The report was released by The Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), led by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi. It also estimated “no fewer than 7,800 others were violently seized and abducted for being Christians.”

(Photo courtesy Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Christian Faith Ministries serves in Benue, a state in North Central Nigeria. In early July, four of their members were tragically killed in an attack.

Ruth Hodge, who co-founded Christian Faith Ministries with her husband Kent, discussed the persecution facing Nigerian believers in a podcast interview with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s Greg Musselman.

Ruth explains that many Christian villagers in Northern Nigeria have fled their homes and sought refuge in an old IDP (internally displaced people) camp. “That camp is occupied…but there’s no aid going there. Mostly, the men are staying in the villages to protect them, to try to drive out the Fulani when they attack, and to try to continue farming.”

Benue State is known as the food basket of Nigeria. “It’s the most fertile state of the whole nation,” says Ruth. “A lot of food is produced in Benue every year.”

However, violence and instability have devastated food production. “At the moment, nothing is coming out of Benue State. Very little food is coming out. The roads aren’t safe. People are being kidnapped on the roads. Trucks — if they’re going out with the produce — they’re looted, they’re stolen. The Fulani are well armed, full of ammunition, and the military is doing very little.”

(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Even in the face of persecution, Nigerian Christians long for their attackers to hear the Gospel — that even those who kill them might find salvation in Jesus Christ.

The provost of Christian Faith Ministries’ Bible school is ethnically Fulani, and Ruth notes, “We have about 50 Fulani students in our Bible school — that’s the ones I can think of immediately.”

These Fulani believers are reaching their own people with the Good News of Jesus.

Please pray with them for Fulani Muslims to turn from violence to the forgiveness and joy of Christ. Ask God to give persecuted believers in Northern Nigeria wisdom and protection as they care for their villages and families. Pray for the Church to be a bold witness of faith in the fire.

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

Last summer, Bangladesh experienced widespread unrest driven by mass protests demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and establishing a neutral caretaker government before the general elections.

The demonstrations, led mainly by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), often turned violent, with clashes between protesters and security forces resulting in numerous injuries and arrests.

Victory march by protesters after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Popular support for traditional parties has fallen since then, creating an opportunity for fundamentalist groups.

Scott Clifton with FARMS International says the new political uprising has led to persecution. “Previously, Bangladesh – at least on paper – was a secular government,” Clifton says.

“As it trends towards Islamic nationalism, just as India trends towards Hindu nationalism, that presents problems for anybody who’s not within that group.”

One believer was killed because Islamists found out he was keeping money in his home. Radicals are targeting believers from a Muslim background and those who minister to them.

“Because of this (political) transition, there’s a power struggle going on. There’s less of a police presence, and so that means things like persecution towards minorities in general and Christians in particular, has been increasing,” Clifton says.

“They’ve made lists of people, and they’re following up door to door, going to people and telling them that they should revert to Islam. In some cases, that comes with threats.”

However, there is a silver lining to this political storm. “It’s had an actual positive effect, counterintuitively, on the Church. It’s caused leadership to grow in faith, [and] rely on each other; they’re reading their Word more and more,” Clifton says.

“The Church is not backing down from its work, so we pray for the hearts they’re reaching.”

Consider partnering with FARMS to help local churches establish sustainable businesses that benefit the Christian community in Bangladesh.

FARMS’ mission is “to build back businesses that contribute to the long-term sustainability of (Christian) leaders,” Clifton says.

“It’s not a continual flow of funds, but it’s helping to establish businesses that will support that leader in a sustainable way year by year into the future.”

Header image is a representative photo created using AI/Gencraft.

Islamic terror groups are rampantly active in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. They’ve been wreaking havoc in the Central Sahel region since 2015.

“On one hand, this is an expression of ‘Hey, we will not tolerate this anymore. We want to be known as a region of prosperity, not a region defined by insecurity,’” Greg Kelley of Unknown Nations, formerly World Mission, says.

“It’s hard for them to move forward economically [with] constant upheaval. The other piece of it (the alliance) is their efforts to become less dependent on Western aid.”

Challenges remain, however. While recent coups have propelled military leaders to power, these takeovers also signal regional instability and a power vacuum that terrorists may exploit.

The Sahel region had more deaths from terrorism last year than South Asia and the Middle East/North Africa regions combined. Attacks have left three million people homeless in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

“You have these (terrorist) groups wandering through and causing so much turmoil, and you have [millions of] people that are being displaced. [These conditions] make it very difficult to share the Gospel,” Kelley says.

“Insecurities absolutely impact Gospel efforts among the largely unreached people groups in these countries.”

Nonetheless, believers offer help and hope in the name of Jesus. “The indigenous leaders are very well positioned because they understand the dynamics,” Kelley says.

“Indigenous leaders are ready to take the Gospel into the (unreached) places; they just need a motorcycle; they need some humanitarian aid or assistance.”

Unknown Nations provides the tools and resources necessary for outreach. Here’s how you can help. Most importantly, pray. “The Lord gave us specific instructions,” Kelley says.

“He said, ‘Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers.’”

Header image courtesy of Unknown Nations.

“It’s being [called] ‘Africa’s Afghanistan’ because the French soldiers occupying [the region] and keeping some levels of peace are starting to withdraw,” Voice of the Martyrs Canada CEO Floyd Brobbel says.

“We saw how in Afghanistan with the U.S. pullout, and other groups pulling out as well, that creates a power vacuum where Islamic jihadists come in and seek to take control.”

France announced this summer it would withdraw 2,000 troops from the Sahel region by early 2022. Approximately 5,000 French troops are deployed across five countries under Operation Barkhane.

“More attacks” coming

Tribal tensions, fewer natural resources, and rising extremism create a “perfect storm” of instability in the Sahel. As described here, Islamists use this chaos to their advantage:

“West Africa is particularly vulnerable to extremism and provides fertile ground for jihadist groups to expand, given the combination of weak governance institutions, limited state capacity, corruption, widespread poverty, and ethnic tensions. … As the Sahel region becomes the latest scene for jihadist infighting, this has serious implications not just for jihadist operations against local and foreign troops, but more importantly for local civilian populations.”

Militants enforce Sharia law in Mali.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Islamic State and al-Qaeda militants are behind West Africa’s latest surge in violence. See our full coverage here.

These Islamists hunt for Christians and other religious minorities in every territory they enter.

“There’s a lot of unrest already in the region. Islamists come in and use that to push their brand of Islam, their extreme form of Islam. They will target, then, other Muslim groups or minorities that are not following their brand of Islam,” Brobbel says.

“As they (extremists) gain more influence in the area, we certainly will see more attacks on Christians and churches.”

Ask the Lord to protect His followers in the Sahel. Pray many will choose to stay in the region.

“We need to be praying for the Church, that the Church would be resilient in the midst of such attack. [Pray] those that stay in the region will continue to be salt and light and bring the Gospel forward,” Brobbel requests.

“People that were so opposed to the Gospel, once they get a copy of the Gospel and start reading what it says, we see [them] giving their lives to Christ.”

Header image depicts a gathering of Islamic State militants on the Mali-Niger border in July 2021. (Wikimedia Commons)

Last October, government forces finally brought to an end a brutal five-month scourge of the radical group. However, as the fight to eradicate ISIS has shown us in other countries, just because they lost the fight does not mean they have lost the war. There is evidence that fighters are trying to regroup.

This struggle is not just a fight for political power. It is a war of ideologies, and that is one of the toughest to root out.

To reports that Islamists might be targeting Christians in Mindanao, AMG International’s Bill Passons says there is nothing to suggest that the tension is anything new. “This has been an ongoing situation for quite some time. When we speak about Mindanao, Mindanao is a large area, but there are definitely pockets where that statement would be true.”

How do Christians survive the hostility?

The reality for Christians living in areas populated by a radical Islamist element is that they’re aware of the tension, but, “They live in a context where people strongly disagree and would desire them not to be living as a Christian witness. But as God has called them there, they depend on His grace and they navigate those waters on a daily basis.”

(Photo courtesy of AMG International)

A recent report from International Christian Concern suggests security forces are targeting Gospel workers for harassment and prejudice. For those operating under the title ‘missionary’, that might be true, especially if they stand out.

Passons explains that AMG does not send missionaries from the Western world. Rather, “We send national leaders throughout the country to plant churches and spread the Gospel. We also have a variety of different child and youth development programs where we invest and try to meet the deepest needs of the community by being the hands and feet of Christ in any way we can.”

That helps manage the risk. However, sometimes word gets out that things are changing.

“Generally speaking, we do see increased persecution as more people in a community will come to Christ. Sometimes it’s driven by things that are outside of the actual individual Christian’s control: political environment things that are popping up.”

On the political front, he says that can also play a role in triggering more incidents. “They’ve had some changes in the autonomous region in the way that the government is viewing them and looking at them and allowing them to govern themselves, and so some of those political things change. Sometimes, it can just be world events that excite people and make them respond in ways that would be more radical.”

Focusing on the big picture

However, for the team with which AMG works, they’re not looking at the circumstances, but the bigger picture of Christ. Passons asks, “Pray that they would continue to keep their eyes focused on Christ. Pray that they would remain faithful and that their testimony would just bring glory and honor to God.”

There is antagonism and extremist risk in the Southern Philippines, Passons acknowledges, but military intervention isn’t likely to solve the instability problems these issues create.

(Photo courtesy of AMG International)

“Ultimately, what’s going to change this community is just that the Gospel goes out and that these people — maybe even some of these people who have radical ideas now — are confronted with the Gospel and it transforms their lives. That’s what ultimately changes community, so just pray that the Gospel will continue.”

As groundbreaking for rebuilding one of the siege-ravaged communities begins tomorrow, Passons reminds us what we can do to come alongside believers in the Philippines. “As you’re being made aware, I think there’s an obligation that we have to pray and lift up our brothers and sisters around the world.”

He closes with one last thought: “We believe that God’s grace is sufficient.”

Header photo courtesy of Mark Jhomel/CC.

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia/Creative Commons)

Bangladesh (MNN) — It seems like no one is safe if you have a difference of opinion on what militant Islam is doing to Bangladesh.

In a story we brought to you yesterday via Asian Access, militants had lists of Muslim-Background Believers and were hunting them down for “apostasy.” Today, we’re finding it’s not limited to Gospel workers. It also includes intellectuals and bloggers who have written critical content about Muslim extremists on social media.

On Thursday, a group of men attacked a law student for his atheistic comments on Facebook. Bruce Allen with Forgotten Missionaries International says, “People do not like when a blogger is saying, ‘Our constitution says we’re a secular society. Let’s have a more democratic forum.'”

The deadly attack on 27-year-old Nazimuddin Samad was eerily similar to a series of attacks on bloggers carried out last year and credited to an al-Qaeda branch going after “blasphemers.” But really, “This graduate student was killed simply because they didn’t like his views.”

Allen adds that the recent High Court decision to keep the status quo of the Constitution may have banked inflamed political tensions for now. “Whatever the Court’s motivation was, they reaffirmed: ‘We’re a secular society, but Islam is the state religion.’ So, people are a little bit bewildered in the streets.”

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in Bangladesh over the past six months, even though the government of Bangladesh claims there is no IS presence in the country. Yet, Allen says, “Ministry certainly still does continue there. We have so many opportunities for Scripture distribution, for evangelism in Bangladesh. When I just recently met with our national leadership team there, they said, ‘Yes, there are hindrances to ministry here, but we’re willing to run this race.'”

What it means is that even though Christianity is growing, it faces more and more restrictions and challenges. Churches, especially house churches where Muslim-background believers meet, prefer not to display any Christian symbols in order to avoid being recognized. While there are no anti-conversion laws on the books in Bangladesh, pressure to recant the Christian faith will be exerted by family, friends, and neighbors. “Paul would write in the New Testament, as he’s penning letters to churches: ‘Pray for me because there’s great opportunity and great opposition.'”

As far as freedom of religion goes in Bangladesh, it’s more than just the freedom of worship; it’s the freedom from the state to impose its own expression of faith in its culture. It’s the freedom to believe differently from the dictates of a government stands as a foundational building block to a free society. But it’s bigger than that.

(Photo courtesy FMI)

It really does boil down to: Pray, Give, Go.  “We’re training our partners how to be savvy, how to understand the generation that they live in, their cultures, and to see the opportunities [and take advantage of them] in creative and godly ways.”

The bigger picture beyond the politics of extremism? Building the kingdom of heaven. Sharing hope that counters the despair in a fallen world. What lies beyond is eternity.

FMI supports pastors and interns and has provided scholarships and university-level theological courses for the training of future church planters and teachers. ”We don’t shrink back from those opportunities, simply because of opposition,” Allen concludes. “Jesus tells His disciples as they’re going out to do ministry, ‘You need to be smart. You need to be savvy: shrewd as snakes, but still, your motivations…need to be harmless as doves.'”

Pray that God will protect the vulnerable Christian minority from radical Islamic groups, especially as some groups are now partly allied with Islamic State (IS) militants.

(Photo courtesy VOM-USA)

International (MNN) — Today is the first day of the New Year.

As much as your newsfeeds were full of stories about the “Best of” for 2015, now they’ll be full of “Looking ahead” for 2016. Under “trending” stories, there were disasters, celebrities, and fluff stories in multiple news outlets, but terrorism generally leads the list.

Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs USA, thinks that’s likely going to be the same story for 2016. Based on the activity they’ve been seeing already, it’s an educated guess that “one of the things that I think we’ll definitely see is the expansion of the Islamic State into more countries.”

When you consider that right before Christmas the U.N. Security Council extended sanctions against the Taliban in Afghanistan for 18 months, Nettleton adds, “I think in the next 12 months, there will be more countries where we see more radical Islamic groups pledge allegiance or rise up and say, ‘We’re the Islamic State in our country. We’re pledging allegiance to the ‘home base’ in Iraq and Syria.’”

That means, “Hold on to your hat; you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Already, there are headlines on the foiling of terror attacks in Europe; increased security around Churches in hot-spot areas of creative access nations, and more refugees. Interestingly, this is where the story takes a turn for the better.

(Photo courtesy VOM-USA)

The refugee crisis generated by the onslaught of ISIS has created one of the world’s biggest humanitarian challenges.   Only recently has North America’s Church, as a whole, become aware of the situation and the call to action. “I think there is an incredible opportunity for Christians to respond in this situation as the body of Christ, as the hands of Jesus Christ, to reach out and bless and encourage and help those who are so desperately in need of help,” adds Nettleton.

Yet, there are people who are asking why the crisis is still garnering so much attention. To that, he responds, “We’re still talking about it because it’s still an issue. There are still people who are fleeing Syria, they’re fleeing Iraq. They see no future for their children in those places, so they’re saying, ‘Listen, if our children want to have a future, we’ve got to take them somewhere else.’”

In other words, the major issues that generated mass movement won’t be solved in 12 months.

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

Nettleton goes on to say that as Christians become part of the solution, they’re looking for resources to help them reach out to people who are desperate for hope. “They are open to the Gospel message that says, ‘You don’t have to impress God with how violent you can be on His behalf. God actually sent His Son to earth because He loves us, and He wants to have a relationship with us.’”   VOM provides those resources along with other practical ways to encourage the body of Christ under fire around the world. (To see what else they offer, click here.)

The New Year offers 365 days to put feet to faith like you’ve never done before. It starts with the first step.

According to government election officials, Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is comfortably in the lead. He was one of 27 candidates on the ballot. The former finance minister was in second place.

However, tensions have been rising as the formal results near. Despite a smooth polling process, Keita’s rivals are rejecting early results, calling for an international commission to be established to tally the vote, and launch a second round.

Their call echoes recent calls by the International Crisis Group to delay the election so that it could be better organized. However, Malian officials hoped that the vote would be credible enough to return the country to peace, democracy and stability.

The election was the first in this vast West African country of 15 million since Mali almost fractured last year. Baptist Global Response Executive Director, Jeff Palmer explains a little more of the troubles that have led to the domino effect of the national trauma. “It’s not just the armed conflict, the political turmoil; this is all on top of the Sahel famine that hit the last couple years. They were just starting to recover from that.”

Even if the country remains peaceful post-electively, Palmer says the troubles facing Mali won’t vanish. “If you look at the capital area where we have worked out of, it’s been fairly stable. That’s where we’ve had folks to be able to go. But, if you look at some of the eastern and northern areas where some of the rebel forces have been active, you’re still looking at 350,000 Internally Displaced People in Mali.”

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Meeting the needs of those IDPs far exceeds the strength of Mali’s coffers. The election and stabilization of the country is a prerequisite to the resumption of donor aid. The U.S. State Department has indicated $180 million of aid and military assistance would be released to Mali if the election is a success.

The help could come too little, too late for the nearly 1.4 million people in need of food assistance. The conflict of the last seven months drained off what help could get in. It hit BGR’s partners too, says Palmer. “We have struggled in recent months now, or actually, the last couple of weeks. Some of our key contacts have had to come out of the area. It’s a hard living situation, plus it’s a lot of spiritual warfare and healthcare issues.”

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Local churches have housed and fed many people, and BGR partners are helping by providing basic essentials and food. “The kindness and compassion of Christ goes from person to person. the message of the hope of charts goes from person to person, so, having people there, boots on the ground, followers of Christ, in an area with those overwhelming percentages is a way we insure that there is compassion and there is a message of hope.” Palmer is praying for another partner on the ground, and for a specific, though as yet, unknown person. “Mali is one of those places where you don’t want to mobilize a lot of volunteers from the United States, or from other places to go in just because of the dangerous living situations. Pray for just to have wisdom and knowledge and divine context with those who can help us get to the neediest people in that country.”

In the meantime, will you join him? Also, would you pray wisdom for the refugees to know when to return to their homes. Ask God to use this crisis to reveal His love to many people.

They’ve had no parliament, little infrastructure and a weak president. Jerry Dykstra is a spokesman with Open Doors USA. He explains, “In March of 2012, fanatical Islamism forces set up a provisional government in the north and that set off tremendous repercussions throughout the country.”

In an effort to get billions promised in international aid, the country had to present a semblance of a democracy. Enter: elections. Seven months ago, Mali was in chaos. On Sunday, July 28, the country held its first presidential elections since things began unraveling last year.

Mali’s year in review: a Tuareg rebel takeover in the north in spring of 2012; the military coup in the capital, and France’s military intervention against Islamist advances. The election was crucial to restoring the country’s stability after more than a year of turmoil that sent over 200,000 people fleeing to safety. Dykstra confirms, “Christians were killed. Many people were forced to leave the country. Many had to flee to the south. Many Christians who came to Christ from Islam were especially caught in the crosshairs.”

(Photo courtesy Open Doors)

HOW the elections were held was another answer to prayer. Threats of violence darkened the skies above polling stations. Security was tight. Yet, voting proceeded peacefully. That’s one hopeful step. Another is the high voter turnout. “There are 13 million people in Mali. 90-percent of them are Muslim, and about three-percent are Christian. In prior years, they’ve had low voter turnout: 40-percent. But, they’re saying that this year they’re saying it’s probably near 60-percent.”

In fact, Dykstra goes on to say, “They’re still counting the votes. There were 27 candidates. We probably won’t know the results until Friday. There could be a run off, (or) an election in early August, depending on what happens with the vote count by Friday.”

Whoever comes out ahead could also set the tone for the longevity of stability, he adds. “The frontrunner is Boubacar Keita. He’s the former Prime Minister. He did tell the press that whatever the results, he would accept the outcome, and he said that only Mali would win.”

There’s still a long road ahead, though. Mali now ranks seventh on the Open Doors’ World Watch List, a ranking of the 50 countries where persecution of Christians is the most severe. Up until last year, the country had always been a typical West-African state with a moderate version of Islam and a secular constitution. In the north, the situation has been more difficult than in the south, but international missionaries used to able to work there.

That changed with the capture of the north of the country by Tuareg separatist rebels and Islamists fighters, and the creation of the independent state of Azawad in northern Mali. The Islamists soon established an Islamic state with a stern Sharia regime in the north. Christians couldn’t stay, says Dykstra.

(Photo courtesy Open Doors)

They were also very hard on traditional Muslims, killing people, amputating limbs and destroying Sufi sanctuaries. As a result, over a million Malians fled to the south. “We need to keep on praying. Many of the Christians fled from the north to other countries that took them in.” Open Doors co-workers assessed the emergency and began responding. Dykstra explains, “We’re involved primarily with many of the displaced people. We work with some of these people that were in these other countries: housing especially, food, and getting them reunited with their families.”

Acting in the name of Christ, there are opportunities for these workers to share the hope that they have. Pray that the seeds they’ve sown would start to take root. Pray that God’s love would transform the communities they’re working in. Thank the Lord for His grace in allowing elections to proceed peacefully, and please pray for continued calm as votes are counted.

In the first attack, gunmen sprayed bullets as Christians attended church on Sunday in Biu. Four people died while more than 40 others were injured. The second act of violence was a car bombing outside a church in Jos. While nobody died in that attack; dozens were injured.

Africa Director of Christian Aid Mission Rae Burnett says this is just the tip of the iceberg. "There are a lot of reports that aren't getting to the news. A motorcycle rides by and shoots people in the store. Cars are being hijacked. There are individuals — supporters of the work that is being done among the Islamic tribes in Northern Nigeria [being targeted]."

Why is it happening? Burnett says, "This is really the nature of Islam. And we're seeing it worldwide. We're not only seeing it in Nigeria."

Burnett says that's not politically correct, but she says it's the truth. "There are a lot of people who were born into Islam, and they just want to live a peaceful happy life. But when you read the Quran and you see what it says, and what the Hadith say, and what serious Islamic teachers says, you see it's not a religion of peace."

She says, "You relate to anyone who is a non-Muslim by converting them, or by killing them."

The violence is taking place because radicals want Sharia (Islamic) law. Burnett says, "Mostly, you've got nominal Muslims and they don't want Sharia because it's too restrictive." That's why many Muslims are also being attacked in the conflict.

Burnett says God is using Christian Aid to support and assist national Christians. "The main [group] that I'm helping is making tremendous inroads into Islamic areas throughout the north. It's like the Lord is exploding the work in the last few years."

However, the organization's home base is not in a good area, says Burnett. "This town that they're in is continually under siege by Boko Haram, although it's totally unreported. The missionaries are not retreating. Now they are really alarmed that they're being targeted. They're trying to move from that area."

Burnett says they have a huge funding need. "The first really big need is for this ministry to move its headquarters. [It'll cost] $35,000 for them to move all of their people and their headquarters to Abuja."

Funding is also needed to help supply transportation to believers who are sharing their faith in this difficult region of Nigeria. If you can help with a financial gift, click here.