Christians being persecuted for their faith

Brunei: Compulsory Islamic teaching in schools

On November 1, 2023, Islamic religious teaching was officially integrated into the educational system of schools in Brunei. This requirement was issued due to a decree from the country’s sultan. The newly mandated curriculum applies to all students from the second to fifth grades – whether they attend public or private school. It involves an hour of instruction each day, including the practise of Islamic prayers and study of the Quran.

Christians in the country have requested prayer that their children will be effectively discipled at home and in the church, so their faith will continually strengthen and sustain them.

Pray for guidance on behalf of Christian parents in this Southeast Asian country as they deal with the newly implemented educational system.

Pakistan: Blasphemy charges dropped

In April 2023, two school workers in Pakistan were given the tasks of cleaning a storeroom and burning any garbage they found. However, as both of these workers are illiterate, they did not realize that some of the papers they had burned contained verses from the Quran. When this was discovered, they were reported to the police and charged with blasphemy for allegedly desecrating the Quran.

The two accused workers have been identified as Musarrat Bibi, a Christian widow, and Muhammad Sarmad, a young Muslim man. Although the workers were released on bail as of May 12, they finally had their day in court on December 8. After hearing the evidence, Judge Tariz Mahmood dismissed all the charges against them.

Following the announcement of the verdict, Musarrat expressed her relief, saying, “I feel like I have got my life back again.” Unfortunately, despite being released, the Christian widow has experienced further challenges. After being granted bail in May, the school administration refused to restore her job. Also, due to receiving subsequent death threats, she was forced to flee the village with her daughter. They have since had to move frequently to avoid being found by Islamic militants who want to cause them harm. Musarrat hopes to eventually find a similar position in another area where she is unknown.

Such dilemmas are frequently experienced by Christians in Pakistan who have been falsely accused of blasphemy. Even when these believers are acquitted by the courts, they often find themselves convicted by public opinion.

Egypt: Temporary church building burned

Local Christians in the village of Misha’at Zaafaranah, located within Egypt’s Minya Province, are working to get approval to build a place of worship. The required documents have been submitted to the authorities and, for the meantime, the group of believers were meeting in a temporary structure on the land belonging to the church.

Although local officials have no objection to these gatherings, in the early morning of January 6, an opposing mob converged at the location to protest the construction of the church building. During the protest, the temporary structure being used by the church members was set on fire. Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident.

This destructive act of persecution follows a similar attack that happened on December 18 against a church building being built in Al-Azeeb. Weeks prior to that incident, another had taken place in Minya Province during the month of November, when a mob attacked a Christian man and burned down his house which had been under construction.

Iran: Christian Detained on Christmas Eve

Esmaeil Narimanpour is an Iranian believer who has faced repeated detentions because of his faith in Christ. In April 2021, he was detained along with three others and tortured by the authorities. Two days later, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, these four Christians were released on the condition that they would agree to return to custody when summoned. Although they were eventually cleared of any criminal offence in November of that same year, they were ordered to take “re-education” classes about Islam.

On Christmas Eve of 2023, Esmaeil was again apprehended by security forces. During this most recent arrest, his home in Dezful was thoroughly searched, and Christian books were confiscated, even though no warrant had been issued. The next day, Esmaeil was allowed to make a short phone call to his family. While conversing with his loved ones, Esmaeil explained that he was being held in Ahvaz, a city located 150 kilometres south of Dezful. When his wife and brother attempted to follow up on the case, they ended up being detained and questioned for several hours as well. At least three other Christians were also reportedly arrested around Christmas, but no details can be released at this time.