The Persecution & Prayer Alert

The Persecution & Prayer Alert
The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada

http://www.persecution.net

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

A weekly news digest on the Persecuted Church and how you can
respond.

Follow The Voice of the Martyrs on Twitter at

http://www.twitter.com/vomc.

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In this week’s edition: reports from Egypt, Somalia, Eritrea and
China
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1. Christian murdered, others wounded in Egypt

A Coptic Christian man was murdered and three others suffered severe
stab wounds when a Muslim man, Osama Araban (35), attacked three
villages in northern Egypt on September 16, according to a September
21 report from Assyrian International News Agency. Abdo George Younan
(63) was stabbed nine times and his head severed from his body in the
village of Bagour. Araban then travelled to the nearby village of
Behnay and attacked Adib Boulous, a Christian shoemaker. Boulous
suffered a broken skull and lung hemorrhage. An eyewitness was able
to stop Araban, who then went on motorcycle to the village of Mit
Afif where he stabbed a third man, Sobhy Barsum. Barsum’s brother,
Hani Barsum, was also stabbed and sustained severe wounds to his
neck. Araban was arrested the following day. Thousands of Copts
joined in Younan’s funeral procession, carrying banners calling for
justice in this case and protection for Egypt’s Christians.

Pray for the families and friends mourning the loss of Abdo George
Younan. Pray for healing for those injured. Pray that God will bring
to repentance those who afflict His people (Psalm 83).

For more information on God’s suffering children in Egypt, go to

http://www.persecution.net/egypt.htm.

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2. Christian transporting Bibles killed in Somalia

A 69-year-old Somali Christian man was shot dead by members of
al-Shabaab, a Muslim militant group, on September 15 when Bibles were
found in his possession, according to a September 18 report from
Compass Direct. At approximately 10:30 a.m., a bus that Omar Khalafe
was riding was stopped by militants at a checkpoint near the city of
Merca. When the militants discovered 25 Somali Bibles in one of the
bags — Bibles that Khalafe was hoping to deliver to an underground
fellowship — they demanded to know who owned them. The passengers
remained silent. The assailants then used photos they found in the
bag to determine if they could match the faces to any passengers.
When they noticed a resemblance to Khalafe, they asked if the Bibles
were his. He did not respond and was shot and killed. Khalafe’s body
was brought to Merca and the Bibles were placed on him as a warning
to others. Later that day, a militant reported Khalafe’s death on a
radio program. Khalafe, who had been a Christian for 45 years, was
active in sharing the Good News and baptizing converts from Islam. He
is mourned by his wife and seven children.

Thank God for the life and testimony of Omar Khalafe. Pray that his
family will know that God is the defender of widows and a Father to
the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). Pray for peace in war-torn Somalia. We
invite you to post a prayer on behalf of the Khalafe family on our
Persecuted Church Prayer Wall at

http://www.persecution.net/prayerwall.

Find out more about the persecution Christians are facing in Somalia
at http://www.persecution.net/somalia.htm.
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3. Imprisoned Eritrean Christian dies of meningitis

A Christian man detained in Eritrea’s Wi’a Military Camp for the
past year died of meningitis on September 3 following an outbreak of
the illness at the prison, according to reports from Open Doors.
Mesfin Gebrekristos, an evangelical Christian, is the fourth known
believer to have died in detention this year. He is survived by a
wife and two children.

Meanwhile, authorities in the country continue to pressure
Christians who do not belong to the state-approved Lutheran, Catholic
or Orthodox churches. At a September 6 meeting entitled “Working along
with the police to prevent crime in the country,” the government
called on citizens to report any “illegal” gatherings of Christians
in their neighbourhoods.

Pray for the wife and children of Mesfin Gebrekristos as they mourn.
Pray that Eritrea’s government will cease their campaign against
evangelicals and respect freedom of religion for all. Stand in
solidarity with the Gebrekristos family by posting a prayer for them
on our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall at

http://www.persecution.net/prayerwall.

To advocate for religious freedom in Eritrea, download VOMC’s
“Eritrea: Time to Act” petition at
http://www.persecution.net/download/eritrea-petition.pdf. Encourage
your friends and family to join you in supporting Eritrean
Christians.

Go to http://www.persecution.net/eritrea.htm to learn more about the
persecution of Eritrean Christians.
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4. Prominent Chinese pastor detained by officials

Pastor Hua Huiqi was seized by Chinese officials in Fengtai District
in Beijing on September 17, according to a September 17 report from
ChinaAid. At approximately 5:30 p.m., Pastor Hua called his wife, Ju
Mei, on his cell phone and told her that he had been forced into a
Public Security Bureau vehicle while on his way to a dinner meeting.
Less than half-an-hour later, Hua phoned his wife again and told her
that officials had taken him to an unknown location. The phone line
then went dead. When VOMC partners inquired about Hua, officials told
them he was in their custody but refused to disclose his condition or
location. A week before Pastor Hua’s arrest, a vocational training
ministry that he is involved in was raided by officials. To read more
about this attack, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/chinaaid-hua.

Pray that Pastor Hua will be released. Ask God to give comfort and
strength to his family in this time. Read a letter from Pastor Hua’s
family calling for his release and requesting prayer at

http://www.tinyurl.com/hua-blog.

To find out more about China’s suffering Christians, go to

http://www.persecution.net/china.htm.

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5. Not Abandoned: Pray for the persecuted

Christians around the world face abandonment for their faith in
Jesus. Some are expelled from their homes. Others are rejected by
family and friends. Converts are sometimes even viewed with suspicion
and fear by fellow Christians.

Stand with your brothers and sisters. Show them they are not alone.

On November 8, demonstrate the unity of the Body of Christ by
joining believers from around the world in the International Day of
Prayer for the Persecuted Church. To find out more and to download a
special kit including resources such as prayer points and a
devotional, go to the IDOP International website at
http://www.idop.org. In Canada, go to http://www.idop.ca.
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6. In this week’s VOMC weblog
(http://www.persecution.net/weblog.htm)

VOMC’s Persecuted Church Weblog continues to be the place to go for
commentary on Christian persecution around the world.

a) Read three powerful testimonies by Vietnamese Christians who are
standing firm in the storm of persecution: “Prison Bible revival,”
“Waiting with hope,” and “My husband didn’t come home” (posted
September 15, 16, 21).

b) Read an excerpt from the upcoming book by Eritrean gospel singer
Helen Berhane as she asks “Is it worth it?” in the face of hardship
and torture in prison because of her faith (posted September 20).

c) Take a walk through history in our weekly “This week in
persecuted church history (September 20-26)” (posted September 20).

These are some of the many posts that you can find online at
http://www.persecutedchurchblog.com. This site is a vital way that
you can stay connected to persecuted Christians worldwide and your
input is always encouraged.