Christians Under Fire from authorities in Laos
by Staff
November 5, 2008
SANTA ANA, Calif., (christiansunite.com) -- Open Doors, an international Christian ministry which supports and strengthens persecuted believers, is calling on Christians to pray for over 100 million suffering Christians during the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on Sunday, Nov. 9.During that day churches in the United States, as well as churches around the world, will focus on prayer and support for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. IDOP is one of the largest prayer events in the world and has heightened awareness of persecuted Christians since its inception in 1996.
"The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church presents a tremendous opportunity for millions of people to make a difference in the lives of those being persecuted for their faith in countries like North Korea, Iran, Iraq, China, India and many more," says Open Doors USA President/CEO Carl Moeller. "Persecuted believers have asked us who live in freedom to pray for them - always their number one request. And on Nov. 9 we have the opportunity to collectively lift our petitions to the Lord on their behalf."
Pray for believers in such restrictive countries as:
North Korea - Earlier this month the United States removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. The 2008 Open Doors World Watch List ranked North Korea as the top violator of religious rights for the sixth year in a row. The U.N. investigator on human rights Vitit Muntarbhorn said last week North Korea is using public executions to intimidate its citizens and has imposed restrictions on long distance calls to block the spread of news about rising food shortages in the reclusive nation. Many Christians have been beaten, tortured or killed because of their religious beliefs and thousands are in political prisons.
Iran - Without international pressure there is little to stop the Iranian government from ratifying a bill that will make "apostasy," or leaving Islam, a capital crime, say human rights groups and experts. On Sept. 9 the Iranian parliament approved a new penal code by a vote of 196-7 calling for a mandatory death sentence, according to Compass Direct News. The Christian and Baha'i communities of Iran are most likely to be affected by this decision. Islam is the official religion in Iran, ranked No. 3 on the Open Doors World Watch List.
Iraq - "At this time 10,000 Christians have left Mosul because of the escalating terrorism specifically targeting Christians," says Olaf, Iraq country coordinator for Open Doors. A local contact of Open Doors says that the number of families fleeing Mosul has reached 2,000 in the past week. Olaf adds: "Our Iraqi colleague, let's call him Yassr for security reasons, says that terrorists dressed like policemen asked a Christian for his identification card. When the ID showed he was a Christian, he was shot right on the spot." At least 15 Christians have been killed in Mosul since the first of the month.
India - Violence against the Christian community in Orissa has claimed the lives of at least 60 people in the last two months. More than 18,000 have been injured while around 4,500 houses and churches have been destroyed. The violence, which has spread to at least 14 districts of Orissa, has left more than 50,000 people homeless.
