Nigeria: Army said to help in slaughter of Christians
Muslim extremists with the alleged help of Nigerian army personnel killed 24 Christians this month in central Nigeria’s Plateau state, area sources said. The attacks started Aug. 11 in Ratsa Foron village, where assaults that day and on Aug. 15 left six Christians dead; also in Heipang village, Muslim extremists killed nine members of one Christian family along with another Christian, the sources said. ‘They were in army uniform. I even know some of them; they came along with the Muslims to attack us,’ said Nnaji John, who lost her family in the attack. ‘I can swear to God Almighty that the attack was carried out with the support of the soldiers; I saw them.’ Attacks on Aug. 21 in Kwi, Loton, and Jwol villages killed six more Christians, said the sources, who added that Nigerian army soldiers participated in the assaults or at least accompanied the assailants.
Pray: for the Christians of Nigeria that God would extend His hand of protection over them. (Nu.14:9)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/nigeria/article_116835.html
Algeria: Churches violates guaranteed freedom
While many people residing in Middle Eastern and North African countries are undergoing turmoil, one group in particular are experiencing extreme change for the worse: Christians. This is particularly true for Algerian Christians. Algeria ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1989. Article 18 of this covenant guarantees freedom of religion
and belief for all human beings without discrimination. Further, the constitution of Algeria guarantees fundamental freedoms and human rights to all Algerian citizens. Despite these guarantees, Mustapha Krim, the president of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA), was informed by police that all non-Muslim places of worship in Béjaïa Province, would be shut down. Algerian authorities based their decision to shut down the churches on the discriminatory Ordinance 06-03, which regulates non-Muslim worship. In addition to this attack on the Christian community.
Pray: for the authorities that use the law against the church and pray that just laws would prevail. (2Ch.11:14b)
Fiji government again cancels Methodist conference
The annual conference of Fiji's Methodist Church, due to start 23 August, was cancelled by Fiji's military government for the third consecutive year after church leaders defied a government directive to step down from their positions. Fiji's Land Force Commander Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga, also directed that no Methodist Church minister be allowed to leave the country, and banned permits under the Public Emergency Regulation for all official Methodist Church meetings. There are concerns that the ban will lead to the collapse of the Methodist church administration and severely affect funding. Michael King, World Church Relationships Team Leader for the Methodist Church in Britain, said the ban was a ‘massive setback’ in church/state relations, given that it seemed that relationships had improved and the political situation had eased.
Pray: that the relations between church and state would be improved and that God would open the doors of reconciliation and understanding. (2Cor.5:11)
Mexico: Drug violence traps believers in fear
Most headlines involving Mexico over the past few years have revolved around some sort of drug cartel shootings, kidnappings, or most recently, arson. Of the 40,000 deaths that have occurred since 2006 connected to Mexican drug cartels, most have been men actually caught up in some way with the cartels. But the violence has spread easily and quickly outside those circles to include many civilians, paralyzing many who live along the border with fear. ‘People have a feeling that today could be the day that they die,’ says Todd Szalkowski with E3 Partners. ‘They literally approach every day, because of the violence there, as if it could be their last day on earth. People are afraid to gather in large groups, and that affects church-going people’. He added, ‘They're seeing their pastors abducted out of the pulpit and held for ransom. Gripped by fear, even believers are too nervous to attend church’. (See also Prayer Alert 33-2011)
Pray: to the Lord while He may be found and pray that God would anoint our prayers and heal the Land. (2Chr.7:14)
