On October 24, National Transitional Council leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil declared Libya to be "liberated." Operating free of any democratic constraints, Jalil also declared that the law against polygamy will be repealed, Islamic banking will be adopted, and Shariah (Islamic) Law will form the basis for all Libyan law.

As has happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, any concession to religious freedom will be rendered void by the supremacy of Shariah. Shariah law prohibits fitna (anything that could shake the faith of a Muslim), especially evangelism (Christian witness), blasphemy (criticizing Islam), and apostasy (leaving Islam).

Please pray for all Christians in Libya. Ask the Lord to protect them and make them courageous followers of Christ -- for He did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Pray for Mustafa Abdel Jalil and all those currently holding positions of authority. Pray that the Lord, in his good timing, will bring genuine religious freedom to this nation.

For more information on persecution in Libya, please visit the Libya Country Report.