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A member of Afghanistan's Parliament has suggested that all those who have converted from Islam to Christianity should be executed, according to Islamic Sharia Law, in order to stop the rapid growth of Christianity among Afghans within and outside the country, reports Mohabbat News. An Afghani news service, Ava, has published a report stating that the number of Christians is increasing in the country. The Afghan news service quoted Nazir Ahmad Hanafi, Afghani Parliament Member, as saying, ‘Afghani citizens continue to convert to Christianity in India. Numerous Afghanis have become Christians in India. This is an offence to Islamic Laws and according to the Quran they need to be executed’. Earlier, another member of Afghanistan's Parliament had acknowledged that an Afghani church had been built in India. He said, ‘A church has been built in India called Afghani's Church. Any Afghanis', citizen who travels to India would be officially invited to the church’.
Pray: for the protection of those who choose to follow Jesus. (Ps.5:11)
More: http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue20961.html
In March NGOs started withdrawing medical care in Afghanistan and we were asked to pray that medical advances would not be lost to people in rural areas that those delivering medical care would know God's provision. Today we hear that in some provinces the number of women dying during childbirth is dropping significantly because more local women are being trained as midwives and then returning to their villages to provide care before, during and after delivery. However there is still concern for some women with difficult cases requiring long journeys to hospital over very poor roads who are not surviving the trip. Please pray for more opportunities for similar organizations and trainers to develop in the country, and that existing programmes are implemented in more provinces; pray also that the midwives and the women they care for would be introduced to the One who is the Father of all Life.
Pray: that throughout Afghanistan all women and children would receive the care they need to live healthy, productive lives (Ps.95:7)
More: http://www.afghanrelief.org/aro-projects/midwife-project
Election officials will throw out 1.3 million ballots from last month's parliamentary election due to fraud; and investigators still need to rule on over 2,000 serious complaints affecting results before they can be finalized at the end of October, at the earliest. The Afghan election commission has also told investigators to look into allegations that 220 candidates have cheated or been responsible for misconduct on election day. Throwing out so many votes could inflame tensions in provinces where different ethnic groups already have an uneasy relationship. The insecure Pashtun areas had a very low turnout. The credibility of the latest vote in the Afghan parliament may colour President Barack Obama's review of Washington's Afghanistan war strategy in December. Pray: for God’s mercy to fall on Afghanistan, for a united people under Christ’s banner, for leaders who minister justice. (Is.59:1)
The Church is growing as local believers are added one by one and in small groups. Some are secret and pray alone, others gather for worship, to pray and receive teaching in small groups. All local believers are at risk of exposure and harm from family members, friends and neighbours. Many are asking, or are uncertain about what will happen in 2014 when officially all foreign troops pull out of Afghanistan - and a mission agency is asking Christians to prayerfully consider interceding throughout 2013 leading up to the 2014 deadline and in particularl to pray for one of the largest un-reached tribal group in the world - the Pushtun people. They have an important regional significance being well-known for their involvement in militancy over the last years and for their hospitality to other affiliated groups. There has been little penetration with the Good News despite many years of work and much sacrifice on the part of workers.
Pray: that believers become salt and light across Afghanistan as they find others they can trust to share in worship, prayer and teaching. Ask God to protect and provide for local believers during 2013. (1Sa.25:6)
More: http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?peo3=14327
The remains of burnt Korans were found by local labourers at a US airbase, enraging locals and by Wednesday four people had been killed and 20 injured as protests spread, in spite of US apologies. Taliban prisoners were using the books to pass messages to each other. Protesters shouted, ‘Death to America!’ and threw stones at Camp Phoenix. Riot police used water cannon to disperse protesters blocking the main trade routes into the capital. Witnesses said security guards were firing into the air. There were also reports of people chanting pro-Taliban slogans. One protester said, ’When the Americans insult us we will join the insurgents.’ The US Embassy in Kabul is on lockdown with all travel suspended. In Afghanistan anti-foreign sentiment is on the rise and locals claim foreign troops are not respectful of their culture or Islamic religion.
Pray: that leaders in the area would have wisdom and discernment as they work to subdue and diffuse the situation. (Pr.24:3)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17123464
Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed ‘deep concerns’ to his Pakistani counterpart about deadly rocket attacks launched across the Taliban-troubled border. Also, 200 Afghans protested in the capital on Saturday against these attacks which have fanned tensions between the neighbours. Speaking at a press conference in Kabul alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron, the Afghan leader said he had raised the sensitive issue with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari at a recent meeting. Karzai said, ‘He had ‘deep concerns' and asked for an immediate stop to the shelling from Pakistani territory. The Pakistan army admits only that security forces may have fired a few accidental rounds into Afghanistan while pursuing militants across the border. Mr Cameron told reporters, ‘Now is the time for Pakistan and Afghanistan to sit and meet and talk on how we are to ensure what we need to do.’
Pray: for International ambassadors to advise, support and establish improvements in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations. (Pr.24:5-6)
More: http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/05/karzai-raises-concerns-with-pakistan-over-attacks.html
Children have suffered much in decades of war but there is a hidden suffering by boys subjected to an ancient practice that resurged in the country in recent years. ‘Boys for pleasure’ are attractive young boys groomed and trained to dance at weddings and rented out to be sexually abused. Poor families are coerced into selling their sons in order to provide for the rest of their family. Once sold their sons are the properties of the buyers. Even more at risk are orphans who have no one to speak for them. Once confined to mainly southern and rural regions this practice is now increasingly common among the powerful and wealthy in cities all over the country. Because of the taboo nature of this evil it is difficult for human rights organizations to gather accurate statistics and even more difficult for the government to acknowledge these abuses. One worker states, ‘A kid who is being sexually exploited will end up in prison if he reports it.’
Pray: for the Christians and NGOs trying to intervene in this situation, protection for these little ones from within their own families and tribes, and deliverance for those who are being abused. (Ps.118:28b)
More: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/afghanistans-dancing-boys-remain-invisible/509663
An Afghan believer writes, ‘A growing number are illegally addicted to heroin – resulting in soaring human and social costs, destroyed families and increased crime. Please pray for the destruction of poppy crops, and planting of food crops. Child exploitation - some children that work long hours at hard and dangerous jobs in illegal coal mines with no safety equipment. Laws against child labour are not enforced. Please pray for laws to be justly enforced, and that families would find other ways to pay their debts. Praise God that the number of believers is growing – but there is limited support for new believers.’ For a link to a terrorist training video revealing Taliban preparing to cause Afghanistan chaos click the more button.
Pray: for new believers in Afghanistan to find other Christians to help them in a culture where converts are persecuted by friends, family and village leaders. (Ps.68:5,6)
More: http://www.aljazeera.com/video/asia/2012/07/2012722171149565287.html
A growing number of Afghans, including politicians, are embracing Christianity and meet in ‘house churches’ despite death threats and attacks by Islamic militants, according to Christian rights activists and news reports monitored by BosNewsLife on Friday, May 4. Mohabat News, a Christian news agency, quoted ‘informed Afghan authorities’ as saying that ‘Christianity has obtained a special place among youth and other ‘layers in society.’ House churches ‘are growing tremendously,’ the officials reportedly said. Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), an advocacy group assisting Christians living in difficult areas, explained that it learned from an ‘independent Shi'ite website’ that an Afghan official concluded ‘There is evidence of widespread Christian propaganda in Afghanistan’. The unidentified official was quoted as saying it had been proven that at least ‘more than 10 churches operate secretly in residential houses.’
Pray: for this marvellous growth of the Church despite difficulties to continue its growth. (2Cor.12:10)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/21453-growing-number-of-christians-in-afghanistan-despite-death-threats
A local believer writes, ‘Afghanistan is a difficult place to live for foreign workers, with hot summers, extremely cold winters and constant concerns over security. In recent years foreign organizations have faced increasing levels of bureaucracy, taxation, and corruption. Nevertheless many Christian workers continue to serve in any way they can because God has called them. Pray for the safety of the workers and their families.’ As countries wind down their military mission in Afghanistan the federal government is still writing the policy, working conditions and entitlements of hundreds of diplomats and other public servants who were sent there to work alongside soldiers. The policy is a symbol of the new reality of civilians’ key role in securing peace and stability in conflict areas, an unprecedented synergy of military and civilian expertise that governments everywhere are still learning to manage.
Pray: for those working to reduce poverty, those bringing democratic development, those promoting good governance and for opportunities for believers to share their faith during and after the transition. (Ps.40:1-3)