Persecution & Prayer Alert

"If you are not willing to die
for what is in the Bible, you should
not give money for Bibles. Because
if you give, we will smuggle more
Bibles. And if we smuggle more
Bibles, there will be more martyrs."
~ Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

Update: President signs restrictive religion law

President Emomali Rahmon

Tajikistan's President, Emomali Rahmon, has signed a repressive new religion law that was first sent to parliament for approval in mid-November (click here for more information). The legislation, which violates the country's constitution and international human rights obligations, has been harshly criticized by many human rights groups, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

For more information on the opposition facing Christians in Tajikistan, click here.

Update: Three converts sentenced

On March 10, a court in the Iranian city of Shiraz handed three converts to Christianity from Islam eight-month suspended prison sentences with five years probation, according to a March 31 report from Compass Direct. As part of the sentence, Seyed Allaedin Hussein, Homayoon Shokouhi and Seyed Amir Hussein Bob-Annari were ordered to discontinue their Christian activities. The judge warned the men, who were first arrested in May 2008 (click here for more information), that he will enforce their prison sentences and try them as "apostates" if they violate terms of their probation, which include a ban on contacting one another.

For more information on the persecution of believers in Iran, click here.

Five Christians expelled

Five female Christians, four Spanish and one German, were recently expelled from Morocco on accusations of "proselytizing" Muslims. According to a March 31 report from Compass Direct, the women were among a group of tourists who were arrested by police while gathered for Bible study in the city of Casablanca on March 28. Officials seized Christian material, including Arabic books and videos. The believers were questioned by police and detained until the early hours of the next day. The women, who were deemed missionaries by the government, were deported to Spain.

Pray for true religious freedom in Morocco. Ask God to give wisdom to these believers as to how to continue serving Him. Pray for the church as it continues to establish itself within Moroccan society (1 Timothy 3:15).

Find out more about the persecution Christians face in Morocco at the Morocco Country Report.

Persecution & Prayer Alert

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