Christian NGO workers targeted in Afghanistan

 

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged”
(Deuteronomy 31 : 8)

At least 18 staffers from the International Assistance Mission (IAM) office in Ghor province, central Afghanistan were detained by the Taliban in September. According to a government source, the Taliban’s intelligence agency conducted two separate raids on 3 and 13 September as part of an ongoing crackdown on international aid agencies. All of the staffers, including a female American surgeon, are still being detained in Kabul.

IAM stated that they were unaware of the circumstances that led to the raid and were petitioning the government and working with the United Nations and Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development for the release of their workers.

“The well-being and security of our colleagues are paramount to us, and we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety and secure their swift release,” stated IAM.

The Taliban’s provincial government spokesman, Abdul Wahid Hamas, was quoted in local media as saying that the agency staff, including several women, had been taken into custody based on the charge of “propagating and promoting Christianity” in Afghanistan. Local reports said agents from the Taliban’s intelligence agency had a list of names when they raided the premises.

IAM has refuted the charges and assures that they operate the aid agency within the governing laws of the country and do not use it to further a particular political or religious standpoint.

“All our staff abide by the laws of Afghanistan. We are in a state of shock. We are accused of something I never imagined. We are just waiting to see what happens next,” said an IAM worker.

In the past two years, since the withdrawal of US forces and the fall of the US-backed Afghan government, the Taliban has reimposed Sharia (Islamic law), and severely restricted the rights and freedoms of women in the country. They have also cracked down on the operations of international aid agencies, despite an increasingly concerning humanitarian situation. The spread of Christianity is a violation of the Taliban’s strict regulations and can be punished under strict interpretations of Sharia in Afghanistan.

Last December, the Taliban outlawed women from working for domestic and foreign aid agencies, significantly complicating their efforts to assist locals with nutrition, health care, and education, as they had traditionally employed many local women.

Registered in Switzerland, IAM has been operating in Afghanistan since 1966 and helped more than 4 million Afghans. They claim to have spent over US$40 million in the last decade alone “on initiatives aimed at improving healthcare, education, and community development throughout Afghanistan”. In August 2010, 10 IAM team members were murdered by gunmen as they returned from Badakhshan province, northeastern Afghanistan, where they had been providing healthcare.

Home Group Prayer

Dear Lord,

We pray for your protection over all your faithful servants, especially these women who have been detained at this time.   We ask that you will watch over them, keep them from any harm, and bring them safely and swiftly back to their families.  Give them a strong sense of your comforting presence and keep them steadfast in their faith.

We thank you for the work of all Christians in Afghanistan.  We thank you that your great love inspires them to help others in need, despite the dangers and risks. Watch over and protect them all as they strive to glorify you through their work.

And we pray for the country of Afghanistan and all its people.  We ask that you would reveal yourself to them more and more, and guide them to know and love you as the one true God.  We pray for peaceful change and an end to the oppressive and dark rule of those currently in power.

Amen.

 

Pakistan: Christians traumatised by violence

“Whoever  calls  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved.”
(Romans 10:13; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32)

Police in Pakistan have arrested a Christian couple in Punjab province after a complaint was filed against them after allegedly “torn pages” of the Quran were found on the roof of their house. Shaukat Masih and his wife, Kiran Masih, now face blasphemy charges under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code which states that defilement or desecration of the Quran is punishable with mandatory life imprisonment. Section 295-C of the Code makes insulting the Prophet punishable with mandatory life imprisonment or the maximum death penalty.

After mobs destroyed churches and homes in Jaranwala city in Punjab on 16 August, Christians had to cast aside their fears to attend Sunday church services under heavy security. The attacks occurred after two men were claimed to have torn out pages from a Quran and written insulting remarks on them. After this accusation was circulated in Jaranwala and on social media, mobs burned Bibles, tore down crosses, and looted, damaged, and set on fire 26 churches and many homes in one of the worst outbreaks of violence against Pakistan’s minority Christian community.

Hundreds who fled have now returned to their burned homes. Some say they may never feel safe again. “They are worried for their safety; they are worried for their children, who witnessed the tragedy and are traumatized,” said a local Catholic priest, Fr. Khalid Mukhtar. Kanwal, a young mother whose home was attacked and who had to flee barefoot with her newborn son, said, “We are very scared of our neighbours … we don’t want them to destroy whatever little we have left.” Another believer added, “My house is in ashes now. If the mob had so much anger, why did they burn houses and steal our belongings? Is burning the Bible not blasphemous?”

Many in Pakistan are pointing at the previously outlawed far-right Islamist political party, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), for instigating the mob attacks. TLP denies the allegation. Police have a list of 170 suspects and are investigating them for the violence.

The interim Chief Minister of Punjab, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, announced that Christians who lost their homes would receive 2 million rupees (US$6,800) to rebuild their lives. He said authorities have begun to repair and restore the churches to their original condition. However, Fr. Mukhtar challenged the government’s claim and said officials only visited one damaged church and did not go to the homes of anyone who suffered losses. He said that the walls of two churches were only painted, and needed rebuilding.

According to the 2017 Census, Christians make up around 1.27 percent of Pakistan’s population, and most of them reside in Punjab. There have been several cases of attacks and terrorism against them in the recent past. Accusations of blasphemy are often concocted to defame and provide a basis for attacks, in order to settle scores or personal disputes arising from family vendettas. This often leads to mob violence against the entire Christian community.

The government seems to be indifferent to these abuses of the blasphemy law and fails to hold those responsible accountable. This encourages extremists and fosters fear and insecurity among all minorities.

Prayer Points:

Please join with us in lifting the country of Pakistan to the Lord.  Please pray that God would move in a mighty way in the country:

  • for the safety of believers
  • that people would not make false accusations of blasphemy
  • that the government would take positive action to verify accusations of blasphemy and guarantee the safety of Christians
  • that people would speak up on behalf of those falsely accused
  • that the blasphemy law would be changed
  • that those who have had to flee their homes would find safe lodgings, and that children would be free to attend school
  • the safety of women and children caught in the attacks

 

Indians hang their heads in shame

“‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me,’ says the Lord.”
(Isaiah 54:17 NKJV)

Millions across India are feeling ashamed over a viral video that shows two women being paraded naked on a public road in the northeastern state of Manipur, while a mob molests and assaults them. According to a report filed by the survivors, who are both Christian, at least one of them, aged 21, was gang-raped.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias of the Roman Catholic Church has said that he “bows his head in shame” over the images, stating, “This is a blot on our country, a disgrace for India.”

Roman Catholic Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal added that he was “appalled and grieved. … Fear is pervasive even now and peace remains a dream for us.”

The women were violated on 4 May but the 26-second-long footage has only emerged now because the government has been blocking Internet connections across Manipur, including mobile data and broadband services. The Internet remains shut down in large parts of Manipur.

It was on 3 May that systematic violence in Manipur erupted, after the Kuki tribe, most of whom are Christians, protested against a demand from ethnic Meitei, most of whom are Hindu, for the “Scheduled Tribe” status that would allow them to buy land in the hills populated by Kukis and to ensure a share of government jobs. The protest was turned into an excuse for violent mobs to destroy 1,700 houses and burn down more than 360 churches and buildings within 36 hours.

This was one of the worst targeted attacks on Christians in the state.  A Meitei Christian has observed that the large-scale attack on churches across communities reveals a religious angle behind the violence. So far, more than 160 people have been killed and 70,000 are displaced. All that remains of many churches are charred walls, collapsed tin roofs, and smashed windows.  Most churches are empty on Sundays and many worshippers fear there will be more violence.

The Manipur state government and police have been accused of refusing to assist the Kukis who have been attacked, including neglecting to investigate reports of rape and torture. The state government is dominated by the Meitei community and has even been accused of being complicit in the violence against the Kuki minority by allowing Meitei gangs to act with impunity.

Moreover, when violence escalated throughout May, the Central Government did not offer a response. Instead, it is the Supreme Court that has expressed concern over the situation in Manipur and has now asked the Central Government to inform the court about steps it has taken to apprehend those responsible. Chief Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud said, “It’s time that the government really steps in and takes action because this is simply unacceptable.”

The 2023 Open Doors World Watch List ranks India as the 11th most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian, owing to the rise of Hindu extremism and the increase in the number of states implementing anti-conversion laws.

Home Group Prayer

Dear Lord, our Father and Protector,

We lift up the broken state of Manipur up to you, and our brothers and sisters there who have suffered unspeakable violence and loss. Please make your presence very real to them at this time. May they not feel that they are alone and deserted, but that your Holy Spirit is with them, and that you are fulfilling your promise to never leave them nor forsake them (Deut 31:6).

We especially lift up the women of Manipur who are tormented by fear and shame. We pray that through your spirit and power they will know that they are inviolate and whole. Please help them overcome the brokenness they have endured. Thank you for the brave people who are standing up to speak about the situation, and please keep them safe from attacks.

Lord, we lift up the Manipur state and central Indian governments to you, as well as the Manipur police. May they be prompted to take swift action and not stand idly by. May you raise up leaders with a heart for the people and may they inspire the miscreants to lay down arms and give up violence completely.  May your Spirit convict them of the wrongs they have perpetrated and permitted, and may they instead have a spirit of reconciliation. Please enable them to behave as humans should and not be biased due to political and religious affiliations.

At this time of crisis, we lift up the Christians in Manipur. May they claim victory in a manner befitting of your name and not be cowed down by the oppressors. Please raise up help from all and unexpected sources, and provide shelter and care for them.  May they be able to raise up the standard of your Spirit against those who stand against them. May they think and speak peace and blessing, and be nourished in their body and spirit by your nearness.

We lift up the whole country of India to you, especially with the coming elections in 2024. We pray that there might be peace instead of division, unity in place of segregation, and love instead of communal hatred. We know that you are at work and that thousands are coming to know you in spite of the strife.

Thank you that you are always there for your children and that we can look to you in these dark times. Thank you that we are victorious in your Son and his blood that was shed for us.

Amen!

India: Christians reel from persecution

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. …Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:6, 10)

Christians in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur are reeling from a new wave of persecution that swept the area last month. Violent mobs have destroyed 1,700 houses and burnt down 121 churches and buildings belonging to 15 denominations in one of the worst targeted attacks on Christians in the state.

The violence in Manipur, which began on 3 May, has led to thousands of people, mostly Christians, fleeing their homes and businesses. The violence has claimed more than 75 lives and wounded at least 200 people. Residents of Manipur said there was a breakdown of law and order as the mobs went on a rampage. They added that the attacks were systematic and well planned. The government has blocked all Internet connections across the state, including mobile data and broadband services, allegedly to stop the “spread of disinformation and false rumours.” Shops, schools, and offices are closed.

The head of the Catholic Church in Manipur, Archbishop Dominic Lumon, has appealed for aid for more than 45,000 people who are living in relief camps at Imphal Valley and the surrounding hills.

Christians in India have written an open letter to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India to express concern about the lukewarm response from the government to the attacks in Manipur: “At this crucial juncture, the Church cannot be silent or cannot appear to be supportive of the anti-people government; it has to play a prophetic role.” They ask church leaders to rise to the occasion and “prove themselves to be good shepherds who do not run away when the wolf comes to attack the sheep.”

According to the Census of India 2011, Christians form 41 percent of Manipur’s population of 3 million, while Hindus account for 41 percent, Muslims 8 percent, and other religions 9 percent. The violence began when a tribe that is 90 percent Christian was targeted by a politically dominant tribe that is mostly Hindu.

Home Group Prayer

Dear Lord and Father,

We lift up the believers in Manipur to you. Many have lost their homes and businesses, and are traumatized by the loss and violence they have lived through. Please give them a double portion of your Spirit, that they may be sustained in their faith, and in the tribulation that has been inflicted upon them for the sake of following you. We ask for provision of food and shelter for them, for comfort as their voices go unheard by the government, and for families to remain together. Lord, we ask that the government and other agencies be moved to take strong action on their behalf, and that we will continue to lift our brothers and sisters up in prayer. We pray that the displaced will find a sense of belonging, and not feel targeted and victimized, and that in their distress they will sense your nearness and your presence powerfully. You are close to the broken-hearted. May they sense your love especially at this time of terrible need, and know that they are not alone. May they know very clearly and practically that their help comes from you and that your promise never to leave or forsake them is their source of hope.

We lift our displaced brothers and sisters in Manipur to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Christians in Pakistan brace for greater persecution after blasphemy law revision

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”
(Psalm 5:11 NIV)

Christians in Pakistan are fearing greater persecution after Pakistan’s National Assembly  (lower house of the federal Parliament) unanimously voted to strengthen the country’s blasphemy laws. The law, which can be used to punish those who insult the Prophet Mohammad, is now extended to include the Prophet’s wives, companions, and close relatives. Those convicted can face ten years’ imprisonment with no provision for bail, a fine of one million rupees (about US$12,000), and even a death or life sentence.

The law has often been used as a tool for persecution and discrimination. In many cases, the accused has been attacked and killed by a mob even before legal proceedings begin.

Islam is the state religion of Pakistan, which allows capital punishment for apostasy and blasphemy against the religion. Christians in Pakistan are considered second-class citizens and face discrimination in every area of public and private life.  At least 40 people are currently serving life sentences or execution for blasphemy in the country. A number of other Muslim-majority nations have capital punishment for apostasy but not blasphemy.

According to the British Asian Christian Association, Christians make up an “unhealthy percentage of blasphemy convicts and spend longer periods incarcerated than other victims of these draconian laws.” False accusations are often made against Christians in unrelated disputes, and these could lead to attacks by mobs. A famous case was that of Asia Bibi, a Catholic, who was allegedly accused of blasphemy and spent almost 10 years on death row. She left Pakistan in 2019 but is still receiving death threats. In 2011, Salman Taseer, the Governor of Punjab, was assassinated for opposing the blasphemy laws, as was Shahbaz Bhatti, the first Minister for Minorities Affairs and the only Christian in the Cabinet, for opposing the blasphemy laws and fighting for the release of Asia Bibi.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent rights group, said it was deeply concerned over the latest legislation, which has yet to be approved by the Senate (upper house of the federal Parliament).  Let us lift Pakistan and our brothers and sisters there to the Lord.

Home Group Prayer:

Our Father,

Thank you for the nation of Pakistan that you love and your people there for whom you laid down your life.  At this time, we pray that you would, in your power and care, cover the country with your blood.  May your protection be over our brothers and sisters there.

We also lift up the leaders and those in power in the country, and ask that the blasphemy laws would be repealed, and that freedom of religion would be granted to all.  May your Spirit work mightily, changing hearts and turning them to you. We especially lift up the women in the country, especially those who know you, and ask that your hand of protection would be upon them. We know you are raising up leaders who are speaking up for those who are persecuted, and ask for your hand upon them.  May your kingdom come in Pakistan, and may you do more in that country than we can ever imagine.

We commit Pakistan, the believers there, and those in power into your hands, in Jesus’ name. Amen!