May 2017 Persecution Magazine (1 of 4)

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Remembering the youngest victims of
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President’s Letter
Greater
Love Has. . .
The following is adapted from a chapter of a soon-to–be-released book from ICC’s president, Jeff King, entitled, “Last Words of the
Martyrs.”
The initial reports of persecution I receive are news-oriented, often
only the cold hard facts; who, what, when, and how. Drill down
with me on any attack to the individuals affected, their loved ones,
their community, and their churches and you will see and feel the
massive personal tragedy that each long prison sentence or murder
represents.
Over the years, I’ve been able to speak directly to Christians
affected by persecution and I get very personal updates from our
field staff. These are extremely helpful for me to keep in front of
me the true cost and emotional impact of persecution as it occurs.
In March 2015, in Youhanabad, Pakistan, two suicide bombers
simultaneously attacked two different churches with devastating
effect. Nineteen were killed and another 80 were seriously wounded.
One of my staff was just around the corner when the bombs went off
and rushed to the scene with his camera and recorded the devastating
impact of the attack. Frankly, it was a scene out of a horror movie.
The bomb’s shrapnel did its intended job and shredded anything in its
path, whether concrete or flesh.
One of his pictures haunts me. A mother was holding the body of
her dying son while her spared son sat next to her. Abishey, 10, lay
on the ground, his lower extremities gone. His abdomen was opened
up and he was bleeding out, barely conscious, and fading quickly.
His mother was holding him with her face pointed to heaven, tears
streaming down her face and she was crying out in a grief that you or
I will probably never experience. The healthy son, his face also twisted
by shock and grief, covered in tears, was looking left. The pain and
incomprehension expressed were undeniable and heart-wrenching.
Abishey died because he had left the church to buy candles to
light during the prayer time. He was just outside the church when the
bomb went off.
One of the priests from the church told us that horror was enough
to drive some of his people mad.
In contrast to the horror I saw in that picture was the story of heroics,
courage, and sacrifice, demonstrated by two brothers from the
church, Akash and Sikander. The Christian community and churches
had been rocked by several suicide bombings and these two brothers
from the church volunteered to act as security at the church gate
to prevent any suicide bomber from entering. Another of the church
security volunteers told us what these brothers had done.
“When the bomber tried to enter the church gate, Akash and
Sikandar threw the metal door (of the gate) closed and it hit the
bomber. He fell down, but got back up and tried to enter through the
gate again, but Akash held him, holding down his arms, and pulled
him away from the church.”
Akash held the bomber while Sikander slammed the heavy church
gate closed again when the bomber ignited his bomb. Sikander was
restraining him when the bomb went off.
The death and injury toll, while terrible, would have been incredible
if the bomber had made it into the church.
Radical Islamists celebrated this suicide bomber and all the others
as martyrs for sacrificially killing so many “infidels” that fateful
Sunday. Parents of suicide jihadists even comfort themselves with
promises that their children received a martyr’s reward in eternity.
The shock that the bombers must experience as they enter eternity
often haunts me. I know they are murderers, but they are deceived
and so sincere in their willingness to please Allah that they will
extinguish their own lives and murder hundreds around them because
their religion is telling them to oppose those who resist Islam. They
didn’t just come up with this crazy idea but were taught this lie by
Muhammad, Islam’s holy books, and his living adherents.
So the bomber pays the ultimate price to gain paradise but after
death awakes to reality and finds that everything he was taught about
God was a lie and that he had been obeying Satan.
Furthermore, he realizes that he has killed 19 innocents and that his
fate is sealed; captured by Satan, he will be in torment for eternity.
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President’s Letter
THE REAL MARTYRS
Of course, the real martyrs are not the killers, but the victims, especially
Akash and Sikander. When Akash was killed, his soul was immediately
taken to heaven where he received the crown of life, an eternal
reward that will never perish, spoil, or fade. Akash’s mother spoke with
ICC some time after the bombing and spoke to this point.
“We [have] two feelings,” she said. “We are depressed because we
have lost our son. But we are also proud of his sacrifice. He saved hundreds.
I am happy that God has given him the crown of martyrdom.”
Akash wasn’t a pastor, missionary, or saint. He was like you and me.
He aspired to live like Jesus but probably failed miserably on a day-today
basis. Yet, by laying down his life for others, he became Jesus to
the many in St. John’s Church who lived that day because one deceived
follower of Satan couldn’t get to them. Because of Akash’s sacrifice
and death, they lived.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life
for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NIV). While the suicide bombers died
in the fire and violence of hate, Akash and the other security guard laid
down their lives in one supreme act of selflessness and sacrifice.
A FLAWED STRATEGY
There’s a lot of propaganda coming from our government and echoed
by uninformed sheep that Islam is a religion of peace. Most in the
leadership of our government involved in fighting Islam know this isn’t
true. Muhammad wasn’t peaceful. He personally led 35-70 raids where
many were killed. He was preaching and evangelizing for a decade with
only a few followers to show for it when he said that Allah gave him a
new revelation. This revelation would radically change his religion and
would cause the number of his followers to explode.
What was this new revelation? He said Allah showed him that he
could kill those who opposed him. He could also take their gold, their
homes, their wives and their children and do anything he wished with
them. He could make them his “wives” or sell them as slaves. This was
Allah’s will that had just been revealed to him.
Muhammad even had to urge his followers to attack and kill others
since your average person doesn’t want to be involved in this
kind of “worship.”
“Fighting is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it
may be that you dislike [something] that is good for you. Allah [knows
best]” (Quran 2:216).
THE CONUNDRUM
The conundrum our leaders face is that they fear if they tell the
truth and openly condemn Islam, it will only become more violent
and millions more young Muslim men around the globe will stand
up to defend their religion and flow into the ranks of Islamic terror.
So they have come up with a very flawed and increasingly incongruous
campaign to put a wedge between the moderates and radicals
of Islam through sloganeering (“Islam is a religion of peace”).
The only problem is that they are fighting against the holy books
of Islam, Muhammad, as well as the Saudi and other Gulf states that
have spent 200 billion dollars or more in the last 40 years radicalizing
the world’s Muslims.
When I get weary of the resulting massive flowing sewer of
Islam’s victims, when the countless stories of planned mass
and individual murder and violence weigh me down (and
they do), I take refuge in the fact that those who died for
Christ have stood before our Father and cried out to Him.
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“And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their
testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God.”
- Revelation 20:4 (NLT)
“ 9 I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred
for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.
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They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy
and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to
this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?
11
Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were
told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers
and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had
joined them.”
- Revelation 6:9-11 (NLT)
These are the last words of the martyrs we see in the Word and if this
was the end of the story, I would take some comfort in the fact that they
were heard and were to be rewarded from the ultimate source of justice
but I would still be naturally left wanting.
Our souls are wired to desire justice and we have been left wanting in
our culture. One day, justice will be delivered completely and in full by
our hero. He will save the day and all evil will be defeated and judged.
All tears will be wiped away and death and evil will be swallowed up
(Revelation 21:4).
The most important last words for martyrs like Abishey, Akash, and
Sikander, though, will not be the words they speak but rather the ones
they will hear. . .
“Well done, good and faithful servant … Come and share your
master’s happiness!”
- Matthew 25:23 (NIV).
Jeff King
President
International Christian Concern
www.persecution.org
Jeff King, President
International Christian Concern
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Sudan Orders
Church
Demolitions
Christians fleeing the violence in El-Arish.
Christians Flee Sinai after
Violent Attacks
1 | EGYPT On February 22, the bodies of two Coptic
Christian men were found behind a school in El-Arish,
Egypt. Saad Hakim Hanna was found with a bullet wound
to the head, while his son, Medhat, appears to have been
burned alive. A local priest reported that three masked
men showed up on the doorstep of the father and son’s
home, before killing them and burning the house.
Unfortunately, this is only one incident in a string of
several attacks against Christians in El-Arish. A trader
was killed in his shop in front of his wife and son. A veterinarian
was shot in the head. A Christian plumber was
shot multiple times in front of his wife and five children.
The killings were revealed to be part of a militant hit list.
In response to the violence, more than 150 Coptic families
have fled the city in a state of panic, worried that their
family may be next. These families are now rebuilding
their lives from nothing as they attempt to protect their
loved ones from execution.
Pastor Wins Discrimination Lawsuit
2 | UNITED STATES In early February, the State of
Georgia agreed to pay Dr. Eric Walsh $225,000 to
settle his religious discrimination lawsuit. Dr. Eric Walsh
was hired in May 2014 as a district health director for
Georgia’s Department of Public Health. One week after
his hire, he was asked to submit sermons to his employers,
which he had previously delivered during his time as
a lay-pastor. Only two days later, he was fired.
After Walsh lost his position, First Liberty Institute filed
a lawsuit on his behalf against the Georgia Department of
Public Health in a religious discrimination case, arguing
that he was fired on account of his faith. After three years
of legal battle, the matter was finally put to rest when the
State of Georgia agreed to the settlement. Senior Counsel
for First Liberty Institute, Jeremy Dys, stated, “This is a
clear and resounding victory for religious freedom.”
Thankfully, Walsh’s case came to a positive conclusion,
but others in similar
cases have not been
so fortunate. While
Christians in the United
States certainly do not
face persecution to the
same degree as those
in many other countries
do, we must stand up
for all Christians who
are losing their rights
to practice their faith
freely, or religious freedom
will slowly begin
to chip away.
3 | SUDAN It is no
secret that the government
of Sudan
is seeking to keep
Christians from freely
practicing their
faith. Through a
series of imprisonments,
church demolitions,
and countless
incidents of harassment,
Sudan rightfully
earned its designation
as a Country of
Particular Concern
by the US State
Department.
Most recently,
authorities in Sudan
ordered the demolition
of at least 25
Christian church
buildings near
the capital city of
Khartoum. The
government issued
a letter detailing the
names and locations
of the churches designated
for destruction.
While the letter noted
that the churches
were built on grounds
designated for other
purposes, local
Christian leaders
stated that mosques
built in the same
area didn’t face the
same repercussions.
The churches that
were targeted cover
a broad spectrum of
Christian denominations
and the majority
are located in residential
areas.
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China and Christianity
Despite China’s persecution
of Christians, it is expected to
be the world’s ‘most Christian
nation’ within 15 years.
Christian Woman in China Accused of Cult Activity
4 | CHINA A Christian woman from China, Tu Yan, has been accused of “using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement” for her involvement in
ministry. She was initially arrested last October and continues to be detained, despite mass outcry from the public. Under the guise of a crackdown
on cult activity, the Chinese government continues to persecute and imprison China’s growing Christian population.
Christian in Coma After Mob Attack
5 | INDIA In India, a Christian evangelist named Dr.
Kusuma Anjeneya Swamy slipped into a coma shortly
after being harassed by a group of Hindu radicals. Dr.
Swamy was distributing New Testaments in a park,
when he was surrounded by the group of radicals who
were shouting violent threats. The mob then led Swamy
to the police station where he endured further harassment
from the authorities. Although there was no visible
evidence of physical violence, Swamy suffered a brain
hemorrhage and slipped into a coma shortly after leaving
the police station.
Since the rise to power of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi (pictured) in 2014, Christians in India have experienced
a sharp uptick in persecution due to the impunity
that Hindu radicals enjoy.
President Modi of the right-winged BJP party.
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New Law
Could Protect
Christians
6 | VIETNAM A
recently ratified
law in Vietnam,
which will go into
effect in 2018, could
potentially protect
Christian groups.
The law will give
religious organizations
the opportunity
to obtain legal status,
which Christians
hope will also give
them legal protections.
However, until
the law is fully implemented,
its impact
remains unclear and
there could be both
positive and negative
ramifications. Yet
Christians are hopeful
that this is a step
forward for religious
freedom in Vietnam.
Congress Demands Release of
Christian Pastor Held in Turkey
7 | TURKEY On February 15, 78 members of
Congress, including 37 senators, wrote a letter to the
president of Turkey on behalf of Andrew Brunson,
an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey who leads
a church in the coastal city of Izmir. The bipartisan
letter requested that Pastor Brunson be “immediately
released and deported” on account of a lack of evidence
in his case. The letter was sent four months
after Brunson and his wife, Norine, were arrested
after being accused of terrorist activities. Norine was
released after 12 days of detention, but, at the time
of writing, her husband remains in jail, despite the
absence of evidence supporting his imprisonment.
Andrew Brunson and wife, Norine.
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“God changed
the heart of the
judge and he set
me free.”
Supreme Court of Pakistan. Wikimedia photo.
Prosecutor Offers Imprisoned Christians
Freedom if They Convert to Islam
1 | PAKISTAN In March, ICC learned that a deputy district
prosecutor in Pakistan was blackmailing 42 Christians
who have been imprisoned since 2015. The prosecutor
offered the Christians their freedom on one condition: that
they abandon their Christian faith and convert to Islam.
When this deal initially came to light, the prosecutor
denied ever making such an offer. However, once it was
revealed that the accused had video evidence of him making
the offer, he changed his story. He then stated that he
was simply offering them a choice. Worse still, this is not
the first time that he has offered such a deal. The prosecutor’s
office attempted to blackmail the Christians in the
same way six months prior. However, the Christians clung
tightly to their faith and refused the offer. According to a
human rights activist involved in the case, one prisoner
went so far as to say that he would rather be hanged than
convert to Islam.
Adding to the injustice of the case, many of the 42 men
had been arbitrarily detained following a biased inves-
tigation and shoddy
police work. ICC has
investigated and interviewed
several people
involved in this case
and it is evident that
there are several innocent
people suffering
in prison, solely
because they are not
a part of the Muslim
majority.
With a government
bent on pushing their
own religious agenda,
Christians in Pakistan
are often denied
the justice that they
deserve as authorities
ignore the rule of
law and overstep due
process procedures.
Prisoners should not
have to fear whether
or not they will receive
an impartial investigation
simply because of
their religious identity.
Unfortunately, as
authorities continue
to prioritize their religious
beliefs above
the law, religious
minorities, including
Christians, will continue
to suffer the
consequences.
Syrian Man Gives Testimony of ISIS
Kidnapping and Torture
2 | SYRIA As ISIS continues its campaign of violence
throughout the Middle East and beyond, personal stories
of violence and abuse continue to pour out of the
region. Meghrik (name changed for security) recently
came forward with a testimony of such abuse.
Meghrik was stopped by militants at a checkpoint
while travelling by bus. Meghrik is a Christian name;
however, he never professed to be a Christian or
believe in the religion of his parents. Unfortunately
for Meghrik, his name was enough to condemn him
in the eyes of these ISIS militants and they forced him
off the bus.
An ISIS judge sentenced him to death and he was
later told that he would be spared only if he converted
to Islam. With a struggling faith, Meghrik called out
to God in desperation. After ten days of death threats,
torture, and forced conversion, he was finally released
and permitted to return
home. According to
World Watch Monitor,
Meghrik proclaimed,
“God changed the
heart of the judge and
he set me free.” As
statistics and news
updates continue to
flood our news stations,
let us not forget
to pray for the individual,
such as Meghrik
who reclaimed his
faith in the most horrendous
of circumstances.
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Boko Haram Attacks Near Christian Town of Chibok
3 | NIGERIA In February, Boko Haram carried out yet another attack near the Christian town of Chibok, Nigeria. The attack killed one and seriously
injured another, a young boy whose hands were broken. Boko Haram has targeted Chibok several times in their violent campaign to rid
the region of Christianity. In April 2014, Boko Haram militants carried out a mass kidnapping, abducting more than 270 primarily Christian
schoolgirls, most of whom are still missing.
Boko Haram militants in Nigeria
60+ Churches Destroyed in Myanmar since 2011 Christian Teen Remains Imprisoned in Pakistan
4 | MYANMAR According to reports from Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, at least 66 churches have been burned down in Myanmar
since 2011, in addition to hundreds of villages being destroyed. In
2011, the Burma Army broke a longstanding ceasefire and more
than 100,000 have been displaced by the ongoing conflict. Although
their constitution promotes religious freedom, the government openly
favors Buddhism, leaving religious minorities, including Christians,
vulnerable to conflict in an already tense environment.
5 | PAKISTAN In September 2016, Nabil Masih, a Christian teenager in
Pakistan, was accused of blasphemy for “liking” a photo on Facebook
that allegedly blasphemed against Islam. Masih’s supporters report that
this is impossible because Masih is illiterate and does not use social
media, suggesting that the account was fake. Although Masih maintains
his innocence, reports suggest that police assaulted the teen until
he confessed. At the time of writing, Masih has been denied bail and
continues to suffer in prison.
Iranian Christian Prisoners Go on Hunger Strike
6 | IRAN Two Iranian Christians, Hadi Asgari and Amin Afshar, went on a
hunger strike following six months of imprisonment without charge. The
Christians are victims of the Iranian authorities’ all too common practice of
indefinitely detaining prisoners of conscience without adequate medical care
or legal attention. While the men suffer in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, their
families have been rejected any attempt to learn more about their loved ones’
cases. In previous cases, similar periods of confinement have caused prisoners
lasting physical and emotional damage. Meanwhile, the accusers are granted
more time to gather false evidence to condemn the already detained prisoners.
Unfortunately, one of the prisoners fell seriously ill. Finally, after receiving
promises of better medical aid and attention to their case, the men decided to
end their strike.
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Hadi Asgari (left) and Amin Afshar
8

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