Persecution Unveiled Cause

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Persecution Unveiled has established this cause to educate people about the persecution of Christians and religious minorities in the US & worldwide. Mission Raising awareness to the growing tide of bigotry and hatred toward Christians around the world has become a burden on those trying to wake up those who cherish religious freedom as a God given right. Persecution Unveiled has been called by God to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to speak up and act on behalf of those who have no voice. Email

persecutionunveiled@gmail.com

Friday, November 16, 2018

VICTORY: Fire Chief Sacked by City After Defending Biblical Marriage Wins $1.2 Million in Lawsuit

“The government can’t force its employees to get its permission before they engage in free speech."

By Doug Mainwaring
Life Site News

A former “Fire Chief of the Year” who lost his job after publishing a book about Christianity in which he upheld Biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality — perceived by some to be "anti-gay" — has won a $1.2 million settlement from the city of Atlanta, his former employer.

“Great day for the Chief,” trumpeted a tweet from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). “1.2 mill settlement after yrs of unnecessary legal battle for his right to live out faith and #speech in city of Atlanta.”

While this is a welcome win for Kelvin Cochran and the cause of religious liberty, it is not a decisive vindication.

The city attorney conducted an extensive review of the case “and concluded that the cost of continuing to defend against the lawsuit would far exceed the cost to settle,” according to a Daily Journal report. And while Atlanta’s city council voted 11-3 in favor of the settlement, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has yet to sign off on the settlement.

“The government can’t force its employees to get its permission before they engage in free speech. It also can’t fire them for exercising that First Amendment freedom, causing them to lose both their freedom and their livelihoods,” said Kevin Theriot, the ADF attorney who represented Cochran.

“We are very pleased that the city is compensating Chief Cochran as it should, and we hope this will serve as a deterrent to any government that would trample upon the constitutionally protected freedoms of its public servants,” added Theriot.

The Fire Chief had sued the city and mayor for firing him three years ago after he wrote and self-published a book on his own time that defended male/female marriage while describing homosexual behavior as one of the perversions listed in the Bible.

In the suit, he claimed that he had been discriminated against for his religious beliefs.

“It’s ironic that the city points to tolerance and inclusion as part of its reasoning,” Cochran said at the time. “What could be more intolerant and exclusionary than ending a public servant’s 30 years of distinguished service for his religious beliefs?”

“I was really surprised that writing a book — a Christian men’s bible study — 162 pages encouraging men to be the husbands and fathers and leaders that God has called us to be would put me in an adverse position against the city of Atlanta because of a few pages I wrote explaining biblical marriage and biblical sexuality,” said Cochran in an ADF video about the case.

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Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

'With Our Souls, Our Blood, We Will Defend the Cross': Coptic Christians Cry Out at Funerals

"We would like to tell them (the attackers) that we still love them despite what happened."

Coptic Christians mourn the death of seven believers during
a funeral in Egypt on November 3, 2018.

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

The Coptic Christian community in Egypt is crying out in grief and anger following the funerals of seven believers who were killed by Islamic militants near a monastery in Minya.

The attack on Friday, which left at least another 19 people injured, prompted a swift response from Egyptian police, who say that they killed 19 militants in a shoot-out into the desert area west of Minya province.

AFP reported that the first victim, an Anglican, was buried on Friday, while the other six Coptic Christians were carried out in white coffins on Saturday by hundreds of mourners. The crowds reportedly shouted "with our souls, with our blood, we will defend the cross!"

Bishop Makarios of Minya said following the funerals that "we will not forget the promises of officials, including the president of the republic, that the criminals will be punished."

The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for Friday's massacre, which comes a year after 28 believers were killed travelling to the same monastery in May 2017.

Egypt's interior ministry said that police pursued the militants and discovered a tent where they had been hiding. Officers found guns, riffles, and IS propaganda.

Copts, who make up only around 10 percent of the local population, have called for better protection as radical Islamic danger remains high in Egypt.

"What do these terrorists want? Do they want us to hate Muslims?" asked one mourner, identified only as Michael, who lost a neighbor on Friday, when the militants attacked two buses near the Minya monastery.

During Saturday's funerals, mourners remembered those they lost.

"He was the best child ... I'll never see him again," said an elderly woman, who wasn't named.

Rad Noseer Mitri, priest of Mar Girgis Church, suggested that forgiveness is possible even in such a situation.

"We would like to tell them (the attackers) that we still love them despite what happened. We have a question though — why are you doing this to us? We do not commit malice towards anyone," Mitri said, according to Reuters.

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Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

‘We Should Let Her Come to Our Country’: Senator Rand Paul Pleads With President Trump to Help Asia Bibi

If no-one steps up to the plate and welcomes Bibi into their nation as a refugee, Paul said he is “worried she’ll be killed.”

By Will Maule
Faith Wire

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has appealed for help from President Trump on behalf of stricken Pakistani Christian woman, Asia Bibi. Last month, the 53-year-old mother was acquitted on charges of blasphemy but remains in grave danger as Islamic radicals protest the landmark Supreme Court ruling and demand her execution. Taking to Twitter, Sen. Paul said that he had “spoke with ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ about offering asylum to Asia Bibi.”

“Pakistan must ensure her safety until she is able to depart in the near future,” he added. “This Christian woman has been persecuted enough!”

Bibi is currently being held under armed guard at an undisclosed location in Islamabad after being released from prison in Punjab province. However, as part of a deal negotiated between the Pakistani government and leading Islamic clerics from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, the acquitted woman’s Supreme Court ruling is now being reviewed.

So, Bibi’s situation remains highly unstable. Indeed, as the government seeks to put the mother on its Exit Control List (ECL) and prevent her from leaving the country, a petition has been lodged by the blood-thirsty religious fundamentalists in a bid to identify “errors” in the Supreme Court ruling – an appeal that the government has agreed not to obstruct. Should the review conclude that the Supreme Court was erroneous in its ruling, Bibi could find herself thrown back into prison, and may be swiftly placed on death row once again.

This is something that Sen. Paul picked up on in an interview with CNN. Paul noted that “they will probably convict her again” if the ruling is overturned. “And if she goes through all of that — she has already spent eight years in prison on death row, which has to be a horrific experience — I’m worried that she won’t survive.”

Continue reading here

Friday, November 9, 2018

Thousands of Fulani Muslims Coming to Christ, but Islamist Infiltration Causing Massacres

"Thousands of Fulani are following Jesus Christ.

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

A missions group has backed reports that while the Islamic militant infiltration of the Fulani in Nigeria is causing widespread massacres, thousands are also coming to Christ.

"When I say Fulani, I always want to be careful to say Islamists from within the Fulani tribe, because Fulani is a very large tribe. We don't want to paint all of them with the same brush also because thousands of Fulani are becoming followers of Christ. So we want to be very careful to say these are radical, Muslim Islamists from among that tribal group who conducted these attacks," Todd Nettleton of Voice of Martyrs told Mission Network News, while speaking of a recent attack.

The attack in question in the city of Jos occurred on September 27, when 20 villagers were murdered in their homes, along with seven students from the University of Jos.

VOM, which has staff in the area, said that the Fulani were dressed in the uniforms of army soldiers when they raided the village, which raises a number of big questions, such as who is supplying them.

"Nigerians are frustrated that these attacks keep happening, because they think there should be security," Nettleton added.

Thousands of Nigerian Christians have been slaughtered in the past year alone in attacks by Fulani.

While much of the mainstream news has characterized the killings as clashes between nomadic Fulani herdsmen and Christian farmers, other groups, such as the International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law, have also argued that there has been a jihadist takeover.

Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman of Intersociety, told The Christian Post in August that radicals who are masquerading as herdsmen are carrying out a jihad aimed at rooting out Christianity, while at the same time trying to present to the international community that the conflict is only about land and cattle grazing.

Umeagbalasi noted that not only are Christians being killed in large numbers by Ak-47s and other weaponry, but that their homes and churches are being burned down, with Christian houses of worship also converted for Islamic purposes.

"How many Muslim farmers are being killed by Fulani herdsmen? How many Muslim homes have been destroyed or burned? The answer is in the negative. It has nothing to do with herdsmen-farmer clashes. It is false," Umeagbalasi told CP at the time.

"We don't like to use the [term] 'Fulani herdsmen', we like to use "Fulani jihadists," who are under the guise of herdsmen."

Nettleton told MNN that despite the losses, Nigerian Christians are finding a way to walk with God and even pray for their attackers.

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'Barbaric': 4 Catholic Priests Ambushed, Kidnapped by Armed Gunmen in Nigeria

The Saint Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu, Nigeria.

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

Nigerian officials are condemning the kidnapping of four Roman Catholic priests by armed gunmen earlier this week.

Benue State Gov. Samuel Ortom called the abduction of the priests in Delta State on Tuesday "barbaric, dehumanizing, and shameful."

PUNCH Metro identified the clergymen as the Rev Fr. Victor Adigboluja of the Ijebu Ode diocese; Anthony Otegbola, Abeokuta Diocese; Joseph Ediae, Benin Archdiocese; and Emmanuel Obadjere, Warri Diocese.

They were reportedly all returning from a class marking their 10th priestly ordination when the gunmen, whose identities are yet to be confirmed, ambushed and kidnapped them, spraying their vehicles with bullets.

Andrew Aniamaka, a spokesperson for Delta State, confirmed the incident with AFP.

"They were abducted on their way to Ekpoma, Edo state, from Delta for an event," Aniamaka said, adding that police are hunting for the suspects.

The incident comes less than three weeks after five Catholic nuns were also kidnapped in the state, but were released two weeks later.

Vatican News noted that church officials are asking the faithful to pray for the clergymen's release.

Ortom meanwhile speculated that the kidnappers could be Fulani attackers under the cover of herdsmen. Fulani radicals have massacred thousands of Christians in what some church officials have described as a genocide of believers.

Benue State suffered a tragedy earlier in 2018 when two priests and 17 worshipers were killed by the Fulani in Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area.

The latest kidnapping comes as U.S. State Department officials visit Nigeria this week, in the wake of continued killings of Christians and other civilians by Islamic radicals.

Emeka Umeagbalasi, board chair of the Int'l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law, told The Christian Post that October was one of the deadliest months of the year, resulting in the deaths of 260 Christians and 100 Muslim, at the hands of both Fulani and Boko Haram extremists.

"The killings, perpetrated in the name of 'Islam,' are done with reckless abandon despite heavy presence and deployment of soldiers in all the 36 States of Nigeria and the Abuja," the monitoring group said in an October report on the killings.

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Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Asia Bibi Blocked From Leaving Pakistan After Government Makes Deal With Protesting Hardliners

Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, Wilson Chowdhry, said it was 'incredulous' that no country had stepped forward to offer Bibi asylum.

Protesters chant slogans after the acquittal of Asia Bibi.
The banners read, 'Ready to sacrifice our lives for Mohammad.'

By Staff Writer
Christian Post

A Christian woman whose death penalty for blasphemy was overturned this week still cannot leave Pakistan because of a government deal to appease radical Islamists. Hardliners have been staging widespread protests since Wednesday when the courts acquitted Asia Bibi of blasphemy charges going back a decade.

However, Pakistan's government has reportedly reached a deal with the Tehreek-i-Labaik (TLP) party, which orchestrated the protests, that prevents the mother of five from leaving the country for now.

According to the BBC, a court will decide on whether Bibi should be added to the country's no-fly list. If such a travel ban is implemented, it is not certain how long it would be in effect.

Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told the BBC, 'We had two options: either to use force, and when you use force people can be killed. That is not something a state should do... We tried negotiations and (in) negotiations you take something and you leave something.'

He added that the deal was not a permanent solution to the problem of extremists in Pakistan.

'We need to take steps against extremism, we need to take steps against such kind of violent protesters and we need to come up with a permanent solution,' he said.

'Right now this is not a cure. This is firefighting, what we are doing. The cure is the real thing and our government is committed to the cure.'

Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan, a majority-Muslim country where Christians suffer severe persecution for their faith. Two politicians who had spoken in Bibi's defence - minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti and Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer - were both assassinated in 2011.

Bibi was sentenced to death in 2010 after being accused of insulting Islam by her Muslim coworkers when she offered to share a cup of water. Although she was acquitted this week, human rights groups have warned that she is not safe in Pakistan.

Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, Wilson Chowdhry, said it was 'incredulous' that no country had stepped forward to offer Bibi asylum. He said her continued presence in Pakistan was only putting her life and that of others at risk.

'Asia Bibi is currently in a secure location awaiting release, but the ongoing violence makes it impossible to do so with any measure of safety,' he said.

'Asia Bibi and her entire family are in need of immediate asylum. She and her family have suffered enough, she just needs a country willing to cut through the bureaucracy.

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Two Martyred Christians Told Islamists 'Christ Is Their Savior;' Families Long to See Them in Heaven

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

Two Christians who were murdered for their faith by Islamic radicals in Kenya apparently told the terrorists that "Christ is their savior" and that they cannot betray their faith.

International Christian Concern reported on the statements of witnesses and heartbroken families a month after the two Christians, Fredrick Ngui Ngonde and Joshua Ooko Obila, were shot dead by Somalia-based terror group al-Shabaab for refusing to recite the Islamic creed.

"The armed Somali fighters ordered all of us to [get off of] the bus and produce our identity cards. They singled out three passengers and ordered them to remain down the bus as we boarded. They asked them if they were Muslims and if they knew the Shahada and the seven verses of Suratul Fatiha. One of them recited part of the Shahada and was allowed to [return] to the bus," a witness who wasn't named told the watchdog group.

"The other two kafir men refused to obey the jihad fighters and remained adamant that Christ is their savior and they cannot deny the Christian faith. They were shot dead."

Ngonde's heartbroken wife, Penianh Mwatha, described her husband as a "caring, prayerful, and a friendly person who I hoped to spend the rest of my life with. I am still in shock. Fredrick has left me with a 2-year-old son too soon. It is painful to lose him."

"I don't know what my future will be, but I am persuaded that one day we shall see him in heaven," the tearful widow said.

Victor Oketch, Obila's brother, meanwhile argued that the other Somalis on the bus did nothing to defend the Christians when they were separated by the terrorists.

"His Somali colleagues, the driver, and the conductor, did nothing to defend him," Oketch said.

"This shows you how religious animosity is at the core of persecution in northeastern Kenya."

There have been several similar instances in the past couple of years of al-Shabaab forcing passengers off buses and separating them by religion.

One such attack in 2015 did end positively, after the Muslim passengers refused to give up the Christians, preventing a likely massacre. The act was portrayed in an Oscar-nominated movie called "Watu Wote," and was hailed by Christian leaders.

The Somali-based terror group remains one of the deadliest in Africa, however.

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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

'If You Hate Jews, You Hate Jesus': 6 Christian Leaders' Reactions to Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre

"I strongly condemn all acts of violence against the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, the United States and around the world."

Eleven people were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue
in Pittsburgh, Oct. 27, 2018. (SCREENSHOT: CBS NEWS)

By Stoyan Zaimov

Christian Post

American Christian leaders and megachurch pastors have condemned and expressed their solidarity with the victims and families of the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The massacre left 11 people dead at the Tree of Life synagogue and many lamented that anti-Semitism continues to swirl in the country.

The suspect, 46-year-old Robert Bowers, said that he "wanted to kill Jews" before entering the worship building with an assault-style rifle and multiple pistols. Media profiles reveal that he raged online against Jewish and Muslim people, blaming them for many problems in America and accusing them of "committing genocide to my people."

Some, such as ethicist Russell Moore, declared in no uncertain terms that "if you hate Jews, you hate Jesus," however.

Here are six reactions to the slaughter by notable Christian leaders and pastors working to strengthen Christian-Jewish relations.

(Screen Shot: The Gospel Coalition)
Russell Moore

1. Russell Moore

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, stated on his website that "if you hate Jews, you hate Jesus."

"Sadly, in a time when it seems that every week brings more bloodshed and terror in this country, we should not let the news cycle move on without a sober reflection of what this attack means for us as Christians," Moore said of the massacre.

"Such is especially true as we look out a world surging with resurgent 'blood-and-soil' ethno-nationalism, much of it anti-Semitic in nature," he declared.

"As Christians, we should have a clear message of rejection of every kind of bigotry and hatred, but we should especially note what anti-Semitism means for people who are followers of Jesus Christ.

"We should say clearly to anyone who would claim the name 'Christian' the following truth: If you hate Jews, you hate Jesus.

"The ethicist insisted that Christians must always remember that all of them are "adopted into a Jewish family, into an Israelite story."

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Bible Translator Killed, Houses Burned Down, Huge Disruption to Bible Projects in Cameroon Crisis

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

A Bible translator has been killed, with Christians seeing their houses burned down and major disruptions to Bible projects in Cameroon, which has recently been gripped by wide-spread violence in clashes between French and English-speaking populations.

Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates, told Mission Network News last week that at least one local translator, named Anka Terence, was killed by soldiers in the Ngwo region on May 23rd.

"There has been a number of people that have had their homes burned," Smith said. "They have had to flee into the bush. ... The problem is the violence just seems to continue to be escalating with no end in sight. We're concerned, naturally, for the people of the country, but also for the progress of Bible translation there as well."

He added that a number of the 85 Bible translation projects taking place in Cameroon have had to be put on hold as the violence has worsened over the past few months, with 17 of the projects located in the dangerous western region of the country.

"There is just a huge disruption to the whole family of Bible translation projects that are going on. Even though it's only affecting 20 percent of them, 20 percent is a pretty large number when it's your brothers and sisters in Christ," Smith said.

Amnesty International separately reported that English speakers in the country have been attacked by the Cameroon military and armed Anglophone separatists. The human rights group shared of victims beating beaten, tortured and electrocuted by soldiers.

The crisis has grown out of longstanding grievances the English-speaking provinces in the country, which make up around 20 percent of the population, have with the Francophone central government.

So far, more than 160,000 people have been displaced by the violence, with close to 21,000 having to flee as refugees to Nigeria.

Wycliffe Associated clarified that it is not so much a religious war and that the Church has not specifically been targeted, but Christians are still caught in the crossfire.

"Unfortunately as the Church leaders have tried to mediate this disagreement between different parts of the country, they have also been targeted in lawsuits by the government and basically intimidated in order to back down so that they wouldn't continue to influence the process," Smith said.

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Asia Bibi Acquitted, Christian Mother Speaks Out After 8 Years on Death Row: 'I Can't Believe It'

(Screenshot bottom right: courtesy: British Pakistani Christian Assn)
Islamic protesters march on October 31, 2018 in Pakistan after
Christian mother of five Asia Bibi's (bottom right) acquittal.

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

Asia Bibi, the Christian mother of five who has been on death row for blasphemy since 2010, has been acquitted by Pakistan's Supreme Court.

Although the decision was made back on October 8, it was held hidden from the public until its announcement on Wednesday.

"The appeal is allowed. She has been acquitted. The judgment of high court as well as trial court is reversed. Her conviction is set aside," Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar declared in the 56-page judgment.

"Her conviction is set aside and she is to be relieved forthwith if not required in other charges," he added.

The ruling related to a 2015 appeal against the death sentence for Bibi, who in 2009 was accused by a group of Muslim coworkers of having insulted the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

The court document explained that it is the onus of the prosecution to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt, something which the judges found it had failed to accomplish.

"Keeping in mind the evidence produced by the prosecution against the alleged blasphemy committed by the appellant, the prosecution has categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt," the justices found.

Bibi, who has been the subject of campaigns by Islamic radicals in Pakistan calling for her death, could hardly believe that after nearly a decade in prison, she is to be set free.

"I can't believe what I am hearing, will I go out now? Will they let me out, really?" Bibi told AFP by phone from prison. "I just don't know what to say, I am very happy, I can't believe it."

Her lawyer, Saiful Mulook, spoke of the magnitude of the decision:

"The verdict has shown that the poor, the minorities and the lowest segments of society can get justice in this country despite its shortcomings. This is the biggest and happiest day of my life."

Bibi's husband, Ashiq Masih, pointed out that the family knew all these years that the wife and mother was innocent.

"I am very happy. My children are very happy. We are grateful to God. We are grateful to the judges for giving us justice. We knew that she is innocent," Masih declared.

"My wife spent so many years in jail and we hope that we will soon be together in a peaceful place."

Major persecution watchdog groups, such as Open Doors USA, who have been campaigning for Bibi's freedom for years, hailed the verdict.

"We are breathing a sigh of relief today after learning the Pakistani Supreme Court has dropped charges against Asia Bibi, as these charges stemmed from her Christian identity as well as false accusations against her," Open Doors CEO David Curry said in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

"We are hopeful that Pakistan will now take additional steps to offer religious freedom and basic human rights throughout the country," he added.

The British Pakistani Christian Association said that Christians in the country have been warned of the high risk of revenge attacks, however.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

MUSLIMS COMING TO CHRIST IN HUGE NUMBERS IN IRAN: AMAZING STORIES OF MIRACLES, DREAMS, VISIONS

"Everyone thought that the Church would be entirely closed down, and that Christianity, the little remnants that still existed, would die down."

Most Christians in Iran Belong to House Churches
Photo via ANS

By Michael Ireland, Assist News Service
Breaking Christian News

More Muslims have come to faith in Christ in this generation than in the last fourteen centuries of Islam combined. The Church in Iran is now estimated to be between 1 million and 3 million strong. (Photo: The Iranian Revolution of 1979 saw the Ayatollah depose the Shah of Iran/via ANS)

That's the analysis of Shadi Fatehi from the PARS Theological Center in London, England, speaking at a suburban church in Minneapolis earlier this month.

In 1979, the Islamic Revolution occurred in Iran when the Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah of Iran, and Iran became one of the only theocratic Islamic countries in the whole world. It was the year that Presbyterian missionaries were kicked out of the country after serving faithfully for about 150 years since the 1830s—accused of being CIA agents—and the Church was concerned about what was going to happen in that country.

"Everyone thought that the Church would be entirely closed down, and that Christianity—the little remnants that still existed—would die down," said Fatehi.

"At the time there were only 350 Christians living in Iran from a Muslim background. Today, 40 years later, the statistics are about 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 Christians from a Muslim background living in Iran today.

"So something very special and historical is happening. Something special is happening, and many people ask me why are so many people coming to faith and how are people coming to know the Good News? And there are many ways that people are coming to know the Lord—through technology (which) is a great tool in taking the Gospel to places where it couldn't go before. But something that is happening so often among Muslims is that people are coming to know Jesus through dreams and visions," Fatehi said.

Fatehi told the story of a young mother at home watching her 3-year-old daughter.

The phone rings, the mother is distracted—she's on the phone—and all of a sudden she hears a loud noise as though something heavy has dropped to the ground. Hanging up the phone, she runs into the kitchen and notices that her 3-year-old daughter has dropped a large kettle of boiling water all over her head.

The mother is terrified and in absolute fear and shock cries out saying to Jesus Christ 'Help me!' and she doesn't know why she says that. But that comes to her in that moment of trauma. The mother cried this sentence and then grabbed the child in her arms, taking her to the hospital.

The child is admitted, and in the middle of the night while mother and child are asleep, the mother has a dream. In the dream she sees a male figure in the hospital room. She's dreaming of the hospital room she's in right now. She sees this male figure standing by the daughter's bed. And the figure is dressed in white—He's radiant with light—so the mother can't really make out His face. But the mother asks Him:

"Who brought you here—I didn't ask anyone to come and see my child? Did one of the nurses bring You here who are You?" The man responds by saying "You called My name—I am here because you cried out to Me in the kitchen."

He tells her that He is Christ revealing Himself to her, and that He will be with the child and with the mother in this difficult time. When the mother wakes up, she is enamored with Christ and decides to learn more about Him, eventually giving her life to Christ, becoming a Christian and later becomes part of a house church.

"That is one of many stories, many, many, many stories of people seeing Christ in visions and dreams. This seems to be a way that God is choosing to reveal Himself with people in that part of the world. And Iranians, when they come to faith, they are very eager to share the Good News with others around them."

Breaking Christian News continues here

Friday, October 19, 2018

Myanmar: Christians Forced to Sign Papers Vowing Not to Pray in Church, Curb Their Faith

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

Hundreds of minority Christians in Myanmar are being forced to sign papers vowing to limit their faith and not pray in churches, pastors have warned.

A church leader identified as the Rev. Lazarus, general secretary of the Lahu Baptist Convention in Kyaing Tong, eastern Shan State, told UCA News on Wednesday that close to 100 Wa Christians were released by the United Wa State Army after they agreed to the orders.

Christians who signed the pledges are now mandated to only pray privately in their homes and not in churches.

Lazarus added that 92 ethnic-Lahu Christians remain in captivity, however, while dozens of churches have been shut down. He warned that the believers are faced with no choice but to sign the papers.

"Christians will face more restrictions and be closely monitored by the United Wa State Army, so the situation is worrisome," he said.

The Rev. Thang Cin Lian, general secretary of the Myanmar Baptist Convention, said that meetings are being held discussing the faith of the 92 captive believers.

"We are praying for the Christians in the Wa Hills," Lian said.

The UWSA, which grew out of the Communist Party of Burma, expelled five Catholic nuns and six lay teachers in September, and has been destroying what it claims are unauthorized churches in the region.

"We want stability and rule of law in our area, so extremists may be arrested. Such measures are necessary, as we are preparing to celebrate the 30th Peace Festival on April 17 next year and no extremism is allowed," said U Nyi Rang, the militia's spokesperson.

The April 2019 date in question refers to the 30th anniversary of the USWA cease-fire with the Myanmar government.

The military group has accused Christians of causing instability in the area, Myanmar Times reported. It has been targeting churches built after 1992, arguing that they were built without permission.

Aaron Maung Maung Tun, director of the publication's department of the Lahu Baptist Convention, said that the army is looking to use Christian schools that have been closed for its own purposes.

"I heard that the Lahu Bible school will be used as a Wa police station. We have sent a letter to the Wa but have received no reply," Tun said.

The UWSA has been arresting Christians by claiming that religious leaders are violating laws that prevent foreigners from serving in churches. It has also accused believers of forceful conversions.

The Lahu Baptist Convention, based in the Eastern Shan state, has separately shared fears that the UWSA is forcing Christian students to serve in its army.

"The UWSA has also forcibly recruited 41 male and female students who were participating Bible study classes in various churches," Lazarus told Radio Free Asia earlier this month.

Website: Christian Post

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest, and Google and like us on Facebook.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

China: Christian Schoolchildren Forced to Tick 'No Religion' Box

A villager climbs up the steps toward a cross near a Catholic church on
the outskirts of Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi province, Dec. 24, 2016.
Picture taken on December 24, 2016 (Photo: Reuters/Jason Lee)

By World Watch Monitor
Christian Post

More than 300 Christian children in two high schools in Zhejiang province, which has been referred to as the "Jerusalem of the East" for its strong Christian presence, have been asked to fill out a form stating that they did not follow a religion, World Watch Monitor has been told by a trusted local source.

While "it is normal for a school to ask parents to fill out a form which includes questions of faith when a child is first enrolled in school, for many years this hasn't been an issue," our source, who wished to remain anonymous, explained.

Schools in China are government-controlled and financed and therefore Communist in ideology, and Christian children have sometimes faced "shaming" incidents, "but the extent of such shaming was to prevent them from joining the Communist Youth League, thereby denying them any of the perks that come with a progression to Communist Party Member later in life," World Watch Monitor was told.

"In this case, however, the children were handed a questionnaire in class about faith, which is not normal. It seems this is part of the new push to identify Christians and give them pressure of one sort or another.

"Children in this part of China would write 'Christian' because of 1) their innocence and 2) they come from families of fervent believers who do not compromise their faith."

In the first school, which has around 200 Christian students, the teacher demanded they rewrite the questionnaire, stating that they had "no religion." But when filling out the next questionnaire, half of the children maintained that they were Christians. According to our source, following further warnings, in the end all but one child complied.

In the other school, which has around 100 children, it was the class prefect who forced the Christians to resubmit their papers, stating that they had "no religion."

'Limit Any Growth of Christianity'

Our source said children in China are pressured in a variety of ways: "In these cases it would be using words only. It seems teachers recently were tasked with pressuring children by separating them from the other students to 'counsel' or talk to them sternly about the 'consequences' of talking about being a Christian believer at school, urging them to write "no religion" on their questionnaire. This is for the child's sake and to limit any growth of Christianity among young people through evangelism or simply becoming known as the ones who could answer questions other pupils may have about Christianity."

Children who do not comply are reportedly denied access to opportunities at school, such as being elected as class representatives for special events. They could also potentially face the danger of not receiving a leaving certificate from their school and therefore not be able to attend university. Such incidents are also recorded in the child's personal file, which is held by local government departments and the information can hamper their future employment opportunities, our source said:

"Of course these are all hypothetical scenarios and would be determined largely by the level of involvement of the individual school, its teachers and principals, but generally the sense is one of bias against Christians."

The pressure is also felt by parents, who worry about their children's prospects and fear they will abandon their faith.

Background

In February, China introduced revised regulations on religion, which included banning under-18s from attending church or receiving any religious education.

In August, hundreds of church leaders signed a public letter, calling on the government to stop its "violent actions" against Christians. They cited the demolition of crosses on church buildings, which particularly affected Zhejiang, as well as removing expressions of faith like crosses hanging on Christians' homes, and forcing churches to join religious organizations controlled by the government. In the letter, they said these practices were not just "unjust" and an "abuse of government power" but also "infringe on the human freedoms of religion and conscience and violate the universal rule of law."

Last week U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said China was "taking a hammer and sickle to the Cross,"

"Burning Bibles, destroying churches, and jailing Muslims by the million is only part of the Chinese Communist Party's audaciously repressive assault on conscience and religion," he said, adding that the U.S. would respond by ensuring "a tougher China policy, one with widespread, bipartisan and even global support."

This article was originally published at World Watch Monitor here.

Website: Christian Post

North Korean Guards Forced Prisoner to Kill Baby, Put Christians in Tiny Cages, Survivors Reveal

"If there is a slightest indication or confession that you believe Jesus and went to church, then you will surely be sent to political prison camp or executed."

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

Christian survivors of North Korean prison camps have described the agonizing torture they endured, such as being forced into tiny cages where they were unable to lie down or stand up, and witnessing guards force a prisoner to murder a baby.

A Christian woman, going by the name Hea Woo (not her real name), told Open Doors USA that her daughter starved to death in 1997 in the midst of North Korea's great famine. Her husband later fled to China, where he became a Christian, but was captured and sent to a North Korean prison camp, where died.

Much like her husband, Woo also escaped to China but was captured and sent back to North Korea where she was immediately placed in a prison camp. She recalled many disturbing accounts of what she was subjected to there.

"There were different parts within the prison," the woman said. "Some [sectors] did agriculture, some did construction work, some did mining. Men and women were separated; all the inmates seemed like they were about to faint. They were all hopeless and in despair. And plus, they were starving. Each person received one handful of rotten corn [and] there was nothing else to eat. We got something watery — it wasn't even a soup. We got those as food for the whole year. Nothing else."

The prisoners were not only obligated to work, but had to labor under extreme conditions, leading to a number of deaths.

"And there was a distinct group composed of only people who tried to escape from the prison. Those people had to carry containers full of feces. The containers were made of thick wood, and it was so heavy that even two people had a hard time carrying one container. Every single day, no matter how the weather was, despite heavy rain and snowfall, they were not allowed to take breaks. It was really life-threatening with the smell of the feces and the poisonous air," she described.

She explained that many died in prison, and all were on the verge of death due to starvation and mistreatment by the prison guards.

Woo said that the prisoners were so hungry from barely being given anything to eat that they took to extreme measures.

"When cows passed by on the street and defecated, people would search for corn kernels [in the excrement] and pick them up to eat," she recalled.

Hannah, another Christian prisoner, said in the same article that followers of Christ were put in tiny cages and isolated from the others, unable to get up or even lie down.

"We were separated by gender. My daughter and I were put in the female wing and my husband and son — who was just a teenager — in a cell with males. Shortly after we entered the camp, we saw guards force a prisoner to murder a baby," Hannah recalled.

"Almost every day, we were all called for interrogation and questions. They'd beat us so harshly. When there was no interrogation, we had to kneel in our cells from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. and not speak."

Woo added that the hardest thing for her was not the physical brutality, but being denied the freedom to pray to God.

"We could not pray freely but I still prayed in [my] heart. When people were asleep, I woke up to pray. It was so pitiful that we did not have freedom of faith; I really yearned for freedom," she said.

In the instances where she was able to pray, Woo prayed not just for herself, but for the entire underground church.

"I prayed that the idolatry persisting over generations would disappear and that people could repent. I prayed that the prison would break apart as well. I also prayed for the Christians all over the world to pray for us with sincerity," she said.

Christian Post: story continues here

'Does the World Know? Do They Care?' 15-Y-O Christian Girl Leah Sharibu Days Away From Execution

"As American Christians, we can no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening worldwide to our brothers and sisters."

By Stoyan Zaimov
Christian Post

The parents of Christian schoolgirl Leah Sharibu are making a last-minute appeal to save their daughter from execution at the hands of terrorists.

Sharibu, along with a young nurse midwife by the name of Saifura Khorsa, is nearing the end of the 30-day warning issued by Nigerian terror group Boko Haram.

"Now we watch in horror as she, and the other women and girls with her, are led before the jihadist firing squads — or worse," said Founding Coalition member and Save the Persecuted Christians Director Dede Laugesen in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

"Does the world even know? Do they care? Where is the outcry for Saifura? For Leah? For all the other women and girls with them? As American Christians, we can no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening worldwide to our brothers and sisters," Laugesen declared.

The Sept. 16 video in question showed the execution of 25-year-old Saifura Husseini Ahmed, another midwife with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

A radical with Boko Haram said in the self-titled "message of blood" that unless the Nigerian government stops ignoring the group's written and audio messages, "the other nurse and midwife will be executed in similar manner in one month, including Leah Sharibu."

Christian groups around the world have been advocating for Sharibu's release ever since she was taken in a mass raid by the terror group in February. The 15 year old has refused to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ in order to be granted her freedom, and is in danger of being put to death for her decision.

International Christian Concern, another persecution watchdog group, also pointed out that the deadline for Sharibu's release is fast approaching.

ICC noted that Boko Haram hasn't made its specific demands public.

"Despite this threat and new information, the government still has not contacted Leah's family at any point and have not acted on it," ICC noted.

"Leah remains in captivity and we hope to see her released prior to the deadline."

The girl's parents have said that the Nigerian government has yet to let them know what it's doing to try and save their daughter, though Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has said efforts are going on behind the scenes.

Christian Post Story continues here

Bloggers Note: Please pray for Leah Sharibu's release. Pray that her captors would be surrounded by angels with flaming swords and their hearts would tremble before the Lord.

"Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes" Ephesians 6:20-21 TLB

Persecution Unveiled Cause