Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism that emphasizes personal introspection and closeness with God. It has often been practiced more as a style of worship than a sect. Chechens have traditionally seen Sufism as part of their ethnic identity. However, Kadyrov’s regime uses this identity to persecute those of different religions and maintain control within the region.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report this week, detailing the abuses of religious freedom in Chechnya. Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “Other brands of Islam, other theologies within Islam, are actually persecuted in Chechnya. They’re distrusted. And Christians are treated this way as well. That’s what they face: being seen as outsiders, being seen as rejecting or betraying their Chechen ethnic identity by not following Sufi Islam.”

Religious oppression

One tool of repression used by the Chechen government is public shaming ceremonies. State television broadcasts the ceremonies, often featuring women accused of being witches.

But Nettleton says the persecution from close family can often be worse. “That first line of persecution is your dad or your big brother, who says, ‘Listen, we’re a Muslim family. You need to be Muslim if you’re going to be part of our family. Being a Muslim, and in this case, being a Sufi Muslim is such a part of identity as a Chechen.”

Ask God to encourage Christians in Chechnya. Pray entire families would come to Christ together. Nettleton says, “Because that alleviates that family pressure. Then you’re not left facing that family pressure to renounce Christ.”

The header photo shows Ramzan Kadyrov, dictator of Chechnya. (Photo courtesy of Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Alexander Lukashenko, dictator of Belarus for the last 26 years, won reelection, garnering 80% of the vote. The opposing candidate was credited with only 10% of the vote and was detained after contesting the results. She has fled to Lithuania.

The EU is considering sanctions after calling the election process “Neither free nor fair.”

Christians in Belarus

SGA works with churches in Belarus, equipping them to proclaim Christ as king. (Photo courtesy of SGA on Facebook)

Eric Mock of Slavic Gospel Association says Christians in Belarus remain committed to advancing the Gospel just as they did under years of communism. “Belarus has suffered from economic poverty; its economy is not strong. They are basically still a dictatorship. Lukashenko is the president of the country [and] he has been in charge for many years now. But the people of Belarus are these wonderful, faithful people. We have seen them rise up and plant churches in the middle of the most difficult times, not only the radiation from Chernobyl but in poverty and a very poor health care system.”

Mock says Christians have continued to remain focused on the Gospel and will continue to do so despite whatever happens politically in the country. “As governments rise and fall and as we run into issues where there is social conflict and unrest, our mandate to proclaim the gospel remains unchanged.”

You can get involved with this work. Mock says, “We serve the church that God has raised up as the people in Belarus are in the midst of these rapidly changing times.” You can support SGA as they train new leaders for the Church in Belarus, as well as help the churches provide relief from COVID-19. Learn more here.

The header image is a representative picture showing police in riot gear. (Image by metaliza01 from Pixabay)

The world praised the Inter-Korean Summit as a critical step towards peace. But Eric Foley with Voice of the Martyrs Korea says it’s an empty peace focused on denuclearization and ignoring North Korea’s human rights violations against its people.

“This is not what we’ve been praying for.”

VOM Korea’s underground network is in touch with North Korean Christians. Foley shares, “Over the weekend, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with a number of North Korean Christians and ask them the question, ‘What do you think?’ Their response is that they are very surprised that believers in the rest of the world have set aside the things we’ve been praying for related to North Korea and are receiving the current circumstances as kind of an answer to prayer.”

“Their comment is this: ‘This is not what we’ve been praying for.’”

At the Inter-Korean Summit, Moon and Kim signed the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders promised in this declaration to end the Korean War.

(Photo courtesy of Secret Church)

The signed agreement also included commitments to establish a joint liaison office between the two Koreas, reunite separated families, update railways and roads between Seoul and Sinuiju, cease all hostile acts against one another, and create a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

However, Foley says these terms are really nothing new. “If we look back to the newspaper articles from 1991, I pulled up a newspaper article from the New York Times 1991 from one of the first Inter-Korean Summits and it was amazing how almost exact the wording was between the present summit and that particular meeting. In other words, although the faces of the leaders have changed, the promises remained the same.”

Is Anything New?

The latest posturing of civility and peace by North Korea, so far, seems to be nothing more than window dressing. In the hidden recesses of its country, millions of people still live in fear of their dictatorship or suffer in prison camps.

Moon Jae-in, the 12th President of South Korea. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

“One of the things we have to look at is to say, ‘Is North Korea offering anything new?’ And the answer is no,” says Foley. “North Korea always wants to focus the rest of the world’s attention on its own belligerence towards other nations. So what they’re saying here is, ‘We will be less belligerent towards you in exchange for certain concessions.’ But notice what North Korea is not willing to talk about, and that is the war on their own people. This is what North Korean Christians remind us to stay focused on.”

“Even in the United States’ very brief mention of human rights, North Korea responded by saying this: ‘This throws cold water on the warm events of this past week.’ In other words, ‘Focus on the missiles we have pointed at you, not the missiles we have pointed at our own people.’

“To have North Korea not threaten the rest of the world by not launching nuclear weapons is not peace. It’s simply negotiating with a bully.”

In one seeming gesture of goodwill, North Korea is planning to release three American prisoners, two of whom are Christians. This announcement comes ahead of United States President Donald Trump’s impending meeting with Kim.

While this may be an encouraging sign for international relations, the fact remains that Christians who are citizens of North Korea continue to suffer beyond the global spotlight.

“It is still a regime which is a terrorist regime to its own people. It has always been willing throughout its history to make concessions to other countries based on military activity that it’s built up. But when we try to turn the attention to how it treats its own people, North Korea always says no, that’s off limits. Until that changes, there is no foundation for us to build on when we think as Christians about what a biblical peace would look like in North Korea,” Foley explains.

The Foundation for True Peace

So how does true, biblical peace come about? What should we be praying for, beyond the dissipation of inter-country hostilities?

North Korean flags (Photo courtesy of John Pavelka via Flickr under Creative Commons License: https://goo.gl/jxWHHm)

Foley says to answer these questions, we need to listen to North Korean Christians themselves.

“When North Korean Christians say, ‘This is not what we have been praying for,’ what they mean is not that they are against peace. Far from it. They know that peace can only come about from transformation of the human heart, and nothing about the transformation of the human heart is rooted in this current conversation.”

It is still going to take time to see what comes of these latest peace talks between the North and South Korean leadership. However, if we don’t want history to simply repeat itself, continued peace talks must include a serious focus on North Korea’s violation of human rights and religious freedom.

“We need to hold North Korea responsible to say, ‘When we come to the summit table, the key issue we’re going to be raising isn’t just nuclear weapons. It’s human rights. It’s about how you are treating your people, especially the 100,000 Christians who have to live underground in North Korea.’”

Finally, we need to ask ourselves what we are truly praying for in North Korea. Is it the external posture of peace that makes us feel secure from afar? Or is it true peace for North Korean people and believers that comes from changed hearts in North Korea’s leadership?

“I think as Christians what we’ve got to do, the most basic thing we can do in carrying out Hebrews 13:3 is this: we need to remember there are North Korean Christians today in North Korea — 30,000 of whom are in concentration camps, 70,000 of whom are underground believers who are trying to stay out of those camps. They are the ones we need to listen to.”

Foley says, “What we need to be praying for is what North Korean Christians have taught us to pray for now for several generations. Pray for the transformation of the heart of the leader.”

(Header photo courtesy of Beyond Neon via Flickr under Creative Commons License: https://goo.gl/nE6Js2)

Fidel Castro (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

So why is he being celebrated? Steve Shantz with Trans World Radio says praise for Castro in Cuba sort of comes with the territory.

“I was in Cuba not long ago and Fidel Castro was such an iconic leader in that country, I mean, you could just feel his presence when you come into Cuba. Of course he’s on posters and billboards, so you’re constantly reminded about this bushy-bearded, military figure, but he was a very imposing leader and I think very much in the hearts and the minds of the Cuban people.”

Now that the larger-than-life dictator is dead, it leaves behind several questions.

“It’s very difficult to predict what’s going to happen. I’ve heard it said from some people in Cuba that the things Fidel Castro put into place are going to carry on for many years moving forward. That’s one possibility. But I think though a lot of people are thinking what’s the political situation going to be, and what is it going to do for the economy and for commerce with Cuba?”

Cuban Christians especially are wondering what’s next for their country. Shantz says, for Trans World Radio, it means the advancement of the Gospel in Cuba is just as important now as ever.

“For Trans World Radio, what we’re thinking of is…this is a time really to present to the people of Cuba a greater need, which is Jesus Christ. More than politics, more than economics, people need the Lord and they need Jesus. This is an opportunity and a time for us to really speak the message of the Gospel to the people of Cuba to give them hope in Christ for whatever lies in their path for the days ahead.”

And their ministry has some of the best outreach tools when it comes to sending out the Gospel across a wide expanse. “We broadcast from the island of Bonaire into Cuba, which we’ve been doing now for nearly half a century. We feel that radio now more than ever is a very important tool in bringing the message of hope to the Cuban people.”

As for the Body of Christ already in Cuba, it is growing. But such fast expansion in the Church there is causing a unique problem. There aren’t enough trained Christian leaders and pastors to disciple new believers.

“That’s something we’re trying to address in Trans World Radio by blanketing Cuba with a much stronger radio signal. We have been broadcasting for many years, but just the way modern technology has introduced a lot of environmental noise into the radio reception world, it’s harder to get a good signal into Cuba with our existing setup.”

(Image courtesy of Trans World Radio)

Shantz explains, “We have a project underway right now which we’re about 80 percent complete on, and that is to raise our power from 100,000 watts to 450,000 watts and also put in a more efficient antenna system that can really beam and focus the energy onto the island of Cuba. So we hope that very shortly we’ll be able to go on the air with a brand new transmitter at 450,000 watts and be able to really put a powerful signal into Cuba so on a daily basis people can turn on their radio and hear good, Christian programming and sound biblical teaching that can have a strong input into their lives.”

To complete this project, TWR needs to raise a total of $3.8 million. There are a few ways you can help! Click here to learn more about TWR’s Bonaire Power Up Project and consider supporting this ministry to get the Gospel on stronger radio waves.

And, most of all, please pray for ministry in Cuba. Pray that God would raise up church leaders and pastors trained in His Word and able to disciple new believers in Cuba.

Pray that through radio broadcast, the Gospel message would change hearts and encourage Christians in their faith journeys with Christ.

Duvalier who's also known as "Baby Doc" was ousted from power in a popular uprising 25 years ago. He's been living in exile in France since his ouster.

President of Christian World Outreach Dean Yoder says, "I just can't imagine why he came back."

Christian World Outreach has been working in Haiti for 30 years. Yoder was actually in Haiti during Duvalier's ouster. He says Duvalier's return has been met with mixed reaction. "There are two camps of people. One says 'Oh great!' and they're in the streets saying, 'Jean-Claud, Jean-Claud.' There's another camp that says, 'He needs to be destroyed. They should arrest him and take him out.'"

According to Yoder, this makes the situation even more difficult. "This will only add to the stress and the uprising of the election. The total results are supposed to be released on January 20th."

According to Human Rights Watch, Duvalier ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986 after his father, Francois Duvalier known as "Papa Doc," appointed him president for life. The Duvaliers are estimated to have ordered the deaths of 20,000 to 30,000 Haitian civilians.

Christian World Outreach works in Haiti with eight churches, feeding programs, leadership development, and feminine training sessions.

Reaching out to women in the tent cities is a desperate need, says Yoder. "In the tent cities there are young girls 13 to 19 years old. 50 percent of that age group are pregnant. We want to do something, so we took 25 ladies into our center."

They taught them sewing, handicraft, and other vocational skills to help them make a living. Yoder says the program has worked incredibly well. "We had a graduation just last Friday of the first group of ladies. And they were so excited."

Yoder adds, "11 of the 25 accepted Jesus already!"

Each girl in the program receives a godmother from various churches across Port-au-Prince. "She is to pray for this young lady, to meet with her, to encourage her and help her in any way she can." That includes discipleship.

A new group of women will be joining their program. It costs just $80 to support these girls. If you'd like to help, click here.

Mugabe's government is under increasing international
criticism for its treatment of the opposition, with activists alleging police
have disrupted their gatherings and beaten their leaders.

The regime refuses to permit foreign by leading government
critics and imposed other harsh measures. It's an effort to block protests over
economic mismanagement and to crush any political opposition, even as the
country continues to slide toward an economic abyss.

Neighboring Botswana
tightened its border security as fears of political unrest could lead to a
renewed flood of illegal migration.  In
the meantime, the African Union joined the United
States, Britain,
and the United Nations in criticizing the government crackdown, and called on Zimbabwe to
respect human rights.

Bible Pathway Ministries' Ken Sharp says this is similar the
crackdown of 2005.   In July of that
year, we spoke with their partner who told us that the suppression of poverty
was in an effort to secure an international aid loan.

"The government has been demolishing people's houses,
what they call 'illegal structures', and people's stores. This has displaced
close to one and a half million people. That also creates a humanitarian
disaster." Called "Operation Murambatsvina," or "drive out
trash."

The campaign came at a time when the farms, owned by white
citizens, were being seized.  At this
point, the BPM partner, unnamed for security reasons, stepped in.  This pastor had many of the effected families
in his congregation, and began offering them aid. 

"The church has been involved in taking care of the
needy. I think the last two months, numbers have swollen." Explaining how
their team works, the pastor explained, "When people are hungry, they are
really open to the Gospel. We don't bring the help saying, 'It is our help', we
say, 'The Lord has enabled us to help you'. 

But, when word got out that he was helping white families,
the threats began.  In fact, the
situation soured so much that their partner fled Zimbabwe.  Sharp says, "Our representative that was
doing so much mission work both in Zimbabwe and in surrounding
countries, has had to flee the country finally, after many death threats,
threats to his family, a lack of any assistance from the government or from the
police."

Sharp says they just sent in a large shipment of Bible
Pathway resources to Zimbabwe
and surrounding region. However, "We are trying to do the best we can,
right now, to get Bibles in while the door is still open somewhat. But, with
the political unrest, the way the government is going, it could very easily
close the doors down tomorrow to a lot of the materials that are going in."