An Iranian court has suspended the presidential order for further judicial review, but shifts have already begun.

Edwin Abnous with Heart4Iran said on Tuesday, “Even though NetBlocks confirmed that there has been a partial restoration of internet connectivity, even then this communication is still not back to the normal [levels] yet.”

Photo of Tehran, Iran courtesy of Hamid Mohammad Hossein Zadeh Hashemi via Unsplash.

Meanwhile, the United States strikes on southern Iran this week have stirred up more uncertainty for Iranian families. Abnous says they already carry a heavy load. 

“The economic pressure, the fear of another round of strikes or retaliation, and just not knowing what tomorrow is going to bring, it’s there,” he says. 

The US strikes (which it claims were defense measures) have not derailed a potential deal between the US and Iran. If agreed upon, the deal will set a 60-day negotiation period for further dialogue.

“They’re really worried about their future. They don’t know what this war is going to bring them,” says Abnous about Iranians. “They thought it was a short-term war [where] they’re going to change the regime around, and we’re going to experience freedom in the country. But the war is dragging longer than what they expected.”

Lost school days, soaring food prices, and gaps in medical care are all part of the daily human cost of war for Iranians. Yet Abnous says tragedy has opened peoples’ hearts to God. 

“People [who] might not have been interested before suddenly want to talk about hope, about what happens after life,” says Abnous. “They want to have peace in their hearts, and naturally, especially for Iranians, they gravitate towards God more.” 

Heart4Iran’s Christian satellite TV signals can’t really be jammed by outside forces. Please pray that the gospel reaches more families in Iran. Pray for them to find their hope and future in God, whatever political events unfold. 

“That is where they hear the message of the gospel,” Abnous says about Heart4Iran‘s broadcasts. “They’ll understand [the gospel] is the place they can rest in God and receive assurance for the future — and also for their soul and spiritual needs.” 

Header photo: Babolsar, Mazandaran Province, Iran (Stock photo courtesy of Amirhosain Gazor via Unsplash)

Teenagers Maria, Sidra, Niha, and Elishba are just four of countless girls who have been abducted from their homes and forced to convert to Islam in the past year. Sidra and Niha were both abducted less than a month ago, in March 2026.

The abuse goes beyond kidnapping. Maria was taken in July and forced to marry a 30-year-old Muslim man. She later gave a statement saying she had done so of her own will and was now a follower of Islam. 

Despite the efforts of Maria’s parents in court, a Pakistani high court has ruled that the marriage was valid. Sidra and Neha are very likely on the same path with the same outcome.

Pakistani girl (Photo courtesy of Assad Tanoli via Unsplash)

“While this may appear to be a legal matter on the surface, it reflects such a deeper and painful reality faced by many Christian minority families in Pakistan,” says Nehemiah with FMI. 

He calls the situation “modern-day slavery,” as underage girls are kidnapped and then pressured into conversion to Islam and marriage.

“When I say underage girls, we are not talking about 17 or 18 years old, but we are talking about 12-, 13-, 14-year-old girls,” he says.

This pattern has been going on for years. When Christian or Hindu daughters go missing, their families often encounter police inaction, falsified birth records for their underage daughters, and long legal battles. 

Even if a girl escapes or the marriage ends, says Nehemiah, she may still be in danger from her captors and unable to reunite with her family. That’s because Islamic marriage ceremonies require a profession of faith in Allah. 

“Once someone is recognized as a Muslim, leaving Islam, known as apostasy, is not permitted,” says Nehemiah. “In some strict interpretations [of Islam], the penalty for apostasy can be death. And it’s very, very common in Pakistan.”

Pakistani girl (Photo courtesy of Muhammad Taha Khan via Unsplash)

FMI partners share the hope of Christ in the midst of these realities — trusting that even in suffering God is at work. One partner shared Romans 8:38-39 with Nehemiah, remembering that nothing is able to separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus the Lord.

“The situation is like walking on thin ice, yet they continue to bring hope, truth, and the message of Christ to those who are searching,” says Nehemiah. 

Pray with believers in Pakistan for protection for their young women.

“Pray for justice and meaningful legal reforms in Pakistan’s legal system, and pray for courage and safety for FMI partners serving on the ground,” says Nehemiah. 

“Pray for healing for victims and their families. And pray that even in the midst of suffering, many will encounter the love and hope found in Jesus Christ.”

Header photo of Pakistani young women is a stock image courtesy of Assad Tanoli via Unsplash.

Ryan, a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), was detained in Mozambique in November 2022 while preparing to fly supplies for local orphanages. He was released months later, and in 2024, a Mozambican court officially dismissed the case against him.

(Photo courtesy of Annabel Koher)

Now, the Kohers have returned to the city of Nampula in northern Mozambique, resuming their Gospel ministry with MAF.

“Back in October of last year, we got news that the case was closed, and that was really exciting for us,” Ryan recalls. “At that time, Annabelle was pregnant…. It was several months after the case was closed that we were finally able to return here. So we got back to the field in mid-April.”

Ryan has stepped into a larger leadership role this time — serving not only as a pilot and mechanic, but also as the Director of Operations.

“It’s a lot more responsibility and a lot more challenge,” he says. “But I find it really enjoyable to be serving this way.”

MAF’s team in Mozambique supports the MozMed Project, a partnership that flies doctors into the Niassa Special Reserve. Medical teams visit remote villages, providing vital care in the name of Jesus.

Ryan also flies for other ministries and church partners — helping short-term mission teams and denominational leaders reach distant congregations. Meanwhile, MAF’s Mozambican staff continues to share Christ through Jesus film showings.

“We’ve had [at least] 30 requests from local pastors and communities too for us to come out and show the Jesus film,” Ryan says. “It’s really cool to see the desire for Jesus here.”

MAF pilot Ryan Koher reaches a flying milestone. (Credit: Annabel Koher/MAF)

Following Ryan’s detainment, MAF has implemented a few internal policy updates — but the ministry’s mission hasn’t changed.

“We’ve understood that my situation was very unique,” Ryan explains. “We did learn a lot from it, so we have made some changes policy-wise, but nothing very major. I don’t think we’ve changed who we fly or where we fly at all because of this.”

The Kohers ask believers to pray for northern Mozambique, where terrorist activity has intensified and some attacks are being directed at Christians.

Annabel requests, “Be praying for Christians in Mozambique, for protection, [and] for them to stay steadfast in their faith. Also, [pray] for the terrorists, that they would come to know Christ and they would repent of their ways. They’re not too far gone, and we believe that the Gospel is powerful.”

Learn more about MAF’s work in Mozambique.

Header photo of the Koher family, courtesy of MAF — used with permission from the Koher family.

Bruce Allen with FMI shares this update: “Tomal and his family have reconciled in the weeks since then. But the local mosque saw that, ‘Oh, this Christian voice has been silenced because he’s in prison. He’s not able to lead his congregations right now. Let’s keep him in prison, even though the family has been reconciled.’”

Due to pressure from mosque leaders, Tomal was denied bail last week for the third time. The family is now taking an appeal for bail to the High Court in Dhaka, a city 200 miles away from their rural community.

Pastor Tomal with FMI in Bangladesh. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

“They’re taking it to, what we would say, a Supreme Court level,” says Allen. “Their reasoning is that since Dhaka is far removed from their home, the court there will be much less biased against Tomal and much less influenced by that local mosque.”

Pastor Tomal is resolved to keep sharing the hope of Christ with fellow prisoners, but it may be a long road.

“I take great encouragement from the fact that he is saying, ‘Light shines best in the darkness. So if I’m in the prison, this is where I’ll still do ministry, and there’s still hope,'” says Allen.

“Having said that, it’s still difficult for now his wife and his children who are Christians. They’re in a very vulnerable position in this society, without their husband, without their father, in the context of the wider society.”

A pastor from the same area has stepped up to serve Tomal’s family and care for his two congregations while he is in prison.

This is also where the global Church comes in. Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” Pray for Tomal, his family, his fellow pastor and churches. Pray for justice to be done in the courts of Dhaka. 

“We understand how wearing that can be, what a burden it is when the darkness presses in on you. Let us stand alongside Tomal and hold him up before our Father,” says Allen.

Header photo courtesy of FMI.

Back in April, Khan’s political opponents managed to remove him from office.

Political strife

Nehemiah with FMI says, “The standoff in Pakistan between former Prime Minister Khan and the government is developing into the most dangerous game of chicken, where each side is taunting the other. Any move by one escalates into a more drastic step by the other.”

Khan has not been arrested yet, something his followers called a “red line.” The former PM enjoys massive support in the public eye.

He has targeted the West in his rhetoric, saying countries like the U.S. are responsible for Pakistan’s economic woes. Nehemiah says, “People are buying his statements. And he is pulling massive crowds across Pakistan. We have seen his victories in by-elections recently.”

“If there is an arrest of PM Khan (and the ruling party does want to arrest him) I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a civil war in Pakistan.”

Khan himself called his following a “soft revolution.” He described it as a movement of people freeing themselves from political parties.

Recent political victories

Khan’s allies have won recent political victories across Pakistan, Nehemiah says. “He established an ally in Punjab, the hub of politics in Pakistan. And then he was just able to win another National Assembly seat in Karachi, which is a financial hub in Pakistan.”

Khan has called for new elections, which likely would swing in his favor. Nehemiah says, “Khan and his party, they may make a clean sweep in Pakistan politics. And this is not acceptable among the military establishment or the ruling party.”

Pray the love of Pakistani Christians will bring hope.

The header photo shows Khan speaking in 2010. (Photo courtesy of Chatham House, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Kavala has supported the arts, sciences, and environmental projects in Turkey, along with free speech and democracy. Bruce Allen with FMI says, “Then we have President Erdogan in Turkey who has ruled for decades now. His rule has become increasingly authoritarian. Since that failed coup in 2016, thousands of people have been arrested, many more were removed from any public jobs.”

The trial

Both the U.S. State Department and the European Court of Human Rights condemned the ruling, citing a lack of evidence. Kavala has lived in prison over the last four years, even before being convicted. Allen says, “Kavala has denied all charges. In fact, he’s been charged three times with this crime and acquitted twice, already. It’s really strange because he was put on trial again after being acquitted twice, despite the absence of any new evidence.”

It speaks to how paranoid Turkey’s government has been since the coup attempt. Allen says, “This was a panel of three judges. And the verdict is based on a majority vote. And it was one judge even saying, ‘I am in favor of acquitting Kavala again, and just releasing him already.’”

Christians

Suspicion has often fallen on Christians as well. In 2021, hundreds of Christians either were deported or did not have their visas renewed. Allen says, “There are more radical factions in Turkey that are calling not just for a secular government, but much more of a government based on Shariah law.”

As Christians from other countries find it increasingly difficult to minister in Turkey, FMI helps build indigenous church networks. Ask God to guide this work.

The header photo shows Osman Kavala in 2015. (Phot0 courtesy of Janbazian, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

After seven years on death row, they have now been acquitted due to a lack of evidence. The case against them was always flimsy, says Nehemiah of FMI. He knows the couple, and neither can read or write. Plus, the text messages were written in English, a language they do not know at all. Instead, a Muslim neighbor framed Shafqat and Shagufta. “And as in many other cases, this case was also [based] on some personal grudges. And they just made it look like they committed blasphemy.”

A higher court in Pakistan finally took notice of the plot against this couple. Unfortunately, much damage has already been done. The years in prison have taken a toll on the couple’s health, and they have lived separated from family.

How to pray

Nehemiah says, “I want to encourage people to pray for their support, safety, and security once they are released from the jail. And we need to pray and remember all the prisoners of faith in Pakistan. Pray that God would restore and fortify their spirits. And we also pray for their families, and families especially who have faced so many hardships.”

The couple is still in prison right now, waiting to be let out. Nehemiah says militant Islamic groups within Pakistan could organize protests over their release. Their suffering at the hands of Muslims in power won’t end with this decision. Ask God to give them unending grace and love.

(Header photo courtesy of Jody Davis from Pixabay)

Russian women suffer greatly from domestic abuse. Eric Mock of the Slavic Gospel Association suggests a male-dominated society that disrespects and devalues women may be a factor. “In this environment, women often put up with abuse, alcoholism, drug use, and domestic violence. They are far too common. Why do we know this? Great number of orphans that are in the orphanages we work with all tell of parents injuring one another, and most often of abusive fathers. It is a terrible blight on society.”

Making change

It remains to be seen if this ruling will have any impact on Russia’s laws, or help women significantly. But Mock says the local Church is making a difference. “Pray that the churches are able to intervene. Pray that those stuck in the endless cycles of domestic violence will ask for help, and let people know of the need. And pray the church will rightly respond. How you respond is so critical.”

Pray the global Church will have a similar response. Women face this kind of abuse in every country on Earth.

Header photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. 

MNN reported on his case in 2013 and the extreme violence that followed his accusation. A mob of Muslims descended on the primarily Christian neighborhood of Joseph Colony after Masih’s accusation was broadcasted over the PA system.

Nehemiah of FMI says the motivations behind the violence weren’t exactly religious. “The government and business community wanted to grab this colony, this land. They wanted to build a factory on this land. So first, they tried to convince Christians of this area to leave this colony. When they refused, they just made a story and accused this guy Sawan. And they just accused him with a false charge of blasphemy and burned the whole town. Many churches, shops, and more than 200 Christian houses were burned. “

(Photo courtesy of ChristiansinPakistan.com)

Masih was arrested. He also lost many family members in the devastating attack, Nehemiah says.

Seven years in prison

Despite the lack of evidence, Masih’s case has languished in the courts ever since, prolonged by threats from extremists. Even now that he has finally been acquitted, Masih can’t leave the prison for fear of attempts on his life.

Nehemiah compares the case to that of Asia Bibi, another Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy. “[It’s] exactly the same situation when Asia Bibi was released from the prison. Actually, she was not released from prison. She was inside the prison with the government. And the same thing is happening with Sawan Masih.”

Nehemiah asks readers to pray for Masih, who has lost seven years of his life in prison due to a baseless charge. “I always request brothers and sisters around the world to pray for Pakistani Christians. [Pray] they can stand for the persecution they are facing. They realize that many Christians around the world are concerned for them and they’re praying for them.”

Pray also that Masih will be able to safely leave the prison soon.

The header photo shows a mosque skyline in Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

“It was confirmed over the weekend by the Provisional Minister of Law and member of the Punjab assembly, a man named Raja Basharat, that she is still in prison,” says Bruce Allen with FMI. “The jail has also confirmed that she has not been released — ostensibly for her security, but that is still distressing.”

Bibi was charged with blasphemy in 2010 after a dispute in which her Muslim female coworkers said they would not drink from the same water bucket as Bibi because she is a Christian.

Asia Bibi’s husband and two of her children. (Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Meanwhile, calls for Bibi’s death continue in the streets of Pakistan. The influential Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party has organized violent demonstrations across the nation. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) is planning a “million march” this Thursday to protest Bibi’s acquittal.

“There have been several days of protests by the masses out in the streets choking life in Pakistan, blocking roads, attacking buses and setting them on fire — [one] with a driver and 72 passengers inside — death threats to the Supreme Court justices, [and] calls for the ouster of the Prime Minister,” Allen says.

“It has been very disturbing to see as these protestors are leaving their rally points and have in their hands the weaponry, shields, [and] helmets taken from the military and the police…. That is not a good sign that now they have acquired these things and they will stage future protests.”

The Pakistani government is starting to yield to protestors’ demands. On Friday, the administration struck a deal with the TLP agreeing not to oppose a petition to review the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan (Photo courtesy of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung via Flickr under Creative Commons: https://goo.gl/bT3o48)

“In Pakistan, it’s a new administration and a new prime minister as of this summer and they want to have clout in the international community,” Allen explains. “And yet, that’s not who votes them into office. That is not who protests in the streets. So they are also trying to capitulate to this new political party that is all about maintaining the blasphemy laws — making them stricter in fact — and they have a delicate dance to do.”

Bibi may also be put on Pakistan’s exit control list, which would prevent her from leaving the country.

“It’s used a lot for criminals that they don’t want to flee the country. Well, in this case, Asia is not a criminal and in fact, the highest court in the land has said she should not be treated as such and she should be released from jail forthwith.”

Things have gotten so dangerous that Bibi’s lawyer, Saiful Malook, was forced by the United Nations and European Union to flee Pakistan.

Bibi’s husband, Ashiq Masih, has also pleaded for their family’s asylum in the United Kingdom, the United States, or Canada. Several countries have offered asylum to Bibi and her family.

However, Allen points out, “That still doesn’t get them safely out of the country just to know there is a country that will accept them. And if that happens, the current administration in Pakistan still has to face the society-at-large. It is the world’s second-largest Muslim-majority nation and so many of them now are not just calling for Asia’s death. They’re calling for the death of anyone who supports her, even the Supreme Court justices.”

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

Christians in Pakistan are also facing serious threats from growing anti-Christian rhetoric. Churches are in danger of being attacked as extremist Muslim protestors go back home to their villages and seek other targets.

Senator Abdul Rehman Malik, chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior, sent a letter to the Ministry of Interior asking about security measures the government will take to protect Pakistani churches. Malik has sought a briefing to be delivered during the Senate’s meeting on November 9.

Allen says Christians around the world can do more than beseech Pakistan’s political leaders.

“We pray to the one who is the true ruler of Pakistan. Jesus is the Sovereign over all nations….so we petition Him. He is the only one that would be higher than the Pakistani Supreme Court,” he says.

“We pray that Asia and her husband remain strong in their faith and agree, ‘Lord, your will be done.’ We pray for peace in Pakistan.

“This is one of those things that demands perseverance, so we also pray for Asia Bibi and her husband, her children, for their continued perseverance…and that she remains faithful in the light of ups and downs.”

Header photo courtesy of Open Doors USA.