Nmadu says from our standpoint as Christians, genocidal offenses are being committed; but regardless of how the UN or other international organizations choose to label the situation: 

“We can safely say that Christians are being killed in mass with the intention to coerce, to make Christians change their religious conduct,” he affirms. “Freedom of religion, or belief, is being hampered in many parts of Northern Nigeria.”

With land comes economic and political power, and the battle for control sweeps through a complex territory of cultural, political, and religious landscapes. 

Nmadu says he does not believe the present government is aiding the killing of Christians. But the administration’s refusal to take swift action, even in the form of strong rhetoric, reveals a trend towards political correctness. 

“In trying to be politically correct, they become complacent,” he says. “The government – not just this government, even past governments – have not done enough to protect lives of Christians in communities.”

The killings and abductions of thousands of Nigerians have been documented over the last few years. But Nmadu says small numbers aren’t even accounted for in those reports. 

“The evil is just unimaginable, and for a government to come out and deny that there is [any] such thing happening in the country shows their level of responsiveness in protecting lives and property, which is the number one duty of any government in the world,” he says. 

In particular, he believes the government of Nigeria must track down terrorists and hold them accountable to justice. He also thinks the administration needs to address the blasphemy laws being implemented in some Nigerian states by Muslims trying to enforce Sharia law. 

“When we say government is not doing enough, it is allowing the culture of impunity to prevail in the country,” he says. “People are emboldened to commit more atrocities because when one is committed, nothing is done.” 

Nmadu is hopeful that a surge of international interest will be a catalyst for change in Nigeria. 

President Trump has declared Nigeria a country of particular concern and has even threatened to send US troops to the country if measures to stop the genocide are not taken. It’s a move that Nmadu says has pricked the ears of government officials in his home country. 

“And if this is the only thing that this has done, I think it’s a welcome idea,” he says.

Above and featured photos courtesy of Unsplash

Since the late nineties, all religious organizations in Kyrgyzstan have had to officially register with the Ministry of Justice in order to operate. While the national mandate originally required groups to submit proof of 200 founding members, the new law increases that number to 500. These members must be current, adult residents of the region where the religious group operates. 

But Greg Musselman with VOM Canada says the number is unrealistic. Even if a group had that many initial members, some may have passed away or moved out of the area since the group’s founding. 

“The government in Kyrgyzstan obviously has realized that by putting on more of these oppressive measures toward the churches, it’s going to cause the churches to stop meeting. And that’s ultimately what their goal is,” Musselman says. 

He has seen this play out in other countries. 

“It basically causes the churches to have to go underground because they will not be able to meet publicly,” he explains. 

Government restrictions are often a first step toward tighter national clampdown on Christianity. Thus, Musselman isn’t surprised to see these kinds of laws coming from Islamic countries. The question, he says, is how will believers react? In his experience, persecution can embolden believers.

“It can actually cause the church to become stronger and more committed.”

Matthew 16:18 reminds us that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. But while some believers are firmed up by resistance: 

“There will be others that will be very timid. They will stop meeting, and we know that when there’s not a community of believers gathering together, it can really cause a lot of problems for individual Christians,” Musselman points out.

Rural Kyrgyzstan. Courtesy of EJ Wolfson via Unsplash.

Muslim-background believers face constant pressures from family and society, which are often more persuasive than those coming from the government. Because Islam is so woven into society’s fabric, any conversion to Christianity is seen as a threat. 

“That disrupts, in their mind, the culture,” Musselman says. Fear of Christianity prevails even when Christians practice good citizenship while carrying out their faith. “When you have a government that doesn’t see it that way or a society that doesn’t see it that way, that’s where you’ll see more of the opposition.”

Muslim-background believers have much to overcome, and their future is uncertain. 

“It gets back to: how strong are some of them?” says Musselman. “For them, leaving Islam is a big step in itself.” 

This is a tremendous prayer opportunity. Please pray not only for the salvation of citizens in Kyrgyzstan, but also for ongoing courage and growth amidst ostracization from family and society. Pray also for ministries in Kyrgyzstan. Musselman and several of his VOM Canada colleagues are focused on teaching a theology of persecution, especially to leaders who can spiritually equip their own flocks. 

“The key thing is discipleship,” he says, “and also to encourage them, saying ‘You’re not alone. What kind of resources do you need?’”

Please pray that Christians in Kyrgyzstan won’t compromise. Pray that church leaders would have wisdom and words before government officials. Pray that believers would have clarity about how to proceed as congregations under new restrictions, and pray that they would love those persecuting them. 

Featured image courtesy of Jacqueline Macou from Pixabay

The Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria are a Muslim-majority group and often attack Christian villages. The ‘why’ behind their attacks has some to do with religious extremism and some with land wars.

Greg Musselman with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada explains, “The Fulani herdsmen go in and they do burn down villages, but it doesn’t attract as much attention because people can’t quite understand. These are herdsmen. Aren’t they peaceful, nomadic people?”

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

“But the majority are Muslim and they will be grazing their animals on land that is often owned by Christian farmers. Then when the Christian farmers speak up and say, ‘Hey, you can’t do that. This is our land,’ that then leads to an attack on these villages as these Fulani herdsmen try to take their land from them.”

A recent Fulani herdsmen attack on five villages killed 27 people and injured another 43 – many of them Christians.

“The Fulani herdsmen came into these five villages in this area in northern Nigeria,” Musselman shares. “The people ran into the forest, in the bush. Some of them tried to escape by jumping into the river. Some were shot and killed as they were doing that. Others drowned. Many of them couldn’t swim.”

A local pastor, Reverend Gerison Ezekiel Killa, 43, also drowned in the onslaught. He leaves behind a wife and six children.

Additionally, the Fulani herdsmen looted the villages, stole cattle, and burned several homes. Latest reports say ten villagers are still missing.

According to World Watch Monitor, this was the same region where 3,000 homes were destroyed in a Fulani herdsmen attack in December 2017. The Nigerian Air Force allegedly fired rockets at the villages during the assault.

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Musselman was recently in Nigeria with VOM Canada and met two ladies, Janet and Victoria. These women are familiar with the suffering caused by Fulani attackers.

“Both of them lost their husbands and family members as a result of Fulani herdsmen coming into their village at the end of 2016 and into 2017. Part of the work we do at Voice of the Martyrs is to help these widows try to get their lives back on track.”

Through VOM Canada and their ministry partners, widows like Janet and Victoria are getting vocational training, Bible training, and able to become self-supporting. Many start businesses so they can earn a livelihood and get an education for their children.

This is the global Church at work — encouraging and lifting each other up in Christ.

“It was wonderful to see that part of it. [It was] very encouraging how grateful they are to Christians in Canada and America and around the world that are standing with them. They know that they are not alone.”

Musselman says Janet and Victoria still hope to return to their home villages, even though it could put them at risk of another attack.

“I asked them, ‘Are you fearful of going back?’ They said, ‘Yes, we are. But where else do we go? Our family is there. Our livelihood is there.’”

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

With Nigerian believers facing danger on multiple fronts, especially from Boko Haram and Fulani militants, how does it affect the nature of the Church there?

“Many churches are trying to be active when it comes to not compromising their faith, and they certainly need to be concerned about security issues, but also [they are] wanting to see people come into a relationship with Jesus. So in some ways, it emboldens the Church. For many believers, it causes them to be stronger. Other believers, of course, are fearful and just want to leave and some have left the area.”

When Christians do come under attack, those who survive are confronted with the struggle between bitterness and forgiveness.

“It’s easy sometimes maybe from the outside to say [forgiveness] needs to happen because that’s what Jesus said. We need to forgive our enemies. They know not what they do. And those are all very true things, but to be able to put it into practice is sometimes a very difficult thing.”

However, Musselman says Nigerian Christians — men and women who have lost dearly loved ones to Fulani herdsmen murders — are extending forgiveness and mercy far beyond what many people could imagine in similar circumstances. And it’s only because of the Holy Spirit’s work in them.

“They have worked through the forgiveness process and have actually been able to get by some of the pain. Certainly, it’s going to be there the rest of their lives. But they are even trying to build relationships with the Muslim Fulani people.”

Because of this, VOM Canada has seen people in northern Nigeria come to faith in Jesus Christ — even those from Muslim extremist backgrounds.

Please pray for Nigerian Christians to cling to their faith and offer divine forgiveness to their persecutors.

Musselman shares, “My real prayer would be that they would not be intimidated by the violence, they would still continue to be the salt and light in those areas,…and that they would also be protected, that God would protect them.”

Click here to learn more about VOM Canada’s ministry.

Header photo courtesy of World Watch Monitor

A Sudanese court in August ruled that the property confiscations were unlawful. The court also ordered the Sudanese government to drop its case against five SCOC church leaders, according to World Watch Monitor.

(Photo courtesy of World Watch Monitor)

“The Sudanese government actually lost the case in court, which was kind of surprising,” says Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada. “When you have a country like that with such a strong-arm leader and government [and] the fact that a court would overrule them, you just have to wonder, was something happening in the background?”

Sudan is currently listed as the fourth worst country for Christian persecution on Open Doors’ World Watch List. It beats out other notorious countries such as Pakistan, Eritrea, and Iraq.

Musselman reflects, “The government of Sudan [is] an Islamic country under a dictatorship. Many Christians have suffered brutally, even those from the outside. A personal friend of mine, a guy named Petr Jasek, a Czechoslovakian [Christian] spent over a year in prisons in Khartoum because…they put it out there that he was spying on the country.”

While we can’t know for sure, part of Sudan’s motivation to agree to return the church properties could be fueled by international political pressures. Authoritarian governments aren’t always moved by pressure on human rights issues. However, the Sudanese government wants to be removed from the United States’ list of State Sponsors of Terrorism and normalize relations with the West.

“I think advocacy is working, especially at the government level. Again, we could talk about North Korea, we could talk about Pakistan, many of these nations that need financial help from the West and especially from the US. The US is in a position to exert pressure on some of these governments.”

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Meanwhile, human rights groups point out that Sudan has not made significant progress and still commits various human rights violations. Denial of religious freedom is just one of the ways the Sudanese government controls its people.

“When the US continues to have this influence, that still needs to be used not just for the rights of the Christians, but also for the rights of the people of Sudan that are being oppressed by their government,” reminds Musselman.

While this news regarding the SCOC’s properties is encouraging, there are other congregations in Sudan whose confiscated lands have not been returned. If a church is allowed to meet, they often have tight restrictions from the government.

The outlook for religious freedom in Sudan may still seem grim, but it can’t overshadow the persistent faithfulness of the Church.

“Whether they have legal buildings or whether they are meeting in homes or in the darkness at night…we know the Kingdom of God is still going forward. People are still coming to Christ. People are still becoming strong followers of Jesus through discipleship. Those things still happen regardless of what the government does.”

(Photo courtesy of Prayercast)

As you learn more about Sudan and what Christians face there, you can be equipped to respond through prayer, giving, and even advocacy.

Find out more about Sudan on VOM Canada’s website here. They have prayer requests and ways you can be an encouragement to the Sudanese Church through their ministry.

For now, please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Sudan to persist in their faithful witness of the Gospel. Ask God to soften the hearts of Sudanese national leaders towards believers in their country. And praise the Lord for the return of church properties to the SCOC.

(Header photo courtesy of Prayercast)

The US State Department designated MML as a terrorist organization last month, saying the political party is a front for the group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Hafiz Saeed, the leader of LeT, is believed to have orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that killed over 160 people. LeT continues to create aliases and fronts to get around international sanctions.

The new MML party is campaigning to enforce the death penalty for blasphemy convictions and ultimately establish Sharia law in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry requested MML be barred from registering as a political party in October 2017. However, in March this year the Islamabad High Court ordered the election commission to register MML as a political party for the coming election season.

Greg Musselman with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada says, “From an international perspective, Pakistan really is looked at as a broken country. It is a failed state. They may try to clamp down on terrorism and they certainly give the US government lip service saying they’re trying to clamp down on that. And yet, on the other hand, we’ve seen where there still have been these attacks and you wonder, how serious are they?”

MML and other radical Muslim groups are growing in popularity. Although MML was not allowed to run in Pakistan’s elections last year, it did participate in a special election and shockingly garnered the fourth highest number of votes.

This uptick in Pakistan’s radical Islamic element means Christians are increasingly attacked.

Baptism in Pakistan. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

Musselman explains, “Groups like ISIS, of course, the Taliban and al Qaida that have pretty strong footprints in those countries [are] reacting against Christians. So when you see Easter, Christmas, those kinds of gatherings especially, that’s when Christians are very vulnerable.”

The trouble for Christians doesn’t stop at individual or mass attacks. Radical Islamists also pressure the Pakistani government to kowtow to their demands. As a result, extremists wield the law like a hammer against believers and other religious minorities.

“You’ve got these blasphemy laws that are often used to take a business, as an example, from a Christian or land, those kinds of things. Or they want daughters from Christian families to be taken and married to Muslims and then they force conversions. So there [are] a number of things that are going on there, but there is that radical or militant aspect of Islam that is causing these problems.”

There are officials in the Pakistani government pushing to protect minorities, but they risk suffering attacks or even assassination.

Musselman shares, “We’ve seen in the past for those that stand up against some of the atrocities against Christians. I think of the governor of Punjab who was murdered because of his support of Asia Bibi and getting her out of prison.”

Throughout the growing persecution, VOM Canada seeks to encourage and strengthen the Church in Pakistan.

“Even though the Christian population of Pakistan is less than two percent, in some parts of the country it is growing. We work with organizations over there that are actively planting churches in areas that are very dangerous and I have been in some of those spots. We have seen those that come from a Muslim background coming to a relationship and faith in Jesus.”

Understandably, it’s not easy to remain in Pakistan as a Christian when it could mean your life or the lives of your family members and children.

“We have seen thousands of Christians that have left Pakistan. Many of them are currently…in Thailand trying to get to Canada, the United States, and Europe. They have found themselves in very difficult situations there. Some have been imprisoned because they are not there legally. They fear that if they go back to Pakistan, they will be persecuted — especially for the Muslim converts, those that have come to Christ from a Muslim background.”

Prayer is crucial for the encouragement of our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Pakistan. As 1 Corinthians 12:26a says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it….”

Musselman says, “We need to pray that the believers will have peace in the middle of all the storm. And maybe that’s easy to say from where I sit in Canada or where you are in the United States, but we really do need to pray.

“Then as we pray, the Lord gives us some insight. Maybe there is something we can do beyond prayer. Maybe that’s a supportive way of helping ministries like Voice of the Martyrs or Open Doors and those that work with persecuted Christians that can get resources into the hands of the Pakistani believers.”

Click here to learn more about and support Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s ministry.

(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs)

Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says there are resources available to connect us to persecuted believers. “I think one of the things we need to do is to know the names if we can and find out through ministries like Voice of the Martyrs Canada and US, Open Doors, etc. Find out the names and pray for them. And in many cases, you may be led to write letters to the people that are suffering.”

Open Doors reports that every month approximately 322 Christians are killed for their faith, 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed, and 772 acts of violence* are committed against believers.

But, Musselman shares, “As we see the numbers increasing in terms of those that are being persecuted for their faith around the world, at the same time, we’re seeing unprecedented numbers of people coming to Christ.”

One way to get to know the persecuted Church is to pray for specific countries where believers are suffering. For example, North Korea is the top country on Open Doors’ World Watch List where Christian persecution is the harshest.

Musselman explains, “You have what’s called a juche system or ideology which is a worship of the Kim family. So in that particular country, you’re not allowed to have any other kinds of deities or gods that you worship. So as a result of that, Christianity is basically banned there. Believers have to be very careful, they can’t meet together…. If they are caught with Bibles or meeting with other Christians, they are put into concentration-type camps and their life is very difficult.”

Though it’s difficult to get accurate reports out of the hermit nation, most estimates say that tens of thousands of Christians are imprisoned in North Korea today.

“North Korea is the worst because they attack not only the belief in Jesus, but the brainwashing that goes on, the propaganda. We see it on the world stage all the time with Kim Jong Un and his program of developing nuclear weapons and constantly threatening South Korea and other countries.”

Other countries with extreme persecution of Christians include those Muslim majority nations with radical Muslim group presence. You have al-Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram from Nigeria, al-Qaeda operating from Afghanistan, and ISIS based in Iraq and Syria.

(Photo courtesy of thierry ehrmann via Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/rfVUPf)

“When we’re talking about these Muslim countries, you have to understand that not all the citizens of the country go along with these groups like Taliban. But even beyond the radical militant Islamists, you have got countries … where they are predominantly Muslim, so their enforcement is Sharia law. Then for those who are coming to the Lord in these places, it’s very difficult because you have those who are leaving Islam and culturally it’s very difficult for them and certainly within their families, they have to be very, very careful.”

Yet, even in Muslim-majority nations, the Gospel is moving as these minority Christians are living ambassadors for Christ. Muslims are even having miraculous dreams and visions of Jesus.

Musselman explains, “For most of the Muslim countries — because the ordinary citizens are seeing such radical Islamic practices taking place with groups like ISIS, al-Qaeda, and the rest of them — some are turning away from Islam and saying, ‘Is there something else? Is this what God is all about or is there some other way?’ And many brave Christians within these countries are sharing the Gospel.”

You can also get to know the persecuted Church by reading their stories, staying informed about current persecution imprisonment and legal cases, and learning their names.

VOM Canada has resources to help you do just that, such as interviews, videos, country profiles, and a weekly Persecution and Prayer Alert. Click here to find these resources at VOM Canada’s website!

“If we understand that God has his family, he is our Father, we’re brothers and sisters in Christ and our brothers and sisters are suffering, the Bible tells us that if one part of the Body suffers, we all suffer.”

Musselman encourages, finally, as you learn the stories and names of our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in preparation for IDOP Sunday, “Pray that they would be able to be used by God even in the midst of their difficulties.”

*Acts of violence include kidnapping, beating, rape, imprisonment, and forced marriage.

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)

Nigeria (MNN) — Airstrikes Wednesday in Maiduguri, Nigeria may have taken out key Boko Haram hideouts and scattered the rebels in neighboring countries.

The extremist group is blamed for the deaths of 800 Christians throughout the northeast part of the country. Their agenda: to bring Nigeria under the “House of Islam,” especially in the twelve northern Sharia states.

Since beginning its armed insurgency in 2009, Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in Nigeria, often targeting Christians for some of the most brutal acts of violence. Two years ago, extremists demanded all Christians leave or be removed. Since then, Boko Haram has claimed church bombings, shootings, and Christian massacres.

Greg Musselman, spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs Canada, says, “They’re very well organized, they’re very well financed. Nigeria has a Christian president, Goodluck Jonathon, who has made it his mission, in many ways, to stop this kind of violence. But even with the state of emergency, putting in troops, and lots of resources in trying to stop this, the situation has not improved.” Now going on eight months, there seems to be little deterrent that works effectively to end the insurgency.

(Photo courtesy Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

Christians are targeted in their homes, at their businesses, on farms, while traveling on highways, and even in their churches. Musselman says, “In some ways, it seems to be getting worse. We’re hearing of attacks every week against Christians.”

Many Christians fear the new elections in 2015. The future does not look bright with emerging links between al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Boko Haram making more violent persecution likely. “The Boko Haram are not going to stop until they accomplish their goal or until they’re wiped out,” explains Musselman. “When you’re fighting an enemy like that, it’s difficult, even with strong military power, in a nation like Nigeria, to be able to slow this down.”

Even in the 12 Sharia states that exist in the north, that’s not enough to satiate the Boko Haram. “They want an even more militant Islam where you have no choice. You have to be a Muslim. They want to force all the Christians out of there.”

Musselman says they’re determined to continue coming alongside these believers and help them accomplish their goal: heading back into society to share the gospel as Christ’s witnesses. “We need to be praying for Nigeria. It has been concentrated prayer for Nigeria, and yet this battle is so brutal that it continues to rack up the casualties, destroy families.”

One of VOMC’s largest fields is Nigeria. In addition to providing Bibles and Christian literature, they also provide medical help for the survivors of attacks, as well as a place of refuge where persecuted Christians can safely hide from angry families, extremists or government authorities. In addition, “Our ministry, Voice of the Martyrs, and our partners around the world are involved in an orphanage in the southern part of the country where you have more than 300 children there who have lost one or both parents,” says Musselman.

Aside from the obvious toll on Nigeria, there is another cost, observes Musselman. “It is  destroying much of the culture there in Nigeria. It’s become a culture of violence. So, unless there is a divine intervention by the Lord, you wonder how this will be solved.”

(Photo courtesy Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Musselman says putting faces and names to the victims’ stories will help distinguish one report from another. It makes their pain and suffering ours. “We have to continue to tell their stories about what’s happening there, and not just say, ‘Well, that’s what goes on in Africa.’ No, these are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need to hear their stories.” (Click here for more ways to pray.)

Pray that Christians in Nigeria will demonstrate the love of Christ as they face opposition. Pray for the cruelty and injustices of Sharia to be exposed. Pray that one law, with equality for all, will govern the nation of Nigeria.