Afghanistan: Authorities block lawyer from visiting Christian
A Christian in Afghanistan facing ‘apostasy’ charges punishable by death is still without legal representation after authorities blocked a Christian lawyer's attempt to visit him in prison. Authorities denied him access to Musa and to his indictment file. After several court hearing postponements, Musa appeared before a judge ‘shackled and chained’ on Nov. 27th without prior notice. The judge sent Musa's case file to the attorney general's office for corrections. Another Afghan Christian is in prison for giving a New Testament to a man who reportedly turned him in to authorities. He is in a holding jail in northern Afghanistan. See link for background to these stories. More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/23987/28442/
Pakistan: Desperate needs
Much of Pakistan is still under water after recent floods. Pakistan is a country already deeply in debt with millions of people relying on food aid as they will not be able to grow rice and wheat until next year. Donors have been reluctant to give to a country with a reputation for militancy and corruption and the UN has only raised half of the $2bn it pledged to the flood victims. These people are already very poor and struggle to survive. In addition, winter is approaching and many face a lack of adequate food, warm clothing and heating fuel. Relief organizations do what they can to help, but the need seems overwhelming. We are asked to remember the poor people of Pakistan in our prayers as they face the cold winter months without adequate shelter, clothing, food and heat. The women and children suffer the most, particularly in areas not yet reached by agencies distributing life saving aid. Pray: that the organizations that are serving in Pakistan will have the financial resources to continue their projects. Pray also for the safety of local believers.
Vietnam: Officials bulldoze Bible school
At 7am Vietnamese time, about 500 police, soldiers and fire officers arrived with bulldozers at Pastor Quang’s school and demolished the property. Pastor Quang, (one of the so-called 'Mennonite Six' jailed in 2004) is currently being held at a undisclosed location after being beaten with batons 'until he fainted.' Twenty students from the school were also arrested and interrogated. Police specially drafted in from the Central Highlands region were on hand to escort students back to their provinces. Montagnard Christians from this region make up a large proportion of the Mennonite Church in Vietnam. Pastor Quang's wife, Phu Dung Le, and his three children are safe. Leaders and Bible college students linked with Pastor Quang have come under intense pressure from officials to give up their association with the Mennonite church since October. Pray: for God to keep those arrested in His perfect peace and to touch the officials involved through the witness of the Christians. (Mal.1:4)
Egypt: House converted to prevent Church services
In an effort to prevent Coptic Christians using the newly built Church of St. Mary and St. Michaels for prayer services the Giza Governorate converted a four storey house facing the church into a mosque secretly during Thursday night, and hastily hung a cloth sign outside advertising the new Ekhlass mosque. Due to the minimum distance required by law between a church and a mosque Copts view this conversion of the house into a new mosque ‘as a trick on the part of the government to make the completion and use of St. Mary's Church an impossibility.’ On Friday morning over 3000 Muslims prayed there despite the presence of an established large mosque not far from the new mosque. In November the same Coptic Church was the scene of security forces using tear gas on women, children and youths at the church, in an attempt to halt construction of the new church building. Pray: for a peaceful and just resolution to a potentially inflammatory situation. (Ps.5:11)
