Sisters' Stories

Women

• Court Validates Forced Conversion Marriage

  

  On October 10th, 2019, a 14-year-old Christian girl named Huma Younus was kidnapped from her family's home in Zia Colony, Karachi. A few days later, her family received official conversion papers and a certificate of marriage to her kidnapper, Abdul Jabbar.

• Rohingya Christians Deal with Aftermath of Attack

  

  In last week's "Persecution & Prayer Alert," an urgent prayer request was issued for Christians who were recently attacked in a Rohingya refugee camp and the imminent forced marriage of a pastor's daughter to a Muslim man (read more). Since the previous report, more details have continued to come to light.

  The attack occurred in Kutapalong, the world's largest refugee camp. More than 20 Christian families were attacked with at least 12 people injured. A similar attack happened in May 2019 by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army who claim to be fighting for the liberation of the Rohingya. Local police insist that the ARSA is not involved and have downplayed the number of injured.

• Urgent Prayer Needed!

  

  Please immediately stop and pray for this critical need right now as it's a very time-sensitive situation and in the process of happening as you read this.... The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has just received news that three Christian families were attacked in a Rohingya refugee camp this past week.

   

• Christmastime Raid

  

  A group of women who gathered on December 26th had their worship time disrupted by a police raid. The home was searched and cell-phones were confiscated. The women were forced to give legal statements and have their photos and fingerprints taken. At last report, no fines had been levied.

  Though other faith groups have faced harassment throughout the year, this is the only known raid of Protestant Christians in 2019. Even so, the country's leaders maintain tight controls on freedom of belief, allowing only approved activities and religious literature. Any sharing of one's faith is banned and punishable. More information on the persecution of Christians in Turkmenistan is available here.

• Women Imprisoned for Collecting Offerings

  

  The pastor of a house church in China's Hubei province, along with two other women from the church, are facing charges of fraud because they collected offering money for their church. Officials claim that the church is illegal and its pastor does not have a legal ordination; therefore, they allege the money was collected fraudulently. The pastor, Hao Zhiwei, could face more than 10 years in prison if convicted.

• Pastor Wang Yi Sentenced to Nine Years

  

  In what is believed to be the longest sentence against a house church leader in more than a decade, Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church was sentenced to nine years in prison for "inciting to subvert state power" and "illegal business operations." The charges for business operations relate to the printing and distribution of Christian books by the church.

• Three Pastors Sentenced

  

  Three self-exiled pastors have been sentenced to terms up to five years for leading the New Life Pentecostal Church in the city of Almaty. The sentences were announced on November 1st, when the court rejected their latest appeal. The founding pastor, Maxim Maximov, faces five years in prison, while his wife Larisa Maximova, and ministry colleague Sergei Zaikin, each face four years. All three pastors intend to appeal the conviction at the Supreme Court.

• Pastor's Family Forced into Hiding

  

  A retired pastor and his family in northern India have been badly beaten and forced into hiding after police recently sided with their attackers. Patram Mangala helps with a Christian school in Sohna, Haryana state.

  Patram and his wife were working in their front yard on September 22nd when a group of Hindu militants approached and began assaulting them. Patram was hit in the face with a spade. His wife sustained internal injuries, as well as a blow to her face. Their son Abhishek lost four front teeth and sustained injury to one eye, while their other son Raj received internal injuries.

• Kidnapping in a Christian High School

  

  Gunmen abducted six girls and two staff members from a Christian-run boarding school on October 3rd. They forced their way into The Engravers' College in the village of Kakau Daji, Kaduna State in the early morning. According to witnesses, the attackers were Fulani herdsmen, a group responsible for considerable violence in recent years.

• Interview with Asia Bibi

  

  "I, Asia Bibi, daughter of Salamat Masih, believe in Jesus." So begins a video testimony of the Pakistani woman who was formerly sentenced to death for blasphemy but now living in an undisclosed location in Canada. Grateful for the opportunity to begin building a new life for her reunited family, Asia is calling out to the world to remember others still being imprisoned for their faith.

  In the video, Asia, who remains a proud Pakistani, expresses remorse for having to leave her homeland and beloved elderly father. Even while in Canada, however, her life is still under threat by those seeking to punish her for alleged blasphemy.