Life in Countries Hostile to the Gospel

It is our prayer, that as you read through this article, you’d be moved to pray for the persecuted Church. For though they experience both unchanging (and in some cases, increasing) circumstances of persecution and change in so many ways (economic, social and political) the single thing they ask for most remains PRAYER.

NR. 2 ON THE 2011 WORLD WATCH LIST: IRAN

• Of the estimated 450,000 Christians in Iran, 350,000 are Believers from a Muslim Background. Many are new
  believers and many want to leave Iran.
• The pressure on Christians and churches intensified during 2011.
• House fellowships are not permitted by the government. Believers that are active in house churches are questioned, arrested and sometimes put in jail and beaten.
• Believers from a Muslim Background are mostly young Christians in need of training, teaching and materials. They rely on Christian radio and TV programs, the Internet and books in Farsi to grow spiritually.
• Christians have difficulty in finding and keeping a job. Believers who start a business of their own have problems gaining and keeping clients or customers. It is very hard for them to earn an income.
• Converts from Islam are considered apostates and do not enjoy religious legal protection under Iranian law. They are subject to the death penalty under Sharia law. They lose their right to inherit family possessions. They are still considered Muslim and are therefore obliged to undergo Islamic education.

Thank you for standing side-by-side with the Church in Iran. During 2011 we were able to:

• Provide Bibles and discipleship training to Iranian Christians;
• Partner with others to help broadcast the Good News and discipleship training throughout the country;
• Support Iranian Christians with prayer, encouragement and advocacy.

NR. 3 ON THE 2011 WORLD WATCH LIST: AFGHANISTAN

• The state, including the courts, traditionally considers all citizens to be Muslim. Islam provides the foundation of Afghanistan’s customs, laws and practices.
• Blasphemy and apostasy are punishable by death under some interpretations of Islamic law.
• Most Afghan Christians keep their faith to themselves and only share it with a few people that they consider trustworthy. If exposed, Christians face fierce reprisals from family, community and the Taliban, including expulsion from their homes, verbal and physical abuse, loss of employment, imprisonment and even death.
• It is too dangerous for Christians to keep a copy of the Bible in their own home, so they don’t often have the opportunity to study the Word. Because of this, and the high level of illiteracy in the country, seekers and believers throughout the country are listening to Christian radio programs and watching Christian TV programs.

Your faithful support has enabled Open Doors to:

• Strengthen the Afghan Church as they continue to stand strong in the face of persecution.

NR. 5 ON THE 2011 WORLD WATCH LIST: SOMALIA

• Several countries have been under-reported in the past, such as Somalia.
• The atmosphere in Somalia grows increasingly worse as the government is unable to impose order and Jihadists from other countries are streaming over the borders.
• In 2011, Somalia faced the worst drought in decades. People are in desperate need of food. al-Shabaab has reportedly prevented at least 200,000 locals from fleeing the area.
• The tiny number of ethnic Somali Christians practice their faith in secret under extremely dangerous conditions.
• Islam is the official religion; there is no legal provision for religious freedom.
• The country has been without an effective central government since 1991. Muslims seek to enforce order through Sharia law.

Let’s continue to:

• Raise awareness and prayer support for the handful of believers in Somalia

Our March edition of the newsletter will focus solely on the 2012 World Watch List.