Christian woman raped in Pakistan

(Source: Compass Direct) A Christian mother of five who was raped by two Muslims rejoiced after police in Pakistan's Kasur district arrested a suspect and suspended an officer who had dismissed her complaints.

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The 32-year-old woman, whose name has been withheld, was returning home to Mustafabad on September 15 when two Muslims along with an unidentified accomplice abducted her at gunpoint, took her to an abandoned house in the area and raped her. The woman and her husband, Mushtaq Masih, said that they had lost hope of getting justice as they were facing threats from area Muslims to withdraw the case. They also said that police were deliberately slow to investigate and arrest the accused. "I used to weep in my heart all the time, ever since the incident took place," the woman shared. "I didn't have any hope, but my Lord has not forsaken me."

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However, the woman's solace was short-lived when her father died after learning of her ordeal on September 30. "As soon as my wife shared her ordeal with her family, her father collapsed and died on the spot," Mushtaq said. "He could not take the pain." Pray for this Christian sister and her family, may the Lord comfort them during this very distressing time. Ask Him to help them overcome this recent tragedy, may they continue to fix their eyes on Him. Thank the Lord for the progress made in this case. Pray for swift and complete justice for her and her family. To learn more about persecution in Pakistan, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.

Muslim extremists in Egypt destroy church building, homes

(Source: Compass Direct) Egyptian churches buildings are being attacked. Pray for the believers! A group of hard-line Muslims attacked a church building in Upper Egypt on September 30, torching the structure and then looting and burning nearby Christian-owned homes and businesses. The 3,000-strong mob of Muslims gutted the Mar Gerges Church in the village of Elmarenab in Aswan province, then demolished much of its remains, multiple witnesses at the scene said. The mob also razed four homes near the church and two businesses, all Christian-owned. Looting was also reported. The Mar Gerges burning is the third church in Egypt in seven months to be burned down by a mob. No casualties have yet been reported in the attack. The tension in Elmarenab started the last week of August, when Muslim extremists voiced anger over renovations taking place at the church. They also opposed any Christian symbols that could be seen from the outside. To force the Christians to acquiesce to their demands, the Muslim extremists blockaded the entrance to the church and threatened believers on the streets, in effect making them hostages in their own homes. Please pray the government will do all they can to protect Christians from this kind of violence. Pray the Christians will not lose heart but continue to take every opportunity to meet together to worship the Lord and provide encouragement to one another. May the Lord use the conduct of Egyptian Christians to act as a witness for the gospel. For more information on persecution in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

Church bombed in Central Java, Indonesia

(Sources: Compass Direct, Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission) Government sent bulldozers to destroy church buildings in Indonesia's Tangerang county in 2005. On Sunday, September 25, a suicide bomber detonated eight pipe bombs by the main door of the Bethel Full Gospel Church in Solo, Central Java as worshippers were leaving the morning service. Over 20 believers were injured, one of whom later died in hospital. The bomber was reportedly a member of an Islamist militant cell in Cirebon, West Java. Security has been heightened and police will now screen all church visitors. The following day, police found a similar bomb outside the Maranatha Church in Ambon city, on the island of Ambon. With a lack of will on the part of the government, extremism has constantly grown in Indonesia since the fall of the authoritarian President Suharto in 1999, who kept radical groups under control. Please pray for healing for those injured. Pray for God's comfort for those grieving. Pray the Lord will give wisdom to the church leaders to know how to comfort their church members. Pray against further unrest in this nation. To post a prayer for these suffering Christians, please visit our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall. To learn more about the persecuted Church in Indonesia, go to the Indonesia Country Report. Update: Further allegations heaped upon imprisoned Iranian pastor (Source: World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission, Present Truth Ministries) Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor sentenced to death for apostasy in 2010, has been informed that his verdict is to be delivered on October 10. To cover up the untenable death sentence for apostasy, an Iranian official has claimed that Pastor Youcef's sentencing is for "rape," "extortion" and "security related" charges. However, contrary to the official's claim, an Iranian Supreme Court brief from 2010 mentions apostasy as the only charge made against him. On October 5, a group of officials from Tehran interviewed Pastor Youcef about the charges filed against him and the behaviour of the judges. While it seems to be a positive development, there is concern that the officials could manipulate his words in an attempt to prove their false charges. "The fabrication of charges against Pastor Nadarkhani is to justify his sentence and is therefore acknowledgement that death for apostasy is not justifiable," said Geoff Tunnicliffe, CEO and Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance. "The authorities' attempt to maintain the pastor's capital punishment by adding false charges shows that Iran is going against its own conscience."Please pray that in spite of the latest reports from authorities in Iran, the truth of Youcef's testimony will not be tarnished in any way. Pray that international pressure will have great effect for Youcef and others like Him who are willing to remain faithful regardless of the consequences. May Youcef and his family take great comfort in knowing that people all around the world are praying for them and speaking up on his behalf. For more on the trials believers face in Iran, please visit the Iran Country Report. To raise a voice on Pastor Youcef's behalf, please consider writing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, your local MP, and the Iranian Embassy. For addresses and a sample letter you can use, please visit The Voice of the Martyrs Canada's blog.

Join us on Saturday, October 15 for our first women's conference!

Release Women, a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs, seeks to connect women in Canada with persecuted women worldwide. Our upcoming "Holding to the Hope" conference, based on Hebrews 10:23-24, will include a time of worship, prayer and letter writing. Guest speakers include Emma Dipper, the Release Women Coordinator for our sister mission in the UK, and Takoosh Hovsepian, an Iranian woman whose husband, Haik, was murdered for his Christian activities. *Saturday, October 15, 2011 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Northgate Baptist Church 13208-95 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5E 3Y4* All women, from teenagers to senior adults, are invited. Kindly RSVP with your name and the number attending by phoning our office or emailing us at releasewomen@vomcanada.org . There will be sandwiches available for a free will offering with proceeds to go towards a RW project. For more information, please visit our Release Women page.

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