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Persecution and Prayer Alert, Voice of the Martyrs

EGYPT: Christian Girls Snatched by Traffickers



Source: Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) One of the challenges facing Christian families, particularly in Upper Egypt, is the kidnapping of young Christian girls. It generally happens when the girls enter their teen years. To help avoid this tragedy, some families relocate to Christian villages. But that can present a whole new set of challenges.
Manel moved her family from a Muslim village to a Christian one near el Minya because she wanted to protect her eldest daughter Maryam from abduction and forced conversion. She made the decision after noticing some Muslim girls and boys attempting to lure Maryam away from her family and faith. Now residing as strangers in a new town, Manel's husband is having difficulty finding work. This family is not alone. Last year, a Helsinki Commission hearing revealed that the number of disappearances and abductions of Christian girls has been increasing. Human trafficking expert Michel Clark told of more than 800 cases. Still, many Islamic leaders and government officials debunk claims that Christian girls are being trafficked. They insist that the conversions and marriages are not forced; they are simply the result of amorous love between young people of different faiths.

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While the previous Mohammed Morsi government has done little to curtail the trafficking, the political change gives many Egyptian Christians hope. They pray the next government will force police to treat Christian kidnapping complaints seriously. (Previous reports can be found at the Egypt Country Report.) Thankfully, much needed help is being provided by caring Christians during this time of uncertainty, bringing not only a glimmer of hope but also a new beginning in Egypt. Manel expresses her gratitude by saying, "May the Christians who helped us have a long life and may God be with them...." To view a video clip of this CBN news report, just click here. Considering the upheaval that's taking place since the Morsi government has been forced to step down, it is important that we first pray for God's peace to reign in communities, as well as in individual hearts, so order can be established both socially and politically. As the new leadership attempts to take over, may the Lord work through these governmental authorities to bring about needed protection, justice, unity and religious freedom for the country's many innocent citizens, including fellow believers and their children.

ERITREA: High School Students Suffer Severe Hardship

Sources: Morning Star News, Open Doors Eritrean authorities are punishing 39 high school students for their Christian faith, excluding them from a graduation ceremony and subjecting them to beatings and hard labour. After completing a four-month military training required in Eritrea, the students (including 11 girls) have been arrested for their "Christian beliefs and for their commitment to Christ." According to a recent press statement, "The youths are now enduring beatings, forced hard labour and insufficient food and water" at the SAWA military training centre. Sources add that "authorities are also threatening the students with long imprisonment and exclusion from university should they 'fail to renounce Christ.'" The Marxist-leaning architect of repression of religion and free speech in Eritrea, President Isaias Afewerki, has been in power since Eritrea's separation from Ethiopia in 1991; the National Assembly elected him as president in1993. An estimated 3,000 mostly Protestant Christians were incarcerated for their faith by the end of 2010. (It is estimated that the figure is now about 1,200.) The prisoners are held in shipping containers in desert camps, with some kept in underground cells. "The conditions are inhumane: Children and the elderly are amongst the prisoners sharing skin diseases, dysentery and other horrors in confined, unventilated spaces," reports Elizabeth Kendal of the Religious Liberty Commission. "Torture is routine.... Several Christians have died in custody, and others have perished in the desert trying to escape." As mentioned in a previous alert, the Eritrean military has reportedly made a business of Christian refugees, kidnapping them out of refugee camps in Sudan and selling them to traffickers in Egypt's Sinai. There they are sold to Bedouin gangs who ransom them for tens of thousands of dollars...electrocuting, raping, starving and murdering the Christians as they threaten their relatives. For a previous report on this serious situation, click here. May the God of justice swiftly come to the defense and rescue of these victimized believers who desperately need His intervention. According to Romans 12:19, such cruel and inhumane treatment of His people will not be taken lightly, for His Word states that vengeance is His...He will repay. Pray that He will not only safely deliver these Christians from bondage and suffering but that He would also make the reality of His presence and conviction known to those who are instigating and inflicting the various acts of persecution, before it's too late. We invite you to join fellow believers in praying for these precious people in Eritrea by posting on our prayer wall.

KAZAKHSTAN: Pastor Detained Despite Insufficient Evidence

Source: Forum 18 News Service Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev, who leads Grace Church in Astana, was arrested May 17th on criminal charges for allegedly "harming health" and has subsequently been detained. The "evidence" justifying his detention appears thin. Lyazzat Almenova, on whose health the authorities claim to be basing their case, has written to the Astana Prosecutor's Office to say she is psychiatrically healthy. "The authorities forcibly put me in a psychiatric ward," Lyazzat says, "in order to disregard my appeals and petitions in favour of Pastor Kashkumbayev...who is totally innocent and has not harmed my health at all." The arrest of the pastor was supposedly part of a continuing police investigation initiated by a July 2011 complaint from Lyazzat's mother, whose allegation church members have vehemently denied. As part of this action, two raids on Pastor Kashkumbayev's church and on the unrelated New Life Church in Oral (Uralsk) took place in October 2012. Numerous hostile media articles were also published, attacking the church for supposedly administering drugs (in reality, a non-alcoholic Communion drink) to its members. District prosecutor Alen Tlenchiyev argued that the accused has committed a serious crime because he "prayed for the sick and psychologically influenced" church members. On July 18th, Pastor Kashkumbayev stated in written complaints to national and international bodies, including the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee, that "though I am 67 and cannot boast of ideal health since I had a serious heart attack in 2011...I am psychologically healthy." He also expressed fear in his complaint: "In order to make me mad, they will inject me with special substances. It will not take much for the authorities to make me a 'vegetable'.... I am begging you to protect me." His son Askar and other members of Grace Church believe that one reason for the authorities' use of psychiatry could be "an attempt to humiliate him in public eyes, and damage the image of the church." Other reports of persecution can be found at the Kazakhstan Country Report. Our Heavenly Father assures His people in Romans 8:28 that "all things work together for good to those who love Him," including "things" such as the vicious attacks of the enemy. May the media exposure and accusations serve to heighten curiosity and bring about a greater awareness of God in the eyes of the general public. May those whose hearts are genuinely seeking truth discover it through this very situation. Also pray for the Lord's divine protection over this persecuted pastor and his congregation. Like Daniel, may Pastor Kashkumbayev be protected spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally, emerging from the fiery furnace of affliction totally unscathed and as a powerful witness of God's salvation and deliverance.

RECENT PRISONER UPDATE

NORTH KOREA: Deteriorating Health of Believer in Labour Camp

Sources: Assist News, Change.org Jonathan Bae, the son of prisoner Kenneth Bae, is appealing to the American government and its citizens to take action on behalf of his father who has been imprisoned in a North Korea labour camp since November of 2012. Jonathan and his family are especially concerned since seeing a shocking video clip of him that was filmed during his detainment. "My family was shocked to see him!" Jonathan admits. "He had lost a significant amount of weight, and his time in prison has clearly taken a toll on his health -- and this was only two months into his 15-year sentence.... He has chronic health conditions, including diabetes, heart problems and back pain, which require close monitoring and medical treatment. We don't know how quickly his health will deteriorate and how much longer his body can withstand the impact of the labour camp." Speaking admirably of his father, Jonathan states, "My father is a good man with the biggest heart for the people and nation of North Korea.... I can only imagine that his hope now is to make it through another day, one day at a time, until he is finally reunited with his family." For more information on the arrest of Kenneth Bae, please see this story. First of all, please pray that God's presence will be evident in the labour camp among the prisoners and guards alike, as well as to His faithful servant Kenneth Bae. May the "peace that surpasses all understanding" guard the hearts and minds of this prisoner and his distraught family. Ask that renewed health, strength and vitality be granted to Kenneth as He labours diligently in the camp as unto the Lord. And like Joseph who was also imprisoned without just cause, may Kenneth receive great favour and honour for His faithfulness in the midst of trial.


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