Situation Critical

November, in some Canadian churches, has been designated as a month of prayer for the persecuted church. It's appropriate, then, to highlight the plight of just one of many thousands of cases of persecution around the world. I have written before of the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini (right), a U.S. citizen in prison in Iran for his faith.

His situation has become even more critical in recent days. According to reports from The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), Abedini has been moved from Evin Prison in Tehran to Rajai Shahr Prison in Kara. This prison has been described as "the place prisoners go to disappear."

A Dutch diplomat, Loes Bijnen, described the prison like this: "Rajai Shahr is the place where political prisoners who are seen as a nuisance, are stowed away. Going to Karaj is a severe punishment. Once in there one stops to be a human being. One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press. In Rajaï Shahr, political prisoners have to share cells with dangerous criminals like murderers, rapists and drug addicts who don't hesitate to attack their cell mates. They have nothing to lose: many of them are condemned to death anyway. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence." 

Coming, as it does, in the midst of an anti-West backlash in Iran, Pastor Saeed's life is in real danger. There is a petition that has been launched in the U.S. to ask President Obama to intervene to bring about a resolution to this situation. If you are a U.S. citizen, please consider signing it. Jay Sekelow describes this as a "life or death situation" and thinks that there may be 24-48 hours to save Saeed.

If you are a believer, it's time to pray. Persecution is nothing new. The Apostle Paul wrote numerous letters during his time in prison, finally giving his life at the hands of a Roman executioner. He said, in his letter to the Colossians, "Remember my chains." It's very easy for us, living in the free world, to blithely go about our daily affairs, never giving a moment's thought to Christians around the world suffering for doing what we so often take for granted.

Whether it's a Pakistani Christian falsely accused of blasphemy, a Christian in China or Vietnam in jail for being a part of an unregistered church, or a Christian in India, beaten for their faith, they ought not to be forgotten. So take a few moments today to pray for those living under the threat of violence and death. How should we pray? Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, wrote "Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."  

Pray for strength and courage for those undergoing persecution. Pray that they would remain faithful. Pray that they would be delivered and that the Gospel message would continue to go forward. Pray for God's presence in the middle of their trial. Pray for their families as they suffer in other ways. Pray for those working through various means to bring about relief and/or release for the prisoners. Pray for government officials who would be in a place to make a difference. Finally, pray that God would keep your heart soft to the needs of others and that they would never have to stand alone.

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Islam & Christianity

Recent events have brought the clash between the Muslim and the Christian cultures to the attention of at least some of us who have been watching. Currently 35 Ethiopian Christians are being held in jail in Saudi Arabia for having a prayer meeting in a private home. They've been there for over two months and are now being threatened with deportation. As well, this week there was a pronouncement by the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia calling for the destruction of all churches on the Arabian Peninsula. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani continues to wait on death row in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity. Add to this the ongoing persecution of Christians in Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria etc... and it becomes clear that this is more than just a trend.

I thought it might be informative to share some interactions between Ravi Zacharias and a Muslim student. Ravi is one of the greatest apologists for the Christian faith in the world today and is especially good at cutting through the clutter to speak to the heart of the issue. What are the differences between Islam and Christianity? How do Muslims view Jesus? How do we determine who is right? These presentations are a good staring point, even if the quality may be somewhat
lacking. Feel free to comment.





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Saudi Arabia Calls For Destruction of Churches

Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia

Muslim leaders have once again given themselves a black eye as the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has called for "the destruction of all churches on the Arabian Peninsula." The Grand Mufti is the highest official of religious law in a Sunni country, and as such his pronouncements carry considerable weight. There are no churches allowed in Saudi Arabia currently, so the statement seems to be aimed at Kuwait and other countries in the peninsula.

This is particularly disconcerting as there is already heavy persecution of Christians taking place in other Middle-Eastern nations, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Syria being just a few examples. The "Arab Spring" which brought so much hope just a few months ago has instead resulted in social upheaval and blatant attacks on the Christian community.

The questions on the minds of many commentators and journalists is this: where are the voices of moderate Islam rising to condemn this persecution? All we hear is silence. In country after country where Islam is dominant, all other religions face prejudice at best and extreme persecution at worst.

I remember when the Islamic apologists came out after 9/11 to tell us all that Islam is a religion of peace, whose name actually means peace. What they didn't share is that the word "islam" actually means "submission" or "surrender." The "peace" Islam refers to is when everyone bows in submission to Muslim rule. It's difficult to deny this when simply observing the Islamic countries of the world.

One example is Iran, currently holding Youcef Nadarkhani on death row for the crime of converting to Christianity, and his is merely one of the "visible" cases. Another is Iraq, where the Christian population, with a history in the area of 2,000 years, has been decimated by persecution, with reports saying as many as half have had to leave since 2003. Suicide attacks and death squads plague those who remain. In Pakistan, the only Christian member of parliament, Shahbaz Bhatti, was assassinated last year. Many Christians remain in prison on false charges due to the "blasphemy law" which has been used by Muslims to persecute their Christian neighbors. Courts have hesitated to defend the innocent for fear of mob violence.

These are just a few examples, there are literally thousands more. In Nigeria, a jihad has been declared to irradicate all Christians from the north of the country. Many have already died. There are numerous examples from Somalia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Indonesia and elsewhere. For more information go here.

So, what are we to do about this? There are a few things.

• Think.

The next time someone tells you that all religions are the same, tell them to give their head a shake. There are fundamental differences between the major religions that need to be recognized. Jesus said to love our enemies, Muhammed taught that Allah wanted them to kill all "infidels" (non-believers). Huge difference. We need to, once again, be free to enter into public debate on truth issues without the shackles of political correctness.

• Become informed. 

There's a lot of great material out there to help you to be brought up to speed on what is happening around the world. Here's a link to a great place to start. 

• Pray.

It's amazing that, when asked, many of those imprisoned are not looking for sympathy, they're wanting prayer that the spread of the Gospel of peace would continue. Here's a link to help you get connected. In some of the places of the world where persecution is most extreme, Christianity is growing. Pray for new converts from Islam to Christianity, many of whom risk their lives. Two recent converts from Islam were stabbed in Norway by hooded assailants yelling "Infidels."

• Spread the word.

You may not be a writer, but you can copy and paste a link, or hit share on Facebook. 

If you are a Christian, understand that Jesus said "in this world you will have trouble." People are not our enemy, no matter what they believe. Throughout history, some of the strongest opponents to Christianity have become some of our greatest evangelists. Witness the Apostle Paul for one. Pray for Christians around the world not to respond to violence with violence, for in so doing they turn their backs on their own Saviour. Here is what Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:43-44)

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Iranian Pastor Sentenced to Death

Some of you may have been following the news out of Iran regarding Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. He was arrested for apostasy and convicted - sentenced to death. Upon appeal to the Supreme Court it appeared that the death sentence had been overturned. However, the joy at that news was short-lived as the conditions for that change were revealed. The pastor must recant in order to have his life spared. Those who know him well express the belief that he will die rather than recant. For an interesting take on the original arrest, go to this article. The following is a story by Amy Kellogg I look forward to hearing that Canada also steps up to the plate in defense of religious freedom in Iran.

Iranian Pastor Sentenced to Death Could Be Executed if He Doesn’t Recant, Says Verdict
By: Amy Kellogg

Iran's Supreme Court says an evangelical pastor charged with apostasy can be executed if he does not recant his faith, according to a copy of the verdict obtained by a religious rights activist group.

Christian Solidarity World says Iranian-born Yousef Nadarkhani, who was arrested in 2009 and given the death sentence late last year, could have his sentence suspended on the grounds that he renounce his faith.

Those who know him say he is not likely to do that, for if he were disposed to giving it up, he would have done it long ago.

If Nadarkhani does not recant, his fate is unclear. It’s believed his case would then be remanded to lower courts in Iran.

Recently the U.S. State Department issued the following remarks: “We are dismayed over reports that the Iranian courts are requiring Yousef Nadarkhani to recant his faith or face the death penalty for apostasy, a charge based on his religious beliefs. If carried out, it would be the first execution for apostasy in Iran since 1990. He is just one of thousands who face persecution for their religious beliefs in Iran, including the seven leaders of the Baha’i community whose imprisonment was increased to twenty years for practicing their faith and hundreds of Sufis who have been flogged in public because of their beliefs.”

Christian and human rights groups say apostasy isn’t even codified in Iranian law.

“From a human rights perspective, you can’t criminalize someone’s choice of religion, much less execute them for that,” says Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

Nadarkhani, from Rasht, on the Caspian Sea, converted to Christianity as a teenager. He is reportedly an effective pastor, who has converted an unknown number of people from Islam to Christianity.

Some believe he has about 400 people in his church.

Iran has ancient Armenian and Assyrian churches. The Evangelical Church of Iran is relatively new, church officials tell Fox News, a product of the legacy of Anglican missionaries who were in Iran in the last two centuries. Even after the Islamic Revolution, Iran been fairly tolerant of the older Armenian and Assyrian orders, which date back to the early days of Christianity, but has been less accepting of Evangelical conversions.

Firouz Khandjani, a spokesman for the evangelical Church of Iran, lives in exile in Eastern Europe. He fled Iran for Turkey for security reasons, but says even in his new homeland he's not safe, and was informed he could be targeted by Iranian agents in Turkey.

Khandjani says a sort of “soft persecution” began after the Revolution, with Christians generally losing many civil rights, including access to top jobs in the country, but has increased since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office in 2005.

Khandjani himself was arrested and released 18 years ago. But he says about 40 people have been arrested, many of them also released, since Ahmadinejad became President.

“I can’t say Ahmadinejad is persecuting us, but the hard-liners around him are. The leadership needs hard-liners to permit them to do what they want. They need their support.”

It is hard to get a number on how many Evangelical Christians there are in Iran. It is not a large number in this country of 70 million, but reportedly, the numbers continue to grow. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran estimates there may be 4,000. Khandjani believes the number to be as high as 200,000. Many of them watch evangelical television stations beamed into Iran from the United States.

Ghaemi says, “Most churches in Iran operate with some degree of secrecy. They operate in homes. People take their batteries out of their cellphones and leave them at the door. They show up at random times so as to avoid the appearance of a crowd filing in. The current government sees them as a threat.”

Ghaemi says there had been a tacit agreement between the Ministry of Intelligence and the Church of Iran, whereby if worshippers were open, and told the Ministry where they were going, the government would leave them alone. The government appears to have broken that “gentlemen’s agreement.”

Firouz Khandjani said the church wanted to be out in the open, and had asked to have physical churches in which to operate under the previous presidential administration.

“It was in the time of Khatami. We believed it was possible. He was more open to minority groups, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the will. We had believed in him.”

A court in Shiraz, Iran, recently released a group of Christians who had been arrested for subversion. The court ultimately ruled that they were just exercising their right to practice their religion. Human rights advocates say the higher courts should follow their example.

Sources say while the Iranian regime doesn’t look fondly upon conversion, it is proselytizing that really rankles them.

Khandjani made a plea to America.

“The U.S., which is fighting for freedom, has to take care of this situation. This is the 21st century. We are not a military group. We want to worship God, according to the Gospel, and being persecuted is not acceptable.”

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Remember My Chains

A few times on this site I have written about the plight of Christians in different parts of the world. There have been a few reports over the past few weeks, that have caught my attention, which have not been widely reported by the popular media. What is normally reported is what is referred to as "religious violence" between Christians and Muslims or Christians and Hindus, etc... Digging a little deeper, what this usually means is that Christians have been attacked by a group representing whatever the religious majority of the country or region involved.

This article is not designed to absolve the Christian church of all guilt; we are all familiar with the crusades and other shameful periods in church history. Suffice it to say that those who participated in these and other regrettable chapters over the centuries were actually acting against the teachings of Jesus Christ. Thankfully, church leaders have gone to great lengths to try to make amends for these events, though they took place in the distant past. The full text of the apology issued to Muslims is given below. If you wish to read more on the "Reconciliation Walk," click on the link.

"Nine hundred years ago, our forefathers carried the name of Jesus Christ in battle across the Middle East. Fuelled by fear, greed and hatred, they betrayed the name of Christ by conducting themselves in a manner contrary to His wishes and character. The Crusaders lifted the banner of the Cross above your people. By this act, they corrupted its true meaning of reconciliation, forgiveness and selfless love.

"On the anniversary of the first Crusade, we also carry the name of Christ. We wish to retrace the footsteps of the Crusaders in apology for their deeds and in demonstration of the true meaning of the Cross. We deeply regret the atrocities committed in the name of Christ by our predecessors. We renounce greed, hatred and fear, and condemn all violence done in the name of Jesus Christ.

"Where they were motivated by hatred and prejudice, we offer love and brotherhood. Jesus the Messiah came to give life. Forgive us for allowing His name to be associated with death. Please accept again the true meaning of the Messiah's words:

"'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.' As we go, we bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."

I'm thankful that there are good things happening in the area of reconciliation, but what I'd like to do today is to draw our attention to the millions who are suffering for their Christian faith in the world today. According to estimates, there are an average of 171,000 people being martyred for their Christian faith every year. As I said earlier, rarely do we hear of these through normal news channels. Let me draw attention to a few of them.

March 24, 2011 - (Mauritania) A report was received from Mauritania that a Christian Pastor named Ahmadou Abu Bakr was murdered by Islamists. He left a wife and three children, now in hiding. He had been kidnapped sometime before. His bullet-riddled body was discovered on March 6. It was reported that he was the fourth Christian martyred in that region of Mauritania since 2009. There was no report of arrests made.

March 23, 2011 - (Pakistan) As Christians gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their Salvation Army church in Hyderabad, Pakistan, a group of young Muslims gathered nearby and began to harass young women who were making their way to the service. When some of the men came out to protect the women, some of the Islamists left and came back with weapons. They opened fire on the Christians, killing Younis Masih and Jameel Masih and seriously injuring two others. None of the identified attackers had been arrested by police. This comes on the heels of the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of government in Pakistan. Bhatti was an outspoken critic of the anti-blasphemy law, used by Muslims to imprison Christians and other minorities. A Christian imprisoned for blasphemy also recently died in prison after being regularly beaten.

March 23, 2011 - (Iraq) A report by Sarah MacDonald tells us that conditions for Christians in Iraq are so critical it's been described as "near-genocidal." Since 2003 more than 500 Christians have been murdered. Islamic activists have targeted Christians in an effort to purge the country of a Christian community dating back almost 2,000 years. The increasing pressure on Christians has caused many to flee the country, bringing the estimated Christian population from about 1.3 million in 1991 to about 500,000 today.

March 23, 2011 - (China) ChinaAID reports that yet another Chinese house church was raided on March 13, 2011. 12 Christians were arrested, 2 of whom still remain in detention. They are Weng and Zhang Yongkuan. Police confiscated all Bibles and other books. Thousands of Christians remain in prison or in "re-education camps" in China. Many disappear, never to be heard from again.

March 22, 2011 - (Nigeria) The Stefanos Foundation, an organization established to support the persecuted church in Nigeria, reports an attempted bombing of a church on Sunday, March 20, 2011. The timer on the bomb apparently malfunctioned and it blew up prematurely, killing two attempted Islamic terrorists. Earlier that day, three Christians had been murdered at Duala Junction and six other Christians were being treated in hospital for stab wounds. Muslim elders in the region declared a jihad (holy war)on Christians on December 28, 2010, stating their intentions to cause such mayhem that the government would be forced to declare a state of emergency.

As you can see, these are all reports from within a less than one-week period. The following video on behalf of Christian martyrs was prepared by Voice of the Martys Canada. Please pray for Christians around the world who are suffering for their faith.



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Modern-Day Martyrs in Turkey - A Reprise
Modern-day Martyrs in Turkey
Assumptions