Laos - Ranking: 9th

Population: 6 368 000
Capital: Vientiane
Dominant Religion: Buddhism
Languages: Loa
Political leader: Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh
Christians: 2%

Laos is a one party, authoritarian state seen as one of the poorest and least developed countries in Southeast Asia.
Laos' national motto is "Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity, and Socialism." The truth in the day to day lives of Laos' some 100 000 Christians is very different to what this statement would proclaim. Buddhism and Buddhist organisations are openly encouraged. Government needs approval for any proselytizing, printing of religious texts, or owning a building for worship The importation of religious publications and articles is prohibited.

To give you an idea: On February 19, 2004, Christians living in the Donthapad village in souther Laos were told by a government official, "If you [will] not give up your Christian faith, leave the village; if you do not, you will be punished by death."

A ministry partner of WIN received the following plea for help from one of the villagers: "The officials' purpose is to totally eradicate Christianity. They threatened to destroy our homes and to burn our homes. We are not able to travel anywhere. We are kept in ... confinement. They keep watch on us."

Local Christians have land and livestock confiscated, are made to pay fines for continuing to hold to the Christian faith, and are threatened that if these are not paid quickly, their homes will be burned. These are our brothers afar - who have no peace, independence, democracy or rights, because they aren't valued by the government.

See more here:
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=17

What to pray for

- Pray for the church in Laos to be strong and bold in the face of persecution (Rev 2:9-10)
- Pray that the international community doesn't turn a blind eye to this travesty or a deaf ear to the cries of the Laos' Christians. That international efforts will be effective in securing protection for Laos' Christians.
- Pray for the wisdom of church elders in both pastoring churches and fulfilling the great commission.
- Pray that the hearts of believers will continue to be strengthened by the love of Christ in the midst of the their suffering.

Afghanistan - Ranking: 10th.

Population: 31 057 000
Capital: Kabul
Religions: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim
Languages: Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari)
Political leader: President Hamid Karzai
Christians: <1%

The Sunnis make up about 80% of the country's population. Afghanistan has a small Christian community. Conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death under the Shari'a Law. There are no Christian or Jewish schools, no Christian churches and one synagogue.

To give you an idea: In 2006 Abdul Rahman was arrested on charges of apostasy and sentenced to death for refusing to return to the Muslim faith. Due to international pressure, Rhaman was released and fled to Italy.

Persecution of Christians is intense. During the Taliban regime, persecution was accomplished formally by law, and informally, by tribes and families.

See more here: http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=20

What to pray for

- Pray for godly men and women to obtain positions of influence in the country.
- The Afghani drug trade is estimated to be among the worst in the world. Pray that it will cease.
- Pray for the thousands of underground believers, many not even known by their families. Pray for safety, protection, courage and wisdom. Pray that they may be effectively discipled.

persecution, suffering and prayer

In recent months, I decided to take use of Google's offer to mail you news updates based on keywords you provide. I chose Symfony (the web based PHP framework which I use), Israel (I don't have a TV and want to keep up to date with the going's on there) and Christians. I've noticed that many of the Christians headlines don't make it to the mainstream google news site. I've also noticed, that much of the news is about persecution cases around the world. This is happening today, and many people are just not aware.

A while back I added a persecution.org widget to this blog on the left hand column, showing highlights from a Christian based advocacy group. Take a look from time to time at those links. That being said I move on to the reason for this post:

I recently got a book called "The Persecuted Church Prayer Devotional" - Which is an overview of some of the most hostile countries to find yourself in, if you are a Christian, or involved in Christian ministry in any form. The back of the book states a little known fact: More Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than all the previous centuries combined, and this onslaught has continued unabated into the new century. I agree with the conclusion of the write up, which says that it is our duty to be knowledgeable and to take action on behalf of those who are persecuted. Also that one of the most essential actions we can take is to stand in the gap by being on our knees in prayer.

I happen to know both that modern persecution is very real, knowing someone who travels to Sudan now and then to assist with ministry there. Also I know some people in the East who go to places like Tibet and China. It is interesting that many people that I speak to do not know things that are not well represented in modern media.

In the next few weeks I want to take a look at the top ten ranked countries, for violations against Christians and the kind of violations that occur. My aim is twofold: to create awareness, and hopefully by so doing, to create a desire for intense prayer, regarding what is going on there. The book contains many more than ten countries, detailing these violations in an easily accessible format - well worth looking into. The first country we will look at, is ranked tenth in it's intensity of persecution against Christians. It is Afghanistan.

Before I start with that (in my next post) - look at the samples I got from today's Google news alert via email on the word Christians:

The cross they bear - Persecution going on in parts of India by the hand of Hindu extremists.
China's crackdown on Christians worsens - 2007 proves to be a tougher year for Christian leaders and people in house churches.
Pakistani Christians released by abductors - Five Christians had been abducted my militants on the suspicion of selling liquor.

Note: after a period of time, these links may no longer work.

time to reflect

Very often for me a large part of living in the city means that some important things get neglected. You get so caught up in the buzz that things go un-noticed or unprayed for, sometimes for months on end.
Some bad news this morning reminded me how important it is to keep praying: for the people in our neighbourhood, for our leaders in government. For justice of the wicked and mercy for the oppressed and destitute. I was also reminded to pray for our brothers and sisters in places where freedom to follow God is hindered or outlawed.
Check these stories:

CHINA: Prominent House Church Leader Repeatedly Beaten by Police – China Aid Association
On October 11, prominent house church leader, Hua Huiqi, was repeatedly attacked by police at his home. According to China Aid Association, "Hua was reading his Bible at his home despite police surrounding his house. He was sent to Beijing Tiantan Hospital, because he lost consciousness after repeated beatings from the police." China's Public Security Bureau (PSB) recently put Hua under house arrest. PSB officers had been surrounding his house when they attacked him. Pastor Hua's 77-year-old mother, Shuang Shuying, remains very ill in prison, serving a two-year sentence. VOM contacts say she is being held hostage by police in order to put pressure on Pastor Hua to reveal names and information of believers. Pray for Hua's speedy recovery and for God to encourage him. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict his attackers and draw them into the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

GAZA STRIP: Gaza Bible Society Worker Murdered – Christian Broadcasting Network
On October 7, 26-year-old Rami Ayyad's body was recovered near the Teachers' Bookshop in the Palestinian territory of Gaza where he worked. His body had stab wounds and bullet holes. According to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Ayyad was kidnapped the day before by an unidentified group. CBN quoted the spokesperson for the Palestinian Bible Society, Simon Azazian, who said, "We do not know the exact identity of the group, but we know he was martyred for his faith in Christ." The report added, "Ayyad told co-workers he'd noticed a car with no license plates following him. At 6 p.m. (on Saturday), his wife received a phone call from him saying he'd been taken captive by a group of people and would be home late. A second phone call relayed the same message." Rami is survived by his pregnant wife and two young children. Pray the Holy Spirit comforts his family during this difficult time. Pray Rami's testimony will bring non-believers, especially his killers, into the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Ask God to protect believers in Gaza. Psalm 23, Psalm 91

SUDAN: Suicide Bomber Kills Youth, Wounds Others in Sudanese Church – VOM Sources
On September 27, a suicide bomber in military clothing detonated a grenade, killing five youth and critically wounding four others, in Sudan's Upper Nile state. According to The Voice of the Martyrs' contacts in Sudan, "A pastor was having an overnight service in Khorfullus town, when an unidentified man walked into the service and detonated a grenade, killing himself, five children and critically wounding four others, including the pastor and his wife." VOM contacts added that the bomber was dressed in full military clothing, normally worn by government officials. VOM is assisting families affected by this tragedy during this difficult time. Pray God comforts and encourages the families of those killed. Pray for a speedy recovery for those injured. Psalm 118: 17, Isaiah 40:31

source: Voice of the Martyrs USA

Christian monastery attacked in Gaza

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook (from PMW Reports newsletter)

During the recent fighting in Gaza between Hamas and Fatah, the Christian community in Gaza was also targeted. The Palestinian paper Al-Ayyam reported that “Armed masked men… stole, destroyed and burned down a monastery and a church school in Gaza, after they bombed the main gate with RPG shells… they destroyed the main gate of the monastery with an RPG shell, and then entered the church and destroyed everything in the monastery: The crosses, the holy books, computers and photocopy machines." They appeared to be members of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, however, the Hamas has directed the blame at the Palestinian Authority police.

It should be noted that while this may have been a Hamas attack on the church, the Christian community has been suffering under Fatah rule as well. Ever since the West Bank cities were given over from Israel to the Palestinian Authority the Christian population has been living under very difficult conditions.

Palestinian writer Khaled Abu Toameh recently reported in The Jerusalem Post on the ruin of the Christian community of Bethlehem:

"The conditions of Christians in Bethlehem and its surroundings had deteriorated ever since the area was handed over [from Israel] to the PA in 1995…. 'Every day we hear of another Christian family that has immigrated to the US, Canada or Latin America… The Christians today make up less than 15 percent of the population'… "Samir Qumsiyeh [said]: "I believe that 15 years from now there will be no Christians left in Bethlehem."

When the West Bank was under Israeli administration the Christian population of Bethlehem was over 60%.

This attack on the Gaza church, though more aggressive than the actions in Bethlehem, seems to be part of a Palestinian pattern of marginalizing the Christian community.

The article from Al-Ayyam appears below. As the story of the Christian community in Bethlehem is important for the understanding of the Christian predicament under the Palestinian Authority, The Jerusalem Post article has likewise been reprinted below.

Al-Ayyam, June 18, 2007
Armed masked men, said to be part of Al-Qassam [Hamas] Operational Force, stole, destroyed and burned down a monastery and a church school in Gaza, after they bombed the main gate with RPG shells…

Father Manuel Muslem, the leader of the Latin community in Gaza, said that the armed men who carried all sorts of weapons, including machine guns and RPG launchers, burst in to the monastery and the Al-Wardiya Church school yesterday after they destroyed the main gate of the monastery with an RPG shell, and then entered the church and destroyed everything in the monastery: The crosses, the holy books, computers and photocopy machines… And he explained that the damage caused to the monastery, only on the inside, will require over 100,000 Jordanian Dinar to restore, all the more so the walls and the outer gates which were damaged by the shells and were entirely destroyed.

Muslem indicated that he got a phone call from President Mahmoud Abbas, who expressed his identification and his love for the people of the Christian community… similarly, President Abbas promised the church that the [Palestinian] Authority will be the faithful protector to its people, without differentiating between a Christian and a Muslim.

In a response to the blame directed at the [Hamas] Al-Qassam Brigades and the Operational Force… the spokesman of the Operational Force, Islam Shahwan, said that the events of theft, destruction and burning of some of the institutions are absolutely not part of the values and measures of our people…

[That] those who attacked the Al-Wardiya Church school wore the clothes of the Operational Force and bore symbols saying “Al-Qassam,” Shahwan explained that, concerning the Al-Qassam Brigades, since there was a agreement with them, and they completely left the street, only men of the Operational Force and of the Palestinian police stayed there. He denied [the claim] that this destructive way is the way of the Operational Force.
[Al-Ayyam, June 18, 2007]

The Jerusalem Post
Bethlehem Christians claim persecution
Jan. 25, 2007
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

A number of Christian families have finally decided to break their silence and talk openly about what they describe as Muslim persecution of the Christian minority in this city. The move comes as a result of increased attacks on Christians by Muslims over the past few months.

The families said they wrote letters to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the Vatican, Church leaders and European governments complaining about the attacks, but their appeals have fallen on deaf ears. According to the families, many Christians have long been afraid to complain in public about the campaign of "intimidation" for fear of retaliation by their Muslim neighbors and being branded "collaborators" with Israel. But following an increase in attacks on Christian-owned property in the city over the past few months, some Christians are no longer afraid to talk about the ultra-sensitive issue. And they are talking openly about leaving the city.

"The situation is very dangerous," said Samir Qumsiyeh, owner of the Beit Sahur-based private Al-Mahd (Nativity) TV station. "I believe that 15 years from now there will be no Christians left in Bethlehem. Then you will need a torch to find a Christian here. This is a very sad situation." Qumsiyeh, one of the few Christians willing to speak about the harsh conditions of their community, has been the subject of numerous death threats. His house was recently attacked with fire-bombs, but no one was hurt.

Qumsiyeh said he has documented more than 160 incidents of attacks on Christians in the area in recent years. He said a monk was recently roughed up for trying to prevent a group of Muslim men from seizing lands owned by Christians in Beit Sahur.

Thieves have targeted the homes of many Christian families and a "land mafia" has succeeded in laying its hands on vast areas of land belonging to Christians, he added.

Fuad and Georgette Lama woke up one morning last September to discover that Muslims from a nearby village had fenced off their family's six-dunam plot in the Karkafa suburb south of Bethlehem.

"A lawyer and an official with the Palestinian Authority just came and took our land," said 69-year-old Georgette Lama.

The couple was later approached by senior PA security officers who offered to help them kick out the intruders from the land. "We paid them $1,000 so they could help us regain our land," she said, almost in tears.

"Instead of giving us back our land, they simply decided to keep it for themselves. They even destroyed all the olive trees and divided the land into small plots, apparently so that they could offer each for sale."

When her 72-year-old husband, Fuad, went to the land to ask the intruders to leave, he was severely beaten and threatened with guns. "My husband is after heart surgery and they still beat him," Georgette Lama said. "These people have no heart. We're afraid to go to our land because they will shoot at us. Ever since the beating, my husband is in a state of trauma and has difficulties talking."

The Lamas have since knocked on the doors of scores of PA officials in Bethlehem seeking their intervention, but to no avail. At one stage, they sent a letter to Abbas, who promised to launch an investigation. "We heard that President Mahmoud Abbas is taking our case very seriously," said Georgette Lama. "But until now he hasn't done anything to help us get our land back. We are very concerned because we're not the only ones suffering from this phenomenon. Most Christians are afraid to speak, but I don't care because we have nothing more to lose."

The couple's Christian neighbor, Edward Salama, said the problem in the city was the absence of law and order. "We are living in a state of chaos and lawlessness," he said. "The police are afraid of the thugs who are taking our lands." Salama expressed deep concern over the conditions of Christians in Bethlehem, noting that many were leaving the country as a result of the deterioration. "When I see what's happening to Christians here, I worry a lot for our future," he said. "They are targeting Christians, because we are seen as weak."

The Lamas said they decided to go public with the hope that the international community would intervene with the PA to halt the land-grab. "We will fight and fight until we recover our land," Fuad Lama said. "We will resort to the courts and to the public opinion for help.

"Unfortunately, Christian leaders and spokesmen are afraid to talk about the problems we are facing. We know of three other Christian families - Salameh, Kawwas and Asfour - whose lands were also illegally seized by Muslims."

A Christian businessman who asked not to be identified said the conditions of Christians in Bethlehem and its surroundings had deteriorated ever since the area was handed over to the PA in 1995. "Every day we hear of another Christian family that has immigrated to the US, Canada or Latin America," he said. "The Christians today make up less than 15 percent of the population."

People are running away because the Palestinian government isn't doing anything to protect them and their property against Muslim thugs. Of course not all the Muslims are responsible, but there is a general feeling that Christians have become easy prey."

Please feel free to forward this bulletin, crediting Palestinian Media Watch.