In Pakistan, for example, Christians know one wrong step could lead to a charge of blasphemy against Islam. Such accusations result in mob violence, imprisonment, long legal battles or worse, with little protection. Just last month, four people were sentenced to death under these laws. 

“It’s a huge challenge for our partners in places like Iran and Mauritania, Afghanistan [and] Pakistan, because the punishment of blasphemy in those countries is death,” says Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations.

Pakistan courts have issued many death sentences for blasphemy, even when evidence is scanty. But so far it has never carried one out. Often, vigilante justice from Pakistan’s majority Muslim population keeps things out of the courts entirely. Kelley says minority Christian villages can quickly become targets. 

“In one case, recently, over 20 churches were burnt down, houses destroyed, people’s vehicles and motorcycles torched, police standing by allowing it to happen,” he says. 

Yet Christ stands with His people in every injustice. He even saves others through their witness.

“One of the main differences between Islam and Christianity is Jesus said, ‘The world’s going to hate you, but be encouraged because they hated Me before they hated you — and furthermore, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you,’” says Kelley. (See John 15:18–19 and Luke 6:27–28.)

“That’s the the Christian message, and that softens the heart — the Holy Spirit uses that to soften the heart of the most radical.”

Now that you know more, please pray for gospel advance where blasphemy laws rule. Pray the Christians will faithfully endure through terrible circumstances. Then, learn more.

“As the body of Christ, we need to be praying. We need to understand these issues. We need to educate ourselves about what’s going on in these countries [where] if you share the gospel that we take so freely here in the US, you literally could be killed,” says Kelley.

To understand more and pray for persecuted Christians around the world, connect with coverage by Morning Star News ands persecution.org.

Finally, pray also for resources to build up the local churches. Kelley says, “Training is critical in [these] parts of the world, especially the leaders, to give them opportunities to grow and strengthen in their faith.”

Learn more here about how Unknown Nations comes alongside believers under fire. 

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Abyan Athif/Unsplash.

The employee has been suspended, and authorities have started an investigation.

Nehemiah with FMI says the whole incident was caught on security footage. “This Muslim man added while he was shouting at this woman that he will bring clerics to frame her in a false accusation. And then he said that he was mad at her and he will cut her down. The female officer can be heard calling the man out for threatening her and daring him to register a blasphemy case against her.”

Blasphemy laws

It’s an example of how blasphemy laws in Pakistan can be used against Christians, even outside of religious situations. The laws forbid saying anything against Muhammed, the Quran, or Allah. It gives Muslims a feeling of power over Christians, even in petty disputes.

Nehemiah says the law was first passed in the late 70s and early 80s. “This is one of the laws that is strictly enforced. Most of the time, people don’t go to court. Right away, they decide the situation on the street.”

“This is one of the reasons why mob culture is very common in Pakistan.”

Ask God to strengthen Pakistani Christians who live under this constant threat. Nehemiah says, “They live on the sharp edge of a sword. Many of these people who are being accused of blasphemy are part of congregations with these brothers and sisters who are serving with FMI. Pray for safety, security, and wisdom, how they can deal with such situations.”

Header photo courtesy of FMI.

If convicted of all charges leveled against her, she could spend the rest of her life in prison.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s past

This isn’t the first time Aung San Suu Kyi has been held by Myanmar’s military. In the 1990s and 2000s, she spent almost 15 total years in detention. She was afterward awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in bringing democratic elections to Myanmar.

Her party won an election by a landslide in 2015, and again in 2020. But the military, whose party took a beating in the election, declared fraud and seized power in early February.

The UN has rejected the trial as a sham, calling it another attempt to stifle democracy. Brian Dennett with AMG International says, “The courts are not at all impartial, and they really never have been. They are controlled by the army. The army, of course, wants any excuse whatsoever to imprison all of their opposition. They actually charged her with a statement that she could not have made because she had already been arrested by the military.”

Military control

Meanwhile, the military and police continue to attack civilians with impunity. Dennett says, “I’ve seen on the news several times where they mentioned this as a civil war. And it’s really not like that. It really is the military and the police kind of united against the people.”

Many Christians in Myanmar see this as an opportunity to share Jesus’ love with their neighbors. Dennett says, “Before the coup, there was a lot of tension, hatred, and mistrust between the different ethnic and religious groups. And what we’ve seen is some of these walls breaking down against the common enemy: the army.” 

AMG sends food and other supplies into Myanmar. You can get involved or learn more here.

The header photo shows protestors in Myanmar holding up signs in support of Aung San Suu Kyi shortly after the coup. (Photo courtesy of Voice of America, Public Domain) 

Specifically, Christians in the Southeast Asian country want to use this name in their Bibles and books. Greg Musselman of The Voice of Martyrs Canada says, “Christians have been using that particular word in Christian publications, and even in their own Bible, which goes back to 1731: the Bahasa Malaysia Bible. So that word has been used by Christians and Muslims. And there wasn’t a lot of issue for many, many years. But back in the early 2000s, it started to become an issue with some Muslims in the country. They were really pressing that the word Allah would be limited to Islam.”

Stuck in the courts

The matter first went before Malaysian courts in 2008. That is when Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill from the state of Sarawak first filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government over her right to use the word “Allah” in Christian publications.

The case has been batted around ever since. Now, a judge on the Malaysian High Court has delayed her ruling until January 27^th. Musselman says, “The courts want the community, the religious leaders, the Christian and Muslim leaders, to come to some kind of agreement, maybe finding a replacement word Christians could use.”

Pray for peace in Malaysia

The courts very much want to avoid a ruling that will cause religious violence or unrest. Malaysian Christians want to use the word, but they also want peace in their communities. Musselman says, “They’re just trying to navigate this situation. The Church really needs wisdom. I would say that’s how we need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Malaysia.”

Pray also that the witness of the Malaysian Church would point many to Jesus as Lord over all things.

The header image shows a mosque in Malaysia. (Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay)

Iran has recently been condemned by the United Nations for human rights violations, a report the country has rejected. This mostly related to allegations of abuse during the November protests last year.

Daniel Hoffman of Middle East Concern says it’s hard to know why these two sentences were overturned, while many other Iranian Christians continue to languish in prison. “It’s always difficult to know exactly why certain governments do certain things. Of course, Iran has been called out over human rights abuses for quite a long time now. So it’s difficult to know what exactly was the reason why this happened. But we know from the past that the Iranian government is concerned about its image in the international community.”

Christians still in prison

The two Christians stated they loved their country and were simply gathering for a legal house church meeting. Still many Christians using the same arguments in court have not seen their sentences overturned.

Hoffman says the release brings welcome news, but we must continue to pray for Iranian Christians still in prison. “Sometimes they are mistreated by either their captors or by other prisoners. And of course, there is still very much the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well, which has spread through some of the prisons in Iran. So prayer for their physical well-being and protection is definitely appreciated. And of course, we can pray for justice to be done in their situation and for them to be released and reunited with their loved ones.”

Pray these prisoners will know they are not forgotten, and that Jesus will comfort them.

And rejoice over these two prisoners that have been released. Pray they would continue bearing witness to the love and peace of Jesus.

The header image shows a court building in Tehran, Iran. (Photo courtesy of Middle East Concern on Facebook)

But Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says that wasn't the case. "Instead, the court withdrew the guilty verdicts for apostasy and the resulting death sentence. They pronounced him guilty of acts of evangelism to Muslims and sentenced him to three years in prison. He had been in prison two years and 11 months. So, they accepted a bail payment and allowed him to go free one month early. He is back with his family right now."

Nettleton says it's a miracle. 

Nettleton also says the international pressure had an impact. "I think if nobody had heard of Pastor Youcef, this would be this would be a much different story, and I don't think he'd be with his family right now."

Iran seems to care about what the world thinks of them, to a point, states Nettleton. "Iran is interested in what the countries in the European Union think of them. They are interested in some of the other countries in the world, but they don't really care what the United States thinks because our two governments are so at odds."

Christians worldwide were surprised by this move. Nettleton said he expected charges like "espionage or spying, and then they could execute him and say, 'Well, it wasn't a religious crime. It wasn't religious persecution. He was guilty of spying. He was guilty of espionage."

Keep praying. Sometimes after Christians are released, they face persecution and even death.

The great news is: the church in Iran is growing. Nettleton says Islamic leaders run Iran. "When there is frustration with the government, that translates very easily to frustration with Islam because it's the mullahs who ARE the government. The people are so hungry for something else."

Many are finding Christ through satellite Christian television and the internet. Many churches have been established. 

According to China Aid Association, Ms. Wei and Mr. Wu were visiting the Huaguan Town house church from their home in Zheijiang, as members of the extended congregation. That evening, local police broke into the building without a warrant, illegally searched and confiscated church property, and seized Ms. Wei and Mr. Wu. They were then interrogated at the police station, without legal notification to their families in Zheijiang. CAA received the Official Statement on the Administrative Proceedings for their trial on August 26, 2009.

Officially detained for "acting under the guise of religion" and "disturbing the society and impairing others' health," Wei Sanhong and Wu Han were among several members of the Huaguan Town church who had previously worked to provide disaster relief to victims of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. In the aftermath of the disaster, relief workers helped local victims to access medical care, rebuild homes, and receive counseling for grief, mental illness, and alcoholism related to depression.

On October 16, 2008, the Fuhu Village Party Committee and local Government in Nanbu County commended the Huaguan Town Church's relief efforts in the community. The church had been meeting peacefully in Nanbu County since it was founded in 2006, and merged with Zheijiang members in 2008.

Litigation lawyer for the plaintiffs, Wu Chenglian, called the Nanbu County Public Security Bureau's charge "based on wrong facts and flimsy evidence." In her Statement on the Administrative Proceedings for the case, Attorney Wu presented to the court her defense of plaintiffs Wei and Wu, exposing the Nanbu County PSB's violations by citing the Chinese Constitution:

"In accordance with Article 36 in Constitutions of the PRC, "'The citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state or public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion.'"

Attorney Wu argued further that Nanbu Public Security Bureau misapplied "The Law of Punishment in Respect to Management of Public Security" to the plaintiff, citing its lack of expert knowledge on the religious proceedings and providing evidence of Huaguan Town churche's peaceful existence and contributions to the Nanbu County community.

Attorney Wu further upheld the rights of house churches to meet without official registration, noting that Article 12 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs "is a general regulation and not mandatory," according to Chinese law.

The church has a new 200-acre site where the courts will be placed. A team from the ISA will be in Thailand for the launch of the new courts. 

Sajartham Baptist Church recently began their new sports ministry. They already have English
classes and music lessons at their center, but this new outreach will open doors in their vision for the future. Football and basketball will be their main focus. Trainers travel there from overseas each year. 

The church holds Leadership and Evangelism tracks which are open to all church and community members. Teams from Korea, the USA and Singapore, as well as some Asia Challenge Team members help lead.

Operation Mobilization's Peter Dance says, "It keeps coming to the desk of the Supreme Court there in India. Every few months when it comes to the table, they keep delaying it…hoping that we'll go away. But Christians aren't going to go away."

This is another blow to Dalit believers. Last month the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (NCSC/ST) rejected the demand for affirmative-action benefits for Dalit Christians and Muslims. The committee denied the need for the benefits on the grounds that "untouchability," the main criteria for the benefits, only affected Hindu Dalits who are considered untouchables.

This type of discrimination is compounded by anti-conversion legislation that's being imposed in various states and the physical abuse inflicted on Christians. According to Dance, OM is helping national believers draw attention to it. "We're actually taking various issues to court. In other words, [we're] challenging these laws and making sure the police follow through judicially to the abuse, though it be murder, beating up, or otherwise violating people — particularly women."

The increasing amounts of persecution has forced OM to change the way they share the Gospel. Dance says, "We used to do a lot more open-air evangelism. However, we don't do that any more. We do a lot more films, and also we use a lot of Christian literature. It's a lot more personal."

OM is asking Christians to pray for their work. Funding is needed to help with their ministry and their court battles. Click here to help.