Flood In Pakistan: Open Doors USA

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Prisoner Alert Update:

On July 13, the family of Uyghur house-church leader, Alimujiang Yimiti, was permitted to visit him for 20 minutes, according to China Aid Association. Yimiti's family was relieved to see him alive, as guards had repeatedly refused to allow them visits in recent weeks. During their meeting, Alimujiang confirmed that he had received his wife's letters. Please continue sending letters of encouragement and let Yimiti know you are praying for him. Let your friends know about Christians suffering in China and encourage them to pray and write to him as well.
Your letters make a difference and can result in shorter prison sentences for those accused. Write and pray today!

In The Trenches

 Somalia

Madobe was born in a Somali village. He was orphaned as a child and was raised as a Christian despite his Islamic family name. He eventually became a pastor of a small underground church in his home village.

One morning Madobe was brutally murdered by members of an Islamic extremist group called al Shabaab. Just two weeks prior, Madobe had narrowly escaped being kidnapped by the same group.

Madobe’s death is unique because he was not a convert from Islam… as are most of the Somalis executed for such reasons.

The al Shabaab militants who killed Madobe prohibited his body from being buried and ordered that it be left to the dogs to be an example to other Christians. They remarked, “Leaving his body outside is a warning to all that infidels are a disgrace to Muslims.”

The al Shabaab militia has recently embarked on a brutal campaign to rid the country of all non-Muslims.

Somali believers need your prayers more than ever since many militant groups have declared war against the church. So please pray that peace would come to this area. And pray that the church in Somalia would be strong in the face of such intense persecution and that the gospel would advance.

 India

For Mary Nayak*, Sunday always involved accompanying her husband to the church he pastored in Kandhamal… a small village in the Indian state of Orissa.

This Sunday was no different… until her husband finished preaching. It was then that a large mob suddenly stormed into their village with one, singular objective: to attack and kill Christians.

Mary, her husband and her children narrowly escaped to the jungle where they remained without any food or shelter. They finally returned to their home after three days—when they felt it was safe.

Beaten severely

Calm had returned to the little village… or so they thought. It was just a few days later that a small mob returned and began hurling stones at Mary and some other women who were praying in the church. Mary ran outside trying to escape, but one of the stones struck her on her back and she immediately fell to the ground. That’s when the mob rushed at her and began to kick and beat her, only stopping because they thought she was dead.

As soon as Mary’s husband heard about the attack, he rushed to the scene but the mob had disappeared. That’s when he saw her lifeless body lying in the middle of the road. He took her in his arms and quickly took her home. But he knew they couldn’t stay there for fear of the mob.

So he packed up the children, his severely injured wife and moved to Jagadalpur, Chhattisgarh state.

Getting help from Open Doors

It was there that Open Doors came in contact with Mary. Immediately, our team took Mary to a good hospital where she could get the proper treatment for her injuries.

Mary’s family currently has no sustainable income, and she and her husband are concerned for their children who are not going to school because they lack the necessary financial resources to send them. The family has rented a room with the help of local Christians, but they don’t know how long they can live there.

In 2009, Christians across India suffered 152 violent attacks just like the attack on Mary. That’s an average of three per week! With your support, Open Doors is able to assist believers like Mary who have experienced these horrific attacks firsthand.

In addition, your support helps us equip suffering believers like Mary to stand firm in their faith by providing Bibles and much-needed training. Yes, you are helping persecuted believers like Mary overcome extremism in places where faith costs most… places like Orissa. Thank you so much for your support!

Please pray for Mary and her family, and that Open Doors would be able to continue to support and encourage them in the midst of their struggle. Thank you!

*not real name to protect identity. 

Prisoner Alert Update:

Imprisoned Uyghur pastor Alimujiang Yimiti, who was finally allowed to visit with his family in recent months, has been denied further visits, according to China Aid Association. Alimujiang's mother, wife and children were allowed to meet with him in April for the first time in two years. In May, they were permitted a second meeting for 20 minutes. However, authorities have since demanded that Alimujiang's wife and mother bring a letter to each meeting, stamped by local police, verifying their relationship to him. Please send a letter of encouragement to let Alimujiang know you are praying for him. Tell your friends about Christian persecution in China, and encourage them today!

Iranian Christian Released

On July 25, Ali Golchin was released from Evin Prison after paying bail of 200 million Rials (about $21,700 U.S.), according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN).

Golchin, 29, was arrested at his home in the city of Varamin on April 29. At the time of his arrest and while he was in prison, government agents searched his home and confiscated a Bible and other books, a computer, his identification documents and other personal belongings, according to FCNN.

Golchin was held in the notorious Section 209 of Evin Prison, where it is believed he was tortured by authorities. “Throughout this time he [Golchin] was only able to meet with his family once for 10 minutes,” FCNN reported. “Ali Golchin had said that during his detention he had faced long and harsh interrogation and his family reported that Ali had described his time in prison as ‘unbearable.’”

The courts have not explained why Golchin was held for more than 87 days, and he has not been formally charged with a crime. “This disproportionate bail has been inflicted upon the family in the form of a bond against the title deed of family property of equivalent value; it is keeping not only Ali but the whole family virtually in chains,” FCNN reported.

Prior to Golchin’s release from prison, his father told the Voice of America Persian Service that he believed his son had been arrested because he had Bibles in his home. “The judicial authorities accused us of attempting to convert Muslims by distributing Bibles, which is considered a crime. I told the authorities that these Bibles were not for the purpose of going into the streets and distributing them,” Golchin’s father said. “They were for the people in our church.”

Ali Golchin is among a number of other Christians from the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, and Kermanshah who have been arrested and released without specific charges against them. The Voice of the Martyrs stands with these courageous believers who continue to serve Christ in the face of government harassment. Pray that believers in Iran will remain faithful and that their testimonies will draw non-believers into fellowship with Christ.

Posted: August 3, 2010