Continued Prayers for Religious Freedom

VOM Australia, Morning Star News, The Telegraph 14 August 2014

Daniel and Meriam
Photo: Gabriel Wani / Facebook

Meriam Ibrahim, the courageous woman who refused to deny her Christian faith -- even at the risk of execution -- finally arrived in the United States with her family on July 31st. It was reported in one of VOMC's previous prayer alerts that Meriam, her husband Daniel, and their two children had left Sudan for Italy on July 24th after negotiations had been made between the two countries. The family has now settled in New Hampshire, where extended family members are willing to assist them in the rebuilding of their lives. (For more information on Meriam and her family, you can read this past prayer alert.)

Meanwhile, Faiza Abdalla, 37, a Christian woman arrested in Sudan on April 2nd under similar circumstances, remains in prison due to accusations of adultery for marrying a South Sudanese Christian and apostasy because of her Muslim name. Faiza was arrested after Immigration/Citizenship officials questioned her right to a Christian identity on the grounds that Abdalla is a Muslim name. On April 8th, a court annulled Faiza's marriage to a South Sudanese believer who fled the country two years ago because of persecution. The Christian woman's parents converted before she was born, meaning they too might be accused of apostasy.

First, let us give praise to God that Meriam and her family have safely arrived in the United States! May He continue to grant them healing and direction as they rebuild their lives. May He also use this family's incredible testimony for the building of His Kingdom, especially as they now utilize their newfound freedoms as a means of expressing their gratitude for His faithfulness and deliverance. At the same time, please remember in prayer those who remain wrongfully detained in Sudan for their Christian faith, including Faiza. Ask God to supernaturally protect her while in detention, making a way for her to be released. Please also pray that the Sudanese officials will respect religious freedom for all citizens, so that believers like Faiza and her family will cease to be persecuted for their deeply held beliefs and convictions.

Sudan

Country Information
Population
49,197,555 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Sudanese Arab (70), Fur, Beja, Nuba and Fallata (30)

Religion
Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority

Leader
President (to be determined)
Transitional military leadership in place

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law

Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Sudan
Pray that Christians throughout Sudan will continue to entrust themselves to Christ and preach the Gospel boldly, knowing Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth (2 Timothy 1:7-12, Revelation 1:5).

Pray also that peace, justice and religious freedom may be firmly established.

Sudan News

Church Building Destroyed While Authorities Watch

A demolished Pentecostal church building in Khartoum.
Photo: CSW

On July 8th, approximately 30 individuals equipped with heavy machinery demolished a Pentecostal church in the El Haj Yousif area of Khartoum as police officers and military personnel looked on without intervening. By the time the demolition was finished, the worship hall – which had been constructed in the early 1990s – was reduced to rubble, along with the church's administrative offices, guest house, and other adjoining buildings.

Read more...
Church Leaders Face Violence from Multiple Sides

A church in Sudan.
Photo: Flickr / David Stanley (cc)

The bishop of the El-Obeid diocese in Sudan recently suffered a harrowing ordeal at the hands of both members of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and those of the opposing rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF). On December 1st, Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali reported that he was travelling with a deacon named Joseph. The ministry team had just arrived in El-Obeid when they were suddenly stopped and harassed by the SAF. The troops seized the small sum of money in U.S. dollars that the bishop was carrying, claiming that it was forbidden currency. During the robbery, the soldiers also physically harmed the two men.

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Displaced Christians Driven From Their Homes

A group of people in Sudan.
Photo: Wikipedia / Nina R (cc)

Residents of the Al-Makniya area of Sudan's River Nile state drove 34 displaced Christians from their homes on October 19th. Those responsible for the displacement explained that they did not want any Christians nor black people in the area.

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Military Officers Arrest Christian Refugees

Photo: VOMC

Amid the ongoing civil war in Sudan, a group of over 100 Sudanese men, women and children travelled to the city of Shendi on the banks of the Nile River in search of refuge from the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, RSF. There, the refugees – most of whom are members of the Sudanese Church of Christ – sought shelter in an affiliated church building.

Read more...