A Global Perspective on Persecution

As I surfed The Voice of the Martyers Website I was nauseated by the satanic violence against the Gospel and the brutality of persecution against Christians.  My heart ached as I looked through their map explaining Restricted Nations. At the very least, let us open our eyes to the injustice and persection that our brothers and sisters and enduring by faith.

• Afghanistan is 97.89% Muslim, 0.02% Christian, and "Anyone who acknowledges faith in Christ experiences intense persecution, including death. Persecution normally comes from family members and neighbors, while police and government officials turn a blind eye."
• In Nepal "An extremist group called the Nepal Defense Army... have the stated goal of reestablishing Nepal as a Hindu kingdom by targeting Christians and other non-Hindus."  Their nation is 74.82% Hindu, 16% Buddhist, and 1.89% Christian.
• Uzbekistan is 83.5% Muslim and 1.28% Christian, "This past year, officials cracked down on Christians throughout Uzbekistan. In southeast Uzbekistan, police have campaigned to prevent children from attending worship services. The campaign, which uses the state-controlled mass media, attacks schools and parents who allow children to attend religious 'sects.'"
• Through-out Kuwait, "Only Muslims may become citizens. Foreign Christians have the freedom to live and work in Kuwait, but they must worship in a physical location within their own Christian community. Evangelism to Kuwaitis is forbidden. Kuwaitis who convert to Christianity publicly face harassment and arrest. The government discourages Christianity by providing financial incentives for Muslims."  Kuwait is 87.43% Muslim and 8.17% Christian.
• "Saudi Arabia is the second most repressive nation in the world for Christians. Converts from Islam to Christianity are rare in this nation. Barriers to spreading the gospel are intense. Leaving Islam is punishable by death. Anyone who does mission work or converts a Muslim faces jail, expulsion, lashing, torture or execution. Public non-Muslim worship, even for foreign Christians, is prohibited. Christians are regularly imprisoned or deported, and Christian churches are banned. Saudi Arabia is a main source of funding for madrassas (Islamic religious schools) worldwide, where extremism can breed."
• In Somalia, "Just one percent of Somalis are Christians — most are secret believers. It is difficult to know the exact number of underground churches. Islamic radicals, who have vowed to wipe out all Somali Christians, have murdered many. Persecution has intensified in the past 15 years. Persecutors are family members, clan members, Islamist extremists and local administrators. Distribution of the Somali Bible is possible only in refugee camps and outside the country."

Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in these dark nations!  Oh, that we wouldn't forget them in the comfort and ease of our lives here!