Pakistan (good news)
The recent directive from the Lahore High Court to strictly enforce anti-child marriage laws has raised hope among Pakistan’s Christians of some protection against their underage girls being forced to convert to Islam and wed their kidnappers, sources said. It also ordered chairmen of union councils to promptly annul any underage marriages, with the court mandating strict legal actions against such unions.
“This order marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle against underage marriages in Pakistan, especially those belonging to Christian and Hindu communities,” Christian attorney Sumera Shafique said. “It not only strengthens the legal framework but also signals a broader shift towards more vigilant and proactive measures in protecting the rights and well-being of young girls across the province.”
Shafique has won freedom for several Christian girls forcibly converted to Islam and married to those who kidnapped them.
According to a U.N. report issued in 2020, Pakistan has the sixth highest number of girls married before the age of 18 in the world. Child marriage is prevalent in Pakistan due to deeply entrenched traditions and customs, poverty, lack of awareness and/or access to education and lack of security, among other reasons, the report noted.
Praise God for this good news. This is indeed an answer to the prayers of many.
Source: https://christianresponse.org/news/christians-fearing-forced-marriages-in-pakistan-find-hope/
Mozambique
Historically, Mozambique has been a country characterized by primarily peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims. The Constitution safeguards religious freedom and the right to worship according to one’s beliefs. As a secular nation, religious discrimination is prohibited.
Everything changed in 2017, when armed militants, named IS-M, bearing the Islamic State flag, began to wreak havoc, predominately in the northern Mozambique province of Cab Delgado.
Depending on the source, an estimated 1,800 to 3,000 Christians have been murdered in northern Mozambique since October 2017 in ongoing anti-Christian violence. Additionally, almost a million people have been displaced due to the violent attacks. Christians, primarily farmers, have had villages burned and crops destroyed, endangering the food supply and thus creating an “acute hunger crisis.” IS-M militants have also disrupted natural gas supplies.
Together with Christians, prominent local Muslim leaders have condemned these attacks, forming a coalition to address the conflict and support those adversely affected.
Some reports indicate that 20 percent of Christian girls aged 13-17, in the northern region particularly, are vulnerable to being kidnapped and forced to marry a Muslim man.
On January 4, 2024, IS-M launched a campaign against Christians, “And Kill Them Wherever You Find Them.”
Between January 4 and February 12, 2024, a composite of multiple reports indicate that IS-M militants carried out attacks resulting in at least 22 murders (including one beheading), one abduction, 237 homes burned, five churches burned as well as a hospital, Christian schools, military installations, and other infrastructure buildings burned. These attacks are occurring with little deterrence and counterattacks, leaving Christians at the mercy of IS-M jihadists. This is truly frightening and warrants international condemnation and intervention.
We as the body of Christ must stand with and pray for our persecuted brothers and sister in Mozambique, many of whom have lost everything. One pastor whose family had been killed proclaimed: “They can burn our houses, they can burn our food – but they cannot burn Jesus out of me.”
Please Pray for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Mozambique.
Source: https://www.persecution.org/2024/03/07/war-on-christians-in-mozambique/
Nicaragua
Three American missionaries serving with a U.S.-based nonprofit recently faced criminal charges in Nicaragua. The missionaries have been accused of money laundering and organized crime in connection to eight mass evangelistic gospel campaigns hosted in the country last year, reaching nearly one million people. Eleven local pastors also face charges for their participation in the events.
The Christian ministry known as Mountain Gateway, which operates as Puerta de la Montaña in Nicaragua, is focused on discipleship, church planting, humanitarian outreach, and sharing the gospel globally. For ten years, Mountain Gateway has served the people of Nicaragua, maintaining a close relationship with local officials and operating under the government’s oversight.
Unfortunately, this case is just an example of the many ways Christians face discriminatory treatment under the repressive regime of President Daniel Ortega. Since 2018, dozens of Catholic Bishops have been arrested, churches vandalized, and religious clergy have faced erroneous charges for criticizing the government’s poor religious freedom conditions and human rights violations.
Source: https://www.persecution.org/2024/02/05/american-missionaries-face-charges-in-nicaragua/
It’s great to see Al McNair back to writing articles in Light Magazine. I did miss his articles in a few issues that didn’t have any reports from him.
It deeply hurts when we read articles on unimaginable, horrific persecution of our families in the world but it’s good getting information so we can pray and help as the Lord leads.
Pls extend thanks to Al McNair. Lord bless him for what he does for God’s kingdom especially for our persecuted families around the world.
Thanks and blessings to everybody in Light Magazine!