World Refugee Day: 20 June
Every minute twenty people leave everything behind to flee persecution of their race, religion, nationality, politics or social group membership. Others escape the effects of natural or human-made disasters. There are also internally displaced persons, stateless people with no recognised nationality, not belonging to any country due to discrimination against certain groups. With no citizenship certificate, they are excluded from healthcare, education and employment. There are also asylum seekers who have fled their homes, but their refugee status is not yet definitively evaluated in the country to which they fled. Every one of them, according to the 1951 Refugee Convention Protocol, has the right to work, to housing, to education, to public relief and assistance, and to freedom of religion. They should also have access to courts and freedom of movement. and be issued with identity and travel documents in the country at the end of their journey.
Uzbekistan: what life is like for Christians
Church leaders are common targets for violations of rights in Uzbekistan. They are fined for meeting illegally, possession of religious literature, having Christian songs on their smartphones and more. They can be detained, denied exit visas, and put under house arrest: all tactics to cause a ripple effect of fear and anxiety throughout their congregations. Pastors and lay leaders of unregistered churches are insulted, beaten and humiliated. Some men will be denied promotion at work, while others may lose their job altogether. When a church does try to officially register, persecution increases. Adam tried unsuccessfully to register with the government. Then the police demanded he renounce his faith because he had asked for registration. Ask God to encourage, equip and empower believers facing pressure and persecution. May hostility against them soften. Grant leaders wisdom and discernment when they navigate state restrictions. Keep them in good health and spirits.
Afghanistan: Christian media
The situation for women deteriorates rapidly as restrictions erase girls and women from public life. They are virtually prisoners in their homes. Christians remain in danger as the Taliban do house-to-house searches and even confiscate people’s smartphones. Men, women and children are being deprived of freedom to think and live freely in different ways. But Pastor Ebadi speaks hope into viewers’ lives on SAT7 Christian broadcasting, saying, ‘Jesus Christ is the only one who can help us be freed from the cage in which we are held. Whatever the chains, whether sin, power, desire, or temptation, Jesus can rescue us. While we are alive, we must encourage and help one another.’ SAT7 is responding to the need for emotional and spiritual support through regular live broadcasts of Secret of Life and the pre-recorded programme Window of Light. Later this year they will broadcast two seasons of the Dari scripture teaching programme.
Two Chibok girls achieve degrees
Two of the 276 Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram extremists in 2014 have completed their master’s degrees in the USA. Lydia Pogu completed a masters in Human Services Administration, and Joy Bishara a masters in Social Work. ‘Boko Haram told us that school is a taboo for women and warned us that if we went back to school, they would come for us,’ said Lydia. ‘I thought all my dreams had changed, but God had a different plan for me.’
