Alvin John and his family moved into a new home in late 2017, they have faced harassment and intimidation from neighbours opposed to their Christian faith. On this specific night, Alvin's 25-year-old son Vikram had exchanged words with some area youth before coming into the house. The dispute started when Vikram was defending his younger sister who had been teased.

• Churches Facing Government Crackdown

  

  As the Chinese government institutes new religious guidelines, churches throughout the country are facing significant problems from authorities at the local, provincial and national levels. New policies are pressuring churches to align with government ideologies in an attempt to "unify national thought."

  As a result, crosses are being torn down and authorities are ordering churches to sing patriotic songs and hang the national flag. Unregistered "house" churches are also being pressured to join along with the registered churches, where they would be under more control of the authorities.

• Audio Recording from Leah

  

  As speculation abounds regarding the fate of Leah Sharibu, an audio recording of her voice, along with a still photo, has surfaced in which she calls for the government to intervene. Family members have confirmed that it is, in fact, her voice.

  In the recording, Leah says:

  "I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation. I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, my father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion. I am calling on the government, particularly, the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation. Thank you." (The actual recording is available here.)