http://www.barnabasfund.org Barnabas Fund serves the suffering Church and makes their needs known to Christians around the world, encouraging them to pray. It provides practical help to strengthen and encourage the Church in many different ways. Barnabas Fund was established in 1993 and channels aid to projects run by national Christians in more than 40 countries. This RSS feed is updated when we issue news reports or stories from these countries. http://www.barnabasfund.org/_Images/BF/7_Features/7_5_RSS/feed-icon-with-words.jpg http://www.barnabasfund.org eng Copyright 2010 Barnabas Fund News and stories from Barnabas Fund Genrator www.barnabasfund.org info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) webmaster@barnabasfund.org (Webmaster - Barnabas Fund) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT Christian books in Farsi, the national language of Iran, are very scarce within the country. It is illegal to print or sell such books in Iran, so most have to be smuggled in. But the Internet, radio and TV help to provide resources for Iranian believers. Pray that Christians will get sound teaching from these sources. Pray especially for isolated believers from a Muslim background, who have little opportunity for fellowship with other Christians, that they will be able to read, watch or listen in safety and grow in their faith. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1595 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Pray for a pastor who has been repeatedly fined for leading unregistered worship in Kazakhstan. He refuses to pay the fines, arguing that the Kazakh constitution the right to worship individually or collectively. Since the church does not have a bank account, it does not need a legal status. Registration gives the authorities the power to interfere in the running of the church and its activities, which is why many congregations choose not to register. Pray that the Kazakh authorities will acknowledge that Christians should have freedom to meet as a church without state interference. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1594 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer The pressure on Christians in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, continues, with 15 cases against Christians started in a single month recently. The targets are mainly pastors and converts from Islam who have studied at Bible college. Some have to pay fines; some go to prison; but some are released without punishment. Pastor K. told police officers who were trying to force him to sign a document that they were judging him now but the time would come when they would have to stand in front of the living God. After that they left him alone and a few hours later freed him. Pastor B. told the court how Jesus had delivered him from alcoholism and restored his marriage, and the judge then said he would not institute proceedings against him. “It was a miracle for all of us,” wrote a Christian from Karakalpakstan, “because we don’t know what to do and prayed only for every judge.” Please join the Christians of Uzbekistan in praying for those who persecute them. (Matthew 5:44) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1593 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer When large-scale ethnic riots broke out in the south of Kyrgyzstan in June, hundreds of thousands of Uzbeks fled from violence at the hands of Kyrgyz people. Christian pastors sprang into action, ignoring threats and hostility, trying to help the needy, especially their fellow-believers. As the crisis developed, Christians began to be targeted for their faith, as well as for trying to help across the ethnic divide. Pray that the example of love shown by theChristians will touch the hearts of many, even those who condemned them for it at the time. Barnabas sent assistance. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1592 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Pray for the protection of liberal Muslims who are working for Islam to be reformed in line with modern standards of human rights, including the freedom to change one’s faith. Such liberals put their lives in grave danger if they make known their views, because radical Islamists condemn them as apostates and seek to kill them, in accordance with sharia law. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1591 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer On 3 July a banner appeared outside a mosque in Bekasi, Indonesia, with a picture of a Christian called Andreas Sanau and the words “This man deserves the death penalty!” Andreas, along with another Christian called Henry Sutanto, are accused of organising mass baptisms. As a result they are being threatened by the much-feared Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). Although many Muslims in Indonesia do convert to Christianity (praise God), it seems that no mass baptisms were being held in Bekasi. Pray for the protection of our two brothers and of all believers in Bekasi. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1590 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Nine Muslims from different Islamic organisations in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia, have joined together to plan a roadshow whose aim is to persuade mosques in the city to prepare for the possibility of “war” against “Christianisation”. The group, which was formed on 27 June, the last day of the Bekasi Islamic Congress, is recommending that each mosque should have its own armed militia. It will also recommend the Bekasi municipality to introduce some sharia-compliant policies. Rumours of the baptism of large numbers of people seem to have triggered the formation of the new group. Pray that there will be no anti-Christian violence and that the group will not succeed in its aims. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1589 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, is seeing a growing number of incidents in which paintball guns are fired at women who are not wearing an Islamic headscarf. The attacks come from men in cars who also shout abuse at the women. Chechnya has a strongly Islamic identity, but there is a Christian minority of about 5%. As so often happens, it seems that sharia is being applied not only to Muslims but also to non-Muslims. The paintballing has been praised by the Chechen president. Pray that Christians in Chechnya will be able to maintain their Christian identity and not be forced to live by sharia. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1588 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Members of the Russian parliament from Tatarstan (a semi-autonomous Muslim-majority republic within the Russian Federation) have suggested that a day should be added to the Russian calendar to mark the Day of Acceptance of Islam in Russia. This would commemorate the day in 922 when Islam was accepted in the ancient Bulgar Khanate in Tatarstan, which is now within the territory of modern-day Russia. This suggestion came in the context of the decision to add a new public holiday on 28 July, to be marked from 2010 onwards, called the “Day of Baptism of Russia”, which commemorates the acceptance of Orthodox Christianity in 988. Presented as a way of bringing more tourists to Tatarstan and thus helping the economy, the idea nevertheless is strongly challenging to Russia’s Christian identity. Pray that all Christian denominations in Russia may thrive and support each other, recognising the importance of their Christian heritage. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1587 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Zambia is less than 1% Muslim, but many Islamic organisations are being established, and Islamic finance has recently been introduced. Islamic organisations are funding new roads and railways, many of which have mosques at frequent intervals along them. Earlier this year the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Arabia regarding mining concessions in Zambia’s important copper-mining region. Some Zambian Christians have become very concerned about the challenges posed to their country by Islam and want to alert others. Pray that the Lord will guide the Christians of Zambia to stand firm against the financial and spiritual advance of Muslims in their country. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1586 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Pray for a good harvest in Niger in September and October. There has been a severe famine for many months in this country, much of which is desert anyway. At the time of writing the rains had begun, and Christians were praying that they would continue. In the midst of an international appeal for the famine victims, Barnabas has been helping the small Christian minority, not only with food aid but also with self-sufficiency projects. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1585 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Rifqa Bary turned 18 last month and is now legally an adult, no longer required to live with foster parents. In July 2009 she fled her family home in Ohio, USA, fearing violence because of her conversion from Islam to Christianity. Please pray for her now as she faces many choices, that she will know the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the love and support of Christians and the protection of the Lord. Pray also for her health; she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in May and has had surgery. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1584 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Christian leader Artur Suleimanov (49) died on 15 July after being shot in the head as he was leaving his church in Dagestan, a strongly Islamic republic of Russia. A convert from Islam, he leaves behind a wife and five children, the youngest of whom is twelve. Barnabas Fund’s co-ordinator for the former Soviet Union, who knew Artur personally, says he was “a wonderful Christian brother, and his shocking death is a devastating loss for the Dagestan church... We see his murder as an attempt to put further pressure on Christian converts in Dagestan.” The Church faces harassment and intimidation from various groups in Dagestan, where the population is 98% Muslim, and violence and lawlessness are rife. Pray that the pastor’s family and congregation will find comfort in the Lord and that He will uphold them in their grief. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sat, 21 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1583 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Praise God for the release on 25 July of a Christian prisoner in Iran. The 29-year-old had been detained in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran for 87 days, mostly in solitary confinement. He was allowed only one ten-minute visit from his family and faced long and harsh interrogation. His wife also endured intimidation from security agents, who ordered her not to attend church and said that if she wanted to pursue her husband’s case, she would have to convert back to Islam. Even though no charge has been brought against him, he had to pay a large sum in bail. Please pray that all proceedings against him will be stopped, and that the Lord will sustain him and his family in their ordeal. (Source: FCNN) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1582 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Many Christians in Iran are serving the Lord with courage and commitment as pastors, evangelists and church-planters. But few of them have had the opportunity for relevant training. The Iranian government does not allow Bible schools or Christian training, but nevertheless there are training programmes that some can attend outside the country and even some training taking place discreetly within the country. Please pray that each person the Lord has called will be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to be fully effective, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1581 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer The Degar Christians of Vietnam organised a mass prayer vigil on 15 June, in which an estimated 100,000 people participated. They prayed that the Lord would touch the hearts of Vietnamese officials to cause them to stop persecuting Christians. Some Christians in Cambodia also participated. Please add your prayers. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1580 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Three Degar Christians were arrested in the Vietnamese village of Plei De-Alao, in Gia Lai province, on 5 May. Police questioned them about their faith and about a prayer vigil that had taken place in 2006 and then tried to get each of them to sign a document recanting his Christian faith. All three refused to sign and then were beaten unconscious. At the time of writing they were still in detention. Please pray that their faith will not fail. On 20 May ten Degar Christians from another village in the same province were arrested and treated similarly. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1579 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Thank the Lord for the decision of officials in Saravan province, Laos, earlier this year to support 48 Christians who had been expelled from their village at gunpoint in January. The provincial officials affirmed that the Christians had the right to worship freely and to live wherever they chose. But local officials still insisted that they must deny Christ or leave the area. Pray that the Christians, who were forced to live in temporary shelters on the edge of the jungle, will indeed be allowed back to their village. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1578 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Praise God for the growing courage of Christians in Laos, who now stand up under persecution and maintain their allegiance to Christ. Christians in prison are even leading other prisoners to Christ. Pray that they will be greatly used by the Lord for His purposes, even as they suffer for His Name. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” (Genesis 50:20) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1577 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Christians in Laos have been requesting prayer for Attapeu, the southernmost province of their country, a very dry and poor area. The Christian population of Attapeu is thought to number in the hundreds, and they have been harassed, imprisoned and threatened with death. One local Christian explained their persecution as follows: “Christians live good lives, so many people want to believe. The government is afraid everyone will soon be following Jesus.” There is a (secret) national policy to eliminate Christianity, so if many Attapeu people became Christians, officials in the province would be in serious trouble and probably lose their jobs. Pray that the officials who have been persecuting our brothers and sisters will themselves come to faith in Christ. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sat, 14 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1576 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Maher el-Gohary, a prominent Egyptian convert from Islam to Christianity, was attacked on 8 July in a Cairo street by two men armed with daggers shouting “Allahu akbar [God is great]”. Maher was injured but survived thanks to the help of passers-by, though he thinks the attackers were trying to behead him. He and his daughter Dina (aged 15), who is also a Christian, are in hiding following the publicity around his 2009 court case to try to get his new faith recognised on his ID card. After this they tried to leave Egypt, but their passports were confiscated at the airport. Pray that Maher and Dina will be permitted to leave Egypt and start a new life in a place where they can live safely and openly as Christians. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1575 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Zeenahom, a 19-year-old Egyptian Christian, was stopped by two Muslim men as she walked to the shops in her small village near Samalut on 12 June. They sprayed something in her face which caused her to lose consciousness. When she woke up she found she was at the Islamic Sharia Association, and that they were trying to force her to convert to Islam. Zeenahom’s family were so active in demanding that the police do something to help her that eventually officers intervened to rescue Zeenahom. But a threat has been issued that the whole family will now be pursued until they all convert to Islam. Pray for their protection. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1574 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer “Lebanese Christians, you have one week to leave the areas of Sharq-Sidon, Sidon and the Sidon suburbs. Everyone must tell his brothers in order for them to preserve their lives.” These were the opening lines on a flyer distributed in Lebanon and dated 2 June. It included the Islamic creed, but apart from that there was no indication of who had distributed it. Both Christians and Muslims condemned the flyer. On 19 June a bomb exploded in Zahle, which is believed to have been intended to coincide with the visit of a Christian denominational head. It seems the bomb was being made by some Muslims and it exploded prematurely. Pray that there will not be a surge of anti-Christian violence in Lebanon. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1573 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Hani Salim Wadi (34) was shot dead in front of his house in Kirkuk, Iraq, on 7 June. Eye-witnesses described the death of the Christian businessman as a "targeted killing". A senior Iraqi church leader commented, "We are seeing another, the umpteenth, attack against Christians. The violence continues without relief." Pray that the Lord will deliver His people in Iraq from those who want to "cleanse" the country of all Christians. (Psalm 31:15) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1572 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Praise God for good news from Kyrgyzstan. In a referendum on 27 June a new constitution was approved that guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, including the right freely to choose and profess any religion or none. It also states that no one should be discriminated against on the grounds of religion, and establishes the separation of religion and the state. This constitution offers new hope for Christians in Kyrgyzstan following the passing of a restrictive Religion Law by the previous parliament only last year. Pray that the new government, which was installed after an uprising in April 2010, will uphold these rights in practice. Pray too that it will reform the Religion Law, as it has promised. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1571 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Professor T.J. Joseph is a lecturer and departmental head at a college in Thodupuzha in Kerala state, India. On Sunday 4 July, when he got home from church, he was attacked by a group of unknown assailants who cut off his right hand with an axe. It is thought the attack was linked to accusations a few months earlier that he had defamed Muhammad in an exam question that he set. His sister spoke soon after the incident and stressed that many Muslims had expressed solidarity towards her brother and some had donated blood for him. Her brother, she said, "has only talked about forgiveness, forgiveness and forgiveness". Pray that the forgiving attitude of Prof. Joseph and his whole family will be a powerful witness to those who maimed him as well as to those who have been shocked by the attack. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1570 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Hindu extremists continue to target Christians in India. On 16 June a Christian orphanage in Karnataka state was closed down after complaints by Hindu extremists. In Tamil Nadu state, protestors forced organisers to move the venue of a convention for 12,000 Christians that ran from 17 to 20 June. It is suspected that Hindu extremists were the people who set on fire seven church-owned vehicles during the convention. On 28 June masked gunmen (suspected to be Hindu extremists) shot a church leader in Mokama, Bihar state; at the time of writing his condition is stable. But sometimes such extremists are brought to justice. On 29 June in Orissa state a senior member of the Hindu extremist BJP was given a 7-year prison sentence for murdering a Christian during the massive anti-Christian rioting in Orissa in 2008. Pray that the Lord will protect His people in India and that the Indian authorities will give them justice. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1569 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Two Christians accused of blasphemy were shot dead as they left court in Faisalabad, Pakistan, on 19 July. Brothers Rashid Emmanuel (32), a pastor, and Sajjid Emmanuel (30), a graduate student, were making their first court appearance after being detained earlier that month. They were accused of producing handwritten pamphlets defiling Muhammad, but a report from a handwriting expert found that the writing did not match theirs. A week earlier a mob of thousands of Muslim protestors had demanded the death sentence for the brothers, forcing many families to flee for their safety. Pray for the Emmanuel family as they grieve the loss of Rashid and Sajjid, and that the Lord will protect believers in Faisalabad in this latest wave of anti-Christian violence. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1568 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer Babar and Maria Masih and their children were the only Christians living amongst many Muslims in Gulberg, Lahore. Every morning they would worship the Lord together, despite attempts by a neighbouring Muslim family to stop them because of their singing and praying. Eventually there was an angry confrontation on the issue between the grown-up sons of the two families. About a week later, on 8 April, four Muslims, including the neighbours’ son, broke into the Masihs’ home and threatened their 15-year old daughter, Uzma. “Call your God for help to whom you worship loudly and regularly, if he can save you, for whom you are disturbing others,” they taunted her. They beat her and dragged her away, and next day told her parents that she had converted to Islam. Please pray that the Pakistani authorities will work hard to find Uzma and return her to her family. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1567 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer At the end of May, Afghan TV showed footage of Afghans who had converted from Islam to Christianity. This caused a massive outcry in the country against converts, and even in parliament there were calls for them to be killed, in accordance with sharia law. Many homes in Kabul were searched, and a number of Christians were found and arrested. Many others fled their homeland. Pray for a complete change in the attitude of Afghan society from top to bottom, so that Afghan Muslims who choose to follow Christ may do so in peace and freedom. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund) Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.barnabasfund.org/BFrssPrayer.php#1566 http://www.barnabasfund.org/daily-prayer