WEA Religious Liberty Prayer News – May 16, 2012

"Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge." Psalm 31:3-4

* World Evangelical Alliance is a global ministry working with local churches around the world to join in common concern to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus in their communities. God is glorified and the nations of the earth are forever transformed.

The purpose of the WEA Religious Liberty Prayer Release is to keep you informed and mobilized in prayer and intercession for the needs of justice and religious liberty in the Church around the globe, so that we can stand together for the work of the Kingdom and the healing of the Nations. The Prayer Release is comprised on the basis of different credible Christian based resources.

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Yousef Nadarkhani's attorney sentenced to 9 years imprisonment in IRAN[i]

May 3, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, the lawyer representing Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, was sentenced to 9 years in jail for allegedly "acting against national security" in Iran.

In a media report Mohammad Ali Dadkhah stated “I have been convicted of acting against national security, spreading propaganda against the regime and keeping banned books at home." He was also banned from teaching at universities and practicing law for 10 years.

Dadkhah, the attorney who also represented the 12 Christians who stood trial on Easter Sunday, was in courts defending a client when the judged announced his sentencing.

International agencies working to secure the release of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who is sentenced to death on charges of apostasy, have raised fears that the sentencing of Dadkhah will put the Nadarkhani case in further jeopardy.

Prayer points:

Pray that the sentencing of Mohammad Ali Dadkhah will be revoked
Pray that God would strengthen and protect Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani who has been imprisoned for more than 930 days
Pray for his release from prison

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2 Pastors burned to death in KENYA[ii]

9 May, 2 pastors on a preaching mission were burned to death in Jomyu, Mombasa after allegedly being mistaken for robbers. Reports state that Pastor Jackson Kioko of Melchizedek Church and Pastor Benjamin Juma of Nyali Baptist Church pleaded with the villagers who poured petrol and set them ablaze in broad daylight.

A senior police official who commented on the incident stated that rivalry between Muslims and Christians followers which may have sparked the incident.

Witnesses say the pastors died holding on to their bibles declaring their faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer points:

Pray for the families of Pastor Jackson Kioko and Benjamin Juma, that they would experience the peace and comfort of Christ in this difficult time
Pray that those who have committed this crime would repent and come to know Christ
Pray for God’s protection and guidance over all pastors and all evangelists in Kenya

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17 places of worship closed down in INDONESIA[iii]

May 11, It is reported that local authorities have shut down 17 Christian places of worship since the beginning of May in Aceh, the only province in Indonesia where Sharia law is enacted.

The places of worship, called ’undung-undung’, were allegedly closed down because they had no permits. However reports state that an ongoing protest by a Muslim extremist fringe led to the closures.

Agusta Mukhtar, a spokesman for the group Pro-Democracy People in Indonesia, commenting on the incident stated “The religious peace here has been shattered by this anarchistic action that seeks religious domination for an inflexible faith; this is a dark time in the history of religious freedom and tolerance in Aceh.”

Local authorities insist that only 1 church and 4 undung-undungs may be built in the entire district, despite its population of about 120,000 being Christian — the highest proportion of any district or city in Aceh.

Prayer points:
Pray that the closures of places of worship in the Aceh province will come to an end
Pray for God’s protection and guidance over Christians in Aceh which is under Sharia law
Pray that authorities in Aceh will uphold the religious rights of all citizens

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