India: Christians seek Easter protection
Archbishop Marampudi Joji of Hyderabad sought police protection for conducting Easter services, particularly the Good Friday procession through public streets. The city witnessed Hindu-Muslim violence in the last week of March and police impossed a curfew in the violence-hit old city areas with propitiatory orders banning assembly of more than five people. Although the flare up was political rather than religion-related the Archbishop told UCA news, ‘We have requested police protection to conduct Holy Week services within our churches.' He also said that Christians in areas where curfew was imposed will ‘find it difficult to attend the Holy Week prayer.’ He has asked some parishes not to have processions and for
congregations to go home quietly after religious ceremonies. Police relaxed curfew in a few areas on April 1 after the situation improved.
Pray: for this and all Easter Christian services in India to be anointed, protected and a prevailing witness to non Believers. (Mt.28:18-20)
More: http://www.ucanews.com/2010/04/01/police-protection-sought-for-holy-wee
India: Christians faced 1,000 attacks in 500 days in Karnataka State
Open Doors reported ‘Christians in southern Karnataka State are experiencing an unprecedented wave of persecution, having faced more than 1,000 attacks in 500 days, according to an independent investigation by Justice Michael Saldanha, a former state High Court judge. In the latest attack on 17 March, a mob of 150 people led by the Hindu extremist organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and its youth wing, Bajrang Dal, stormed the funeral of a 50-year-old Christian identified only as ‘Isaac'. During his funeral, a mob pulled Isaac's coffin apart, threw his body onto a tractor and dumped it outside, saying his burial would have contaminated Indian soil. State authorities have denied the results of the inquiry, saying the number of attacks is significantly less. Many Christians face false charges of fraudulent or forced conversions. In his report, Justice Saldanha states that Christians are regularly ‘dragged to the police station under false allegations, immediately locked up, beaten and denied bail’
Pray: that Karnataka State will have a reliable justice system and that Christians will receive just treatment from the police and law courts. (Jas.1:12)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/india/16634/
China: Christians call to end internet censorship
A London conference was held last week by Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Release International to raise awareness of persecuted Christians in China. Release International called on Microsoft and Yahoo to follow Google's lead and refuse to censor the Internet and reports of persecution in China. ‘Religious persecution is a daily reality in China,’ said Release CEO Andy Dipper. ‘The Chinese people need to be told the truth and gatekeepers to the Internet, namely Microsoft and Yahoo, have a duty to let the truth be told.’ The conference highlighted the plight of human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, who disappeared more than 400 days ago after defending leaders of the persecuted house church and practitioners of the banned movement Falun Gong. Praise God Gao has been interviewed, see Praise article below.
Pray: that Gao Zkisheng would be released immediately along with many others in similar circumstances. (Ps.4:1)
North Korea: High ranking defector speaks out
On Thursday AFP reported Hwang Jang-Yop, the highest-ranking official ever to defect from North Korea is calling for ‘ideological warfare’ against the hard-line regime and says China could easily bring it down if it chose to. Jang-Yop, who is at the top of North Korean agents' hit-list, is paying a tightly guarded visit to Washington as he seeks support from US policymakers and activists against his former government.The 87-year-old mentored leader Kim Jong-Il, presided over North Korea's parliament and is credited with developing the regime's ideology of ‘juche,’ or self-reliance. Speaking on Wednesday to a small audience at a think-tank, Jang-Yop discounted the options either of attacking or engaging Kim's regime and said it was instead crucial to show North Koreans the human rights violations around them. For insights from sensitive Christian sources to help you pray for North Korea click the info button below.
Pray: for God to give Jang-Yop the words that would be heard around the world to bring a colossal nonviolent turnaround of regime in North Korea. (Is.41:2)
