Pray Network Forum

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 232 | Wed 16 Oct 2013

* Supporting International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
* IDOP 2013: Sunday 3 November
* See http://criticalprayerrequests.blogspot.com

KAZAKHSTAN; plus CENTRAL ASIA'S COMPLEX REALITY

by Elizabeth Kendal

Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev (aged 67 in October), a convert from Islam and pastor of Grace Church (Presbyterian) in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, was arrested in May 2013 after the mother of a church member accused him of making her adult daughter mentally ill. Charged with 'intentional inflicting of serious harm to health' - essentially for praying for the sick - Pastor Kashkumbayev was detained and sent for psychiatric assessment (see RLPB 223, 14 Aug 2013). Despite an international outcry, Pastor Kashkumbayev's detention in the Almaty City Psychological-Psychiatric Assessment Centre was twice extended. Other prisoners of conscience recently treated this way include the atheist blogger and anti-corruption campaigner Aleksandr Kharlamov (63), charged with 'inciting religious hatred' for criticising religion, and Zinaida Mukhortova (56), a lawyer deemed delusional after she filed complaints against a regional governor.

Forum 18, closely monitoring the case, reports that Pastor Kashkumbayev was transferred back to Almaty's Investigation Prison in September. Then after being released to house arrest on 8 October, he was immediately re-arrested on charges of 'extremism'. If deemed guilty, the pastor will face seven years in prison. 'Expert analysis' of the activities of Grace Church has labelled books found at the church 'extremist' and in breach of the law against inciting religious hatred and social discord. The authorities regard evangelical witness to be just as much a threat to peace and social cohesion as jihadist or revolutionary Islam because it creates problems they would rather not have. For the authorities, it is easier to deal with the problem of unwanted minority Protestants than with the problem of majority religious intolerance.

If the troublesome, witnessing Christian is a foreigner, the usual action is deportation. Vyacheslav (Victor) Lim (37) was deported in August 2013 on the grounds he had attracted eight administrative offences in eight years: traffic infringements, late payment of tax, failing to report travel, insufficient fire safety and the like. All fines were paid immediately, even those Lim disputed. Lim was accused of conducting 'illegal missionary activity' because he had been leading a local congregation of the Grace Protestant Church (Baptist) in Borovoe, north of Astana. He had been a legal resident for eight years with a residence permit valid to 2020; his wife and two children who left Kazakhstan with him were all Kazakh citizens. Kazakh human rights activist, Yevgeny Zhovtis, considers Lim was deported for his religious activities. He described it as a 'typical religious case' and a 'misuse of justice'. Russian Orthodox priest Fr Sofrony (Pyotr Yevtikheyev) was deported from Almaty Region around the same time for reasons of 'national security'. A Russian citizen, Fr Sofrony had been a legal resident since 1991. He was the priest at St Sergy's Church in the village of Tuymebayev. He also ran an orphanage there that cared for around 110 children and an aged care facility that was home to some 120 elderly people.

THE COMPLEX REALITY OF CENTRAL ASIA

Central Asia has real and serious problems. Soviet-imposed borders continue to be a major cause of ethnic tensions and peace is tenuous. Islamic jihadist and revolutionary groups agitating for an Islamic state pose a real and serious threat. Poor governance marked by widespread corruption, human rights abuses and indifference to suffering has turned many Muslims against the government and towards groups such as Hizb-ut-Tahrir which present Islam as the solution. Whilst the laws against 'extremism' and 'inciting religious hatred' were designed to target the Islamic threat, they are routinely abused to intimidate disgruntled Muslims and persecute witnessing Protestants. That the West is seen to be siding with jihadists further complicates the states' relationship with Protestants. Protestants in Uzbekistan have long suffered harassment, repression, arrests and the confiscation of property. Also as noted by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL, 4 October), the government in Kyrgyzstan has recently proposed tightening the administrative punishment (i.e. no trial necessary) for 'illegal missionary activity' and 'religious propaganda'. The proposed law would ban collecting tithes, the propagation of religion in educational facilities and religious conversions.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL -

* intervene on behalf of Pastor Kashkumbayev and end the persecution of him and Grace Church; may the Lord have mercy on this family and this fellowship of believers; may justice be done.

* intervene for Pastor Lim and provide him and his family with everything they need, particularly a secure place of refuge and a divine appointment where they can witness to the Lord's goodness.

* intervene in Kyrgyzstan to stop the highly repressive, punitive and retrograde amendments to the religion law; may the Holy Spirit infiltrate any debate about religious liberty and use it to open eyes, minds and hearts.

* raise up righteous, wise leaders in Central Asia who will address the real and serious issues of ethnic tension, Islamic jihadist and revolutionary movements, corruption, poverty and hardship while upholding religious liberty and confronting religious intolerance. (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

* empower great and effectual Christian ministry and witness in Central Asia; may the Holy Spirit bring transforming revival to Central Asia. 'Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!' (Psalm 126:5 ESV)


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

KAZAKHSTAN AND CENTRAL ASIA'S COMPLEX REALITY

Pastor Kashkumbayev (66) of Grace Church in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, was arrested in May 2013 for allegedly harming health, ostensibly by praying for the sick. He spent months detained in a psychiatric facility before being returned to prison in mid-September. On 8 October Kashkumbayev was released to house arrest only to be re-arrested immediately on charges of 'extremism'. If deemed guilty he faces seven years in prison alongside Islamic 'extremists'. Islamic jihadist and revolutionary movements are a real and serious threat in Central Asia. Anti-terror and anti-incitement laws intended to target the Islamic threat are being abused to intimidate the desperate masses and persecute 'troublesome', witnessing Protestants. Kyrgyzstan is proposing a law to ban missionary activity, religious educational facilities and religious conversion. Please pray for the Church in Central Asia.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the Summary above might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of  'Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today' 
(Deror Books, Dec. 2012) http://turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html

Elizabeth is Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology. She is Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith & Freedom based in Canberra, Australia.

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Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 160 | Wed 23 May 2012

SYRIA CONFLICT SPILLS INTO LEBANON

by Elizabeth Kendal

The conflict in Syria is political, sectarian and increasingly jihadist; local, regional and increasingly international. The US - Saudi - Gulf Arab axis is determined to deal Iran a heavy blow and counter its ascendancy by removing Syria from the strategic 'Shi'ite Crescent' through which Iran is connected to Hezballah on Israel's northern border. Further to this, al-Qaeda elements are infiltrating Syria, keen to establish bases for jihadists' operations that will replace those bases lost in Iraq. Despite Lebanon's official policy of disassociation, geography made it almost inevitable that the conflict would eventually spill over the border.

On 7 May Syria's envoy to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, sent a letter to the UN Security Council listing a dozen incidents since mid-March of the smuggling or attempted smuggling of weapons from Lebanon to Syria. The letter also accused al-Qaeda, Syria's Muslim Brotherhood and Lebanon's Sunni Future Movement of supporting opposition and terrorist fighters. A 21 May report from Stratfor Global Intelligence essentially supports these claims, noting that a struggle is under way in northern Lebanon, a Sunni stronghold. The US - Saudi - Gulf Arab axis is funnelling money and weaponry through Lebanon to the Syrian rebellion - through Tripoli via Akkar to Homs - while Syrian forces, together with their allies in the Lebanese military and security agencies, are determined to disrupt those supply-lines.

On 12 May plain-clothed officers from the General Security Directorate arrested a popular Sunni Islamist and anti-Assad activist, Shadi Mawlawi (27), in Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli. He was charged with supporting regional al-Qaeda forces. Riots ensued, attracting an influx of Salafis [Sunni hardliners]. According to Lebanon's Daily Star, 'Salafists hurried to open the Bab Tabbaneh-Jabal Mohsen [Sunni vs Alawite] front.' Armed groups from the two neighbourhoods exchanged rocket-propelled grenade, mortar and sniper fire until a tenuous truce was brokered. Stratfor reports that five Salaftist groups have now moved into Tripoli and are calling for Sunnis in the Lebanese army to defect. Then on 20 May Sunni cleric Ahmed Abdul-Wahid and his companion Sheikh Mohammad Hussein al-Mereb were killed at an army checkpoint in Akkar district while en route to a rally organised by the Sunni Future Movement. Lebanese soldiers fired on them, reportedly for failing to stop. Local Sunni clerics have denounced the 'assassination' and called for the creation of a 'Free Lebanese Army'. Gun battles erupted at the funeral on Monday 21 May, spreading even into Beirut. Subsequently, reports that 11 Lebanese Shi'ites on pilgrimage in Aleppo, Syria, had been kidnapped by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) triggered Shi'ite rioting in southern Beirut.

According to Lebanese Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, the minorities are essentially being 'ground between two stones': Sunni and Shi'ite. His solution: ally with the winner, which he believes will be the Sunnis in Syria and Shi'ites in Lebanon. The Middle East's Christians, like other minorities, have long sought security through alliances with hegemonic powers. In the end though these powers either prove to be insufficient or fail to be true allies. Not only are they limited and mortal, they are generally self-interested pragmatists - often liars. They will protect Christians as long as it is convenient - often exploiting them in the process - but will betray and sacrifice them as soon as it is not. In reality the Christians of the Middle East have only one protector. His name is Yahweh Sabaoth: the Lord of hosts (literally, the Commander of heaven's angelic armies). In truth, a better ally could not be found! But for Christians to receive his grace, they must seek it in faith. In the face of massive violence and destabilisation, such faith is more radical than natural. So we must pray.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL -

* draw Christians in Syria and Lebanon to him, so they will look to him, finding comfort and refuge as well as strength for endurance as the security situation deteriorates. ' . . . in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.' (Psalm 57:1b ESV.)

* for the sake of his Church, guide Christian religious and civic leaders in Syria and Lebanon with wisdom, discernment, moral conviction and courage, that they might not be influenced by misplaced fear and will do what is right regardless of circumstances.

* redeem these dark days by exposing and bringing down all that is false so that Christ alone will be exalted; that 'the earth might be filled with the knowledge and glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea' (Habakkuk 2:14 ESV).


To see this RLPB with hyperlinks go to http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com.au


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

SYRIA CONFLICT SPILLS INTO LEBANON

In the Sunni Muslim stronghold of northern Lebanon a struggle is raging. The US - Saudi - Gulf Arab axis is funnelling money and weaponry through Lebanon to the Syrian rebellion, while Syrian forces, together with their allies in the Lebanese military and security agencies, are determined to disrupt those supply-lines. Incidents have escalated in recent weeks and include killings, arrests, riots and gun battles, mostly in northern Lebanon but also in Beirut which on Monday 21 May experienced its worst violence since May 2008. Security is deteriorating, tensions are high and risk is extreme. The region's minorities are described as being 'ground between two stones': the Sunnis and the Shi'ites. These besieged Christians need our prayers that they will endure and that God will be their refuge and strength.


We suggest that churches and fellowships using the above Summary might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal's blog 'Religious Liberty Monitoring'

http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com

Previous RLPBs may be viewed at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com/

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly issues direct by sending a blank email to

join-rlpb@hub.xc.org