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2015-11-12

  • Militants Threaten Victimized Christian Family

    Almost one year after the brutal rape of two teenage Christian girls, the perpetrators of the crime, Muhammad Shahbaz and Muhammad Azeem, were acquitted due to the absence of a prosecutor and the false testimony of a bribed witness. On November 28th, 2014, the sisters were walking through a field towards a washroom facility near their village of Jaranwala, Faisalabad, when the young men abducted them at gunpoint. "I pleaded with them not to do anything to us," one of the girls attested. "For talking, I was slapped in the face and punched hard in my stomach." Both young men, ranging between 25 to 30 years old, took the girls to a house and raped them repeatedly through the night.

    Following an October 10th court hearing at Jaranwala Trial Court, the assailants were acquitted five days later. "The case has allegedly been lost due to the unreliability of a key witness," claims Wilson Chowdhry, head of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA). "Previously a family friend, (the witness) has been accused of taking a bribe and altering his statement in lieu of this payment." In addition, the girls' father has expressed disappointment over the lack of legal representation his daughters received. "The lawyer didn't fight the case very well and with commitment," he told the BPCA. "Mostly, he stayed absent from the hearings of the case." The disappointed father intends to appeal to the High Court.

    Since pressing charges, this family has also survived gunshots directed at their home, presumably in objection of their decision to prosecute. Concerned by ongoing death threats, they have been forced to relocate with fears that it may be impossible to return home. Unfortunately, both girls are struggling with depression as a result of the trauma they experienced and the unjust outcome of their case. For the past several decades, Christian women in Pakistan have endured sex crimes, as well as forced conversions and marriages. Crimes against believers often remain unprosecuted due to the treats of Islamist militants and the assumption that the victims are largely impoverished. Pakistan consists of a Muslim majority, representing 96 percent of the country's population. To learn more about the various challenges faced by believers in Pakistan, click here.

    Ask the Lord to render justice for the victimized teenage girls, providing them much needed comfort and healing in the process. May He also bring conviction to the hearts of the assailants, helping these men to realize the seriousness of their crimes against the innocent members of their community. In a general sense, pray for the protection of all believers in Pakistan -- whether from unjust accusations and resulting imprisonment, acts of violence or, as in the case of these girls, sex crimes and possibly forced conversions/marriages. In addition, please uphold those who are intervening on behalf of this family, asking God to guard their hearts and grant them the resources, wisdom and direction required to bring about a favourable resolution and restoration.
  • Community Disrupted by Brutal Attacks and Forced Conversions
    Several Christians were hospitalized
    after the incident in Chhattisgarh state.
    Photo: World Watch Monitor

    Hindu hardliners brutally attacked members of the Independent Pentecostal Church in Kohkameta, Chhattisgarh state, causing some to be hospitalized and compelling others to reconvert to Hinduism. Worshippers were dragged out of the church and beaten with sticks. There were victims who became unconscious and required hospitalization, including the pastor. Others were forced to sign forms indicating that they have renounced Christianity. "They forced believers to sign," one of the victims stated. "When a believer refused, the villagers began to beat them again." Two days prior to the incident, which took place on October 25th, the attackers had reportedly conspired to end all Christian activities in the village.

    The brutal tactics of the opposing villagers have caused four assaulted families to reluctantly reconvert to Hinduism. Five other believers were reinitiated at a local Hindu temple. Those in the hospital were also forced to sign the forms, even though some were illiterate. The pledge is a court affidavit, which means anyone who violates it could be arrested. Despite being threatened with death if police were told, the assaulted Christians reported the incident to police and the media. When questioned by the authorities, the opposing villagers made their own complaints to police, telling them that the Christians had beaten them and disposed of their gods and goddesses. Previous prayer alerts concerning persecuted followers of Christ in India, as well as informative video reports and testimonies, are available at the India Country Report.

    May there be an end to the spread of such violence and forceful coercion by those who oppose Christianity. Please intercede for them so that their spiritual eyes will be opened to the truth of the Gospel and their hearts receptive to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. While God is preparing the hearts of the unsaved, ask Him to strengthen the believers' commitment to Christ -- enabling them to defend the Gospel with great love and mercy toward the lost. Also uphold in prayer the governing authorities of India, that they will obliterate any laws and policies that are unfair to Christians and citizens of other minority groups.
  • Draft of New Religion Law Raises Alarm

    Lawmakers in Vietnam are expected to pass a new law on religion that will likely worsen oppression, according to many alarmed religious leaders and human rights' groups. As a result, 27 organizations -- including VOM Canada -- have called on Vietnam's government to make necessary changes to the new law draft before it's passed in order to prevent further abuse of religious minorities from taking place.

    In a statement issued on November 3rd, dozens of reputable international organizations have urged the government to heavily revise its law: "While the draft purports to acknowledge 'the right to freedom of religion and belief' and proclaims that the 'government respects and protects the freedom of religion and belief of everyone,' the provisions of the draft law, if passed, would act as a powerful instrument of control, placing sweeping, overly broad limitations on the practice of religion or belief within Vietnam, perpetuating the already repressive situation." Examples of this repression can be found at the Vietnam Country Report.

    Among the concerns listed in the joint statement are onerous registration requirements, excessive state control, and ambiguous wording that "could be used to perpetuate discrimination." In a ten-point recommendation, the groups urged a redraft that is in line with international law and recommendations from the U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of religion. To review the submitted statement, which includes these important recommendations, please click here.

    Pray that God will oversee the mediation process of this new law as it's being negotiated and reworked, speaking through those who represent Him and His statutes, to ensure the fairness and freedoms of the Vietnamese people -- including the professing followers of Christ. Instead of feeling threatened by Christianity, may the country's leaders recognize the benefits of having God-honouring and upright citizens who will work diligently as unto Him and operate with honesty and integrity in all situations -- qualities that hopefully these leaders themselves will personally embrace and aspire to achieve for the governance of Vietnam.