respond.
1. Pastor Killed in Home Attack (Pakistan)
VOM has resently learned that the pastor of a small church was killed
on
April 2 by a shotgun fired at point blank range at his home in
Manawala,
near Lahore, Pakistan. George Masih, wife Aniata and four children
were
watching the JESUS film in their home around noon. When the movie
finished and Aniata opened the door to go outside, two masked
attackers
burst in. One grabbed Aniata while the other shot George in the face
and then hit him with the butt of the gun.
Masih had been a Christian for seven years and was active in
ministering
for the Lord. Two years ago, they moved to Manawala to plant a church
there. Their work, however, drew the anger of a Muslim neighbour,
Shokat Ali. Ali urged the landlord to evict the Masih family and had
threatened to kill Masih if he continued preaching.
About three hundred people gathered for the funeral, including many
Muslims who had been blessed by Masih's ministry. Aniata told VOM
sources, "I need the prayers of my brothers and sisters that I may be
strengthened by the Lord our God to bear this loss." Aniata has four
children, ages eight, four, two and one.
Pray for Aniata and the children as they deal with this terrible
loss.
Pray that the ministry begun in Manawala will continue and that many
will come to faith in Jesus Christ, despite this tragedy.
- 2.
Pastor Among Three Shot (Indonesia)
When Freddy Wuisan answered a knock on the door on March 30, gunmen
burst into his home and shot him in front of his wife. Wuisan was a
pastor in Membuke, about fifty kilometres west of Poso, Indonesia.
Six
hours earlier, Rosia Pilongo, the dean of the school of law at
Sintuwu
Maroso University in Poso, was shot and wounded as she walked towards
her car. At last report, she was still unconscious with serious
gunshot
wounds to her head and hand. Eyewitnesses report seeing two men on a
motorcycle in connection with each attack, but there is no evidence
yet
to link the two incidents.
Three days earlier, a Christian man, Jhon Christian Tanalida, was
also
shot and killed in Poso's Kawua area. No further information is
available at this time.
With elections planned for April, there is fear that violence against
Christians in this volatile region of Indonesia may escalate. As many
as one thousand people were killed in sectarian violence in Poso in
2000
before a peace agreement was reached.
Pray that incidents such as these will not be a catalyst for more
violence and that Christians in the area will not retaliate. Pray for
healing and strength for the Wuisan's wife and other family members
of
those shot, as they grieve their loss. Pray for fair and peaceful
elections in Indonesia.
- 3.
At Least Nine Church Buildings Destroyed by Mob (Nigeria)
On April 3, a teenager, allegedly with a mental disability, entered
an
Islamic school in the village of Makarfi in Kaduna State, Nigeria and
tore a copy of the Quran. Enraged, students and others around
attacked
the teenager, calling for his death. His mother managed to take him
to
the police station where officers refused to release him to the
protesters. The Muslim youths then attacked the police station before
burning down at least nine churches. No one was killed in these
attacks.
The state's Police Commissioner, Muhammed Yesufu, told Vanguard news
that five people had been arrested with more to come. He said that
the
young man at the center of the controversy was in a coma. He claimed
that "what happened had nothing to do with religious problems."
However, Sam Kujiyat from the Christian Association of Nigeria claims
that foreign-funded Islamic extremists were behind this and other
recent
attacks.
In recent weeks, violence against Christians has erupted in the
central
state of Plateau, resulting in 1,500 Christians being killed and 173
church buildings destroyed. The Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN)
has released the names of eight pastors killed. In the statement
released by Compass on April 5, the CAN warned that it is becoming
increasingly difficult to restrain Christians from retaliating.
Pray for peace in Nigeria. Pray that the Spirit of God would give
peace
and patience to Christians to prevent an escalation of violence in
the
country. Pray that the Nigerian government will work to prevent
Islamic
militants from neighbouring countries from stirring up problems in
Nigeria. Pray for the recovery of the young man at the center of the
recent incident in Makarfi.
- 4.
Revival Movement Investigated by Police (Eritrea)
On March 20, Eritrean police launched an investigation into the
activities of a group of young adults involved in a renewal movement
within the Eritrean Orthodox Church. According to Compass sources,
the
office in downtown Asmara where the group met on Sunday afternoons
was
sealed by police and the lay leader was arrested but then released
the
next day.
The renewal movement, known as Medhane Alem, functions as a Sunday
School for young adults. The Orthodox priest leading the movement is
under investigation but not yet arrested. When the group gathered at
a
new location on March 21, two security officers video taped the
meeting,
claiming it was ordered by the president's office.
Evangelical Christians in Eritrea have faced terrible persecution
since
the government outlawed all but four religions with "historical
existence" in the country in May 2002. The April edition of The Voice
of the Martyrs Newsletter features Eritrea.
5. Christian from India Arrested (Saudi Arabia)
Muttawa (religious police) on the streets of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"played football" with him, kicking him in the chest. He was also
whipped on his back and the soles of his feet. He has since been taken
to the Olaya police station in Riyadh.
alcohol. These charges come from the Muttawa and police acknowledge
that there is no direct proof of these claims. False drug charges are
Saudi Arabia. The police also stated that the interrogation is being
done by the Muttawa.
Pray for O'Connor's health and endurance. Pray that the charges will be
dropped against him.
Saudi embassies.
