(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

In Tajikistan, it’s illegal for underage minors to engage in religious activities, even if they’re with their parents. Several security officers attended Sunday services in two towns to film and take photos for evidence.

Kristin Wright, Advocacy Director with Open Doors USA, says they’re keeping an eye on the still-unfolding situation. “Since then, there’s been a criminal investigation against the church and against the members. These members are being questioned on a daily basis. It’s a situation of real concern for Christians, not just of this church, but churches across Tajikistan where these severe regulations really prohibit parents from even bringing their children to church and introducing them to the Gospel.

“Right now, the authorities are planning to close the churches and make the activity completely prohibited. So that’s obviously the worst case scenario, as well as just that constant stress the members are under, being questioned on a regular basis.”

Tajik man (Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Additionally, Tajikistan is 98 percent Muslim. But being a Tajik Muslim is more than their religion; it’s their ethnic identity.

Because of this, Wright explains, “the officers were even questioning why there were Tajik and Uzbek members in the churches, because they’re saying, ethnically, these individuals are Muslim, so what are they doing at a church service? However, of course, you and I believe people should be able to change their religion, but that’s not that easy in a country like Tajikistan. It’s one of the reasons why Tajikistan ranks at number 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List.”

She adds, “Last year, it’s also significant that the [United States] State Department designated Tajikistan as a country of particular concern for the first time ever, and that’s again because of these really strict laws against freedom of religion and belief.”

The persecution Tajik believers face isn’t just at the government level. It creeps into every sphere of their lives due to “very harsh Islamic extremism, mostly relegated to the family sphere [and] the local community where believers can face persecution from that direction as well.”

But persecution hasn’t destroyed the Church in Tajikistan, and God continues to sustain them. There are several ways we, as the global Body of Christ, can come around our Tajik Christian brothers and sisters today.

“We are encouraging people to pray for freedom of faith in Tajikistan and to pray for the persecuted Church. It would be amazing if Christians could be able to worship freely, share the Gospel freely, and of course, bring their children to church. We think that’s a very basic right.”

Wright encourages us also to “advocate for Christians who face persecution around the world. So I would definitely encourage listeners to visit opendoorsusa.org to find some really practical ways to get involved in advocating for the persecuted Church.”

Human Rights Watch announced yesterday that Iraqi authorities have executed at least 65 people so far in 2012. The Associated Press reports that 14 people were executed on a single day.

The government executions have been accompanied by terrorist ones in 2012. A series of terror attacks has rattled Iraq and left dozens dead. It's a fearful atmosphere at best.

The scent of death amid other national turmoil has brought Christians to their knees. Christians recently met for a special prayer service at the Church of the Sacred Heart of the Chaldeans in Kirkuk, Iraq.

SAT-7, a Christian, satellite television network for the Middle East and North Africa, reports that the believers prayed that peace and unity would prevail in the country. They also prayed that Iraq would be a symbol of unified brotherhood and safety.

During the service, Archbishop Louis Sako of the Chaldeans in Kirkuk and Suleimania said, "Everyone must make concessions for the sake of the unity and peace of the country and its overriding interests. Today, we gather for prayer for the sake of the unity of Christians. But we say that Christians are a part of the Iraqi people, and its unity reflects positively on the totality of things."

Sako encouraged neighboring countries to lend a helping hand, at the same time assuring them that Iraq does not need interference in its affairs to overcome its problems.

The Iraqi church has suffered in the last few years, but is growing and overcoming its own problems, thanks in part to groups like SAT-7. In comparison to the rest of the region, Iraq is especially connected to SAT-7 KIDS programming. Recent survey research reveals that Iraq had the largest kids' viewership of SAT-7 KIDS programming during 2011. In a country of about 30 million people, a total of 4,126,047 children under the age of 15 watched SAT-7 KIDS.

One viewer in Iraq shared her connection with SAT-7 ARABIC: "SAT-7, you are a candle that God sent to every person, especially youth. Thank you very much for the great efforts you exert for your channel to be fruitful. Your sweet fragrance is filling the whole world."

SAT-7 is bringing hope to people across the volatile nation of Iraq. As the Christians in Iraq pray for their country, SAT-7 prays with them. To learn more about SAT-7's crucial role in Iraq, click here.