her real name), who featured in Release

ISSUE 65 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
www.releaseinternational.org
UNDER
PRESSURE
But the church
in Iran still grows
PAGE 8
BAGHDAD:
A DAY IN
THE LIFE
Release Potential
meets Iraqi
teenager Miriam
PAGE 13
St Valentine
VALENTINE’S
DAY
Celebrate with
a difference
PAGE 15
Where Christians are most likely to
face persecution in 2012
Global View
TRENDS IN PERSECUTION
Global View 2012
Where are Christians most likely to face persecution in 2012? We identify
some of the nations where believers specifically need our prayers and
support as they continue to pay a high price for following Jesus.
CHINA
Christians in Pakistan protest over the assassination of the respected Christian Minister for Minorities,
Shahbaz Bhatti, in March 2011. Read more under Pakistan on page 6. Photo: Reuters/Mohsin Raza.
AFGHANISTAN
The Christian minority, which makes up
less than one per cent of the 28 million
population, faces significant challenges in
this Islamic state.
Persecution of non-Muslims was
ruthlessly enforced under the Sharia
(Islamic law) of the Taliban. Today,
Afghanistan has a new transitional
Government and a new constitution, yet the
situation for Christians is much the same.
The constitution clearly declares that
the state religion is Islam. Conversion from
Islam is still widely considered as apostasy.
The Government recognises only one
church: the Community
Christian Church of
Kabul. Other gatherings
of Christian believers
exist but most meet in
homes. Non-government
organisations suspected
of spreading the Gospel
have been threatened or
attacked, while people who
turn to Christianity face
discrimination, even violence.
BURMA (MYANMAR)
The largest people group, the Burman,
are Buddhist and dominate the army and
Government. Buddhism is promoted - and
sometimes enforced - as a way of creating a
blanket national identity.
‘Buddhists and the Government stand
united against Christians,’ says one of our
partners.
The junta monitors all religious groups,
anxious to stamp out political dissent.
Buddhist clergy are forced to support the
military regime: troops have been known
to invade monasteries to weed out prodemocracy supporters.
Missions expelled
It is illegal to print or import Bibles in
indigenous languages and permission to
build new churches is rarely granted. Most
Christian missions were expelled from
Burma in 1966.
One partner told us that persecution
is likely to remain constant throughout
2012: ‘We need God’s wisdom to respond
accordingly – also boldness. Thanks a
million for your support.’
Cover photo: An Egyptian soldier stands guard near Cairo’s Tahrir Square during protests in February 2011. Photo: Rami Halim.
2 RELEASE
The Chinese unregistered (illegal) church has
been perhaps the fastest-growing in the world
in recent decades: now numbering between
50-100 million members.
Although the constitution provides for
religious freedom, China’s Government has
consistently tried to control religious practice.
All religious groups are required to register.
Those who refuse are regarded as ‘illegal’ and
sometimes forced underground.
State-sanctioned churches are also closely
monitored. ‘Illegal’ groups are frequently
branded ‘evil cults’, which makes it easier to
prosecute them; their leaders particularly risk
torture or imprisonment.
Under the Chinese system of ‘re-education
through labour’, between three and five
million people are currently detained in
prison camps, often without trial. Some are
held for their religious views.
In 2011 the Government cracked down on
human rights lawyers, including a number
of Christians. ‘Religious freedom conditions
are at their lowest
point since 1982,’ said
Release partner Bob
Fu, President of
China Aid.
In 2012 he expects
China to continue
to tighten its grip on
human rights, ahead
of choosing a new
Bob Fu
leadership in 2012.
‘As China’s influence and power grow, this
pattern is unlikely to change, and certainly
not before the 2012 transfer of power to a new
generation of senior leadership,’ he added.
Despite all this, the church in China
continues to grow.
Read more from China Aid’s Bob Fu on
page 10.
‘Illegal’ groups are
frequently branded ‘evil
cults’, which makes
it easier to prosecute them.
ERITREA
Around 1,500 Christians and church leaders
from Evangelical and Pentecostal churches
remain detained without trial in the tiny
African nation of Eritrea (population 5
million).
In 2002 the totalitarian regime of
President Isaias Afewerki announced that
it would recognise only four religious
communities: the Orthodox Church of
Eritrea, Sunni Islam, the Roman Catholic
Church and the Lutheran-affiliated
Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
All other churches were closed.
Since 2002, it has banned any religious
organisation from taking part in politics.
Many Christians and church leaders
have been imprisoned indefinitely
and without trial. Conditions are often
inhumane and many inmates suffer illtreatment, sometimes torture. For some,
the only hope of being released is to sign
documents declaring they will no longer
practise their faith.
‘Unless there is significant political
change, the relentless persecution of
Christians in Eritrea is set to continue in
2012,’ says Release’s Prisoners of Faith
Manager.
2012: INCREASING ‘APOSTAPHOBIA’
As the restrictions on Christian
churches increase, and with growing
fears of apostasy, especially in Islamic
nations, the number of Christians
imprisoned for their faith is likely
to increase in 2012, reports Release’s
Prisoners of Faith manager.
When one reflects on the incidents
of intimidation, detention and
imprisonment of Christians in 2011
in countries such as China, India, Iran
and Pakistan, there are significant
statements that have been made by the
authorities and religious leaders in these
countries that give an insight into their
thinking about the Christian faith. These
statements also indicate what we might
expect in 2012.
Key religious leaders in Iran, including
the hardline Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi,
have spoken publicly about what they
see as the growing threat of evangelical
Christians and the failure of the
authorities to deal with the spread of
Christianity. Other high-ranking Iranian
leaders have initiated confrontational
campaigns designed to discredit
Christianity.
In India, Pravin Togadia, international
general secretary of the Hindu
organisation VHP (Vishva Hindu
Parishad), called in November 2011 for
a new constitution that would allow
‘anyone who converts Hindus to be
beheaded’.
The intense hostility and increasing
level of persecution that the church is
likely to face in 2012 reflects what can be
described as an increase in ‘apostaphobia’.
The World Evangelical Alliance
Religious Liberty Commission defines
apostaphobia as ‘a fear of loss of authority
through loss of adherents, which manifests
primarily as uncompromising repression and
denial of fundamental liberties, by violent and
subversive means’.
In many states which uphold Islamic
law (Sharia), for example, the penalty for
converting from Islam to another religion
(apostasy) is death − although this is
rarely carried out.
In Morocco and Algeria, Christians
have been accused in recent months of
engaging in activities to ‘shake the faith of
Muslims’.
This fear of apostasy has influenced
legislation (for example, anti-conversion
laws in India, and other countries) and
on occasions has influenced the courts to
regard Christian witness (proselytism) as a
threat to national security. In some cases
the practising Muslim who converts to
Christianity is not just guilty of apostasy
but also of treason against the state.
‘Any act of kindness is interpreted
as an inducement to become
a Christian.’
Of course it is not just in Muslim
countries that Christians who
actively witness may stand accused of
undermining the authority of the state,
national unity and threatening national
security. In China, Vietnam and parts of
Central Asia these charges have been used
as a kind of ‘catch all’ method to punish
and sentence individual Christians for
exercising their constitutional right to
freedom of religion and choice.
In India we have seen a plethora of
cases where pastors stand accused of
converting Hindus by force. In several
other countries there is a growing
campaign to silence the witness of the
church, where any act of kindness is
interpreted as an inducement to become
a Christian. Christian agencies, church
leaders and individual Christians have
been accused of exploitation when they
offer to pray for or share their faith with
those they are seeking to help.
In many parts of the world it is
perfectly acceptable for Christians to be
involved in treating the sick, caring for
orphans, feeding the hungry or rescuing
those caught up in people trafficking, but
they must not threaten anyone’s authority
by presenting any religious belief.
All of the above, together with the
introduction of restrictive new laws
on religion and the requirement for
churches to register (in nations such as
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan), will add significantly to the
pressure, persecution and ultimately the
imprisonment of Christians and church
leaders in Central Asia, North Africa
and the Middle East.
Across the world the number of
Christians imprisoned for their faith looks
set to increase in 2012. For churches and individual
Christians in the UK and Ireland there
is a compelling and urgent need
for continuing prayer, support, and
advocacy on behalf of believers who
are persecuted simply because they are
followers of Jesus Christ.
Read more from Release Prisoners on
page 12.
RELEASE 3
TRENDS IN PERSECUTION
INDIA
Under the slogan ‘one nation, one religion,
one culture’, militant Hindus are fiercely
opposed to what are seen as ‘foreign
religions’ such as Christianity.
Hindu nationalists have been open and
violent in opposing the church. Pastors
have been murdered, others beaten.
Churches and their congregations have
been attacked or threatened.
‘The persecution of Christians is no
longer sporadic or spontaneous, but most
of the attacks on Christians are strategically
planned, and also cleverly executed to avoid
punishment under the law,’ reports Release
partner the All India Christian Council
(AICC). ‘The persecution of Christians is on
the rise.’
Groups such as the Hindu nationalist
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have used
political means to try to stem the spread of
religions such as Christianity.
Seven Indian states have now passed
anti-conversion laws - though they are yet
to be implemented in Arunachal Pradesh
and Rajasthan. This legislation imposes
fines or imprisonment on anyone using
force, inducement or ‘any fraudulent
means’ to convert another - loosely defined
terms wide open to abuse.
In 2008, Hindu extremists launched
a campaign of anti-Christian violence
in Orissa state, which left more than 100
Christians dead and more than 50,000
displaced.
Persecution of religious minorities,
including Christians, is likely to increase in
2012.
‘Right-wing groups are trying their best
to curb the activities of various church and
Christian organisations, using any legal
references to their advantage,’ reports AICC.
‘They will also continue to pressure the
Government from passing laws that would
enhance the safety of minorities in the
country.’
IRAN
Freedom for all faiths other than Shia Islam
is limited, despite constitutional guarantees
of religious liberty. Evangelising Muslims is
banned and the official penalty for apostasy
(conversion from Islam) is death, although
the sentence is rarely carried out.
Christians make up just half of one per
cent of the population of 74 million; while
Iran has the largest Shia Islam population
in the world (96 per cent).
Release contacts suggest that ordinary
Christians who keep a low profile are able
to practise their faith quietly, without
4 RELEASE
too much interference. However, more
prominent believers such as pastors may
find themselves under scrutiny and being
monitored by the Ministry of Islamic
Guidance.
Churches have been closed or restricted
to conducting services in Armenian or
Assyrian - as many of Iran’s Christians
are ethnic Armenians or Assyrians. Most
Christians have gone underground, and are
often discriminated against in education,
employment and property ownership.
Those from a Muslim background pay
a particularly high price: facing rejection
and physical abuse from their families,
detention and torture.
Iranian leaders have been concerned by
the growth of evangelical churches, which
must meet in secret, and have initiated
confrontational campaigns designed to
discredit Christianity.
Read more about persecuted Christians
in Iran on page 8.
IRAQ
Sporadic violence against Christians
continues in Iraq and the political situation
remains unstable, as different political and
religious factions vie for power.
Some Iraqis continue to push for
an Islamic regime similar to that in
neighbouring Iran, while others promote a
secular democracy. Violence between Shia
and Sunni Muslims continues, although
it has greatly subsided from the levels of
2006-2007.
Under Saddam Hussein, some
evangelical Christians were persecuted
by the secret police. Today, Christians are
increasingly fearful of violence directly
targeted at them by Islamist militant
groups.
The vast majority of Christians displaced
by violence within Iraq in recent years have
gone to the north, the historic homeland of
Iraq’s Christian community.
In October 2010, more than 50 people
were killed during an extremist attack
on the Our Lady of Salvation cathedral in
Baghdad.
While the Government has publicly
condemned violence against minority
groups such as Christians, it continues to
fall short in bringing culprits to justice and
offering proper protection for religious
minorities.
‘Since the war a number of new churches
have been planted,’ said Release CEO Andy
Dipper after a recent visit. ‘Churches and
Christians in Mosul and Kirkuk have faced
many attacks, and believers have been
kidnapped by militants for ransom.’
NIGERIA
Freedom of religion is enshrined in Nigeria’s
constitution which declares it to be a
secular state. Yet hardline Islamists seem
bent on turning Nigeria into a Muslim
nation.
Twelve states in the north have adopted
Sharia (Islamic law) since 1999. But in many
instances it is applied to all citizens, not just
Muslims. The result has been communal
clashes for which religion is often the
trigger. Thousands of people
have died.
Tensions between Christians and
Muslims are high in these northern Sharia
states. Christians are often marginalised
and discriminated against in work and
education. Churches have been burned
and Christians sometimes killed in riots.
There have been Muslim casualties too,
but the death toll among Christians is
disproportionately high.
In November 2011, for instance, more
than150 people were killed and nine
churches destroyed in Damaturu in the
north by Boko Haram militants who want to
implement Islamic law throughout Nigeria.
Plateau state in central Nigeria remains
a particular flashpoint. Ongoing violence,
fuelled by an influx of jihadists from
countries such as Chad, has claimed
thousands of lives in Plateau since 2001.
‘In 2011 over 500 Christians were killed
in central and northern Nigeria, over 4,000
Christian houses were burnt or destroyed
and over 4,000 Christian businesses
attacked or looted,’ reports Release partner
Stefanos Foundation.
In 2012 Stefanos expects to see
‘continuous marginalisation and the
suppression of rights in the north, and
periodic selective attacks on ethnic
Christian communities in central Nigeria.’
Release Potential, our
ministry to teens and
twenties, looks forward
to signs of hope in 2012.
History Makers young leaders conference
in 2011, plans are afoot for further
training and equipping conferences in
2012. The young people who attended the
first History Makers event have returned
to their localities inspired to transform
their communities through the power of
the Gospel.
‘Hope is one of the essentials
of Christianity’
An anti-government protester prays near Cairo’s Tahrir Square in February 2011.
Photo: Reuters/ Yannis Behrakis.
2011 was a tumultuous year. Global
economic crisis followed global economic
crisis, with many people struggling to find
work or make ends meet. Natural disasters
claimed thousands of lives around the
world and inflicted economic pain on
nations often already beset with financial
and social woes.
Revolutionary uprisings swept across
Northern Africa and the Middle East and
led to violence and war.
Yet throughout all these ruinous
events, everywhere one looks, one can see
hope. Whether it’s a baby being pulled
from the rubble of an earthquake. Or
young people finding their voice and
crying out for freedom and equality.
Hope has been consistently visible.
For young Christians who are enduring
persecution this has also been true. One of
the most poignant images from 2011 was
of young Christians encircling Muslims
in Tahrir Square, Cairo, so that they could
be shielded while they prayed. It is such
a powerful reminder that ours is a gospel
of peace, of unity, of human dignity and
ultimately of hope as yet unseen.
It is this vision of hope that is
inspiring young Christians across the
world to dream of a better tomorrow,
and to seek the skills to bring it
about today.
Therefore Release Potential is pleased
to say 2012 will be a year of investment
into the lives of the young Christians
Release supports.
In Iraq, where countless Christians
are under attack from violent insurgents,
Release will be co-hosting a two-week
international training summit this
summer, equipping Iraqi and Western
young Christians for a life of service for
Jesus.
In China, following the success of the
Release will be working with the
previous delegates and church leaders
to maximise opportunities and interest,
enabling the emerging generation of
Christians to step up and lead the Chinese
church according to God’s will.
In Laos, Release will be sponsoring a
student attending an underground Bible
school. After persecution from family and
neighbours, she fled to a Christian centre
and is now embarking on a two-year
theology course, equipping her for future
Christian leadership.
Hope is one of the essentials of
Christianity. Persecution sets out to
destroy that hope, replacing it with fear
and suffering.
Everywhere we go, young people
are clinging to the hope of Jesus
Christ, desperate to believe that a
better tomorrow is always possible.
Who knows what 2012 will bring,
but whatever happens Release
Potential is committed to supporting
our family for the future ... whatever
it may look like.
Read more from Release
Potential on page 13.
RELEASE 5
TRENDS IN PERSECUTION
NORTH KOREA
North Korea, probably the worst
persecutor of Christians in the world
today, was the focus of Release’s One Day
campaign throughout 2011. About 40,000
people signed our petition calling on
the authorities to ‘allow North Korean
citizens to worship freely without threat of
persecution’.
‘North Korean Christians experience
brutal repression and persecution,’ says
Release partner Helping Hands Korea
(HHK). ‘To be in possession of a Bible
or Christian teaching materials, to be
discovered assembling to pray or worship,
are grounds for detention or worse.
‘In the rapid preparations for transition
of absolute power from ailing Kim Jong Il
to his third son Kim Jong Un, the younger
Kim has reportedly been given growing
influence over the security apparatus,
especially the punishment of would-be
defectors as well as refugees forcibly
repatriated from China. Reports suggest
that Jong Un is punishing Christians with
even greater ferocity, perhaps considering
them as a potential source of opposition
to his eventual assuming of national
leadership.’
This year is an important and symbolic
anniversary for North Korea. The nation
will celebrate 100 years since the birth of its
first dictator, Kim Il Sung, who died in 1994.
Despite its nearly moribund economy,
Kim Jong Il has declared 2012 to be North
Korea’s year of transition to a prosperous
and powerful nation.
‘In practice, this means keeping the elite
who live in the capital happy,’ says HHK.
‘Therefore, a disproportionate amount of
resources will go to the favoured classes
in Pyongyang. This can only mean more
suffering for those on the lower rungs of the
social order – including Christians.
‘2012 will most likely be a very difficult
time for underground believers in North
Korea.’
See page 7 for the testimony of North
Korean Christian Hope Yoo.
PAKISTAN
The constitution establishes Islam as the
state religion: proselytising among Muslims
is banned. A form of Islamic law called the
Hudood Ordinance, introduced in 1979,
enforces Islamic penalties for crimes such
as extra-marital sex. Islamic hard-liners
strongly oppose any reforms.
Radical Islam is spreading. Islamic
6 RELEASE
extremists have gained popular support
by providing hospitals, job training,
universities – and Islamic schools or
madrassas. Their curriculum often
includes military training.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws – especially
the notorious Section 295C of the Penal
Code – are often used against religious
minorities to settle personal scores.
The number of Christians charged is
disproportionately high.
Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab,
a prominent critic of the blasphemy laws,
was shot dead in January 2011. In March
the Federal Minister for Minority Affairs,
Shahbaz Bhatti, was also murdered.
A highly-respected Christian, he was also
an outspoken critic of the blasphemy laws.
Leaflets left at the scene of his murder
described him as a ‘Christian infidel’.
‘The persecution of Christians in
Pakistan is increasing day by day,’ says one
of our partners.
‘We are concerned at the levels of
discriminatory behaviour and religious
intolerance and over the state’s failure to
address these issues accordingly. We really
need your prayers and encouragement.’
SRI LANKA
While the Sri Lankan constitution
guarantees freedom of religion, the reality
is very different. Buddhism is officially
protected and promoted as the majority
religion.
Many nationalists consider Christianity
to be a foreign religion imposed by
European colonials.
The growth of evangelical Christianity
in Sri Lanka since 1980 has met with
violent opposition from militant Buddhists,
including Buddhist monks. Churches have
been burned and Christians attacked, even
murdered.
‘Christians continue to
face violence’
‘State regulations restrict freedom of
worship,’ says our partner, the National
Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka
(NCEASL). ‘Since September 2011, all places
of worship must obtain permission from
the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Those who
do not are deemed illegal. Many churches
in rural areas have already been ordered
to close.
‘Christians continue to face violence:
assault, arson, demolition of churches, mob
attacks and protest marches.
‘Thank you for your prayers and help
which go a long way in encouraging and
providing for your persecuted brothers
and sisters who live in very difficult and
dangerous circumstances.’
You can read more about these
countries, and news from persecuted
Christians, on our website www.
releaseinternational.org/news.
YOUR
SUPPORT
IS VITAL
These are
just some of the
nations where
Release will be
standing with
persecuted
Christians
in 2012.
We need your continuing
prayers and financial support
more than ever to ensure that
we can continue to respond to
the urgent needs of persecuted
Christians throughout the year.
Please consider making a
generous gift at the start of the
year to demonstrate your love
for our brothers and sisters
facing increasing pressures
throughout 2012.
Please use the back-page
coupon, our website at www.
releaseinternational.org/donate
or call our Supporter Relations
Team on 01689 823491.
Thank you so much for
your continuing support
and fellowship – it is deeply
appreciated.
‘
’
Andy Dipper CEO
‘My journey back to God’
Release Women helps to support and train North Korean women, such as defector Hope Yoo, who
now lives in South Korea. Here she describes how her journey of escape from North Korea was
also her journey of spiritual transformation.
Hope Yoo escaped the
brutal military regime
of North Korea.
was a seed which had fallen in the
wrong place: North Korea,’ says
Hope Yoo, mother of two daughters
and a son.
She recalls the terrible conditions
of 1996 when there were shortages of
food, and an unknown number of North
Koreans starved to death. ‘Everywhere we
could see the dead,’ she says.
‘I was rich until then, as a result of
having worked hard. However, I caught
cholera and typhoid fever twice, and my
children sold everything they owned
and nursed me devotedly. My family was
ravenous for food − I just wanted to die as
quickly as possible.’
One of Yoo’s daughters tried to escape
over the border into northern China, but
was caught and sent to a political prison
camp. Her son deserted the army and
escaped to Mongolia, but has never been
heard of since.
Yoo tried to poison herself five times,
but each time she was saved by her
remaining daughter.
Then, late one night, she walked to the
Tumen River that separates North Korea
and China and jumped into the water to
commit suicide. The powerful undertow
swept her down under the water and
brought her out onto the Chinese side.
She was found by a Christian man who
‘I
resuscitated her and brought her limp body
back to life.
‘I told him, between my sobs, that I did
not want to live any more. The man told
me that God had saved me. He told me to
give thanks to God, for He had allowed me
to float to the Chinese side, not the North
Korean side.
‘This was also my journey back to God.
When later I came to Jesus through the
Korean Chinese church, I sensed that I had
experienced a kind of death and rebirth
when I crossed the river. Now, my life
belonged to God.’
Over the next few years, Hope Yoo grew
as a Christian and finally made her way to
South Korea.
In April 2011 she heard about the
Underground Technology School, which,
supported by Release, helps disciple and
equip North Koreans living in South Korea.
‘I wanted to go to a school that teaches
the Word of God,’ she says. ‘I studied the
Bible and developed my character and
relationships. Most of all, I came to know
God more and to grow spiritually.
‘One of the memorable teachings I
received was about suffering. I realised
that God allows me to suffer, not in order to
make trouble for me, but in order to make
me know His heart and mind for my life.
‘I was encouraged a lot and blessed
by the teaching. The lesson on biblical
financial planning challenged me to begin
to tithe, and I learned so many valuable
things.
‘I give thanks to the school for giving
me this wonderful opportunity to learn
about God. Now I want to share the gospel.
I have committed my life to making God
known among North Korean defectors
and to cry out for them in prayer.
‘Furthermore, I think my calling is to
let the world know about North Korea. I
give thanks to Release International for
sponsoring the Underground Technology
School in South Korea. I pray that through
the school many North Korean women
will reach their families with the gospel
and bring them hope. Hallelujah! I give
all the glory and honour to God.
Read more from Release Women on
page 14.
To support training programmes
for precious North Korean women
like Hope Yoo, please use the
back-page coupon.
’
RELEASE 7
IRAN
Under pressure
For Christians in Iran – especially those in the illegal
‘underground’ church – there is almost endless pressure
and intimidation. And yet the church is growing, reports
Release Development Manager Andrew.
‘Simon’
n the last few years they [the
government] have put so much
pressure on us; it is difficult to talk
about Christ, especially among Muslims,’
says ‘Simon’, not his real name, a full-time
pastor. ‘We don’t have any real freedom.
‘I have found it hard working as
a minister; I have to be very careful
about how to talk to people because the
Government doesn’t want anybody to talk
about Christ.’
‘I
Hunger
At the same time there was, he claimed,
a real desire in Iran to hear the gospel. ‘I
have been in taxis and on buses and when
people know I am a Christian some of
them ask me for a Bible,’ he went on. ‘Even
though the Government wants us to stop
talking about Jesus Christ we see there is a
real hunger for the message of Jesus.’
As a result of this opposition, many
Christians meet in
small cell groups,
sometimes made up
of as few as three,
four or five people,
in order to remain
underground.
‘Raha’ (not her
real name) is a young
‘Raha’
woman who has
8 RELEASE
been part of one of these cells. She came
to faith in Christ from the background of a
violent home life, prostitution, drugs and
abortions. Raha met a former friend whose
life had clearly been changed by the gospel,
and this eventually led to her watching the
popular Jesus film. Her eyes were opened.
‘Jesus made a revolution in my heart,’
she said.
Since joining a small Christian cell group
she has become aware of the opposition
Christians face. Some of her friends have
been imprisoned – including the friend who
first told her about Jesus. ‘We can’t worship
freely – even in private houses,’ she said.
‘They [the authorities] don’t like us being
Christians. They really do what they can
against us. We can’t talk easily because they
listen to us.’
Lazarus Yeghnazar, head of Release
partner 222 Ministries, said the Government
in Iran was particularly harsh toward those
who seek to witness for Christ, and those
who had forsaken Islam for Christianity.
He cited the example of Pastor Vahik
Abrahamian and his wife Sonia, who spent
several months in prison for their gospel
ministry. During that time they suffered
physical and psychological abuse.
Sonia
and Vahik
Abrahamian
Partner
Lazarus
Yeghnazar
Crackdown
The Government uses a variety of tactics
against the Christian church, he said,
including phone-hacking, encouraging
members of a Christian’s family to spy
on them, the expulsion of Christians
from universities and jobs, arrests,
interrogations, beatings, imprisonment –
and killings.
Even those who come from ‘ethnically
Christian’ backgrounds (mainly Assyrian
and Armenian) are effectively treated
as second-class citizens, unable to hold
government jobs or to serve in the army.
‘It is constant pressure – but it doesn’t
weaken Christians’ resolve,’ Lazarus said.
However, the
constant state
opposition has forced
some Christians to
flee Iran. Hasti is
one of those who
had to leave, after
a government
crackdown on the
fellowship she was
Hasti
part of. She came to
faith in Christ after dreaming that someone
spoke to her about the forgiveness of sins.
Having come from a difficult marriage
situation, she began to get involved in
leading worship and working among
prostitutes. ‘I understood them because
I had suffered a lot,’ she said. However,
after her pastor was imprisoned it became
apparent that the authorities were
monitoring her Christian fellowship and
she was encouraged to get out of Iran.
‘I was described as a leader of a political
group,’ she said. ‘We were told they were
searching for us.’
The thought of leaving her country and
her family was a painful one, she said, but
eventually she made the decision to go.
‘I may not see my parents again. Please
pray for freedom in Iran,’ she said, ‘and that
Iranian people’s hearts will turn to Jesus.’
‘I may not see my
parents again ’
IRAN
Population: 74.2 million
Capital: Tehran
Government: Theocratic republic
Religion: Muslim 96%; Zoroastrian
2.6%; Christian 0.6%; Other 0.8%
THE GROWING CHURCH
The growth of the church is a key cause of
the intimidation and pressure Christians
are now under in Iran, according to one
expert observer.
‘The religious leaders know better
than us that
Christianity is
growing inside
Iran – and they are
afraid,’ said Shahab
Ebrahimi, an
Iranian journalist.
Shahab became
a Christian in
Thailand, having
left Iran for what
he describes as
Shahab Ebrahimi
‘political conflicts’.
When he came to faith in Christ he
says he forgot his political issues! He
now works for the Farsi Christian News
Network, a Release partner.
Since the famous revolution of 1979
the church has been growing steadily
in Iran, he claimed. ‘You won’t find this
growth in any other Muslim country,’
he said.
‘In 1979 we had Armenian and
Assyrian Christians – and there were
barely 500 people who were Christian
from a Muslim background. This was in
a population of around 35 million. Now,
with a population of just over 70 million
it is estimated that there are many times
that number of Iranians who have come
to Christ from a Muslim background!’
Lazarus Yeghnazar, head of Release
partner 222 Ministries, agreed that there
has been a significant increase in church
numbers over the past 30 years. This
growth – and the persecution that has
followed it – has brought obvious needs.
‘The church [in Iran] needs to know
it is not isolated; that the Body of Christ
internationally is aware of its plight and is
interceding,’ Lazarus said.
There is also a real need for resources
for the church: Bibles, Christian literature
and materials that will enable the church
to grow spiritually. A key response in
recent years has been to hold short
training events for new church leaders, to
equip them in areas such as apologetics
and theology.
‘Grace doesn’t exist in their old religion;
they need to be taught this,’ said Lazarus.
Please Pray
• that God may grant the church boldness,
protection and wisdom to share the
gospel wisely and shrewdly.
• for the provision of discipleship training
and materials.
• for those imprisoned for their faith.
• for partners and the projects we support
in Iran; that God may use them to build
His church.
Please Give
To make a financial gift to support
Christian cell groups in Iran such as the
one Raha attends (see page 8), please use
the back-page coupon.
I
ran became an Islamic republic in 1979,
when the former Shah was deposed
in a Shi’a Muslim revolution. Islamic
religious leaders (known as Ayatollahs)
assumed control.
Current President hard-liner Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005. His
surprise re-election in 2009 sparked massive
anti-government demonstrations, which
surprised many observers but which
appeared to reflect the frustration of the
younger generation within Iran.
According to the writers of the
global prayer guide Operation World,
disillusionment with the Islamic revolution,
30 years of hardship and the lack of freedom
under a strict authoritarian government
have created alienation and frustration
among younger Iranians – which makes
them exceptionally open to the gospel.
Shi’a Islam is the state religion. Sunni
Islam is respected and largely followed by
the Turkmen, Kurd and Baloch populations.
Historically, religious minorities such as
Assyrian and Armenian Christians and Jews
have been recognised by the constitution –
although the growth of the church due
to Muslims coming to faith in Christ has
led to increased persecution in the past few
years.
According to the state, only Armenians
and Assyrians can be Christian – ethnic
Persians are by definition Muslim. This
makes Persian Christians apostates.
RELEASE IN IRAN
Your gifts enable us to support these
crucial projects:
• F
unding a worker who co-ordinates
follow-up for people who phone or
message as a result of Farsi gospel
programmes broadcast on satellite TV.
• P
roviding for individual persecuted
Christians: including living costs for the
families of prisoners, the cost of visiting
them in prison and medical costs after
release.
• S
upporting underground church
networks: including financial help for
leaders, and the provision of materials
such as the Jesus film.
RELEASE 9
CHINA
CRACKDOWN
CONTINUES
Persecution of Christians in China is getting worse, according to our partner
China Aid, writes Release’s Andrew Boyd.
hina Aid President Bob Fu, testifying
recently before the US House Foreign
Affairs Committee, said: ‘Religious
freedom conditions are at their lowest point
since 1982.’ Ironically, 1982 was the year
premier Deng Xiaoping scrapped the policy
to eradicate religion from China.
Mr Fu was giving evidence at a
presentation of the 10th report of the US
Congressional Executive Commission
on China.
He expected China to continue to tighten
its grip on human rights ahead of choosing
a new leadership in 2012. ‘As China’s
influence and power grows, this pattern
is unlikely to change, and certainly not
before the 2012 transfer of power to a new
generation of senior leadership,’ he added.
The committee heard that there were
now more people in prison in China for
committing political crimes than at any
point since 1989 – the year tanks rolled
into Tiananmen Square to crush the prodemocracy movement.
A major challenge for those
campaigning for religious freedom in 2012
will be plans to legalise the detention of
people considered a threat to national
security. This catch-all clause is likely to net
lawyers campaigning for human rights, as
well as Christians.
Release magazine has previously
reported on the plight of Christian
lawyers and house church leaders who
are campaigning for freedom. We’ve also
produced an 11-minute DVD on the subject
called Forbidden City (see right). •
C
‘Religious freedom
conditions are at their
lowest point since 1982.’
10 RELEASE
Members of Shouwang church risk arrest by meeting publicly in Beijing.
WORSHIP – WOULD
YOU BE WILLING?
Would you be willing to worship in the open air in all weathers if the
authorities closed down your church? And would you be prepared to
risk arrest – every week – just for gathering to praise God together?
hat’s the challenge facing members
of Shouwang Church, one of Beijing’s
largest house churches, where
worshippers are barred from entering their
building and routinely arrested as they
hold services outside.
It’s a stark contrast to the presumption
that there is increasing freedom of worship
in China.
‘Every week believers are detained and
all their senior leaders, pastors and elders,
have been under house arrest without
any freedom of movement,’ says Bob Fu of
China Aid. ‘Many believers were detained
for up to 72 hours and some lost their jobs
and were beaten during the detention.
T
Horrible things have happened that we
cannot describe here.’
Bob Fu describes Shouwang as one of
the most moderate of the house churches
in Beijing. And far from being persecuted
because it refuses to come under state
control, Shouwang Church has gone out of
its way to seek official recognition – but it
has been refused.
‘They made an effort to register
according to the letter of the law in the most
comprehensive way,’ he says. ‘They spent
almost two years filing the application,
including all the contact information of the
leaders of the church. But at the end of the
day they were denied registration.
‘Of course, the behind-the-scenes reason
is that they refused to join the governmentsanctioned Three Self Patriotic Movement
organisation.’ The official explanation is
that Beijing has enough churches and that
the Shouwang Church leaders have not
undergone official ‘patriotic’ theological
education.
On November 8 Shouwang Church
completed its first month of Sundays
worshipping out of doors – their 31st service
in the open air. The name Shouwang means
‘to keep watch’ in Mandarin.
‘Although we experience weakness
and weariness, God comforts
His people.’
Church members wrote :
‘On Friday night, police from Guangying
Police Station took a sister to a hotel for
detention. And on Saturday morning before
dawn, police from Zhongguancun Police
Station took a sister and her baby away from
home for detention.
‘As far as we know, at least 17 believers
were taken away on Sunday morning for
going to the planned location to join the
outdoor service. Except for one believer who
was released on the way, the rest were sent
to six local police stations until 22:30 [when
they] were released [to go] home.
‘We give thanks to our God, for He
continuously raises up new people to
join the outdoor worship service and
to accompany those who are detained.
Although we experience weakness and
weariness, God comforts His people.’
Bob Fu adds: ‘Although the Government
tolerates the existence of the governmentsanctioned church, the majority of Chinese
Christians are in reality declared illegal,
and subject to persecution any time the
Government chooses.’
China Aid says the current hotspots for
persecution in China are Henan, Anhui and
Shandong Provinces, along with the capital,
Beijing.
Bob Fu’s prayer is that China will one
day permit full religious freedom: ‘Freedom
of worship not only includes freedom of
religious belief in your heart – but also to
manifest your belief privately and publicly.
That’s certainly our prayer.’ •
• Download an extended audio
interview with Bob Fu from
www.releaseinternational.org/audio
To support Christian human rights
lawyers and church leaders in China
who face government opposition,
please use the back-page coupon.
RELEASE IN CHINA
Your gifts and prayers enable us to support these vital projects in China:
• P
rinting and distributing a book about Christian marriage, as well as other
Christian resources.
• O
rganising training for leaders of unregistered churches (deemed ‘illegal’
by the Government).
• S
upporting workers in China who investigate cases of persecution, provide
support to families and arrange legal aid.
FORBIDDEN CITY DVD
Why not use
Release’s most
recent DVD about
China to inform
your church
and Christian
friends about the
worsening crackdown in China today?
Forbidden City features interviews
with Chinese Christian lawyers who
have been seized by the authorities
for speaking out about human rights
abuses. The 11-minute film also includes
an interview with courageous house
church leader Pastor ‘Bike’, who, despite
being arrested 40
times, has cycled
more than 15,000km
around China to
share the Gospel!
This topical and
informative DVD
includes specific
points to help you to pray for China
and its Christians, and is ideal for
use in prayer groups, house groups
or in church services. It is available
for a suggested donation of £10 by
calling our Supporter Relations Team
(01689 823491) or may be purchased
from our online eStore at www.
releaseinternational.org/estore.
Pastor ‘Bike’ has cycled
more than 15,000km around
China to share the Gospel!
TIANANMEN REVIVAL
Bob Fu was one of the
student activist leaders in
the historic Tiananmen
Square protest of 1989.
He told Release that this
movement – and the
bloody crackdown to end
it – had been instrumental in turning many
students to Christ, himself included. Not
perhaps what the Government had in mind
when they sent in the tanks.
‘I became a follower of Jesus Christ
during that hard time,’ said Bob Fu, who
went on to lead an underground church in
Beijing and to establish a Bible school. ‘Both
my wife and I were arrested and thrown
into a jail in Beijing for two months until we
were released under house arrest.’
To make matters worse, Bob’s wife Heidi
was pregnant – in breach of China’s strict
one-child rule. ‘She faced an imminent
forced abortion, so by God’s grace and
miraculous help we were able to get to the
United States as refugees.’
Many pro-democracy campaigners
became Christians following the Tiananmen
crackdown, said Bob. ‘After the Tiananmen
massacre there was the greatest spiritual
revival among Chinese intellectuals - and
this is still going on.’
Before Tiananmen the house church
movement was confined mainly to rural
areas, ‘but after that it spread to the urban
churches, the students’ churches, and
the revival among the professors and
intellectuals was extraordinary. All Chinese
universities nowadays have Bible study
groups - every university.’
RELEASE 11
PRISONERS HELPING CHRISTIANS IMPRISONED FOR THEIR FAITH
No Fear
After serving a year-long prison sentence
in China, Linfen church leader Yang
Caizhen says that now she ‘fears nothing’,
reports our Prisoners of Faith Manager.
an you imagine for a moment what
you would feel if you were arrested,
taken from your home and thrown
into a cold, dark, damp cell simply for being
a genuine follower of Jesus Christ?
For many of us the word ‘imprisoned’,
and the image it conjures up in our mind,
can generate a very real sense of fear. As you
take a few minutes to read Yang Caizhen’s
story, please pray for your brothers and
sisters in Christ who today will experience
the reality of waking up confined, even
shackled, to face another day of endurance,
isolation and perhaps physical or mental
abuse.
Jesus promised His followers that
He would be with them always and
everywhere, and that nothing in this world
could fracture the love that God has for
His children. Pray that today Christian
prisoners of faith will experience His peace
in place of fear, joy in place of pain, and
spiritual liberty, despite their bondage.
In 2009 we reported on the destruction
of the Linfen church, a 5,000-member
house church in Shanxi province, and the
imprisonment of seven church leaders.
Since then, one of the Linfen church
leaders, Yang Caizhen, has been released
early from labour camp on health grounds.
She had been held at the Shanxi Women’s
Prison in Taiyuan City for more than a year.
C
Sickness
Relatives who had visited her in prison
said that she looked ill, was missing a front
tooth, and that her hair had become very
grey and her hands swollen. On several
occasions Caizhen had to be taken to
hospital: at one stage she was so ill that she
could barely move or speak.
Her health problems no doubt were
related to the heavy demands imposed on
her by the labour camp. Every day she was
forced to work from 6 am until 10 or 11 pm,
for which she received the equivalent of
£12.80 per month.
12 RELEASE
RELEASE
10
Chinese
church leader
Yang Caizhen.
When she was released into her brother’s
care, the family arranged for her to be
transferred urgently to a hospital in Xi’an,
nine hours’ drive away. When they arrived,
doctors said her condition was so serious
that any further delay in treatment might
have resulted in her death.
After surgery and two weeks of medical
care, Caizhen’s health improved. She told
her daughter Esther:
‘When I was first arrested, I was really
afraid. But now that I’ve been in prison, I
fear nothing. I don’t care if I go to prison
again.’
Her husband Yang Xuan, the Linfen
church’s main preaching pastor, is still
serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence.
He wrote letters to Caizhen from prison,
encouraging her to stay strong.
The main Linfen church building
remains closed by the Government, but
the congregation continues to operate. For
a while, the church was crippled by the
decimation of its leadership, but Esther
reports that other church members have
stepped into leadership roles and the
church continues to grow.
It is truly amazing that the persecution
experienced by our brothers and sisters in
Christ often becomes a means of receiving
grace. For Yang Caizhen she no longer fears
being imprisoned.
Others such as former Eritrean prisoner
Helen Berhane endured intense physical
suffering and yet forgave those responsible.
Thank God for His mercy and grace to us.
Praise Him that although Christians
today are in chains, the church remains
unbound. •
In countries such as Burma, China,
Eritrea, North Korea, Pakistan and
Vietnam, Christian pastors, evangelists
and ordinary believers are in prison
today because of their active Christian
witness.
Release’s Prisoners of Faith ministry
gives pastoral care and practical
support to Christians imprisoned for
their faith in Jesus Christ, and their
families. We also encourage supporters
in the UK and Ireland to pray and take
action on behalf of individual prisoners
using our free Advocates’ Pack (see
www.releaseinternational.org/
prisoners) and monthly email alerts.
Please call our Supporter Relations
Team on 01689 823491 or use the
back-page coupon to sign up to receive
our email alert, which gives details of
an individual Christian prisoner, with
prayer points, and information to help
you write letters on their behalf. You can
also email your request to us at info@
releaseinternational.org.
Christians in prison often tell us how
much they are sustained by your prayer
support and letters. Why not start a
prayer or letter-writing group in your
church or small group?
RELEASE POTENTIAL TEENS AND TWENTIES
Baghdad:
A day in the life
3 STRAND ICONS
Hear the story
Make the connection
Be the change
3 STRAND ICONS
These are the three engagement steps
of Release Potential and the icons below
should be used to represent these actions.
Hear the story
Make the connection
Be the change
They can be used flexibly, however, do
not rotate, stretch or crop any of these
images.
These are the three engagement steps
of Release Potential and the icons below
should be used to represent these actions.
Release CEO Andy Dipper is inspired by
Iraqi teenager ‘Miriam’
They can be used flexibly, however, do
not rotate, stretch or crop any of these
images.
However, she carries with her many
painful memories, the sort that ‘normal’ kids
don’t have.
She has seen fellow Christians in
Baghdad brutally attacked and killed by
3 STRAND ICONS
men who targeted their hatred at unarmed
childrenBEand
adults. There have been times
THE CHANGE
when the bodies of Christian friends who
were shot were left in the streets for days,
blocking doorways, often with boobytrapped bombs underneath. The intention
was to scare Christians, forcing them to leave
their home country.
So, Miriam has good reasons for leaving
Iraq, to find a safer life elsewhere − but she
wants to stay.
Miriam says: ‘I don’t want to fly in an
airplane and go to Europe or America. I
want to stay here, with my friends. I want
to be with the rest of our youth group. We
need to be here to rebuild our country.
We love praising God, singing songs and
worshipping. We love being together, and
having fun!’
Wow, what a testimony of one
extraordinary young woman who is
determined to have hope, to rebuild her
country and to be part of a worshipping
community of Christians in Baghdad in the
months and years to come!
HEAR THE STORY
HEAR THE STORY
HEAR THE STORY
MAKE THE CONNECTION
Baghdad, Iraq, November 2011 The sun
is shining. Five of us are in the car, doors
locked, windows closed and protected front
and rear by armed guards in their pick-ups.
The sirens roar as we move off, our guards
training their guns on slow-moving cars.
It’s another normal day moving through
the city as we head to St George’s Church on
Haifa Street.
‘Miriam’ (not her real name), one of the
passengers in the car, said how much she
was looking forward to going to the icecream parlour in the heavily protected
Green Zone after the church service on
Saturday. She likes to keep it simple
when it comes to ice-cream – good old
chocolate all the way. So far she seems
to be like any other 18-year-old, with a
big smile on her face.
Hear the story
Make the connection
Be the change
These are the three engagement steps
of Release Potential and the icons below
should be used to represent these actions.
They can be used flexibly, however, do
not rotate, stretch or crop any of these
images.
HEAR THE STORY
MAKE THE CONNECTION
MAKE THE CONNECTION
MAKE THE CONNECTION
BE THE CHANGE
Keep up to date with stories like Miriam’s
and information about how you can get
involved by joining the Release Potential
family. Sign up at www.releasepotential.
org/join
BE THE CHANGE
BE THE CHANGE
Please pray for Miriam, and her friends
at St George’s Church. Pray for their
protection. Pray that God will use them as
peacemakers, and to help rebuild
their nation.
How about your youth group
committing to pray for the youth group
at St George’s, and maybe give financially
so that they can keep on meeting and
worshipping together? Your support could
help them have a special treat,
which would really encourage them.
Find out more and how to give at
www.releasepotential.org/iraq.
RELEASE 13
WOMEN
ENCOURAGING OUR SISTERS – INSPIRED BY THEIR FAITH
WOMEN IN THE Word
For such a time as this
Hadassah − better known to us as Esther −
was a young orphaned Jewish refugee who
lived in Susa, part of the Persian Empire
which now encompasses modern-day Iran.
A seemingly insignificant figure, God used
her in the most miraculous way to save the
Jewish people from annihilation.
Interestingly the name of God is not
mentioned throughout the Book of Esther −
yet His divine presence and purpose can be
traced on nearly every page.
God chose Esther; he graced her with
beauty and intelligence and he placed her
in the care of her devout uncle, Mordecai.
Later, when she had become Queen and the
Jewish people were unknowingly facing
extinction, Mordecai challenged Esther that
perhaps she had been given a royal position
‘for such a time as this’
(Esther 4:14).
Esther used her God-given gifts wisely
and she displayed immense courage when,
with the support of others fasting, she
approached the King to ask for his favour
to save her people. God honoured Esther
− for her great courage and implicit faith
in Him. The Jewish people were, on that
occasion, saved from annihilation and they
celebrated with joy and feasting.
• Pray for the ‘Esthers’ living in
situations of persecution where God
wants to use their gifts and skills for His
purpose, but they lack confidence or
opportunity to do so.
WOMEN IN OUR HEARTS
Release Women
heart2heart National
Conference
We would love you to join us
at our National Conference on
February 25 to find out more
about the situation in Iran and
maybe to discover more of
God’s presence and purpose in
your life.
Esther responded to
Mordecai’s challenge:
will you respond to ours?
Saturday February 25, 2012
St Paul’s Hammersmith,
Queen Caroline St,
London W6 9PJ
9.30am Light breakfast
10-3.30pm Conference
Cost: £5 on the door
International speakers and
seminar programme included
Saturday February 4
Valentine’s Conference
Newcraigs Evangelical Church,
Forres Drive, Kirkcaldy KY2 6YL.
10.30am-2pm. Please bring a
packed lunch.
Maryam and Marzieh
Christians living in Iran today know, just as
Esther did, what it is like to live under the
threat of persecution.
We remember Maryam and Marzieh who
spent eight months in the notorious Evin
prison in Tehran on a charge of ‘apostasy’,
converting to Christ from Islam.
Arezoo, who featured in our Christmas
Chains initiative, was also imprisoned
because of her faith in Christ. She was
assured of her release if she simply
renounced her faith and accused her pastor
of rape, neither of which she did.
Arezoo
Although these women’s circumstances
are not the same as Esther’s, they all know
the reality of God’s presence and purpose in
their lives ‘for such a time as this’.
• Pray for women unknown to us living
through physical imprisonment and
abuse.
9.30am-12.30pm. Light breakfast
provided.
For women only
• Pray for our sisters who, because of the
lack of freedom they have in living under
oppressive regimes, are imprisoned
emotionally and spiritually.
Pray for women unknown
to us living through
physical imprisonment
and abuse.
14 RELEASE
Saturday February 18
Valentine’s Conference
Yoker Evangelical Church,
2420 Dumbarton Road, Yoker,
Glasgow G14 0QL.
St Valentine
Celebrate Valentine’s Day 2012
Get our new pack and celebrate Valentine’s
Day with a difference! See opposite.
DON’T MISS OUR VALENTINE’S DAY MEAL 2012
Celebrate Valentine’s Day
with a difference!
Take part in our ‘Love, St Valentine’ meal and help Christian girls
and women facing persecution in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Hold a fun Valentine’s Day meal in your church or small group
− and help persecuted Christians at the same time.
ollowing the success of last year’s
‘Love, St Valentine’ event we are
repeating the initiative with updated
materials and ideas for you to use in 2012.
This includes new stories from Sri Lanka
and Afghanistan.
Our revised starter pack will help you
to put together a stimulating programme
in which people share a meal using our
suggested recipes, watch a Release DVD and
pray for the specific needs of persecuted
Christian women.
The pack is available for a suggested
donation of £5, and can be ordered by
calling our Supporter Relations Team
on 01689 823491, or by emailing us at
[email protected].
Why not suggest that those who come to
F
your meal contribute a sum equivalent to
the amount that they may have spent going
out for Valentine’s Day?
All funds raised will be used to develop
the work of Release Women both in the UK
and internationally.
Let us join together to remind
our persecuted family how much we
love them.
If you previously had a small group and
want to aim for more, this could be your
opportunity! If you weren’t able to hold
a meal in 2011, then why not try in 2012.
Invite your home group, women’s group
or even your whole church!
If you have any questions or
suggestions, please email us on
[email protected] •
‘Love, St Valentine’ 2012 gives you and your church the
opportunity to:
Why Valentine’s
Day?
It is believed that around the year
AD269 Valentinus, a church leader, was
martyred for defying an order given
by Emperor Claudius II that outlawed
marriage.
Claudius realised that recruitment to
the Roman army was in decline, due to
the fact that men did not want to leave
their loved ones for up to 25 years of
armed service!
So Claudius simply banned marriage
in order to increase the size of his army.
Valentinus refused to obey and secretly
married couples at night.
When his activities were discovered,
he was sent to Rome, and it is believed
that he shared the gospel with Claudius
before his death. One traditional
story tells of the way Valentinus was
befriended by the jailer’s daughter,
and on the eve of his death he wrote a
last letter to her, signing it: ‘From your
Valentine’.
Two centuries later, the martyrdom
of Valentinus was commemorated by
the dedication of February 14 in honour
of his life and sacrifice.
We’d like to celebrate the sacrifice of
Valentinus and his commitment to godly
marriage as part of our ‘Love,
St Valentine’ meal − and we’d love you
to join in.
‘A lovely evening’
Last year you told us:
‘We had a lovely evening … we stopped
intermittently to watch the DVD and to
pray ... The evening had a Valentine’s
Day flavour with good food, romantic
soft music and candles. We all enjoyed it
very much.’
‘We had such a lovely time of fellowship
and a powerful time praying for
our sisters and taking communion
remembering them.’
Order your pack now by calling us on
01689 823491 or emailing valentine@
releaseinternational.org.
It may also be downloaded from
www.releaseinternational.org/valentine.
pray for those whose marriages are under strain, or who are separated.
raise the issue of young single Christian women living vulnerable
lives
who are facing potential abuse.
find out about specific Release projects that need your ongoing
prayer
and support.
St Valentine
RELEASE 15
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Read news about persecuted Christians on our website
www.releaseinternational.org/news
Follow us on Twitter @ReleaseInt www.twitter.com/releaseint
and Facebook
www.facebook.com/releaseinternational
VIETNAM
Pastor and church
members beaten
The Living Faith Church was one of nine churches burnt down by the militant
group Boko Haram in Damaturu, Yobe state, north east Nigeria, in November.
Photo: Compass Direct.
NIGERIA
Christians and
churches under
attack
As more Christians and churches are
attacked in Nigeria, our partners fear that
militants want to divide the nation like
Sudan, creating an Islamist north.
The Islamist militant group Boko Haram
attacked eight churches in the township of
Geidam in north-east Nigeria on November
26. According to Reuters, four policemen
were killed and 20 people wounded.
Boko Haram, whose name means
‘Western education is sinful’, wants to
establish strict Islamic law in Nigeria and is
attempting to destabilise the country.
Earlier in November they launched
suicide bomb attacks in the State capital
Damaturu, killing 150 people, and burnt
down nine church buildings.
‘Boko Haram seems to be bent on
destabilising the nation to pave the way for
an Islamist state – and at the forefront of
their attacks are churches,’ said Release CEO
Andy Dipper.
‘We are concerned that Christians
will continue to be prime targets in the
militants’ drive to impose ever stricter
Islamic law in Nigeria.’
In a separate attack ethnic Fulani
Muslims attacked the township of Barkin
Ladi in Plateau state, shooting down on
16 RELEASE
Christian villagers from the hills. The series
of attacks, which began on November 20,
reportedly killed at least 45 ethnic Berom
Christians.
Our partner Stefanos Foundation also
fears that militants are trying to divide
the country.
‘Militants have destroyed most of the
churches in the north,’ said Mark Lipdo
of Stefanos. ‘They are not tolerant of
Christians in the north. They are terrorising
them and demanding a Sharia state.
‘Where the violence has calmed down it
is because there are no more Christians left.’
Many have fled to Plateau State, on the
dividing line between north and south,
where the attacks are continuing. And in
parts of the north where violence continues
to erupt, it is because the indigenous
Christian minority are refusing to be driven
from their homes, believes Mr Lipdo.
He described what he saw at the scene of
the attacks in Barkin Ladi. ‘Fulani Muslims
were shooting at Christians from the hills
and then police moved in in armoured cars
to defend the village. Villagers and police
were being fired on from all sides. We had
to withdraw for our own safety. We later
saw houses being set on fire.’
• Please pray for all those who have been
injured or traumatised in these latest
attacks. Pray for wisdom for government
officials, including President Jonathan,
in knowing how to deal with this
extremist threat.
More than a dozen Christian men, women
and teenagers were brutally beaten and
their property destroyed near Hanoi,
Vietnam, in what sources say was a
religiously-motivated attack.
The Christian house church leaders, as
well as other assembled believers, were
severely injured during a gathering in
the home of Pastor Nguyen Danh Chau
in Lai Tao village. A gang burst into the
home at 9.30am on November 13 and
warned Nguyen that they would kill him
if he continued gathering Christians
together, according to sources in Vietnam.
The attackers then beat him until he lost
consciousness.
The offenders smashed chairs,
overturned a pulpit and tore a cross from
the wall and threw it into a nearby pond.
They also destroyed motorcycles owned by
four of the pastors.
The believers are members of the Agape
Baptist Church, an unregistered house
church network of about 2,200 believers
who meet regularly in 38 congregations.
The head of the Agape Baptist Church,
Nguyen Cong Thanh, met with the injured
and said all he could do was weep at the
violence. ‘Why do they gratuitously beat
servants of the Lord like this,’ he said. ‘What
crime have they committed, what enemies
have they made? All we want to do is gather
people to worship and serve God.’
• Please pray that those beaten will
make a full recovery and that the Agape
Baptist Church will grow stronger despite
the violence and oppression.
Pastor Nguyen Duy Duong was injured in
the attack. Photo: Compass Direct.
IN BRIEF
This is a unique opportunity to hear our partner and former prisoner of faith
‘Pavel’ who supports a network of church leaders and evangelists throughout
Central Asia.
He will report on the latest news from nations such as Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, where,
despite growing state restrictions, the gospel continues to bear much fruit.
Pavel, an engaging preacher, will be speaking at the following venues in
February and March.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to be inspired, and to learn about a
region we hear little about.
All events start at 7pm and finish by 9pm unless otherwise stated, and are
open to all.
INDIA: Police arrested three pastors
belonging to the Grace Church of God
Welfare Society, along with two other
Christian workers, and falsely accused
them of forcible conversion on November
22 in Pandariya town, Kawardha,
Chhattisgarh. They were later released
on bail.
Sat March 3 Exeter (see website)
KAZAKHSTAN: Christians face a growing
crackdown after the Agency of Religious
Affairs prepared new regulations (not
adopted at the time of writing) to censor
almost all religious literature. The
Government has also recently closed
churches and prayer rooms in prisons −
despite these having been authorised by
the prison authorities.
Sat March 24 Scottish Conference (see website)
PAKISTAN: The family of an evangelist
Sat February 11 Blackley Edge Baptist Chapel, Prospect View, Blackley, Elland,
near Huddersfield HX5 0TD www.blackleychurch.org.uk
Sat February 18 Lighthouse International Christian Church, St Mary’s Road,
Southampton SO14 0BB
Sat February 25 Castle Hill Baptist Church, Warwick CV34 4EX
Wed February 29 Swansea (see website www.releaseinternational.org/events
for details)
Sun March 25 11am Tayport Parish Church, Queen Street,
Tayport, Fife DD6 9AP
Sat March 31 Hebron Church, North Bridge Street, Sunderland SR5 1AB
SRI LANKA: WHEN DARKNESS FALLS
The long-running civil war in Sri Lanka ended
in 2009 but Christians in the country continue to
face conflict. Pastors evangelising in rural areas
have faced violence and churches have been
attacked by villagers opposed to the gospel.
To help readers understand the growing
pressure that Christians in Sri Lanka are facing we’ve released a
short DVD, When Darkness Falls, featuring first-hand interviews
with church leaders who are persevering to witness to their
communities despite the threats and intimidation.
This 11-minute film, which includes points to help you to pray for
Sri Lanka’s Christians, is ideal for use in prayer groups, house
groups or in church services.
To order a copy for a suggested donation of £10, please call our
Supporter Relations Team on 01689 823491. You may also purchase
the DVD from our website at www.releaseinternational.org/estore.
shot dead in Karachi say they believe he
was killed for his faith. Jameel Saawan
was killed by an unidentified gunman
as he opened up his shop. The family is
reluctant to pursue the case with police
because of fears for their own safety.
SRI LANKA: Buddhist nationalists have
caused concern among Christians by
renewing their calls for anti-conversion
laws. The Jathika Hela Urumaya party,
which has been pushing for legislation
banning ‘forced conversion’ since
2004, renewed its campaign in a press
statement in November.
SUDAN: The Sudanese military have
been accused of bombing a refugee camp
in South Sudan where thousands have
fled to escape violence and persecution
in Sudan. The Yida refugee camp in Unity
state is home to 20,000 people from
the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan,
where northern troops are said to be
targeting groups considered ‘disloyal’
to the Khartoum regime, including
Christians. At least 12 people were killed
and 20 injured in the bombardment.
RELEASE 17
Sources: BBC, Compass Direct, Farsi Christian News Network, Middle East Concern, Release International, Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, Voice of the Martyrs Canada.
The Way of the Cross
UK speaking tour
How the Gospel is spreading in Central Asia
EGYPT: Following violence in Cairo
on October 9 which left 23 Christian
protesters, three Muslim protesters
and one soldier dead, 34 Christians
remain in detention. On November 3 a
court ordered further investigations into
charges of ‘inciting violence, carrying
arms and insulting the armed forces’.
However, a local human rights group
reported that 12 of those killed were run
over by army personnel carriers.
VOLUNTEERS
RELEASE
Our ministry involves:
Showing God’s compassion
providing for the needs of the families of martyrs and prisoners
Serving God’s church
enabling them to survive persecution and its effects
Sharing God’s love
helping the persecuted church
bring to Christ those who are
opposed to the gospel
Spreading God’s Word
supplying Bibles and literature to meet the need
for growth and evangelism
Speaking as God’s advocates
being the voice of the martyrs and the oppressed
RELEASE SPEAKERS
Why not invite one of Release’s team
of development managers to speak
in your church or small group?
North and Central England, Wales
Tel 01234 271855
South of England Tel 01689 823491
Ireland Tel 028 9334 0014
Scotland Tel 01382 553879
Release Potential (teens/20s)
Tel 01689 823491
Chief Executive:
Andy Dipper
Council of Reference:
Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali
Rt Rev Wallace Benn
Lyndon Bowring
David Coffey
Martin Goldsmith
Frog and Amy Orr-Ewing
Board of Trustees:
Peter C. Ewins ACA (Chairman)
Geoffrey L. Alexander (Vice-Chairman)
Geoffrey A. Seaton FCCA (Treasurer)
David Adeney, Robert Ashurst,
Ian R. Frith, William J. Hanna,
Susan V. Rand
Release International,
PO Box 54, Orpington BR5 9RT
Telephone 01689 823491
email [email protected]
website www.releaseinternational.org
Have a go!
Bill and Carol support our persecuted brothers and sisters in their
local fellowship by serving as Release church representatives. Don’t
think you cannot do very much, they say, because Jesus will see your
efforts as ‘precious jewels’.
My name is Bill, and with my wife Carol
we have been volunteers for Release
International for a few years. During this time
we have helped at exhibitions and spoken of
the Lord Jesus and our persecuted family at
churches in Devon and Cornwall.
We have met many people who did not
know much, or in fact, anything at all, about
persecuted Christians.
They are often astounded by the enormity
of the persecution. They comment that
it seems too large to them to make any
significant difference. We use this well-known
story about the starfish as an encouragement
to make a difference.
One night a tropical island suffers a terrific
storm. The following morning thousands
of starfish are on the beach − having been
thrown there by the waves. The sun is bearing
down on them and they are dehydrating
and dying.
A small boy is on the beach picking them
up one by one and throwing them back into
the sea. An adult comes onto the beach and,
seeing what the boy is doing, says: ‘Son there
are thousands of starfish, you cannot hope to
make a difference!’
The boy picks up another starfish and, as
he throws it back into the sea, replies: ‘That
one doesn’t think so!’
Do you see? We can make a difference as
we help one man, one woman, one child, and
one family at a time.
‘
Bill and Carol
If the adult from the story, instead of trying
to discourage the boy, had joined in and
helped, then double the number of starfish
would have been saved.
With your help we can make a difference
for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Have a
go! Become a church representative.
You might think that you will not be able
to do much, that your contribution will be
insignificant. But I tell you whatever you do,
however little, Jesus will treat your efforts
like precious jewels as you show your love for
Him by helping His persecuted family − the
family that we are going to live with forever.
Hallelujah!?
’
Join the team
Copyright
© 2012 Release International
Church representatives play a vital role keeping their fellowships up to date
with the latest news, and encouraging prayer and action for persecuted
Christians. You can choose how much time you wish to give, depending on your
circumstances. We’ll provide you with all the support materials you need.
Registered Charity 280577. The ministry of
Christian Mission to the Communist World,
a company limited by guarantee in England,
No. 1506576. Registered office: Times House,
Throwley Way, Sutton SM1 4JQ.
If you feel that God is calling you to serve your persecuted brothers and sisters
in this way, please don’t hesitate to call Release’s Volunteer Co-ordinator
Gene on 01689 823491.
RELEASE MAGAZINE
Design: Mike Thorpe
18 RELEASE
EDITORIAL
Lift up our eyes
‘I lift up my eyes to the
mountains – where does
my help come from?
My help comes from the
Lord, the Maker of heaven
and earth’
(Psalm 121:1-2)
ust recently I visited the stunning
Scottish Highlands, where I was
surrounded by rugged snow-capped
mountains, pine forests and plenty of wind
and rain. In this context, it was crystal
clear to me that the Lord God, King of the
Universe, truly is the Maker!
A few days before this I had visited
believers in Afghanistan – home to part of
the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush − two
of the most majestic mountain ranges in
the world.
One of the major differences though
in Afghanistan is the lack of religious
freedom.
Believers who have turned from Islam
to Christ know that at any time members
of their own family may physically beat
them for converting. And yet, through the
tenacity and total commitment of these
Afghan believers, the church is growing
and deepening in strength.
How incredible it is to be part of this
family!
Similarly, in recent weeks I was
privileged to travel to Iraq to meet Canon
Andrew White, colloquially known as the
‘Vicar of Baghdad’, and members of his
congregation at St George’s Church.
I went to see for myself what the
situation is, how we can help practically,
directly linking Christians in the UK with
Christians in Iraq, so that we can make a
J
real difference on the ground, and are
able to speak about the reality of what
is happening from personal and direct
experience.
In the next edition of Release, I am
going to share more about some of the
amazing people I met, what life is like for
them and how they are reaching out (see
Miriam’s story on page 13 as a foretaste).
I will also be posting video footage to our
website www.releaseinternational.org/
video.
In both Afghanistan and Iraq we are
involved in providing practical help
to Christians, enabling them to reach
out with the love of Jesus, despite the
intense hostility they sometimes face.
We are supporting them pastorally and
mobilising prayer support for them.
Would you please consider joining
with us to support our Christian
family in these very challenging
situations?
King David, who wrote Psalm 121,
knew personally the struggles of life
– both from inside himself and from
external pressures. He also knew that the
only anchor point in life is the Lord, the
Maker of heaven and earth.
Today, please take a moment to
look up and around you, and pause to
remember who it is that has created all
this, and who is going to last for ever!
With every blessing for a Godcentred 2012,
DO SOMETHING
AMAZING
and raise funds for
persecuted Christians
Each year, supporters aged from
8 to 85 organise local fundraising
events for Release which raise
anything from £40 to £1,500
or more. Would you like to do
something similar that could
draw in support from people you
know? You might be surprised
at how much support you get
and how fulfilling it is to do
something like this!
These are just some of the things
our supporters have done:
• ‘active’ events such as a
local walk, a run, a bike
ride, marathons, a triathlon,
a bungee jump and even a
sponsored ‘bed push’ (see
photo below).
• e
vents organised from home
such as a coffee morning, a
cake sale, a plant sale, a quiz
night or auction.
• s ome have asked their friends
to celebrate their birthdays,
anniversaries and even their
wedding by sending gifts to
Release!
If these ideas inspire you to
consider putting on your own
fundraising event, please
contact Paul on 01689 823491.
He will be glad to send you
sponsorship forms and other
materials you may find helpful.
Andy Dipper CEO
Foundations
‘Some mountains are high, but you do not have to be
an Everest to be called a mountain; neither do you
have to be a hero of faith in order to be a Christian.’
Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was imprisoned for 14 years in communist
Romania in the 1950s and 1960s. He founded Release International in 1968
to serve persecuted Christians and to make the church in the West aware of
their suffering.
Belinda and friends in Northern
Ireland raised £850 from their
sponsored ‘bed push’!
RELEASE 19
‘I give thanks to Release
International for sponsoring
the Underground Technology
School in South Korea. I pray
that through the school many
North Korean women will reach
their families with the Gospel
and bring them hope.’
Hope Yoo miraculously escaped the brutal regime of North
Korea − finding freedom as well as faith in Jesus (see page 7).
Now living safely in South Korea, she received training with
support from Release, and is a passionate evangelist
and intercessor.
‘I have committed my life to making God known among
North Korean defectors and to cry out for them in prayer,’
she says.
To be able to carry on supporting precious believers like
Hope Yoo, we urgently need your prayers and gifts.
Through our international network of missions, Release International serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world by
supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families; supplying Christian literature and Bibles; and working for justice.
YES I want to support persecuted Christians around the world. Please send me regular information.
Here is my gift of £______________ (please make cheques payable to Release International)
where most needed or to support
training programmes for North Korean women (page 7)
Please use my gift:
cell groups in Iran (page 8)
Christian human rights lawyers and church leaders in China (page 10)
I am a UK tax payer and would like you to recover tax on my giving
Please send me a standing order form so that I can give regularly
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You may also give by debit or credit card by completing the details below, though our preference is for
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Release International, PO Box 54, Orpington BR5 9RT
Tel: 01689 823491 Email: [email protected]
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