April Persecution Magazine (1 of 4)

Christians around the world face persecution and martyrdom with hope, joy and compassion.

Rising from the Ashes

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I saw the souls of those who had been slain (in Rev. 20:4, beheaded) because of (Jesus) and their testimony. They cried, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood?” They were given a white robe and told to rest for a bit, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed as they had been, would be completed.Revelation 6:9-11

When I think about the 21 Christians slaughtered on the beach in Libya and so many others beheaded or killed for their faith by Islam, I often return to the verse above. The verse is comforting in a strange way because it speaks of the martyrs’ reward and hints at the fact that none of this is a surprise to the Lord and that all will be made right when His rule is reinstated.

This realm, this epoch, we live in and under, is governed and ruled by an evil king who is a usurper that has stolen the crown and twisted the rightful order. So, for a time, we must live in a world upside down. But, the true King is coming back!!

Until then, the martyrs and ourselves (citizens living under foreign occupation) are told to be patient for a while. He knows our pain, and the terrible injustice we and this world are subjected to again and again; but we must for a little while, rest. . . before all is made right.

This isn’t a fairy tale; rather, fairy tales are usually modeled after this hidden truth of a world captured and under a spell, twisted, and waiting for restoration. Alice In Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and the modern fairy tales, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avatar, and The Matrix (and so many others) are built around a world captured and upside down, waiting to be restored.

In these tales there is always an ordinary person who is awakened to the hidden reality that is chosen to help restore the rightful order. That is where you and I come in (after Jesus). You see, while we wait for the end of this epoch, there are victims of the evil king that we must free and rescue. There are damsels in distress, held in towers that call out to us, who will perish unless we act.

Let your secret desire to be the hero of the story rise up and be expressed in the rescuing of the victims of the evil king. Together, we can do much good, and will know that we didn’t sleep (like most), but that we did what we could. . . while we waited. . . for all to be made right!

As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically.

I Promise!

Jeff King

President, International Christian Concern, Persecution.org

A Note from the President

Jeff King, President International Christian Concern

ONCE UPON a time …

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News

Churches Burned, Christians Killed in Bloody Charlie Hebdo Protests in Niger1 | NIGER Over the weekend of January 16, Muslim pro-tests against the latest depiction of the Prophet Mohammed by French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, devolved into violent mobs that proceeded to burn and ransack as many as 70 churches and dozens more Christian homes and businesses across Niger.

Niger’s historically tolerant Muslim population has been radicalized by Gulf state imams’ harshly conserva-tive teachings over the past two to three decades. The spread of radical Islam in Niger has concerned experts, and their increasing concerns were validated as the Muslim mobs rampaged through major cities across Niger in January, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Entire Christian communities were left devastated.

Neil and Danette Childs witnessed the destruction of a Christian community in Niger, a 97 percent Muslim

2 | NIGERIA The upcoming Nigerian general elections have Christians in the West African country fearful of what the future might hold.

In 2011, the last time Nigerians went to the polls, post-election violence resulted in the destruction of more than 700 churches and 3,000 Christian homes and businesses across the country.

In the last four years, 1,000 churches have been destroyed, many by Boko Haram, a radical Islamic insurgency. As the terrorist group has gained power, they have increasingly conquered territory in the coun-try through obscene violence and murder — killing as many as 1,800 Christians last year alone.

The Nigerian government’s attempts to eradicate Boko Haram have proven fruitless, and there is great fear that the terrorist group will wreak havoc during the election by targeting voters, especially in more rural areas, as they exercise their right to vote for president.

The people of Nigeria have not forgotten the violence that occurred after the last election, and no matter who wins this election, there remains the very real possibility that the outcome will be the same.

Nigerians Worry Elections May See Repeat of 2011 Bloodshed

Muslim mobs protesting a depiction of their Prophet Mohammed ransacked this Christian home, along with dozens of others and as many as 70 churches.in Niger.

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nation in West Africa, first hand.

“We immediately started packing a trunk [when we saw the smoke from three burning churches], putting in our valu-ables, our documents, and we loaded up the car,” Neal told Fox News. “There were concerns our family would be targeted.”

Other pastors in the area lost everything.

“While the mob was burning the front of the house, his neighbors came in through the back and hauled out clothes and everything they could get through the back window,” Neal recalled.

Despite the violence Christians in Niger have experienced, the response has been faith inspiring.

“We are preaching the Gospel and living as an example before the people,” Neal said. “It was demonstrated in our response. It is not our nature to be aggressive or violent. We forgive those that attack.”


Pastor Murdered by Fulani Muslims4 | NIGERIA Joshua Adah, a pastor known in Nigeria for bringing “education, medicine and clothing to thousands of impoverished people,” was murdered by Muslim Fulani herdsmen. The senseless attack left Pastor Adah’s wife to mourn as a widow and his two children without an earthly father. Years of battles between Fulani Muslim herdsmen and Christian farmers over territory in Taraba and other “middle belt” states have left hundreds dead, churches destroyed and Christian communities decimated.

ISIS Brutality Reaches New Heights6 | WORLD The inhumanity and cruelty of ISIS is escalating, and their true barbarity continues to reveal itself. ISIS has filmed and aired the brutal beheading of journalists and humanitarians from around the world, including the United States, Britain and Japan. Perhaps the most shocking hostage slay-ing has been that of the Jordanian pilot who was locked in a cage and burned alive. ISIS jihadists have also begun throwing blindfolded men off rooftops as punishment for being homosexuals. In one situation, a terrified man sur-vived the seven-story fall and was stoned to death by onlookers. Recently, the UN has received reports describing the rape, crucifixion and beheading of children, in addition to others being buried alive. Among those unwilling to convert to Islam, ISIS has shown little discrimination in the selection of their targets, with victims ranging from infants to the elderly.

Boko Haram Strives to Assert Control Over Nigeria3 | NIGERIA According to estimates, Boko Haram, a radical Islamic insurgency bent on establishing a separate Islamic state to be ruled by Sharia law, has destroyed more than 1,000 churches across Nigeria since 2010. For years, Boko Haram has waged a campaign of terror against Christians living and working in Nigeria’s remote north. In 2014 alone, Boko Haram abducted hundreds of Christians, forcing them to convert to Islam and, in the case of more than 200 schoolgirls taken from Chibok last April, selling them into lifetimes of domestic and sexual servitude as child brides.

Radical Islamic insurgency, Boko Haram, has destroyed more than 1,000 churches in Nigeria since 2010.

Congress Discusses ‘Nigeria on the Brink’5 | NIGERIA in light of Nigeria’s potential for unrest following its elec-tions, the U.S. Congress held a hearing called ‘Nigeria on the Brink.’

“Nigeria is an important African nation, not just for that region, but also for the international community as a whole. [Nigeria] is facing a variety of crises, including an increasingly vicious war against Boko Haram, the threat of post-election violence following the upcoming presidential election, ongoing interreligious and interethnic conflict,” said House Committee Chairman Christopher Smith.



News

Modi Remains Silent on Persecution1 | INDIA Christians in India suffered a string of attacks from Hindu radicals at the beginning of 2015, ranging in severity from wrongful arrests to beatings to raids on church meetings. While the radicals claim the silence of Prime Minister Modi in the face of the attacks on Christians and other minority communities is a sign of his tacit approval, Christians and other communities are calling on the prime minister to make his position clear.

Many Christians across India feel insecure under the current government. Instead of remaining silent, they are now taking to the streets to demand better. Hundreds of Christians in Mumbai participated in a protest, and hun-dreds more were arrested by police in Delhi when they took to the streets to protest attacks on churches.

In India’s rural areas, church burnings, beatings, social boycotts and forced conversion attempts have become commonplace. India’s national government has remained strangely silent on the issue of religious intolerance, regardless of the effect on millions of its own citizens. Prime Minister Modi has been called on multiple times to publicly speak on this issue, but he has remained silent. This silence has disappointed India’s religious minorities and further emboldened India’s Hindu radicals.

ICC applauds the actions of Christians as they attempt to encourage their government to protect the rights of all its citizens, including religious minorities.

Christian School Ransacked by 300 Charlie Hebdo Protesters3 | PAKISTAN Since the attack on a French magazine publishing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, anti-Charlie Hebdo protests have been flaring up across Pakistan.

With some of the strictest blasphemy laws in the world, many Pakistani Muslims have joined in the protests against the French magazine. Generally, these protests have remained peaceful, but recently, in the city of Banu, protesters turned their anger on St. Paul High School, a local Christian school.

Reports indicate that upwards of 300 protest-ers climbed the outer wall, forced open the main gates and stormed inside the Christian boys’ school. Protesters then proceeded in assaulting students, smashing windows and destroying property.

According to reports, four students were injured in the attack, and local Muslims are now demanding that the Christian school be closed.

Christians in Pakistan are marginalized: consid-ered low class citizens in Pakistan and betrayers of their country by practicing the Christian faith.

The Christians of St. Paul High School are peace-ful and nonviolent. Sardar Mushtaq Gill, human rights defender, said that hurting Pakistani Christians would be hurting Pakistan.

U.S. President Barack Obama Urges India to Embrace Religious Freedom2| INDIA During a trip to India, President Obama called on the country not to fracture along religious lines and to protect the constitu-tional right of reli-gious freedom.

Drawing on his experience as a minority, President Obama highlighted the right of religious freedom as one of the cornerstones of a healthy democracy.

At the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama said that recent “acts of intolerance” against India’s religious minorities would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi. Obama’s statements come at a time when religious minorities across India feel under threat from Hindu radical orga-nizations.

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Burma Seeks Restrictions on Conversion5 | BURMA A new law in Burma inflicts a restriction on religious conversions. If the law, which was passed in the Upper House of Parliament, is implemented, it will require anyone wishing to change their religion to apply for permission to do so to an 11-member com-mittee.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma noted the “significant human rights concerns” in regards to this law. The basis of his argument is that the freedom of religion and the freedom to choose and change one’s religion is a fundamental human right that should not be controlled by the government.

Protestants in Mexico Told They Must Convert or Pay Heavy Fine to Return to Their Own Village7 | MEXICO Protestants who were expelled from their village in Chiapas, Mexico, for religious reasons in 2012 were told by the government they could return and their religious freedom would be protected; however, when they returned, under the protection of state officials, they were told they would only be granted entrance if they converted or paid an extremely high fine. This, as well as attacks, beatings, barring Christian children from school and cutting off access to water and electricity, are just a few examples of the types of reli-gious freedom violations they have experienced. Despite numerous complaints filed with the municipal and state governments, no actions have been taken to protect the rights and religious freedoms of the Protestants who are suffering persecution for their faith. The law has yet to be upheld.

Christian Clergymen Arrested by National Intelligence and Security Service in Khartoum4 | SOUTH SUDAN It has been confirmed that two Christian clergymen, Yat Michael and Peter Yein Reith, from South Sudan have been arrested and are currently being detained in Khartoum by the National Intelligence and Security Service. After the Reverend Yat Michael referenced the government confiscation of property belonging to the church during a sermon, he was charged with “instigating Sudanese citizens against their government.” The Reverend Peter Yein Reith was arrested shortly after when he arrived in the city of Khartoum. The Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church was partially demolished and a portion of its 2,000 reported members were arrested and, in some cases, fined by Sudanese officials in 2014. Characteristic of an alarming trend, multiple churches have been forcibly closed and demolished by Sudanese officials.

Protestants face persecution in Chiapas, Mexico.

A new law in Burma may require those wishing to convert from their religion to first apply for permission before a committee.

Burmese Government Arrests Christian for Cutting Down Trees Used to Build a Cross6 | BURMA A Christian in Burma is facing jail time for cutting down trees to create space for an “illegal” cross. The trees were harvested from the land of a fellow Christian who used the wood to build the cross and erected it on his property in the space created from the felled trees.

Burmese officials arrested the man for cutting down the trees without government permission; however, it is believed the true purpose behind the arrest was to remove the cross, a symbol of the Christian faith that is routinely discriminated against and persecuted by the Burmese gov-ernment.

A Christian man who cut down trees so a fellow believer could erect a cross on his property was arrested by Burmese officials.



Volunteers

F or Sarah Smith, the journey toward serv-ing the persecuted church as an ICC

volunteer began through a very personal encounter. In the summer of 1997, Sarah had the opportunity to travel with a team to China. During the trip, she was able to interact close-ly with the women of Beijing’s underground church, who distributed over 100,000 Gospel pamphlets via bicycle in one summer alone. Seeing the love for Jesus Christ and the courage that these women displayed inspired Sarah to take action in her own hometown.

Once she returned to New York, Sarah designed an initiative which she called the “Adopt-A-Nation Prayer Project,” which highlights various countries that face high levels of persecution, in order to inform others and encourage them to pray.

A few weeks later, Sarah connected with the general manager of the evangelical Sound of Life Radio, hoping to promote that year’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Sarah has worked faith-fully with the radio ministry since 1997 and, in February of 2012, they began airing her “Adopt-A-Nation Prayer Project” spotlights twice daily.

In November 2014, during Sarah’s semi-

annual ministry trip to India, she led an IDOP prayer service and conducted several train-ing sessions titled, “Praying Effectively for Suffering Christians.” Six months prior, All India Radio MKG began airing a customized version of her prayer spotlights.

While reflecting on her time spent in the region, Sarah said, “They are joyously willing to make all sacrifices and face all dangers in order to build God’s Kingdom. …All they ask from other Christians is prayer support.”

She summed it up perfectly by saying, “Prayer is the least we can do and the most we can do.”

As a member of the awareness team, Sarah has had the opportunity to raise her voice on behalf of the persecuted and make their prayer requests known. As a constant reminder of her original mission, she clings to Hebrews 13:3 which states, “Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them and those who are being mistreated as if you were there with them being mistreated too.”

For those considering volunteering, Sarah encourages you to ask yourself the question, “What would you want someone to do for you if you were in prison or being persecuted?”

A s a singer and songwriter, Hazel Owens*(name changed for security) has used

her God-given talents to raise awareness for the persecuted church. When she first began contemplating the idea of a fundraiser, Hazel initially intended to organize a garage sale. However, after talking with her husband, they concluded that hosting and performing in a benefit concert would have a greater impact.

During her concert, Hazel interspersed songs, Bible verses, images and stories of the persecuted. An offering was taken at the end of the concert, and many church members vol-unteered to sell and raffle off items to further the cause. In addition to raising funds for the persecuted, multiple members of her church donated their time to help with the behind-the-scenes details necessary for organizing a concert. As a result, Hazel said that her church has “become more passionate about the cause of the persecuted.”

While reflecting on her work as a volunteer, Hazel was struck by the story of Queen Esther. She said that, like Esther, “those of us with religious freedom need to start viewing this freedom as a gift from God and a responsibil-ity to help our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted.”

Speaking Out on Behalf of the Persecuted Church SARAH SMITHVOLUNTEER AWARENESS TEAM

Raising Her Voice HAZEL OWENS*VOLUNTEER AWARENESS TEAM


Calling for Justice

As a member of the advocacy volunteer team, Joe Fontanetta regu-larly calls out for justice on behalf of the persecuted. In December of 2013, a Christian convert in Egypt named Bishoy Armia Boulous was imprisoned for his faith. On behalf of Bishoy’s case, Joe had the opportunity to speak out against the injustice. He was able to both call and send a letter to the Egyptian embassy, calling for the release of this innocent man. In addition to Joe reaching out to the embassy, many advocacy volunteers were also able to call upon their own Congressmen, encouraging them to advocate for Bishoy.

1 Advocacy Fight for justice for the persecuted through petitions, embassy callsand more.2 Awareness Raise your voice for the persecuted Church through speaking inchurches, writing and social media.3 Office Lighten the load of our staff by helping with administrative tasks.4 Prayer Intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ, both individually andas a church.5 Special Projects Volunteer on your own schedule through one-time projects.

Looking for a Way to Make a Difference in the World? Join Our Team of Volunteers!For those wishing to make an impact on the world, many are unsure where to begin when facing an issue like religious persecution. However, volunteers across the globe are making a difference within their own towns as members of ICC’s five volunteer teams: Advocacy, Awareness, Office, Prayer and Special Projects. By standing up for the persecuted in a number of ways, ICC’s volunteers have helped to connect the global Church by bridging the gap between the persecuted and the Western Church. One person can make a difference — are you willing to take the call?

Volunteers make an impact on governments across the nations.

The Number One Request of the Persecuted

Out of all possible requests, members of the persecuted church ask for prayer more than anything else. ICC’s prayer volunteer team has offered them just that. In 2014, eight volunteers organized or helped lead pro-grams for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted, whether in their churches or through radio ministries. Greater still, countless volunteers set aside daily time to pray for the persecuted, whether indi-vidually, as a church or as a family, according to ICC’s prayer calendar. The dedicated prayers offered by volunteers are making a difference for the persecuted church in countries across the world.

Prayer volunteers conduct IDOP services throughout the world.

Online Apply on our website at:http://www.persecution.org/how-you-can-help/volunteer or send an email to [email protected] Want more information? Feel freeto call us at (301) 585-5915.

Interested in Serving?Volunteer Teams

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April Persecution Magazine (1 of 4)