IRAN: Christian Female Incarceration Rate Increases

Source: Mohabat News Reports are indicating that a growing number of Iranian Christian women are being incarcerated. The increase has gained momentum since Iran's most recent Persian New Year. While religious minorities are frequently harassed by Iranian police, the most severe police brutality is inflicted on female believers who are targeted for their violation of Iran's strict protocols. Being few in number, Christian activists have had trouble raising awareness about the harassment.

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Prisoners typically have limited contact with outsiders, so the public is largely unaware of their plight. Some Christian women who were previously imprisoned are managing to speak publicly about their experiences in Iranian prisons. Former convict "Faezeh Hashemi," the daughter of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (former Iranian president), brought attention to a couple of female Christian prisoners during an interview with the Bahar newspaper on April 9th. Her description of the two Christian cellmates raised speculation that they may be "Mitra Zahmati" and "Maryam Jalili." Contacts of the prisoners are also raising awareness about the situation, despite having limited access to pertinent information. "Somayeh Bakhtiari," "Ronak Samavat" and "Nasim Zanjani" are three Christian convert activists who were arrested separately during the most recent Persian year and sent to prison. According to contacts, these women were arrested for holding worship services in house churches. Another Christian activist, "Maryam Naghash," was sent on July 15th to Iran's brutal Evin prison. She was previously sentenced to five years in prison for evangelistic activities. Previous prayer alerts and informative video clips can be found at www.persecution.net/iran.htm.

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Pray that the previously mentioned Iranian Christian women will draw closer to the Lord during their incarceration and, as a result, experience freedom from fear and bitterness. May He mediate mightily on behalf of these women, bringing about greater awareness of their plight, justice in the judicial system, and their ultimate release from prison. Ask Him to minister His peace and comfort to their loved ones (especially their children), while bringing needed conviction to those who are responsible for the arrests and imprisonment of these suffering believers. You can share your prayers on behalf of imprisoned believers in Iran by posting on our prayer wall at www.persecution.net/prayerwall.

CHINA: Churches Raided as Shouwang Pastors Remain under House Arrest

Sources: ChinaAid, Morning Star News, Assist News Service, Monitor China Local police broke up the worship service of a house church and arrested its pastor in China's Xinjiang region for the second time. On August 4th, at least 20 police officers shut down the worship service and arrested Pastor Tan Wen. As with the previous service disruption and arrest, which took place on June 9th, the officers did not properly identify themselves or follow correct procedures. The worship services of two other house churches in the Xinjiang region were disrupted (June 23rd and July 21st), also resulting in detentions and fines. In all four raids within this region, police not only failed to show identification, they imposed penalties that had no basis in law as such matters are regulated by the Bureau of Religion. On the eastern side of the country in Hebei Province surrounding Beijing, a priest of an unregistered Catholic church fellowship was arrested on August 7th. Law enforcement officials arrested Rev. Song Wanjun at 4 a.m. as he was driving. During the most recent arrest, involving 38 believers of the Shouwang Church in Beijing on August 11th, it was reported that one of them was terribly mistreated. "...one sister was manhandled by a deputy director (at the police station) who seized her by the throat and pulled her hair," the source explained. "Our sister calmly faced such rough treatment, and forgave this man by God's grace." For other details of this report, go to [url=http://www.persecution.net/cn-08-15a.htm]http://www.persecution.net/cn-08-15a.htm[/url]. Meanwhile, two pastors of the Shouwang Church are still under house arrest since the fellowship was forced to worship outdoors more than two years ago. "At the doors of at least two pastors' homes, there are still a couple of plain-clothes police officers on duty 24 hours a day," stated an inside source, who requested anonymity. The Shouwang Church has been meeting outside since April 10th, 2011, after authorities pressured a landlord to terminate the lease on their building. Officials had also blocked the fellowship from the premises the church had bought in 2009. Members of the church (attended by about 1,000 people) have been routinely arrested at the outdoor services. While the pressure of opposition mounts for fellow believers in China, we are reminded that God's grace and strength are also available in increased measure (2 Corinthians 12:9). Pray that every setback they experience will become opportunities for the Good News of the Gospel to be spread in a far greater way, reaching multitudes more for Christ. May God's Spirit move so powerfully among these Christians that even their persecutors will recognize the fact that He does indeed exist and, as a result of this revelation, be receptive to His tremendous love for them.

PHILIPPINES (Mindanao): Christian Villages Attacked

Source: Voice of the Martyrs USA Two Christian villages in Midsayap, Cotabato, were attacked by the Muslim Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on July 29th and July 31st, according to VOM sources. More than 70 armed men attacked the villages, using four boats to reach the villages and carry away their spoils. They ransacked the villagers' homes, taking belongings such as rice, clothing and utensils. The attackers also took all the animals from the village, including goats, pigs and more than 300 ducks. Reynaldo Aloro, a village leader who ran for help when he saw the armed Muslims, was caught by the attackers and killed. The villagers now walk to their farms by day and stay at an evacuation centre at night for fear of more attacks. The BIFF continually harass and threaten Christians as part of their campaign for a pure Islamic state. To learn more about the challenges facing fellow believers in the Philippines, please go to www.persecution.net/philippines.htm. Pray that the Lord will comfort those who are mourning the loss of their village leader's life, as well as their homes and property (Matthew 5:4). Ask for His protection and provision to be granted to them, bringing recompense for what the enemy has destroyed and plundered. Through the work of God's Holy Spirit, and the witness of the Christian believers, may the members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters be brought to repentance and salvation.

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