Pakistan's small Christian minority (less than three percent of the population) is one of the poorest, most vulnerable groups in the country, suffering from high levels of intolerance and persecution. High poverty rates have also negatively impacted Christian girls, forcing them to work as domestic servants where they suffer abuse, harassment, forced conversion to Islam and, sadly, even murder.
In late April, the father of a young girl registered a case with police after his daughter, Maria Sarfraz, was abducted and gang raped over the course of three days. As in other such cases, the assailants are reportedly pressuring the family to settle the matter out of court. The family has been warned that unless they comply, all the Christian homes in their town of Distt, Sheikupora, will be burned down.
After visiting Pakistan this month, Canada's Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Andrew Bennett, stated, "We remain very concerned by repeated incidents of religiously motivated violence in Pakistan and the callous disregard of extremists for the rights of individuals of all faiths to practise their religion in peace and security."
Let us lift up Maria and the many other Christian girls and women in Pakistan who are facing terrible atrocities. Pray that God will minister to those who have been cruelly abused, healing their hearts and helping them to overcome their pain, fear and shame. In addition, pray that those who have been abducted and forcibly converted to Islam will continue to worship the true God in their hearts, while trusting Him to provide a way for them to safely return to their homes and families. Please also intercede on behalf of those who are perpetrating these terrible deeds...that the Lord will work mightily in their hearts and bring them to repentance so they may experience forgiveness through His shed blood
To learn how VOM supports and equips women facing persecution for their faith, please visit our Women's Ministry web page at
www.persecution.net/womens-ministry.htm.
SIERRA LEONE: Predominantly Christian Villages Burned Down
Source: VOM USA
Two Christian-majority villages in northern Sierra Leone were burned to the ground recently. In late April, a VOM worker quickly mobilized a team to assist the residents of Kabo village after he learned that their homes had been set ablaze. After making the arduous trip of several hundred miles through rough bush to arrive at Kabo, the team received an urgent message that the nearby village of Kasietitie had also been attacked and burned.
Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks on these two villages, VOM workers say they were most likely committed in retaliation for the recent conversions of numerous villagers. The residents of Kabo village have been following Christ since a VOM-sponsored former Muslim visited the village two years ago and shared the Gospel with them. Before then, Kabo's population was either Muslim or animist. After the attack, one of the converted believers shared the community's resolve to continue following Jesus: "We have seen the light, and we will never go back to darkness, no matter what we face." The villagers of Kasietitie have been following Jesus for just six months.
Christians in Sierra Leone, especially front-line workers who travel from village to village to share the Gospel message, face opposition from both militant Muslims and those who practise local animist religions. In some areas, pastors and evangelists have been forced to flee for their lives. Sierra Leone is currently on our ministry's "Watched Countries List," as Christians in this part of the world occasionally face such assaults.
As these villagers now rebuild their homes and livelihoods, may they rest in the assurance of God's promise to meet all of their needs (Philippians 4:19). Despite the challenges they have faced, pray that He will strengthen their faith daily and equip them to be His effective witnesses in Sierra Leone. Ask the Lord to grant wisdom to the VOM workers assessing the situation, while also enabling them to be a source of encouragement to these struggling believers. In addition, please pray for His peace to rest on the country of Sierra Leone as a whole, so that attacks on the minority Christian population will not continue.
To share your own prayer requests for these believers, please visit our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall at
www.persecution.net/prayerwall.
RECENT PRISONER UPDATE
IRAN: Saeed Abedini Violently Assaulted by Officials
Sources: Middle East Concern, American Center for Law and Justice
Saeed Abedini, an American pastor, was brutally attacked by officials and forcibly returned to prison on May 20th. The pastor was at a hospital during the time of the assault, where he had been receiving care since mid-March. A group of intelligence officials arrived at the hospital unannounced and beat and shocked the pastor before returning him to prison.
"This is an extremely disappointing development -- one that breaks my heart," Pastor Saeed's wife, Naghmeh, shares. "Our family is deeply saddened and we continue to pray for Saeed -- for his safety and his release. We are very grateful that so many people around the world continue to pray for Saeed."
Pastor Saeed has been in detention since September of 2012. He was later convicted on charges relating to anti-state activities and sentenced to eight years in prison. However, Christians assert that his charges are actually due to his involvement with house churches. (For more information on Pastor Saeed's imprisonment, please visit our website at
www.persecution.net/ir-2013-07-25.htm.)
Please continue to uphold Pastor Saeed during this trying time, asking God to grant him strength and healing from this latest ordeal. Pray that Iran's authorities will allow the injured pastor to receive suitable medical care, and may they enforce measures to protect him against further assaults. Please also pray for Pastor Saeed's distraught wife, Naghmeh, and their two young children, who remain in the United States. May God fill their hearts with His peace and the assurance of His abiding presence. Finally, please pray that Pastor Saeed, and other Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith in Iran, will be released.
For more information on Iran's persecuted church, please visit our Iran Country Report at
www.persecution.net/iran.htm.
Additional Note: Sudanese Woman Sentenced to Death Gives Birth to Baby Girl
Meriam Yahia Ibrahim, a woman sentenced to death for apostasy, gave birth to a baby girl on May 27th at the prison where she is being detained. Please join us in praising God that this mother and newborn baby are doing well, while also beseeching Him to open the doors for this young woman's release from prison. (For more information on this case, visit our website at
www.persecution.net/su-2014-05-22.htm.)
