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Pakistan

• Update: Two imprisoned Christians released

  Blasphemy charges against a 74-year-old believer have been dropped while a Christian woman who was brutally beaten by police while pregnant has been released on bail due to lack of evidence.

  The elderly believer arrested in June 2010 under Pakistan's contentious blasphemy law, which is often used to persecute Christians in the predominantly Muslim nation, was released after 18 months in prison. Rehmat Masih was charged shortly after he had engaged in a dispute with a local Muslim leader, Tahir Hameed, who wanted to lay claim to some plots of land that belonged to local Christians. Hameed's brother was the man who accused Rehmat of insulting Muhammad (for more information, click here). After months of investigation, the court ruled that statements of witnesses were filed too late and were full of contradictions.

  Thirty-year-old Salma Emmanuel and her husband, 30-year-old Emmanuel Rasheed, were severely beaten for three days when they refused to confess to false allegations in November 2011 (for more information, click here). Salma was taken to a hospital in critical condition and the life of her unborn child was also threatened. Rasheed, who was freed on bail in November, lost his job as did his wife, who was falsely accused of theft by the woman who employed her as a maid. The couple is now struggling to support their three children. Salma was released on bail in December 2011 after police failed to produce evidence incriminating her.

  Praise God that these faithful believers have been freed! Please pray that Salma and Emmanuel will find employment and will be able to provide for their family. Pray that the lives of these believers will be an encouragement and will offer hope to other Christians imprisoned in Pakistan. Please pray that other persecuted Christians in Pakistan will endure the trials before them by trusting in the Lord.

  For more on the persecution of Pakistani Christians, go to the Pakistan Country Report.

• Update: Christian sentenced to death fasting, praying and forgiving

  Asia Bibi says she has forgiven those who are persecuting her.

  Asia Bibi, a Christian wife and mother sentenced to die for allegedly committing blasphemy against Islam, says she has forgiven those who are persecuting her (for more, click here). She recently told a Pakistani journalist, who asked her a list of questions prepared by an American journalist, that she spends her time praying and fasting for her family and other persecuted Christians.

  Asia is confined to a cell and is allowed to go outside 30 minutes each day. She sees her two daughters and husband one hour each week. Asia told her interviewer one of the prison workers recently tried to strangle her, and she must prepare her own food since it is feared she will be poisoned if workers in the prison prepare it. Life for All is supporting her family and has hired a lawyer to try and overturn the conviction. She says she is hopeful that she will be released, but there is a bounty of about $8,000 offered by the Islamic clerics to anyone who will kill her. Asia says she is content that her future is in God's hands and she will accept His will.

  Please pray that Asia's young daughters and husband will rely on the Lord as a source of strength and hope. Pray that Asia's forgiving heart will be used by God to inspire others to forgive and show love.

  Find out more about the trials facing Christians in Pakistan at the Pakistan Country Report.

• Death threats for evangelist challenging injustice

  Shahbaz Bhatti was assassinated in March for speaking out against the blasphemy law.

  A Pakistani Christian has received death threats after condemning the murder of a Christian government minister who was killed for opposing the blasphemy laws.

  Evangelist Arif Ferguson, 36, and his entire family have had to go into hiding following death threats from militants. Arif was first warned after sharing the Gospel among Muslims. More serious death threats followed after he made a statement to a local newspaper condemning the assassination in March of Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, who had spoken up against the blasphemy law (for more, click here). Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for killing Shahbaz Bhatti, and the same group is now threatening Arif.

  Arif, a laboratory technician, fled to Karachi after being tipped off that the militants were trying to track him down. But even there he received death threats, forcing the family of nine to go into hiding again. Arif and his sisters have lost their jobs as a result. Arif shared, "I trust in Jesus. If I die, it will be for Christ."

  Please pray for Arif and his family -- for their protection, support and encouragement. Pray the Lord will provide for them. Pray their faithful testimony will be an encouragement to other believers.

  For more on Pakistan's persecuted Christians, visit the Pakistan Country Report.

• Police in Pakistan beat Christian couple falsely accused of theft

  A Christian couple is facing charges of theft after police in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, severely beat the pregnant woman and her husband for three days when they refused to confess. Salma Emmanuel, 30, and her husband, Emmanuel Rasheed, 39, said that they were inexplicably arrested after the Muslim woman who employed Salma as a maid had allowed the Christian woman to temporarily store some of her jewelry at her house. Salma said police arrested them on November 5, keeping her at the Women's Police Station for interrogation and her husband at the City Police Station. Upon reaching the police station, an inspector identified only as Nazia and two other policewomen started punching and kicking Salma and striking her with batons, demanding that she "confess her crime." Salma, who is five months pregnant, was taken to a hospital in critical condition on November 7, the life of her unborn child also threatened. The doctor on duty confirmed that her body bore marks of severe violence.

  Deputy Superintendent of Police Aziz Afridi denied that police had tortured her, but after reports of the violence reached local media, the deputy inspector general of Haraza Division ordered an investigation. At City Police Station, Emmanuel Rasheed was undergoing a similar ordeal. "The police beat me up mercilessly," he said. "A policeman offered to remove the theft charges against me if I was willing to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam. I told him that no matter what happens, I will not renounce my faith, nor would I confess the false charges made against us."

  Thank the Lord for the faithfulness of this couple. Pray they will both make a full and complete recovery. Pray that Salma will safely deliver a healthy child. Pray the investigation will be unbiased and the truth of this case will be brought to light. Pray for all believers in Pakistan who are in danger of facing discrimination and severe opposition because of their faith.

  For more on the persecuted Church in Pakistan, go to the Pakistan Country Reports.

• Update: Christian charged with 'defiling the Qur'an' seeks bail

  A cover of a Qur'an

  Ruqqiya Bibi was sentenced to 25 years in prison for "defiling the Qur'an" by touching it with unwashed hands, and after spending eight months in prison, she is seeking bail. Her husband, Munir Masih, who was also imprisoned for the same crime, was released on bail in December of last year (for more information, please read the story). At last report, the outcome of her November 10 hearing was unknown.

  Please pray that Ruqqiya will be freed on bail and that her and her husband's convictions will be overturned. Ask the Lord to protect them from angry citizens who may attempt to harm them. Pray that the gospel message will be taken to every household in Pakistan, and that many will turn to Christ for their salvation.

  Go to the Pakistan Country Report for more information on persecution in Pakistan.

• Christian killed over land dispute

  Christians in Pakistan are under fire. In this photo, Muslims protest in Pakistan after hearing that Asia Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, might be granted clemency. She was not.

  Safdar Masih, a Pakistani Christian, was shot to death on October 5 over a land dispute. When Safdar's church in Mian Channu, Khanewal District, purchased land to build an orphanage, their claim on the land was contested by an influential feudal lord. On October 3, church members filed a complaint with police but were pressured to withdraw their petition. Two days later, armed men attacked the village, murdering Safdar and injuring a dozen others, including children. The men also seized the land. The police have yet to file a report about the attack.

  Pray the Lord will comfort Safdar's family and friends. Ask God to heal and restore those who were injured. Ask the Lord to protect and provide for the orphaned children. Pray the Lord will bring about justice in an unjust world (Psalm 140).

  Go to the Pakistan Country Report for more information on persecution in Pakistan.

• Christian woman raped

  A Christian mother of five who was raped by two Muslims rejoiced after police in Pakistan's Kasur district arrested a suspect and suspended an officer who had dismissed her complaints.

  The 32-year-old woman, whose name has been withheld, was returning home to Mustafabad on September 15 when two Muslims along with an unidentified accomplice abducted her at gunpoint, took her to an abandoned house in the area and raped her. The woman and her husband, Mushtaq Masih, said that they had lost hope of getting justice as they were facing threats from area Muslims to withdraw the case. They also said that police were deliberately slow to investigate and arrest the accused. "I used to weep in my heart all the time, ever since the incident took place," the woman shared. "I didn't have any hope, but my Lord has not forsaken me."

  However, the woman's solace was short-lived when her father died after learning of her ordeal on September 30. "As soon as my wife shared her ordeal with her family, her father collapsed and died on the spot," Mushtaq said. "He could not take the pain."

  Pray for this Christian sister and her family, may the Lord comfort them during this very distressing time. Ask Him to help them overcome this recent tragedy, may they continue to fix their eyes on Him. Thank the Lord for the progress made in this case. Pray for swift and complete justice for her and her family.

  To learn more about persecution in Pakistan, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.

• Two Christians seriously injured for refusing Islam

  Liaqat Munawar, a Pakistani Christian, reported that his brother Ishfaq Munawar and his friend Naeem Masih were attacked by Pashtun youth in Karachi, Pakistan. Ishfaq and Naeem were travelling home from a church service when they were flagged down by a group of Pashtun youth. The youth questioned their identities and why they were travelling through the town. When they discovered Ishfaq and Naeem were Christians, they told them to recite the Kalma (the Islamic conversion creed) and that this was the only way they would leave the town alive. When they refused to read the Kalma, the Pashtun youth rammed their car into Ishfaq and Naeem, and then proceeded to beat them with iron rods until they were unconscious. The youths suffered a broken jaw, five broken teeth and several other injuries between them.

  Pray the Lord will minister to Ishfaq and Naeem to help them overcome this ordeal and make a full and complete recovery. Pray for the Pashtun people that they will come to know Christ. Pray for all believers in Pakistan who follow Christ often at great cost, asking the Lord to give them the strength they need to follow Him and stand firm for the gospel.

  Read more about Pakistan at the Pakistan Country Report.

• Christian woman escapes kidnapper

  In 2009, Arifa Alfred was kidnapped in Quetta, Pakistan after drinking tea that had been drugged. When she awoke, she found herself in the home of Mohammad Amjad, a Muslim man who told her that she was now his wife and that she had converted to Islam. Arifa's parents reported her kidnapping to the police, but the police did nothing to help.

  During her captivity, Arifa was drugged and physically and mentally tortured. She attempted to flee the house many times, but without success until August 1, when she found the house unlocked for the first time in two years. Despite her many internal injuries due to the torture she had endured, Arifa escaped and fled to the hospital. She then found her brother Adnan, who reported the situation to police.

  At last report, the police had done nothing to bring justice; one police inspector even stated he was happy that she had converted to Islam. However, Arifa has shared, "I am a Christian and have stood always steadfast in my Christian faith." Arifa and her family have since gone into hiding due to threats on their lives.

  Pray that God will bring about justice for Arifa (Psalm 140). Pray the Lord will protect Arifa, her family and the Christian community. Pray He will minister to her and heal her completely. Pray that her kidnapper will repent and come to know the Lord. Pray for other Christian women in Pakistan who are facing similar struggles.

  To learn more about the difficulties Pakistani Christians face for their faith, visit the Pakistan Country Report.

• Pray for distraught Christian widow

  On March 21, a group of young Muslim men attacked a Salvation Army church in Hyderabad, Pakistan, and shot to death 25-year-old Jamil and another man. Recently VOM staff visited with Jamil's wife, Sana, who had been married to Jamil but a month before his tragic death. Sana is very emotionally fragile at this time. "One minute she is laughing and the next she is crying. Her behaviour is very erratic," said the VOM team leader. Jamil had been supporting Sana, his parents and two siblings by working as a sweeper.

  Pray that Sana will receive the care she needs and be encouraged by the prayers of her Christian family. Pray that she will look to God in her grief, resting in the unfailing mercy and love of her Father. Pray also for God to comfort Sosan, the wife of the other man killed in the attack, and for their six children. Pray that many will continue to stand as witnesses for Christ in Pakistan, even amid violence and hostility.

  You can pray for and stand with Asia Bibi, another woman in Pakistan suffering for her faith in Jesus Christ. Asia has been sentenced to death for blasphemy and is currently waiting for a court's ruling on her appeal.

  Find out more about the ways Christians are suffering in Pakistan at the Pakistan Country Report.