(Source: Compass Direct)
A mother of four was recently killed by Islamic militants in a village on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia. On the morning of January 6, Islamic militants belonging to the insurgent group al-Shabaab arrested Asha Mberwa, 36, outside her home in Warbhigly village. According to one of her relatives, Asha was killed the next evening when the militants cut her throat in front of local people. Asha had reportedly been receiving threatening messages after al-Shabaab members monitored her phone conversations with a relative. One of her relatives had phoned her on January 5 to make arrangements for moving her family out of the area for their safety. Al-Shabaab militants were reportedly able to monitor the conversation and confirm that Asha had become a Christian.
Asha leaves behind four children -- ages 12, 8, 6 and 4 -- and her husband, Abdinazir Mohammed Hassan. Asha's relatives said that, at last report, Abdinazir had fled to an unknown location and a "good Samaritan" in Mogadishu was caring for the four traumatized children, who "continue to weep and cry out for their mother."
Pray that all those in mourning for Asha will find peace in the everlasting love of the Lord. Pray for comfort and provision for her children. Pray for endurance of faith and boldness of witness for Somali Christians in an environment of severe persecution. Ask God to work in the hearts of those oppressing Christians in Somalia, convicting them of their unjust ways and drawing them into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
You can learn more about persecution facing Somali Christians at
Somalia Country Report.
Iranian Christian couple detained for Christian activities
(Sources: Mohabat News, World Evangelical Alliance, Middle East Concern)
On December 27, several Iranian agents of the revolutionary court came to the house of Hassan Razavi Derakhshan, 65, and his wife, Parya, 61. Only Parya was home at the time, so the officers demanded she phone her husband and that he return home immediately. Razavi obliged, and the agents took the couple into detention.
After many attempts to gain information on the couple's whereabouts, colleagues and relatives learned they had been arrested and taken to the Vakil-Abad detention centre. The couple's house is reportedly missing several personal items, including Bibles, Christian literature, CDs and pictures of Jesus. It is suspected that they were targeted for hosting prayer and worship meetings in their home, including a Christmas celebration on December 22. There is special concern for the health of Parya, who recently underwent major back surgery.
The couple's arrest is the latest in a series of recent crackdowns on Christian converts from Islam and believers involved in evangelism in Iran. Since December 26, Iranian security agents in plainclothes have searched the homes of many Christians and arrested more than 100 believers in a crackdown in the capital city of Tehran and a few other areas.
Please pray for safety and health for Razavi and Parya. Pray that increased persecution will result in increased boldness in the witness of Iranian Christians (Acts 4:29-31). Pray that the persecutors will know Christ's love, forgiveness and blessing through the lives of the Christians (Romans 12:12-21).
Find out more about Iranian Christians serving God at great cost at the
Iran Country Report.
Police raid large Christian meeting in China
(Source: ChinaAid)
Chinese authorities raided a large Christian meeting in coastal Shandong province in early January. More than 1,000 believers were gathered at the meeting, which was held in a church building in Cangshun County. In the afternoon, local Public Security Bureau officers burst into the church and forced the meeting to end. They detained an unspecified number of believers, including Lu Daihao, a well-known evangelist visiting from Taiwan to speak at the event. Local Christians have reported that Pastor Lu has left Cangshun, but his exact location was unknown at last report.
Pray Pastor Lu and all those involved in this raid will remain steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-10). Pray that Chinese Christians will continue to proclaim the gospel lovingly and boldly, even to those who oppress them. Pray for religious freedom to be truly upheld in China.
For more on the trials facing Christians in China, visit the
China Country Report.
Bhutanese government may legalise Christianity
(Sources: Compass News, Christianity Today)
In the South Asian country of Bhutan, government officials recognise only Buddhism and Hinduism as the country's two religions. As a result, only these two communities have the right to openly practise their beliefs and build places of worship. That may soon change as Chhoedey Lhentshog, the authority that regulates religious organizations, discussed at its December meeting how a Christian organization can be registered to represent its community, according to agency secretary Dorji Tshering.
For the first time in Bhutan's history, the Buddhist nation's government seems ready to grant much-awaited official recognition and accompanying rights to a miniscule Christian population that has remained largely underground.
Asked if Christians were likely to enjoy the same rights soon, Tshering replied, "Absolutely." This is a shift in policy given that Bhutan's National Assembly banned open practice of non-Buddhist and non-Hindu religions in resolutions passed in 1969 and 1979, respectively. According to a Christianity Today source who requested anonymity, the government is likely to register only one Christian organization, and would expect it to represent all Christians in Bhutan--which would call for Christian unity in the country.
Sources indicate that the government's willingness to recognize Christians is partly aimed at bringing the community under religious regulation. In October, a Bhutanese Christian was sentenced to three years in prison for "attempting to promote civil unrest" by screening films on Christianity (
read the story).
Thank the Lord that movement forward is being made. Pray for our fellow Bhutanese brothers and sisters and their efforts to share Jesus Christ with those around them. Pray that God will move among the authorities and open hearts to hearing His name and the words of His people.
For more information about the treatment of Bhutanese Christians, visit
Bhutan Country Report.
