August 2017 Persecution Magazine (1 of 4)

WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG AUGUST 2017
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#BringBackOurGirls
AN ICC EXPOSE
Islam’s abduction, rape, and
forced conversion of Christian girls

President’s Letter
Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise, says the LORD, I will protect them.
Psalm 12:5
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:17
One issue that always breaks my heart is the abduction of Christian girls in fundamentalist
Muslim countries.
The typical case is a girl that starts getting approached by a Muslim man who tells her
she is too pretty to be a Christian and that she should convert to Islam and be his wife. If
the girls refuse repeatedly, they are abducted off the street and enter into a personal hell,
with many of them lost to their families forever.
Jeff King, President
International Christian Concern
This month’s edition is focused on this very heavy issue and just may break your heart.
I’ve heard too many of these accounts, and as I often do, I think about the fact that nothing is hidden from our Lord. Just as
He is watching the victim in the secret prisons of North Korea, He is also watching and in the room with our sisters as they
go through horrendous trials.
He sees each one as she is huddled in a dark room, tears staining her torn clothes with her mind overwhelmed by shame and
terror. His heart, I know, breaks over the treatment of each of His daughters.
And then I wonder what the Lord whispers to His daughters in their midst of their overwhelming pain and shame. Knowing
Him, I would suspect it would be something close to the following. . .
“Daughter, no evil from the outside can stain you. You are still my daughter and my bride and you are still dressed in white.
You are not trash but so beautiful to me and still my treasure.”
As you will read in the following articles, most of these girls can’t be rescued and yet we do get to rescue some. We can also
help those who escape (see pg. 32) and those in the way of danger by providing education, skills training, and microfinance
loans.
As in so much of life, though, we have to wait in expectation for true justice and a better world. Until then, we must cry out
to the Lord on behalf of our sisters, “how long O Lord” (Revelation 6:10) as we wait for the last of their tears to be wiped
from their eyes (Revelation 7:17).
As you read the following pages, please consider prayerfully and practically helping these young girls. As always, your
donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically.
I promise!
Jeff King
President
International Christian Concern
www.persecution.org
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News
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Christian Rights Lawyer is Finally
Released in China
1 | CHINA In June 2015, a Christian human rights lawyer
named Li Heping was arrested as part of the notorious
“709 crackdown.” This campaign targeted people, primarily
lawyers and human rights activists, who defended
those who were persecuted by the Chinese government.
Heping was convicted of “subversion of state power” and
sentenced to a three-year prison term with a four-year
suspension. He was also stripped of his political rights.
On May 9, after nearly two years of imprisonment and
torture, Heping returned home to his family.
However, although he is now safe with family, the
wounds of his time in the government’s hands remain.
His wife reported that his hair turned gray and he became
“weak and thin” during his time away. Thankfully, he
appeared to be in good spirits; some prisoners in similar
situations never fully recover from the mental trauma.
Heping’s brother was also held by police for more than a
year and is now showing signs of schizophrenia.
Those who dedicate their careers to helping Christians
and other religious minorities naturally position themselves
in opposition to the Chinese government. Not only
do they risk losing their careers, but also their freedom
and sometimes their lives. However, as the government
tightens its grip on the freedom to worship, the Christian
community continues to unify and support one another in
the midst of persecution.
Heping is in good spirits while recovering physically.
Man Dies
Defending
Christians from
Mob
2 | SUDAN As part of
the government’s
ongoing assault
against churches in
Sudan, an armed
mob with governmental
ties attacked
a Presbyterian
church compound in
Omdurman.
The government
has created a “committee”
which has
forcibly sold church
property to government-affiliated
businessmen
since 2013.
On April 3, a group of
Christians protested
the illegal appropriation
of their property
by a local businessman
who also serves
as a police officer.
In response, police
arrived on the scene,
arrested the Christian
men, and attacked the
women with weapons.
Two church members
who attempted
to defend the women
as they were attacked
were stabbed, resulting
in the death of one
man.
Church Attacked by Mob in Rural
Bangladesh
3 | BANGLADESH On May 10, a small mob
of Bengali Muslims burst into a church in the
rural Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
After storming into the building, the attackers
attempted to sexually assault the pastor’s sister
and niece. Thankfully, local Christians intervened
in time when they heard the commotion,
causing the attackers to flee. The pastor reported
that the two women moved to the area to obtain
an education, but are now dealing with the
trauma of their assault.
The pastor noted that although his church does
not have any personal problems with the local
Muslim population, there has been an ongoing
land dispute with the local Muslims. In response
to the attack, the church filed a complaint, but
avoided a criminal case in fear that doing so would
spark further violence.
This region of Bangladesh has experienced tension
among different religious groups, including
Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, since the
1970s. In the past few years, several Christians
in the region have reported that their children
have been kidnapped and forcibly converted to
Islam by Muslims pretending to be employees in
Christian schools.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
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Lines of Syrian refugees wait to cross the border into Germany. Photo by Mstyslav Chernov.
Christians Thrive Despite Attacks
4 | GERMANY Since the beginning of the Middle Eastern refugee
crisis, Christians have faced attacks from their Muslim counterparts
in refugee camps. Attacks on Christian converts in German refugee
camps have steadily increased since 2015. However, according to
Deutsche Welle, the number of Muslims converting to Christianity in
these camps has also increased sharply, despite the risks that accompany
conversion. As more refugees realize the true nature of Islam,
the need to share the Gospel has never been more apparent.
Christian Family Beaten in Vietnam
5 | VIETNAM According to reports from persecution watchdog
group Open Doors, a Vietnamese man and his family were beaten
by the man’s brother for refusing to denounce their newfound
Christian faith. Only one day prior, government officials threatened
to cut off social services, including education and medical care, to
the man and his family if they maintained their faith in Christ. In
addition to property damage, the man’s daughter was injured during
the attack.
Another Christian Murdered in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula
6 | EGYPT In yet another incident of violence in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, a
Christian man named Nabeel Saber Fawzi was fatally shot in his barbershop.
In January and February, seven Christians were murdered in El-Arish,
causing hundreds of Christian families to flee the city in panic, including
Nabeel and his family. By April, Nabeel decided to return in search of work so
that he could better support his family. Shortly after his return, four masked
gunmen stormed into his shop and shot him in the head. Nabeel was the first to
be targeted since the killing spree took place earlier this year.
Within the past few months, ISIS has increased their attacks in the region,
both in scale and frequency. One ISIS affiliate claimed that they would eliminate
Christians in Egypt, noting that Egyptian Christians were the group’s
“favorite prey.”
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ISIS has targeted Chrisitians in El-Arish, Egypt.
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News
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Released Sudanese pastors.
Two Christians Released from Prison
1 | SUDAN In early May, Reverend Hassan Abduraheem
Tawor and Abdulmonem Abdumawla were released from
prison in Sudan through a presidential pardon. The men
were arrested in December 2015 and were both given
12-year prison sentences on charges of espionage and
“inciting hatred between sects.”
The charges centered on a receipt showing that the
Christians had provided medical assistance to someone
who was injured during anti-government demonstrations.
The situation escalated when the Sudanese government
accused them of aiding rebel movements through
this donation. The evidence was flimsy at best and
the charges were largely condemned by human rights
organizations around the world. The pastors were also
imprisoned alongside two other Christians, Reverend
Kuwa Shamal Abazmam Kurri and Petr Jasek, a Czech
national. Reverend Kuwa was released earlier this year
in January, while Jasek was released in February.
While it is encouraging news that these men have
been released from
prison, there is still
much work to be done
to improve conditions
for Christians living in
Sudan. Their release
came in the midst of
a government-led campaign
to demolish and
sell church property in
Khartoum. Only a few
days before his release,
a church at which
Reverend Hassan used
to serve was demolished.
Furthermore,
the government has
announced plans to
continue this spree
of demolitions in the
coming months.
In April, one
month before the
release of Hassan
and Abdulmonem,
International Christian
Concern sent a petition
calling for the pastors’
release to the Sudanese
government. This petition
was signed by
people from more than
90 countries. Thanks to
international pressure,
the Sudanese government
released these
men. However, greater
action must be taken on
the government’s part
to ensure that this type
of injustice does not
continue to occur.
Ahok sitting on trial for blasphemy in Indonesia.
This jail sentence is a
significant step in the
wrong direction for
Indonesia.
Christian Governor of Jakarta Given
Jail Sentence for Blasphemy
2 | INDONESIA As previously reported, Governor
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, commonly known as “Ahok,”
found himself in the middle of controversy on the campaign
trail following a blasphemy accusation. During
a speech, the ethnically Chinese Christian governor
explained that others were manipulating the Quran to
convince voters that they should not vote for a non-
Muslim candidate. However, someone produced an
edited video of the speech which made it appear as
though Ahok was criticizing the Quran itself.
Shortly after the video began to circulate, Muslims
began taking to the streets in massive protests, many
calling for his imprisonment and others even calling for
his death. After Ahok was defeated in the election, the
media widely acknowledged religious discrimination as
a prominent factor in his loss.
In early May, the situation took an unexpected
turn when Ahok was handed a two-year jail sentence
for the blasphemy charges. This sentence came as
a surprise to most because even the prosecution recommended
only a suspended sentence. While many
radical Muslims certainly called for his imprisonment,
a member of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization
noted that the trial was “fabricated” for the sake of a
prison sentence, which he also called a “dangerous
phenomenon.” This jail sentence is a significant step
in the wrong direction for Indonesia, a nation that
prides itself on its reputation of tolerance.
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Chinese Pastor Locked Inside Home to Prevent Him from Attending Church
3 | CHINA On April 30, police officers in China locked the pastor of Huoquan Christian Church in his own home to prevent him from attending
services. The sizable church, located in the Qinghai province, has roughly 300 members who attend regularly. However, beginning in
March, the Chinese government began cracking down on the church by ordering the pastor to “suspend all gatherings.” Furthermore, the
government told members of the church that they would be held criminally liable if they did not comply.
Restricting the pastor and threatening his church members are unfortunately only a piece of the government’s wider crackdown on
Christianity in China. Thankfully, in spite of the growing persecution in this nation, Christianity continues to grow even stronger.
Jaber showed off weapons on Facebook Live near the
Christian conference.
Muslim Brandishes Gun Outside of Conference
4 | UNITED STATES A Muslim man named Ehab Abdulmutta Jaber
is facing a felony terror charge after making threats outside of a
Christian conference, the Worldview Weekend conference, in South
Dakota. Jaber took to Facebook Live just outside of the conference,
where he showed off several guns and threatened viewers
to “be scared.” Security officers approached Jaber as he was seen
recording the conference from his phone to inform him that filming
videos of the event is not permitted. The conference featured
Shahram Hadian, a Christian pastor and former Muslim. Some critics
denounced the event as “Islamoph.bic.”
Churches in India see increased attacks under Prime Minister
Modi’s leadership.
India Church Attacked Three Times in Five Days
5 | INDIA Within a span of five days, between May 3 and May 7,
a church in India was attacked by Hindu radicals on three separate
occasions. Although the police were called each time, the pastor
reports that no arrests have been made yet. During one incident,
the pastor and church members were forced to sign an agreement
to not hold services unless given specific permission. In addition
to the harassment that the churchgoers faced, church property was
damaged during the attack. Attacks of this nature have steadily
increased since the rise to power of the BJP, led by Prime Minister
Modi (pictured), in 2014.
Christian Lawyer in Pakistan Receives Death Threats
6 | PAKISTAN A Christian high court lawyer in Pakistan, Jacqueline Sultan,
recently received death threats for her work on behalf of minorities. Specifically,
she has spoken out against forced conversions among female religious minorities.
Sultan’s most recent threat warned her to abandon her work or else be
killed. She brought the threat to the attention of local authorities, who are now
reviewing the matter.
Several human rights groups have condemned these threats and called for
increased security for Sultan amid these concerns. Pakistani Christians, particularly
women, continue to face the threat of kidnapping and forced conversion
to Islam due to their status as a “double minority.” According to the Movement
for Solidarity and Peace in Pakistan, approximately 700 women and girls are
kidnapped, forcibly converted, and married off to their captors each year.
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Jacqueline Sultan, Christian lawyer in Pakistan.
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Your Dollar$ at Work
Support for
Families of
Imprisoned
Pastors
Suffering Wives & Children
hristians in China face the daily
C threat of persecution for their faith.
They are frequently deprived of their
freedoms, beaten, harassed and imprisoned
for standing for Christ. For the past
several years, ICC has provided financial
assistance to the families of 10 Christian
pastors who are victims of persecution,
all of whom have served time in Chinese
prisons for their faith.
Thanks to the commitment and support
of our donors, we have been able to assist
these families with their court fees, living
expenses, and government-imposed
fines. The 10 families are very grateful
for the support and encouragement that
they have received through ICC, which is
merely a reflection of God’s compassion
expressed through your donations.
One of the wives remarked, “I thank
our Heavenly Father for His protection;
may He give you faith and love, so that
you stand fast in the Lord…Dear brothers
and sisters, you are amazing people…
May God bless you!”
Let’s remember to pray for the spiritual,
financial and physical well-being of
these families that risk their lives to practice
their faith and to share the Gospel.
Creative Commons image by
Flickr user Keith Tan
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Supporting
Pakistani Pastors
Underground Pastors
Many underground pastors live in absolute
poverty with little to no income
by which they can support their families.
Most often, such pastors are forced to work
long, grueling hours to bring food home for
their children, thus limiting the time they
have for ministry.
Sunny is an underground pastor in
Pakistan. He has dedicated his life to service
for the Lord. Because of his commitment
to full-time ministry, in which he
receives very little compensation, he is
unable to find time to work.
With the help of our generous donors, we
have been able to support Pastor Sunny with
a monthly income since February 2013. He
has seen considerable growth in his churches,
almost doubling his church membership.
He’s also added 18 new church leaders, and
sees about 12 people come to salvation each
month.
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Small Business for
Christian in India
Community Rebuild
In India, there were almost double the number
of attacks reported against Christians
in 2016 compared to 2015. From deadly
assaults to social boycotts, Christians are
struggling to survive in this country.
In October 2016, Hindu villagers boycotted
Daiwik and his wife, Abhaya, for
following Jesus. The two faced extensive
abuse and persecution, including harassment
by Hindu radicals, intimidation, hunger,
beatings, and job loss. It has been very
difficult for them to endure, but through
everything, they have remained faithful to
the Lord.
Daiwik and Abhaya wanted to start a
motorbike repair shop. However, they
lacked start-up funding. With your donations,
we were able to provide the necessary
equipment to launch their small business,
including an air compressor, tool kit, and
a shed.
Indonesia Lamp
Project
Underground Pastors
U
nderground pastors in one country face
many challenges in evangelism, including
suspicion from neighbors regarding their
ministry work. Many are questioned about
their income without a perceivable job. This
perception makes it difficult for pastors to
reach new communities and some have even
been ambushed because of it.
In order to combat this threat, we are
establishing cover businesses for several pastors.
Thanks to your help, we are purchasing
lamps for the pastors to sell in the various
communities. This cover business ensures
safe entry so that they can visit villages without
the threat of suspicion or harassment.
Selling lamps will allow them to accomplish
their main objective of spreading the Gospel
and bringing people to Christ. Furthermore,
it will also allow them to continue to visit
villages to disciple new followers and subsequently
establish a community of believers.
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Bibles to Pastor Naasih
Bibles to the Persecuted
Pastor Naasih and his outreach team had visited their third village of
the day. They were headed down the road to a village to preach the
Gospel and distribute Bibles when Hindu radicals violently attacked
them and burned their materials. The mob was out of control and the
authorities were unwilling to step in.
We found out about the attack on Pastor Naasih and wanted to assist
his ministry. We provided Bibles and other literature so that Pastor
Naasih and his church have the tools necessary to continue their ministry.
Pastor Naasih expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much
for standing with me in the times of trouble and difficult situation, and
providing the assistance to buy those items that are essential for the
Church work. I feel that I am part of the larger family and there are
people who are concerned for people who go through persecution.”
Your generosity has helped spread the Gospel to communities that do
not have access to the Word of God.
Gospel Radio to Somalia
Broadcasting the Gospel
I
CC supports outreach and evangelism to Somalia through the
internet and radio.
The main objective is to build strong relationships with listeners
through digital and social media marketing in order to help them better
understand the Gospel. Even though this project has faced trials
since the beginning, God has provided a skilled workforce and the
necessary funds.
Our financial support has allowed for the production of various new
programs as well as the increase and reach of stations beyond their
targeted area, with many new listeners coming to accept Christ.
Let’s remember to pray for the protection of the staff members
who spread the Gospel and for the listeners who are hungry for
Christ.
Your Dollar$ at Work
Muslim Discipleship
Broadcasting the Gospel
We have partnered with one of the few Muslim outreach ministries
in Egypt to spread the Gospel to Muslims living in the country.
The ministry team focuses on evangelism to Muslims though radio,
website, chat rooms, and other internet correspondence. Seven fulltime
employees run this ministry; however, most of the employees are
volunteers due to limited funding. These staff members are crucial to
the operation of ministry.
Because of your generosity, since May 2013, we have been able to
fund two media staff members, which allows consistent and creative
outreach ministry to reach Egyptian Muslims with the Gospel. While
evangelism is their main focus, also have a variety of other outreach
programs: training and development, media, programs for children,
curriculum and tools, social work, and spiritual life programs.
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Egyptian Widows
Receive Assistance
Suffering Wives and Children
Many Egyptians unable to find work in Upper Egypt due
to marginalization and discrimination travel to Libya
where they find work and better pay. Such was the journey of
three Coptic Christian brothers, Ammon, Wasfy, and Sabry.
They went to Libya to work in the field of construction.
Unfortunately for Ammon and Wasfy, it was their last job.
They were kidnapped by Islamic extremists and shot in the
head in the Libyan Desert.
The widows moved in with their father-in-law, but without
their husbands they had no way to support themselves. We
were able to provide a goat business that enabled them to
create a sustainable income for themselves and their fatherin-law.
“My two sons [were] martyred on the Name of Jesus Christ.
They kept the faith until the last breath. They didn’t renounce
their faith, they enjoy with Jesus in Heaven now and that comforts
us. May God bless you ICC and bless your great services.”
Your generosity makes it possible for the wives of these
two martyred men to be able to provide for their family.
Your Dollar$ at Work
Gifts to Victims of ISIS
Suffering Wives and Children
O
n April 19, 2015, ISIS radicals released yet another video of
Christians being executed. The video showed the beheading and
shooting of at least 33 Ethiopian Christians in southern and eastern
Libya.
Sadly, in addition to the grief of losing a loved one to violence,
the families of these victims also lost their primary providers, adding
to the already extensive list of challenges of living as a religious
minority in their country. Therefore, we decided to provide some
support to these families that were still grieving the loss of their
loved ones on a very special holiday. Thanks to the prayers and
assistance of our donors, we were able to provide food and supplies
for each family to have a proper and cheerful Christmas dinner.
Additionally, we provided gifts for the children of the 33 martyrs to
encourage and support these suffering families.
The implementation of this small, but significant project served as a
reminder to us and these families that God is always in control and never
forgets his children. Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters overseas, who
are ever vulnerable to these types of attacks, but continue to spread the
Gospel. Remember to ask God for His provision and protection for these
families that are victims of radical terrorists and other persecutors.
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