Pressure Continuing Against Unregistered Christians
Karakalpak State University
Six months ago, the Baptist church in Urgench in northwest Uzbekistan was stripped of its registration, making it a banned organization (for more details, click here). According to a July 7 report from Forum 18 News, members of the church have been facing increasing threats from security police in recent weeks. On June 25, a member of the church, Sharovat Allamova, was interrogated by a National Security Service (NSS) officer. The officer, Alisher Khasanov, accused the church members of being agents for foreign intelligence services. He demanded that Allamova tell him if any foreign organizations had been in contact with the church, threatening her with prison if she refused to tell him. The next day, Khasanov interrogated another member, Dilshod Dilbaev, hitting him and demanding to know if the church had received any foreign humanitarian aid. Khasanov threatened to plant drugs on Dilbaev if he refused to answer.
Students in Uzbek universities have been told that they could be expelled if they continue to associate with "illegal" Christian organizations. Recently three students at Karakalpak University in Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan (a semi-autonomous region in north-western Uzbekistan), were accused of being members of a "banned Protestant sect" and told they faced expulsion if they continued meet with other members of this group. These follow similar threats in April and May.
Pray that Christians in Uzbekistan will stand firm in their faith, despite the pressure from authorities to give in. Pray that they will shine forth with the glory of God, despite the darkness pressing in around them.
For more information on problems facing Christians in Uzbekistan, click here.
VOMC has been working with project partners over the past couple of years to affirm and equip Christian women for continued ministry and to encourage unity among them.
Ethnicity (%) Uzbek (83.8), Tajik (4.8), Kazakh (2.5), Russian (2.3) Karakalpak (2.2), Tatar (1.5), other (4.4)
Religion (%) Islam (88), Eastern Orthodox (9), other (3)
Leader President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (2016)
Government type Presidential republic; highly authoritarian
Legal system Civil law system
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Uzbekistan
Thank you for praying on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan who are undergoing severe mistreatment by those governing over them. Ask the Lord to remind these persevering believers that they are truly His beloved children. As their Heavenly Father, He is the One who governs their souls and eternal destiny. May they have a heightened awareness of His abiding presence, everlasting love, help in times of trouble – and whatever else they specifically need – as conveyed through the infallible promises of His powerful Word.
The demolition of a Council of Churches Baptist building. Photo: Baptist Council of Churches
As the members of a Baptist church in the city of Urgench began to increase in numbers, they soon found themselves exceeding the capacity of their worship facility. To accommodate the growth, the congregation purchased a plot of land and began to construct a new church building. They had received all the necessary building permits to do so, and other developments were being built around them in various parts of the same vicinity.
Children in Uzbekistan. Photo: Flickr / eatswords (cc)
A draft law, which is purported to "further strengthen the rights of children," recently passed its first reading in Uzbek parliament. However, the proposed legislation seeks to punish parents or guardians who allow their children to receive "illegal" religious education before reaching the age of 18.
Pray for wisdom as Uzbek Christians gather. Photo: VOMC
While members of the Baptist church in Karshi, Uzbekistan, were gathered for worship on Easter Sunday, April 9th, police broke open the door and forced their way inside. Using electrical prods, they incapacitated some of the attendees while others cried and prayed. Ten members, including young people, were taken to the police station where they were held in custody until mid-afternoon. The detained believers were released after records of offence were drawn up against them.
This past Christmas, a neighbourhood celebration in Uzbekistan was hosted by Tatyana Akhmadiyeva, a member of a local Baptist church. At the event, she offered Christian magazines to 15 of her neighbours. Local authorities received a report about the distribution and summoned Tatyana for questioning. She was told that the publications had been imported illegally, since they had not been evaluated by the "Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department." As a result, the officials confiscated the magazines, which they claimed were unlawfully distributed, and fined Tatyana the equivalent of two weeks' average wages.
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