“When people on the ground feel that they are empowered to discriminate against other religions – in this case, a Christian minority – without any consequences and in most cases encouraged by government authorities, I think you’ll see these incidents increase.”

Many Indian believers worship in makeshift structures of fabric and corrugated cardboard. Brobbel says these buildings are being destroyed during worship services. 

“As they’re praying and as they’re worshipping, we’ve seen footage of Christians even beaten with sticks and rods to discourage them from worshipping in that place,” Brobbel says. 

The Modi administration is promoting Hinduism not just as a national religion but as an individual and corporate identity. While top-level officials tout religious freedom, Brobbel says the real test of authenticity is what is happening at the ground level. 

“When we see states that are not allowing conversion from one religion to another, when we see repression that is coming from a state or ground level that is happening to not only Christians but other religious minorities in India, those words fall flat.”

Brobbel suggests that political pressure from Western governments and agencies could be better leveraged. 

“With their counterparts in India, this should be one of the topics that’s brought to the forefront, and I don’t think that’s really being done,” he says. 

Organizations like Voice of the Martyrs Canada can help supply political and business leaders with information that can help them advocate for Indian believers.

“Further than that, of course, Christians should be raising a voice anyway,” Brobbel says. “They can be writing to their Indian consulates or embassies, raising awareness and raising a voice on behalf of persecuted Christians in India.” 

Most importantly, Christians interested in partnering with the Indian church should fall heavily on the importance of prayer. 

“We should be praying constantly that in the midst of this struggle, that brothers and sisters in India would be faithful – that they can continue to shine a light in the midst of increasing opposition,” Brobbel says. 

Please pray that Christians in India would be resourced to evangelize and that God’s church would continue to grow. Brobbel says there are things to be excited about as pressures abound. 

“God’s will is being done through His people, so we need to continue to pray with our brothers and sisters in India that the Word would continue to go forward and have the impact that we know that it can have.” 

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Header image courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada. 

Khorsa was murdered first by Boko Haram in September. In the video, the group also threatened to execute Leman and Leah Sharibu, a 15-year-old Christian girl who was kidnapped by the terror group in February.

Hauwa Leman (Photo courtesy of World Watch Monitor)

Boko Haram gave the Nigerian government one month to meet their demands before they would kill both young ladies. When the deadline was up, they killed Leman whose murder was described by the Nigerian government as “dastardly, inhuman and ungodly.”

As far as we know, Leah Sharibu is still alive in Boko Haram captivity, as well as Alice Loksha, another aid worker who was kidnapped with Khorsa and Leman back in March. Loksha is a Christian as well.

We’ve been following Sharibu’s case since she was kidnapped with 109 other Dapchi schoolgirls. While the rest of her schoolmates were released a few weeks later, Sharibu was the only Christian and refused to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ. She remained in captivity.

The latest message from Boko Haram states they will keep Sharibu and the other aid worker, Loksha, as “slaves for life.” However, with the instability of the radical Muslim group, both Sharibu and Loksha’s lives are still in serious danger each day.

Floyd Brobbel, Vice President of International Ministry with Voice of the Martyrs Canada, says that’s not all. “Then they issued a statement after that that said it was now lawful for them to do whatever they wanted to do with them. So this, of course, raises serious concern for Leah’s continued well-being and health in the midst of that difficult situation.”

Leah Sharibu (Photo courtesy of World Watch Monitor)

Many in the international community have called for mercy. The Red Cross recently issued an appeal for Sharibu and Loksha’s release. According to World Watch Monitor, Christians and even Muslims in northern Nigeria pleaded for the lives of Sharibu and Leman before the execution deadline.

Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, vowed the government will “keep the negotiations open and continue to work to free the innocent women who remain in the custody of their abductors.”

As recently as a year ago, the Nigerian government was confident in their assertion that the threat from Boko Haram was contained. However, that has not proven to be the case.

Brobbel reflects, “I think it was probably a little naive on the Nigerian government to think that Boko Haram was silenced. Certainly, there was a period of time where they may have been fairly inactive and not much was heard, but we know with terrorist organizations that they generally like to lay undercover and then again they will strike and create havoc.”

The stakes are high now with the general elections approaching in Nigeria for February 2019. And Sharibu and Loksha, as Boko Haram’s captive bargaining chips, are players against their will on a national stage.

“This is certainly a time where [Boko Haram] would seek to exert their influence and bring pressure to the government for whatever political gain that they could get.”

One thing you can do is advocate for Sharibu and Loksha. Click here to sign the ACLJ petition for Leah Sharibu’s freedom. You can also call your government officials and voice your concern for Sharibu and Loksha’s captivity.

Finally — not as a last resort, but as our first line of defense — you can go before the Lord and pray for Loksha and Sharibu. Voice of the Martyrs Canada has been praying for Leah Sharibu every day at 5:30 pm Nigerian time (12:30 pm ET). Join them daily in praying for her freedom.

Brobbel asks, “Pray that she would continue to remain faithful to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and, in fact, that she would find comfort from Christ in the midst of her persecution, in the midst of her slavery and that she would just sense the Father’s presence with her.”

Click here to learn more about Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

Header photo of Leah Sharibu courtesy of Open Doors USA.