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for the freedom to believe

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¸0^HZO\UNY`¹!feeding brothers and sisters in need
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
 To guard the safety of Christians in hostile
environments, names may have been changed or
omitted. Thank you for your understanding.
3 Project News
Books for believers under
pressure
13 Testimonies
Inspiring stories from Central
Asia and Africa
Front cover: Children celebrate Christmas at a school
in Bethlehem supported by Barnabas Fund
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are
taken from Today’s New International Version®.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders
and obtain permission for images used in this
6 Newsroom
Flooding in Africa,
publication. Barnabas Fund apologises for any errors
or omissions and will be grateful for any further
distress
information regarding copyright. in Pakistan
© Barnabas Fund 2009

Contents 8 In Touch
PowerPoint presentations
and Christmas cards

Information Pull-Out
Our campaign against Islam’s
apostasy law reaches its climax

9 Focus
Relieving the hunger of
persecuted and suffering
Christians

FROM THE DIRECTOR

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“Tell my brothers that I died For the Christian, entrance into glory is a
wonderful thing. We know that we will rest
well, and am living with
in our Lord’s beloved arms. In the book of
Christ. And if we all die, we Revelation the martyrs, together with all
know that we die for the the angelic host, sing praises to God. For
Lord.” These words were some, martyrdom speaks of suffering,
anguish and pain. Yet for the early Church
spoken by George Orjih, a
and for saints throughout history,
pastor from Maiduguri, martyrdom speaks primarily of glory.
Nigeria, as he was about to be
The Christmas season will soon be on us,
beheaded by an Islamist group with all the excitement and bustle of
on 27 July 2009 for refusing to
preparation, and the joy of celebrating our
convert to Islam. An eye- Saviour’s wondrous birth. Depicting Jesus
witness says that Orjih was in the manger, one painter showed a
cross-shaped shadow falling across the
singing and praying all
new-born baby. Thus he brought together,
through the ordeal and in one work of art, two significant facts –
encouraging the believers not the incarnation and the crucifixion, the joy
to give up, even unto death. of birth and the anguish of death.
the first martyr, Stephen, to whom the
Lord Jesus also appeared, moments
before his death by stoning. “I see heaven
open,” he said, “and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God” (Acts
7:56). These two remembrances should
be with us as we celebrate Christmas,
and with them the remembrance of our
brothers and sisters in some parts of the
world for whom martyrdom will be a
reality. May Stephen’s vision inspire us
all this Christmas.
George Orjih is but one of many
Christians around the world who have
been singled out for death this year
because they bear the Name of Christ.
Let us honour them and thank God for
their inspirational example of courage
and love for the Lord.

To die well speaks not just of courage but
also of commitment and of the certain
knowledge of what awaits us. It also
speaks of testimony – testifying by that
ultimate act, sending the message that I
died well, faithful to my Lord.
These two facts are also brought together
in the Church calendar for many
Christians around the world. On 25
December we remember the incarnation,
the appearing of the Lord Jesus in His
world. On 26 December, we remember
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
International Director
Turn to page 6 to read more about the anti-
Christian violence in Nigeria, where George
Orjih was beheaded and at least eleven other
Christians killed.

2 )(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

 Newsroom
Nigeria:
Christian Pastors
Beheaded
At least twelve churches have been burned and a number of Christians killed in anti-
Christian violence in northern Nigeria. The coordinated attacks began on 26 July and
spread across several states. Islamist militants targeted Christians and the local
police, setting fire to churches and homes of local Christians. Five police officers and
twelve Christians have been confirmed dead.
Perhaps the most shocking element of the
violence was the brutal murders of two
Christian pastors. When asked to convert
to Islam, they refused and were
beheaded. One of them, Sabo Yakubu, a
father of seven, was hacked to death with
a machete. The other, George Orjih,
preached to the leader of the militants
about Christ before his martyrdom. A
fellow kidnap victim, who was later
released, reported, “While we were lying
there, tied up, George turned to me and
said, ‘If you survive, tell my brothers that I
died well, and am living with Christ. And if
we all die, we know that we die for the
Lord.’” One eye-witness says that Orjih
was singing and praying all through the
ordeal and encouraging the believers not
to give up, even unto death.
Sudan: Floods Hit
Displaced Christians
Homes and a newly constructed church
in Soba Aradi, Khartoum State, Sudan
have been demolished by intense
rainstorms and flooding. Soba Aradi,
about 15km south of Khartoum City, is
a camp that currently holds some
23,000 internally displaced people,
mainly Christians from South Sudan,
displaced by civil war that racked the
country for 22 years and completely
destroyed the infrastructure of the
South. It is estimated that 4.9 million
people have been displaced within and
outside the country.
6 )(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
China: Christians
Sentenced for
Helping North
Koreans
Two Christians have been sentenced
for their part in helping 61 North Korean
Christians flee to South Korea through
China. Li Mingshun was found guilty of
“human smuggling across the border”
and sentenced to ten years in prison,
while Zhang Yonghu was sentenced to
seven years for organising transport for
the refugees.
The refugees, who were trying to escape
the severely anti-Christian environment of
North Korea, set out to cross the north-
eastern provinces of China into Mongolia,
where neutral state laws allow residents
to apply for asylum in South Korea.
Authorities in Inner Mongolia, which is
an autonomous republic of China, were
alerted to the refugees and subsequently
arrested several Christians who had
helped to provide food, shelter and
transportation for the North Koreans.
This verdict highlights the continued
persecution that North Koreans face in
China, where they are denied refugee
status by the Chinese government. Those
who are returned to North Korea face
George Orjih, beheaded in Nigeria by
terrible consequences, including charges
Islamist militants, told a fellow
of treason, which is punishable by life
kidnap victim “tell my brothers that I
imprisonment in brutal labour camps or
died well, and am living with Christ”
even death.
These people have already suffered so
much but now, many of their homes,
which were built using mud, have
collapsed, leaving the inhabitants no
choice but to sleep outside in the water-
filled compound. There is little possibility
of the homes’ being rebuilt in the near
future as it is too expensive and the
area will probably not recover from the
flooding until after the rainy season ends
later this year. High unemployment and Pastor Matthew stands outside his
the increased danger of water-borne newly built church, destroyed by the
diseases only add to the difficulties. flooding in Soba Aradi
Barnabas Fund is sending aid.

Pakistan: Seven Family Members
Killed in Anti-Christian Riots
On Saturday 1 August a mob of more than
800 Muslims raided a Christian settlement in
the town of Gojra, Pakistan. Homes were
looted and at least 50 houses were burned
down, as the attackers threw petrol bombs
and fired indiscriminately. Minhas Hameed’s
75-year old father was the first victim when
he was shot in the head. Hameed rushed his
father to hospital, while the rest of his family
stayed in the house, thinking they would be
safe there. But as the mob began to torch
the homes of local Christians, six members
of Hameed’s family were burned to death.
“I have lost more than half of my family, my
house – everything!” says Hameed, who is
still haunted by the images of his house and
community in flames.
These attacks were part of a recent spate of
violence against Christians in Pakistan. Two
Turkey: Worship to Continue in
Historic Church
The government of Turkey has agreed to
extend permission for Christians to worship
at an historic church in Tarsus, the
birthplace of the apostle Paul.
The early-medieval St Paul’s church was
confiscated in 1943 to be used as a state
museum, although fee-paying Christian
visitors were allowed to use it for regular
services. Permission was previously
granted on a year by year basis. But
between June 2008 and June 2009, during
the “Year of St Paul”, a record 416 Christian
Pakistan: Christians Distressed in
Roadside Camp
Up to 2,000 Christians have been forced to
live in tents on a traffic island in the heart
of Islamabad for several months. The
scorching summer heat, which can reach
up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees
Celsius), has made the camp virtually
unbearable. Up to 20 people are having
to share a tent. The only water supply
runs close to an open pit latrine and a
waste dump.
More than a year ago the Christian families
found themselves homeless after the
authorities reneged on their promise of
some land for them in the Chak Shahzad
Newsroom
days earlier some 50 Christian
homes were destroyed by
Muslims in the nearby village of
Korian after rumours spread that
a Qur’an had been burned
during a Christian wedding
ceremony. It appears that a
flammable chemical, normally
available only to the military, was Residents sit in front of their wrecked house after
used. Muslims also lay down in the attacks in Gojra
front of the fire engines to
prevent them reaching the blazing houses. pumps sabotaged and electricity supplies
More than a quarter of the Christians of cut off. Acid was thrown at some Christians
Korian were left homeless. as they fled, leaving nine women and four
Earlier still, on Tuesday 30 June, around children scarred. This attack seems to have
600 Muslims used petrol bombs to attack been prompted by false charges of
at least 117 Christian homes in Bahmani blasphemy laid against local Christians.
Walla, another village in Punjab. Many Barnabas has sent aid to the victims of all
properties were damaged by fire, water three incidents.
Uzbekistan:
Pastor Imprisoned
groups from 30 different countries visited
Tarsus, prompting the Turkish government
following Illegal
to extend indefinitely its consent for
Christian services to be held in the church.
Raid
Church leaders in Turkey have now The pastor of a church in Tashkent,
requested the permanent return of the Uzbekistan, was arrested and
building from the government. A local sentenced to 15 days’ imprisonment
church leader says, “For the first time, following a raid during morning
Turkish Muslims have witnessed Christians, worship. On Sunday 23 August police
not as tourists, but as praying pilgrims, entered the church demanding that the
whose devotion has made a lasting service be discontinued, even though
impression on the Turkish people.” they had no written permission from
the courts.
The church is led by Korean ministers,
but they are all citizens of Uzbekistan,
and although the church is small it is
registered with the authorities and has
all the documents it requires in order to
gather for worship. It obtains
permission from officials for every
district of Islamabad. The families were Sunday service.
forced to put up tents in the road amidst
squalid conditions. It is feared that typhoid
will come to the camp, and that many of
the Christians, especially some of the
younger children, could die from
dehydration, illness, or the cumulative
effects of poverty. The Pakistan authorities
have been slow to act to alleviate the
Christians’ suffering. Barnabas partners in
Pakistan commented, “Since Christians
are discriminated against by the majority
Uzbekistan Christians watch as
population, nothing has been done to help police officers carry out an illegal raid
them.” during a morning worship service
)(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 7
 In Touch

7V^LY7VPU[7YLZLU[H[PVUZ Support Barnabas

[V0UMVYT@V\Y*O\YJO with your
Christmas Cards
PowerPoints are a great tool for
This year Barnabas is again working in
communicating in a visual and memorable partnership with mycharitycards.co.uk to
way. Two new Barnabas PowerPoint offer a selection of Christmas cards. The
scheme is run at no cost to us, and a
presentations are now available. Why not percentage of the price of each purchase
show them at your church service, home goes directly to support our work. Please
visit www.mycharitycards.co.uk/
group, youth group or other meeting? barnabasfund for details. Cards are also
available in an
• Christmas for Christians around the If you would like to use any of these attractive box
World, looking at how Christians livingresources in your church, to raise through selected
with ill-treatment and deprivation awareness and encourage prayer and Christian
experience the nativity season – and support for persecuted Christians, you bookshops.
how Barnabas assists some of them can download them free of charge
to celebrate Christ’s birth from the Barnabas website:
• The Creed, images of distress and www.barnabasfund.org/supporter-
hope from around the world, based on resources. Check there also for
an early Christian confession of faith Barnabas DVDs and other resources.

¸+`PUN[VIL:H]LK¹¶:\MMLYPUN*O\YJO
:\UKH`5V]LTILY DYING
TO BE SAVE
We invite your church to set aside a • Sermon outline on 1 Peter 4:1-19 D
Sunday in November (or another month if “Persevering under Pressure” and
you prefer) to remember our persecuted accompanying PowerPoint
brothers and sisters in Christ. This year’s presentation (in Barnabas Aid Sept/
Suffering Church Sunday focuses on the Oct 2009)
immense challenges faced by converts to
• Bible study on 1 Peter 4:1-19 (in
Christianity from other faith backgrounds.
Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2009)
The following resources are available
either to download or to order free of • Timeline showing a selection of
charge from our online shop www. incidents of persecution in 2008-2009 :\MMLYPUN*O\
Would you gi
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(in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2009) ve your life  
barnabasfund.org/scs or your national DATE
for Christ?
Barnabas Fund office (addresses on • Testimonies: stories of persecution VENUE
TIME

back cover). from Africa (in Barnabas Aid Sept/

Oct 2009)
www.barnabasf
und.org
• A3 poster “Dying to be Saved” to
“ Whatever you
• acting as equal
• considering

advertise your church service

• using the money
countries or regions communities,

• channelling
Christians in their
that have been

• channelling
organisations)

• aiming the majority

are sent (e.g.

that deal with

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structures in the

We work by:

What helps make

through Christians

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Christians living

• directing our
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family of believers

• Guide for youth group leaders: 90

especially to
opportunity, let
exclusive to them
although its benefits
any request, however

money through

money from Christians

local churches
partners with

developed by
did for one of

to fund projects

those who belong

own

aid only to Christians

countries

in Muslim environm

us do good to
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minutes of fun, thought-provoking TO BE SAVE

may not be

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where funds
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all people,
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material on the persecuted Church

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distribution to everyone in your

• tackle persecuti
to respond to

We seek to:
injustice and
and other ideologies the Islamic faith
known the aspects

• encourage,
• meet both practical
missionaries
up our own structures rather than setting
presence and
communities
existing local

• acting on behalf
and internatio
persecution known
world and the
needs known
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help shape our

persecuted Church,

nctive”
distinctive from
oppression of
the growing challenge

strengthen and

(in Barnabas Aid Sept/

brothers of mine,

- so they can
Church and Christian
witness
on at its root

congregation
nal bodies

to Christians
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injustice of their

their voice – making

Your Response
of

overall direction
that result in

Prayer for the Suffering Church

of the persecute
and spiritual needs

to governments
or sending out

whose
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maintain their
by making

enable the

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Our Father in heaven,

leaders often

Oct 2009)
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We praise Your Name for the grace and courage You grant to our
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their

other Christian
you did for me.”

about the persecuted Church

brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith, to those who endure
poverty, hunger, discrimination and mockery, to those who are

• DVD “Church in Chains”: a song for the

• in the power
deliverance from
through grace

• in the clear

We believe:
people’s lives

Please find enclosed our/my gift of

to persecute

beaten, imprisoned or tortured, to those who have lost family and

even those who
of all faiths with

• we are called
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all people
while continuin
religious liberty

• facilitate global
and secular ideologie

for the suffering church to be used:

comprehensive
persecuted Church

friends, home and job, because of their decision to follow Jesus

their own countries
Islam to Church,

Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Where it is most needed
of prayer to change

Biblical teaching

Please fill them day by day with peace, joy and hope. Give them
them
and situations
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suffering Church (approx. 4.00 mins), • Prayer, songs and how your
(Matthew 25:40)

suffering

to address both
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seek

:\MMLYPUN*O\
love and compass

a special awareness of Your loving presence at all times.

organisations
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treat all people

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society and mission
by providing
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to those who despise and reject them. Fill them with Your love for To support Christians suffering through violence Would you give 
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for Christ?
that

pray for their persecutors.

religious

church can care for persecuted

love to

comprising the video with or without

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Name:
We pray also for ourselves. Help us to remember that we and
–

they are members of one Body. Help us also to value the freedom
in

Address:
You have blessed us with and guide us to use that freedom more www.barnaba
sfund.org
wisely as we serve those who have none, for their peace and to

Christians (in Barnabas Aid Sept/

Your glory.

singing, the music and chords, and the In Jesus’ Name,

Amen
Telephone:
Postcode:

words Oct 2009)

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 Campaign: Why should they be secret?

CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?

Campaign:
Why should they be secret?
In this pull-out supplement we focus on the issue of conversion from Islam to
Christianity. A special article by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali explains how Christians
should respond to the issue of apostasy. We preview a new book from Isaac
Publishing on the Islamic law of apostasy and provide an extract from it. And three
stories from New Zealand, the USA and Iran illustrate some of the difficulties faced
by converts today.
3HZ[VWWVY[\UP[`[VNH[OLYZPNUH[\YLZ
On 31 December we are closing our petition for the abolition of the Islamic apostasy
law, which prescribes the death penalty for those who leave Islam. At the time of
writing,  people have signed. Please use the next few weeks to gather further
signatures, and return your
completed petition sheets to
Barnabas before the deadline.
;OLTVYLZPNUH[\YLZ^LOH]L
[OLTVYLPTWHJ[^LJHUOH]L
A copy of the petition sheet
will be found on page iv. Feel
free to make as many
photocopies as you wish.
Alternatively download the
form from www. barnabasfund.
org/why shouldtheybesecret
where the petition can also be
signed online.

The Barnabas stand at the New Wine festival in the UK, July-August 2009, where
visitors were invited to sign our petition. Each of the yellow post-it notes on the wall
and the stand represents one signature

)(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 I

 Campaign: Why should they be secret?
CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?
Apostasy and Blasphemy in Islam:
What Should Christians Do?
From the Foreword to Freedom to Believe (see page iv)
Michael Nazir-Ali
The Qur’an is fierce
in its condemnation
of apostasy (ridda)
and of the apostate
(murtadd). Theirs,
according to it, will
be a dreadful
penalty (‘adhbun
‘azmun). This
sentiment, which
occurs in Sura
16:106, is re-
expressed in other
ways in other suras
(chapters of the
Qur’an). The
interesting point to
note is that the various threats of judgement and of
punishment seem to relate to the next world or to life after
this earthly one, rather than to this world and to this life.
Against this, we have the unanimous position of the
various schools of Islamic law (fiqh) that shari‘a lays
down the death penalty for adult male Muslims in
possession of their faculties who apostatise. Some
schools also prescribe a similar punishment for women,
whilst others hold that a woman apostate should be
imprisoned until she recants and returns to Islam. In
addition to this, should an apostate somehow escape the
ultimate penalty, his property becomes fai’, i.e. it
becomes the property of the Muslim community, which
may hand it over to his heirs; his marriage is
automatically dissolved and he is denied Muslim burial.
How then did such a major difference arise between the
prima face teaching of the Qur’an and the provisions of
shari‘a as codified by the various schools of law? The
answer is that the death penalty for apostasy is to be
found in the hadith, the various collections of traditions
about the Prophet of Islam’s sayings and doings, and it is
also found in the sunna of Muhammad and of his closest
companions, the reports about their practice.
Commentators on the Qur’an, both ancient and modern,
sensing this tension, have attempted to find passages
II )(95()(:(0+NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
that could be interpreted as teaching the death penalty
for apostates. Thus 2:217, which speaks of the
barrenness of an apostate’s life and work, in both this
world and the next, is interpreted as meaning that
apostates will be punished both in this world and in the
next. Similarly, passages such as 4:88-89 are taken as
justification for inflicting capital punishment on apostates.
On the other hand, there are those who take as their
point of departure the Qur’anic silence on penalties in
this world for apostasy. They either minimise the force of
the traditions that require it or reject them altogether. It is
said, for example, that the traditions that speak of the
death penalty for apostates are weakly attested or from
an unreliable source. If they contradict the Qur’an they
are to be rejected as an accurate account of what
Muhammad may have said. They are also to be rejected
if they do not cohere with other accounts of his
behaviour or speech.
Others point to the supposed practice of the second
Caliph ‘Umar, who disliked the extreme penalty for
apostasy and was followed in this by some of the early
fuqaha or lawyers. More recently, this view has gained
currency in some circles close to Al-Azhar As-Sharif, the
premier place for Sunni learning, located in Cairo, Egypt.
According to these scholars, the traditional time given to
an apostate to repent must be extended to the whole of
his life.
Many scholars claim that the punishment for apostasy in
the time of the Prophet and of his Companions arose
because rejection of the Islamic faith was linked to
rebellion against the nascent Islamic state. So the
punishment was not so much for apostasy as for treason.
The well-known scholar, Sheikh Qaradawi, whose
opinions are widely studied and followed, relying on the
medieval jurist and reformer Ibn Tamiyya, distinguishes
between the greater and the lesser apostasy. The lesser
apostate, whilst being subject to civil penalties, would
not be put to death but those who proclaim their
apostasy, thus destabilising Islam and the Muslim umma
(or nation), would be. This may be a useful distinction to
make but is hardly a manifesto for freedom of expression
or of belief.
Although apostasy is punishable by death in only a few
countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Sudan (Iran
seems to be drawing back from putting it on the statute
 Campaign: Why should they be secret?
book, at the time of writing), in fact jurists will sometimes
directly invoke the authority of shari‘a to sentence
apostates to death. This has happened in both Iran and
in Afghanistan. In addition to judicial process, those
accused of apostasy can be killed in prison, through
torture or poisoning, or by mobs attacking their home or
place of work, or even by relatives!
Whilst apostasy, and its penalty, are applicable to
Muslims, the offence of Sabb, of insulting the Qur’an or
the Prophet of Islam, can also be applied to non-
Muslims. Blasphemy against the Prophet is punishable
by death, though the method of execution varies from
one authority to another. It is this that led the Federal
Shari‘a Court in Pakistan to rule out any other penalty but
death for blaspheming Muhammad. The so-called
“Blasphemy Law” has caused considerable grief for
Christians and other non-Muslim minorities since even
the expression of their belief can be construed as
insulting the Prophet. The Law has also become a way of
settling personal scores by accusing one’s adversary of
blasphemy. There have been numerous convictions in
the lower courts, though fortunately the higher courts
have invariably, so far, overturned these verdicts. In the
meantime, the family is left destitute and the community
from which the accused comes left vulnerable to
harassment and intimidation.
The irony is that Muslims claim that their prophet forgave
those who insulted him and there are a number of stories
to this effect in the sira (life of Muhammad) and in the
hadith (there are also other stories that describe how
those who insulted him were punished). Which of these
attitudes is to prevail in contemporary Muslim societies?
A number of administrative and judicial attempts have
been made to ease the lot of those accused of
blasphemy and to make it more difficult to file charges of
blasphemy against someone. None of these has been
wholly successful. The law returns again and again to
haunt the political establishment and the judiciary. The
only solution is for a government to have the courage to
repeal it or to abolish or suspend the death penalty
altogether, thus leaving other penalties for dealing with
alleged cases of “insulting religion” or blasphemy, as
indeed existed before the current law was promulgated.
Some of the ‘ulama (Islamic scholars) are bound to object
to such steps, if the government takes them, and there
may well be “popular” movements to resist the repeal or
amendment of the law. Such resistance needs to be
faced down and genuine objections, such as the claim
that Islamic law prescribes qisas or retaliation for murder
and that therefore the relatives of the murdered person
have the right to seek life for life, or alternatively
compensation, will have to be met. It is already the case
that qisas cannot be carried out by an individual or group
CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?
but must be left to the state. If the death penalty were to
be abolished or suspended for all serious crime, could
not the state order and enable compensation to be paid
instead of the death penalty as part of its judicial and
executive responsibility? These issues need further
exploration but it is clear that the present blasphemy law
is neither just nor compassionate and needs to be dealt
with while there is opportunity.
Most Muslim countries have subscribed to international
treaties, such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights,
but they subordinate such agreements to the provisions
of the shari‘a, which, in many cases, negates the effect of
these documents. In this connection, it is interesting to
compare the UN Declaration with the Cairo Declaration
on Human Rights in Islam. In the latter there is no
equivalent to Article 18 (on freedom of thought,
conscience and religion) of the former and all provisions
are, ultimately, subject to shari‘a. This approach has
resulted, again and again, in important rights under
Article 18 of the UN Declaration being denied to people
in Islamic countries on the grounds that they contravene
the provisions of shari‘a. This situation has caused much
frustration to human rights activists, constitutional
lawyers and even progressive regimes as any provision in
law can always be trumped by an appeal to shari‘a.
If the impasse created in this way is to be avoided, it is
necessary for leading institutions in the Islamic world to
undertake a major reform of shari‘a so that the principles
of amelioration and of movement, which exist in at least
some of the madhahib, or schools of law, are not only
recognised but actually acted upon in both religious and
other courts, as there is need. There is also, of course,
the urgent task of ijtihad, i.e. a fundamental examination
as to how the principles of law to be found in the Qur’an
and other sources of Islamic law can be brought into a
fruitful relationship with present-day conditions and
requirements. This is the case, for example, in the areas
of finance, family law, penal provisions, jihad and the
treatment of non-Muslims in an Islamic state.
Christians, of course, in the context of dialogue with
Muslims and with Islamic religious and political
authorities, will encourage those who are struggling to
maximise fundamental freedoms in Islamic contexts.
They will also be active in advocacy for those who have
fallen foul, both materially and spiritually, of traditional
understandings of laws and customs regarding apostasy
and blasphemy. It remains important to raise awareness
of what is happening in so many parts of the world so
that people can learn from, pray for and give to those
who have become victims of these draconian laws and
customs.
The Rt Revd Dr Nazir-Ali was until recently Bishop of
Rochester.
)(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 III
 Campaign: Why should they be secret?
CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?

Freedom to Believe: Challenging Islam’s

Apostasy Law Patrick Sookhdeo
With a foreword by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali

Islam is a one-way street. Non-Muslims can convert to Islam, but Muslims

are not allowed to convert from Islam. Those who become Christians, or
leave Islam for other reasons, face very serious penalties.
All schools of Islamic law specify the death sentence for an adult male
Muslim who chooses to leave his faith. Most give the same punishment for
women. The law also imposes many other penalties on apostates, and
provokes powerful hostility towards them amongst Muslims.
But change is possible. Some Muslim scholars have argued that the
apostasy law should be abandoned, so that people can leave Islam without
fear of reprisals. Their voice will be strengthened by non-Muslims also
calling for repeal of the law.
This book has been written to raise awareness about Islam’s apostasy law
and its punishments, and so promote the case for its abolition. The first
section sets out the Muslim teaching on apostasy from the Islamic sources:
the Qur’an, hadith and sharia. The second looks at the debate amongst
contemporary Muslim scholars about the law, and on related issues such
as blasphemy and the concept of the individual in Islam. The third section
reviews the treatment of converts from Islam in the world today, using a
number of country profiles and individual case studies.
“Dr Sookhdeo has provided an important handbook for all those who care about and deal with the issue of
fundamental freedoms. Many will be grateful to him for this timely volume.”
From the Foreword by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali
Isaac Publishing, paperback, 176 pp, offer price £6.99 + £2.00 postage (normal price £8.99)
To order this book, please visit www.barnabasfund.org/shop. Alternatively please contact your nearest
Barnabas office (address on back cover). Cheques for the UK should be made payable to “Barnabas Books”.

Extract from -YLLKVT[V)LSPL]L

The Application of the Apostasy
Law in the World Today
Many Muslim states have two totally different legal
systems operating in parallel: the Western secular system
and the Islamic shari‘a one. The comparative weighting
given to each system varies between different states.
Most states with a mixed system and a written
constitution guarantee freedom of religion and equality
of treatment to all citizens, including those belonging to
religious minorities, but in practice the authorities usually
give Muslims more rights than non-Muslims.
This practice might seem surprising given that most
modern Muslim states have ratified international
agreements on human rights, but they limit the
application of these by subordinating them to Islamic
shari‘a. Human rights and the equality of all people
before the law are thus conditioned by shari‘a, which
discriminates on the basis of religion. Islamists defend
this stance by claiming that the Western understanding
of human rights is based on a radically secular worldview

IV )(95()(:(0+NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
 Campaign: Why should they be secret?
and that human rights must be applied in culture-
specific ways, respecting the deep religiosity of the
Muslim world.
In Muslim states religion is not usually a private matter,
as in the West, but is under state control to a greater or
lesser degree. Freedom of religion is understood in the
Islamic way, i.e. as freedom of worship for officially
recognised religious minorities within their communities.
The individual freedom of choosing a religion is restricted
to non-Muslims who choose Islam; Muslims are not
allowed to choose another religion and, as shown above,
for them to do so is regarded as a grave offence.
Muslims are not allowed to
choose another religion and
for them to do so is regarded
as a grave offence.
The incorporation of shari‘a laws into the state legal
system enables official charges to be made within the
state courts against those accused of apostasy and/or
blasphemy. Apostasy is punishable by death in
Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, North
Sudan and Yemen, and it is also illegal or punishable in
others such as the Comoros, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia
and the Maldives. In some countries, such as Morocco,
the government regards all citizens as Muslims, so
conversion from Islam is simply unrecognised. Official
proceedings against those who reject Islam are fairly
rare, partly because most keep their conversion a closely
guarded secret, and the death penalty is still not often
implemented. But increasingly severe punishments for
the act of apostasy are being imposed, and it is common
for apostates to be deprived of all their civil rights. Their
marriages may be dissolved so that they lose their
spouses and children, and their right of inheritance may
be withdrawn.
A Muslim who leaves his or her faith is often viewed as
guilty of treason and liable to the death penalty even if
there is no official punishment for apostasy laid down in
the constitution or legal system. Various methods can
be used to punish or even kill apostates even if there is
no applicable law on the statute books, for example, by
framing them for other offences, or arresting them for
causing public disorder because of the outcry about
their conversion. Arrest can be followed by beatings,
torture and imprisonment.
Where suitable legal provisions do not yet exist, or
where state legal systems are not interested in pursuing
CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?
apostates, the religious authorities may act on their
own initiative to carry out what they see as obligatory
shari‘a penalties against those accused of apostasy.
Fatwas may be issued either by state shari‘a courts or
by individual ‘ulama, demanding the death of the
apostate, using the statement “His blood is
permissible”. Individual fatwas are not legally binding
on the state but can be acted upon by any Muslim, and
many would argue that an assassin is obeying shari‘a
and must not be prosecuted. The Civil Codes of several
states, including Egypt, Algeria, Syria and Kuwait, allow
the use of religious fatwas based on shari‘a.
If neither the state authorities nor the religious
authorities act, converts may still suffer enormous
social pressure and severe harassment, as their
conversion is seen as a betrayal of Islam that brings
great shame on family and community. Among the
Muslim masses, apostasy is an emotive subject that
easily provokes negative responses; it can also be
manipulated by those who see themselves as
defenders of traditional Islam or by those who could
benefit from the downfall of accused people.
A Muslim who leaves his or
her faith is often viewed as
guilty of treason and liable to
the death penalty even if
there is no official
punishment for apostasy laid
down in the constitution or
legal system.
Many employers will dismiss converts from their jobs.
Some relatives will try to have an apostate officially
declared insane, as the insane are not held accountable
for their actions. Families exert pressure by coercive
measures such as threats and violence, or by tearful
pleading, urging converts to return to Islam. Some try to
“wash away” the shame of apostasy by casting
offenders out of the family, driving them out of the
country or even killing them: a number of converts in
several countries, including Egypt and Pakistan, have
been murdered by enraged family members and friends.
Mobs can be easily incited to launch frenzied attacks
against offenders, their families and their communities,
or individual Muslims zealous for their religion and its
honour may take it on themselves to assassinate
)(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 V
 Campaign: Why should they be secret?
CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?
alleged apostates, believing that they are doing a holy
service to God and to Islam. The perpetrators are rarely
prosecuted by the authorities and frequently go
unpunished. Some Muslim states worry about the
unwelcome attention given by the Western media to
cases of apostasy, so they prefer to let such cases be
handled unofficially by the community.
Converts may suffer
enormous social pressure
and severe harassment, as
their conversion is seen as a
betrayal of Islam that brings
great shame on family and
community
As we have seen, the term “apostate” (murtadd) usually
refers to a Muslim who has officially converted to
another faith, thus becoming a kafir. But others, who
claim to be good Muslims, can also be accused of
unbelief, blasphemy and heresy as well as of apostasy,
for various other reasons including scepticism, atheism,
ascribing partners or associates to God and not fully
implementing shari‘a. In some contemporary Muslim
states traditional definitions of apostasy, blasphemy
and heresy have been broadened to include anyone
who disagrees with what the authorities, religious and/
or governmental, consider to be orthodox Islam. The
shari‘a laws on apostasy and blasphemy are
increasingly being used by some states arbitrarily to
detain citizens who are viewed with disfavour by the
authorities (or by militant Muslims), and to suppress any
idea, person or group that contradicts the established
regime. In many cases multiple charges of apostasy,
blasphemy, unbelief, heresy and insulting Islam and
Muhammad are brought against those accused, thus
giving the judges greater flexibility in deciding under
which category to define the crime and ensuring that
the defendants are convicted of something. A feature of
accusations of apostasy and blasphemy is the way they
are often uncritically accepted as true by members of
the police and of the criminal justice system, who
require little or no evidence. The result is that Muslims
themselves are increasingly in danger of suffering what
is, in effect, murder by other Muslims. Even if members
of Muslim minorities are not executed for holding views
that the government considers heretical, they may
suffer discrimination, harassment and imprisonment.
VI )(95()(:(0+NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
Amending the Apostasy Law?
For most contemporary Muslims across the spectrum of
beliefs and ideologies, apostasy still carries shocking
and dreadful associations as a most abhorrent sin.
Even for modernists and secularists it can carry negative
connotations of betrayal of one’s community and rejection
of one’s heritage. This attitude explains why so few
Muslim voices are ever raised in defence of those accused
of apostasy. But there have been Muslim calls for a reform
of the harsh apostasy law and for Islamic leaders to
proclaim that it is permissible for Muslims to choose other
faiths, just as non-Muslims are allowed to choose Islam.
Some modernist Islamic scholars argue from the Qur’an
and from the historical context of the hadith that an
apostate should not be put to death unless he (or she) is
also a danger to the Islamic state. Thus they differ from
the traditionalists in asserting the possibility of apostasy
without rebellion. The definition of “danger to the Islamic
state” is important, however. Sheikh Tantawi, the Grand
Imam of Al-Azhar, says that an apostate “should be left
alone as long as he does not pose a threat or belittle
Islam”. It is hard to imagine how those who have left Islam
could say anything about their conversion without in some
sense being critical of Islam. Muslims would then, by
Tantawi’s logic, be “forced to take action”.
In July 2007, the Egyptian Grand Mufti, Ali Gomaa, stated
in an interview on a Forum operated by The Washington
Post and Newsweek that Muslims should not be punished
for converting from Islam as long as they did not
undermine the foundations of society. Muslims were free
to change their religion, which was a matter between an
individual and God; those who commit the sin of apostasy
should not receive a punishment in this world, but will be
punished by God on Judgement Day. Following a furore in
the Egyptian media, Ali Gomaa denied he had made any
such statement. Dar al-Iftaa, Egypt’s highest body for
delivering shari‘a verdicts on Islam, alleged that he had in
fact said that “Islam forbids Muslims from renouncing their
faith … if a Muslim did they would be committing a mortal
sin … apostasy is a kind of subversion and a sort of crime
that requires punishment.” The deputy head of the
Egyptian Supreme Court did admit, however, that the
punishment for apostasy was “controversial”, and
asserted that there was nothing in any Qur’anic text about
it. This case highlights the use of double talk by some
Muslim leaders when speaking to western audiences and
indicates that majority Muslim public opinion in most
countries still supports the apostasy law and is not ready
for its reform.
 Campaign: Why should they be secret?

CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?

New Zealand: Claim of USA: Ill-Informed Debate
Conversion to Christianity on Apostasy Endangers
Distrusted by Secular 17-Year-Old
Authorities Rifqa Bary, the 17-year-old
daughter of Muslim parents
Ali Panah, 42, a convert from Islam to Christianity, asked for in Columbus, Ohio, became
asylum in New Zealand. He claimed that he could not safely a Christian and subsequently
return to his native Iran because he would be treated as an fled the family home, fearing
apostate which, in Iran, includes the possibility of a death for her life. She took refuge
sentence. with a Christian family in
Ali had a baptism certificate, and the Archbishop of New Orlando, Florida. At the time
Zealand, David Moxon, after meeting him, wholeheartedly of writing Rifqa is being
confirmed that he was indeed a Christian, but the immigration looked after by a Florida
authorities were reluctant to accept that his conversion was foster family whilst the
genuine. Only after three appeals and a 53-day fast was Ali authorities decide whether
granted asylum in New Zealand, but not even then because to force her to return to her
the authorities were satisfied that he really was a Christian. parents. She has stated
Instead they said that the case had created so much publicity under oath that she left
that the Iranian authorities would inevitably know about it and home after her father
about “his claims to renounce threatened to kill her
Islam”, so that in itself might put because she had converted
him in danger if he were to to Christianity from Islam.
return. Rifqa’s statement is no Rifqa Bary, a convert from
So the case sets no useful surprise to anyone familiar Islam to Christianity, left
precedent and gives no with the Islamic law of her parents’ home for fear
assurance to Christians who apostasy and the way in of her life
have converted from Islam that which it often causes Muslim
in New Zealand they can escape relatives of apostates to feel an obligation to kill them, even
the persecution they suffer at their own children. Yet in the USA many in the media have
home, even if senior New ridiculed her fears and condemned her supporters as anti-
Zealand Christians affirm the Muslim. It is alarming that opinion-formers could be so
genuineness of their conversion. ignorant of the precepts of Islam and the practices of
As for Ali Panah himself, it may Muslims. For Rifqa and others who have chosen to leave
Ali Panah could not Islam, it is positively dangerous. This case shows the urgent
be that once the authorities safely return home to
believe his case has been need for the general public in the West to become aware of
Iran after he became the Islamic apostasy law and its implications.
forgotten in Iran, they will send a Christian
him back.

Iran: Converts from Islam Declare, “We Love Jesus”

In the last edition of Barnabas Aid we reported on the arrest in March 2009 of Maryam Rustampoor (27) and Marzieh
Amirizadeh (30) for converting to Christianity from Islam. The women appeared in court in Tehran on Sunday 9 August. In
Iran conviction for apostasy potentially carries a death sentence for men and life imprisonment for women, in accordance
with the Shi‘a version of sharia. The women were repeatedly told by the deputy prosecutor that they had to renounce their
Christian faith verbally and in writing. Maryam and Marzieh refused, saying, “We love Jesus. Yes, we are Christians.”
They explained that God had convicted them through the Holy Spirit, to which the deputy prosecutor responded, “You are
not worthy for God to speak to you.” Marzieh answered, “It is God, and not you, who determines if I am worthy.” They were
told to return to prison and think about their options and to come back when they were ready to comply, but Maryam and
Marzieh replied “We have already done our thinking.” They are determined to stand firm no matter what happens, saying, “If
we come out of prison we want to do so with honour.” At the time of writing they remain in Evin prison, Tehran.

)(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 VII

 Petition for the Abolition of the Islamic Apostasy Law
CAMPAIGN: WHY SHOULD THEY BE SECRET?

>L[OL\UKLYZPNULKOH]LW\[V\YUHTLZ[V[OPZKVJ\TLU[[VKYH^
H[[LU[PVU[V[OLZLYPV\ZKHUNLYMHJLKI`4\ZSPTZ^OVJOVVZL[V
SLH]L[OLPYMHP[O
Shari‘a (Islamic) law prescribes the death penalty for adult male Muslims who choose to leave
Islam. Most of the Islamic schools of law also have the death sentence for women. Other
penalties are also imposed.

>LJHSSVUV\YUH[PVUHSNV]LYUTLU[[VZ\WWVY[HSSLMMVY[ZI`4\ZSPTZ[VOH]L[OL
HWVZ[HZ`SH^HIVSPZOLKZV[OH[4\ZSPTZ^OVJOVVZL[VSLH]L[OLPYMHP[OHYLUV
SVUNLYSPHISL[VHU`WLUHS[`I\[HYLMYLL[VMVSSV^[OLPYUL^JVU]PJ[PVUZ^P[OV\[MLHY
PUHJJVYKHUJL^P[O[OL<UP[LK5H[PVUZ<UP]LYZHS+LJSHYH[PVUVM/\THU9PNO[Z
>OH[`V\JHUKV[VIYPUNJOHUNL
This is more than a campaign. It is a matter of life and death. Please sign this petition by writing
your name and address clearly below. We will then send you future editions of our free magazine, Barnabas Aid,
containing updates on the campaign and information to encourage your prayers and involvement.

0M`V\KVUV[^HU[[VYLJLP]L[OPZTH[LYPHSVY[VWHY[PJPWH[L
M\Y[OLYPU[OPZJHTWHPNU[OLUWSLHZLKVUV[ZPNU[OLWL[P[PVU
Signature Name and address Postcode Email Country

Please return completed petition forms to Barnabas Fund at your national office by the end of 2009.

9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX

Australia
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Loganholme QLD 4129
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Email bfjersey@barnabasfund.org Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz Email usa@barnabasaid.org Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org

VIII )(95()(:(0+NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009


Feeding Hungry Christians
In Western society, we often take the
availability of food for granted.
However, the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations
predicted that in 2009 world hunger
would have reached a historic high of
1.02 billion people going hungry every
day. Particularly affected are
countries in Africa and Asia, where,
for many, including Christians, it is
not a question of “What food will I
choose?”, but more a question of
“What can I afford?” or even “Will I
eat today?”
The Bible’s Call
to Feed the
Hungry
As we read with our eyes open to God’s
priorities (Psalm 146:7), we see that
there are many places throughout the
Bible where He tells us to care for others
out of our wealth, in gratitude for what He
has done for us. In Isaiah, we are told:
Is not this the kind of fasting I have
chosen: Is it not to share your food with
the hungry... and if you spend
yourselves in behalf of the hungry and
satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the
noonday. (Isaiah 58:6-10)
Ezekiel acknowledges that a righteous
person
...does not oppress anyone, but returns
what he took in pledge for a loan. He
does not commit robbery but gives his
food to the hungry and provides
clothing for the naked... He follows my
decrees and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous; he will surely
live, declares the Sovereign LORD.
(Ezekiel 18:5-7)
This theme of helping to feed those who
are hungry is carried from the Old
Testament through to the New Testament,
Focus
Zimbabwean Christians working
together to unload the food parcels
received from Barnabas
where it is applied specifically to feeding
other Christians. The parable of the Sheep
and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46) says
the following:
When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, he will
sit on his glorious throne. All the nations
will be gathered before him, and he will
separate the people one from another as
a shepherd separates the sheep from
the goats. He will put the sheep on his
right and the goats on his left. Then the
King will say to those on his right,
“Come, you who are blessed by my
Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the
creation of the world. For I was hungry
and you gave me something to eat...”
(Matthew 25:31-35)
When those on His right ask “Lord, when
did we see you hungry and feed you?”
(Matthew 25:37), the King replies “Truly I
tell you, whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
)(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 9
 Focus
Jesus identifies so closely with His people
in their suffering that how we respond to
them is directly related to how we
respond to Him.
And so we should recognise that God
has chosen us to meet the needs of our
brothers and sisters who are hungry.
James 2 also sets out this responsibility
clearly:
What good is it, my brothers and
sisters, if people claim to have faith but
have no deeds? Can such faith save
them? Suppose a brother or sister is
without clothes and daily food. If one
of you says to them, “Go in peace;
keep warm and well fed,” but does
nothing about their physical needs,
what good is it? In the same way, faith
by itself, if it is not accompanied by
action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)
So as God’s people, we are called by the
Lord to minister to His suffering people,
Christians who are scattered across the
world in situations of great need and
persecution, despised, weak, vulnerable
and oppressed. Paul tells us that “As we
have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, especially to those who belong
to the family of believers” (Galatians
6:10, emphasis added).
Why Are
Christians so
Vulnerable?
Christians are particularly vulnerable for
a number of different reasons.
First and foremost, hunger is caused by
famine due to natural occurrences. In
these contexts, Christians suffer along
with everyone else. These include
common events such as crop failure,
pestilence or drought but also more
unusual phenomena. For example in
Burma (Myanmar), once every 50 years,
the native bamboo plants flower and
produce fruit. This fruit greatly increases
rat fertility and birth-rate leading to a huge
rat population which then devours
everything that is edible, leaving the local
Chin people, who are mainly Christian
and suffer persecution, little to eat except
the rats themselves.
10 )(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
But where Christians are discriminated
against in everyday life, they may suffer
hunger more intensely than other sections
of the population. For example, in the
wake of some natural disasters, whether
earthquakes, hurricanes, floods or
drought, Christians may be overlooked
when it comes to aid distribution.
Following the cyclone in Burma in 2008,
the ruling military junta was initially
reluctant to accept international aid. Even
though they eventually relented, some
areas that were predominantly Christian
were still denied assistance. After the
2004 tsunami, Christians in one Indian
village were left without food, while the
Hindu residents were given aid. In Aceh,
Indonesia, Christians were offered aid
only on the condition that they converted
to Islam.
Christians in Burma (Myanmar) whose food supply was cut off by Cyclone Nargis
in 2008 are rejoicing after receiving food parcels provided by Barnabas
The world is currently experiencing a
global food crisis. The UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation reports that the
most recent increase in hunger is not the
consequence of poor harvests worldwide
but is in fact caused by the international
economic downturn, which has resulted
in lower incomes and increased
unemployment, thereby reducing access
to food for the poor.
This too can be a particular issue for
Christians who face discrimination
because of their faith. In many parts of
Africa and Asia, Christianity is the minority
faith and God’s people suffer from a cruel
cycle of illiteracy and poverty. Their
inability to read and write makes them
eligible for only the worst and lowest-paid
jobs, and some may find it hard to get a
job at all because of anti-Christian
discrimination. In India, some 60% of
Christians are Dalits, who occupy the
lowest level of Indian society. The
literacy rate among Dalits is less than
40% and they often have the worst jobs,
such as toilet cleaning or refuse
collection. Insufficient wages means that
they can barely afford the necessities,
and whatever food they do manage to
buy is unlikely to be nutritious. Their
limited economic resources mean that
their children are unable to go to school,
and so the spiral continues.
In addition, Christians often find
themselves in situations of hunger
following anti-Christian violence. Such
persecution forces them to flee their
homes, taking only what they can carry
and leaving most of their possessions
behind. For example in Bahmani Walla
and Gojra, Pakistan, anti-Christian riots
and arson attacks in July and August
2009 drove away hundreds of
Christians. As a result Christians are
displaced from their communities, away
from their jobs, friends and church.
Leaving their jobs means they can no
longer work and earn money, at least
not in the short term. No money means
no food. In South Sudan, following
recent attacks on villages and churches
by the Lord’s Resistance Army, families
were afraid to return to their homes and
tend their fields; their crops will be
spoiled and their source of food ruined
for the year.

Others may also take advantage of
Christians’ need and vulnerability. In the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, eye
witnesses tell of food being handed out
at mosques or given door-to-door by
Muslims. The message played over
loudspeakers was “What are the
Christians doing to help? See how
Muslims are meeting the needs of the
community.” The Muslims were clearly
exploiting the desperation of the
neediest Christians in order to gain
converts to Islam.
Barnabas Fund
Relieving
Hunger
Barnabas Fund has a dedicated Feeding
Fund (project reference 00-636), from
which money is used to support projects
where it is most needed. We also work in
a number of specific countries through
local churches or Christian organisations
on the ground to provide food for some of
the neediest Christian families.
In Egypt, Christians face hostility and
discrimination because of their faith.
Christian children can be discriminated
against in education; for example
students can be failed in an exam simply
because they are Christian, leading to
their obtaining poor qualifications.
Because of this and because of general
anti-Christian discrimination, it is difficult
for Christians to find employment. If they
do, they are likely to be paid less than a
Muslim doing the same job; as a result,
many Egyptian Christians are extremely
poor. In some parts of rural Egypt there
are Christian children who do not even
know what an egg is. Barnabas is
assisting through the churches. Just £11
per month can help to provide food and
other basic needs for one family (project
reference 11-220).
In the Holy Land, Christians are caught in
the cross-fire of a conflict that is not of
their making. Traditionally most Christians
had worked in the tourist business, and
therefore many have been unemployed
since 2000, when the current uprising
began and tourist numbers dramatically
dropped. £15 per month helps Barnabas
to support Christian families by providing
Focus
food and other basic needs, such as monthly food parcel is only £15 per
financial assistance for electricity bills family. Because extended families in
(project reference 65-377). Here, we also Zimbabwe can number 9 or 10 people,
support a Christian school in Bethlehem the cost per person is just 5p per day
which provides meals for its pupils from (project reference 91-721).
time to time; this is an important extra
nutritional boost for the children, who
mostly come from very poor families and
do not eat well at home (project reference
65-420).
In Iraq, huge numbers of Christian
families have been forced to flee their
homes in recent years because of the
intimidation and violence directed
towards them by Islamic militants.
Hostility towards Christians began during Preparing for the monthly food
the Gulf War of 1990-91 and has grown
increasingly severe, especially since the
distribution for poor Christian families
in a village in Pakistan. One parcel
2003 invasion. Some of the families who
fled from the violence have taken refuge
typically contains flour, rice, sugar,
tea, lentils, oil and bars of soap
in relatively stable parts of northern Iraq
In Pakistan, Barnabas is providing
and others in nearby countries, including
monthly food parcels to 617 very needy
Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. But many
Christian families. Like the Dalits in India,
have struggled to find employment as
the majority of Pakistani Christians have
there are not enough jobs (for example in
to take the lowliest and worst paid job.
northern Iraq) or they are forbidden to
Many are so needy that they have to send
work (for example in Syria). When the
families have used up their savings, they their children out to work, to make ends
become very needy. Since 1999 meet. These 617 families are so happy
Barnabas has been supplying food aid that they never have to go to bed hungry
and other basic needs to our brothers any more. When asked what difference
and sisters both inside Iraq (project the food parcels made to her, one elderly
reference 20-246) and in neighbouring woman simply replied “Look at me, I’m
countries (project reference 20-383). alive and healthy!” The provision of food
These food parcels, costing £19 per parcels means that the families can afford
month, are distributed through local to send their children to school. With an
churches, helping the poorest families to education, children will grow up to be
survive. Typically they contain eggs, able to get better jobs than their parents
cooking oil, powdered milk, tea, tomato had and thus break the cycle of poverty
paste, pasta, tuna, corned beef, and illiteracy. A food parcel in Pakistan
processed cheese, luncheon meat, for one family costs £17 per month.
pulses, rice, flour and sugar.
In Zimbabwe, President Mugabe’s
policies have led to massive inflation and
the destruction of the country’s
agricultural sector, creating a situation of
desperate starvation in what was once
the “bread-basket of Africa”. His regime
has also targeted Christian leaders and
church congregations amongst the many
victims of its brutal oppression. Barnabas
is helping to feed some of the neediest
Christian families and orphans through
feeding programmes organised by local This Pakistani Christian woman
churches. The project provides parcels of testified to the difference made to her
rice, beans, salt, sugar, flour and other life by Barnabas food parcels, saying,
necessities to thousands of people per “Look at me, I’m alive!”
month. Despite rising prices, the cost of a
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 Focus
Farooq Masih’s parents work in the brick
kilns in Pakistan to support their family of
10 children. Thanks to food parcels from
Barnabas Fund, Farooq now goes to
school. Because of his education, he can
now keep a record of how many bricks
his parents have made, as well as their
earnings and expenses, meaning that his
parents are less likely to be cheated by
their employer.
Farooq counting the bricks his family
have made
As well as these long-running feeding
programmes, Barnabas also provides
food for vulnerable Christians in short-
term or emergency situations: for
example, during famines caused by
abnormal weather conditions in countries
Barnabas Fund’s Christmas Appeal to Feed the Hungry
We are often spoilt for choice when
deciding which shop to visit when we
need to buy food or which restaurant to
eat in when we want to go out, and once
we have made these decisions, we are
then faced with thousands of food items
on the shelves or scores of options in the
restaurant. This is especially true at
Christmas time – for many, a time of over-
indulgence when it comes to food. In
Western society, we eat food for
enjoyment not for hunger, but there are
many Christians today who cannot take
for granted even their daily bread.
This year, Barnabas Fund’s Christmas
Appeal will focus on helping to feed our
Christian brothers and sisters who, every
day, face the worry of wondering where
their next meal will come from. Through
the provision of much-needed nutrition,
Christians are given strength for their daily
lives to continue their stand for Christ in
the face of poverty and discrimination.
Alongside are testimonies from two
Pakistani recipients of a Barnabas feeding
programme.
12 )(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
Two women helping to prepare the
daily meal, fed to children at a school
for Sudanese Christian refugees
such as Burundi, Niger and Ethiopia, or in
places where Christians have suffered
anti-Christian mob violence, e.g.
Indonesia and India, or have been caught
up in refugee crises caused by war and
conflict e.g. Lebanon and Pakistan.
We also help to feed 1,600 Sudanese
Christian children, refugees of the civil
war in their country, who attend schools
supported by Barnabas Fund. As well as
lessons, they are given a cooked meal.
For many this may be their only meal of
“Before the food programme we were
in debt of 20,000PRK (£170) and now
we are debt free and able to send our
children to school and planning to build
our house next year.”
Many impoverished Christians in Pakistan
inherit debts incurred by earlier generations
who needed to borrow money to buy food
at a time of particular hardship
The Appeal letter will be sent to
supporters in late November. Please look
out for this in your mail and prayerfully
consider how you and your church can
help us to support needy and vulnerable
members of our Christian family in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East, who do not
have enough to eat.
the day. If there was nothing to eat at
school they would have to skip classes
to go scavenging to find food.
Conclusion
Many of Barnabas’s projects aim to
satisfy physical hunger. The provision of
food parcels is transforming the lives of
Christians who are living in poverty and
need ... but we also aim to minister to the
“spiritual hunger” of thousands of
Christians around the world, to satisfy
them with the “real food” that is found in
Jesus Christ and that brings eternal life.
“Then Jesus declared, ’I am the bread of
life. He who comes to me will never go
hungry, and he who believes in me will
never be thirsty.’” (John 6:35)
Christians are among the despised
minorities in many countries, suffering
from poverty and starvation. Please
remember in your prayers all those
who do not have enough to eat, and
especially our Christian brothers
and sisters.
“I am mother of six daughters. Before
the food programme I was worried
about their weddings. But because of
food aid I was able to save money that
really helped us to be able to arrange
weddings of two of my daughters.
Thank you.”
In Pakistani culture, the parents of the bride
must provide a dowry. This can be an
impossibility for very poor families, meaning
that their daughters cannot marry, a cause
of immense distress and shame
 Testimonies

Telling the
Untold Stories
Thousands of Christians around the world know that their lives would be in danger
if non-Christian family or friends were to find out that they were following Jesus.
For many, when this day does come, they boldly declare that they love Jesus, and
they refuse to renounce their faith, even in the face of physical beatings or death
(see Acts 4 and 7). These are the hidden heroes of our faith.
Below we tell the stories of three Christians who turned to Christ from a Muslim
background.

Beaten and
they would be arrested as anti-
government criminals and sent to jail.

Imprisoned for Finally the police left, but took with them
Aimurat, his senior pastor and some other
Teaching the family members. While the rest were soon
freed again, Aimurat was detained on

Faith charges of teaching religion without

Aimurat lives in Karakalpakstan in north-
west Uzbekistan. It is a hard place to be
a Christian, but Aimurat, who was
brought up as a Muslim, gave his life to
the Lord and now serves as Assistant
Pastor at a local church. One day in June
2008 Aimurat, then aged 24, was visiting
his senior pastor when police officers
arrived and began questioning everyone
about their church services and other
Christian activities. The police kept them
all confined to the house for the whole
day, and would not let them eat, or even
feed the baby. They searched the house
and took away books, video cassettes of
weddings, a computer and the senior
pastor’s passport.
Hearing the commotion at the house,
some of the neighbours turned out,
shouting at the police, “What are you
doing? Leave them alone!” Their protests
made no difference. The police simply
ordered the neighbours to stay away or
official approval and establishing or
participating in a religious extremist
organisation. During his time in prison,
Aimurat was systematically beaten and
told to deny Jesus. At the beginning of his
ordeal he was hoping to stay strong but,
weakened by the continual beatings, one
day he found himself renouncing his faith.
The beatings stopped. But Aimurat was
immediately filled with remorse and began
to pray, telling the prison guards, “You
can kill me, but I do believe in Jesus and
will never renounce Him!” This enraged
the guards, and they began to beat him
even more harshly than before until
Aimurat eventually lost consciousness.
When he came round, he knew that the
only way he was going to survive during
interrogations was by trusting the Lord
Jesus.
A main street in Uzbekistan, where
After a month Aimurat was set free, Christians like Aimurat and Huram face
covered in bruises and with several daily persecution. (Photo, Rolf Gross,
broken ribs, but still declaring his faith rolfgross.dreamhosters.com)
in Christ.

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 Testimonies

Persecution Postscript
The Uzbek authorities have now found
another way to make life difficult for
Aimurat. This year, he got married and
Through his steadfastness and courage,
Huram is fulfilling the Lord’s purpose of
preaching the Word despite being
“scattered” by persecution to new
places (Acts 8: 1-4).
they had now become “infidels”.
Life became very difficult for Mustafa. He
could not walk openly in the street; nor
could he go to the market to buy food.
Mustafa’s shop in the market was seized

wanted to change his internal passport to
show his new status. Internal passports
are very important in countries such as
Uzbekistan as they are used for all
Buried in the
by his uncle. The local church leaders
tried to help him by talking to the Islamic
leaders in Abeche, but their intervention
Sand and Left just made the situation worse.

important transactions from banking and
exchanging currency to buying or selling
property. The officials took his passport
but did not give him a replacement. This
leaves him without any official
documents, an extremely vulnerable
position in Central Asian society; the
saying goes, “Without one’s passport,
one does not exist.”
Youth Groups
Born out of
to Die
Since becoming a Christian, Mustafa’s
life has also been threatened a number of
times. In 2000 a Muslim preacher from
”Mustafa” was a radio repairman in
Sudan who was visiting Abeche declared
Abeche, Chad. His father died when he
over loudspeakers that Mustafa should
was a young boy, but through the
be killed because the Islamic committee
influence of his mother he grew up to be
there believed that he was influencing
passionate in his Islamic faith, and was
people in the town.
seen as an authority on Islam by his
friends and neighbours. On another occasion, during a visit to the
town of Faya, Mustafa was kidnapped by
One day, Mustafa listened in secret to a
radio station that preached the Gospel in
military officers, taken out of town and
left buried up to his waist in sand. The
Arabic. The message of Jesus intrigued
him, and eventually he became a
officers drove back to the town, but
miraculously God enabled Mustafa to

Persecution Christian. In 1997 he was baptised, but

“Huram” heard the truth about Jesus
from a Christian friend in his home town
near Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Filled with
enthusiasm for his new-found faith,
Huram left his family home to follow
Jesus.
when the Islamic Council of Abeche
heard about this, they summoned him
and his fellow Christians. In front of the
local Sultan, the Christians were flogged
and asked to change their names, since
free himself from the sand and walk back
to town later that night.
Mustafa is grateful for God’s grace in his
life and continues to serve the Lord as a
pastor to other converts.

Huram’s parents, who were Muslims,

disapproved of his conversion, and in an
attempt to make him forget his new faith,
they sent him to stay with relatives in
another town. But Huram joined a church
there and set up a youth group. Angered
by this, his parents sent him to relatives
in yet another town; again he formed a
church youth group. At a loss as to what
to do with their son, Huram’s parents
brought him back home and got a job for
him to try to stop him going to church,
but he continued to worship in secret
with local Christians.

One day Huram was arrested by police

because of his Christian activities. He
received a heavy fine from the courts and
was warned that if he was arrested again
during that year he would face
imprisonment. His fellow Christians have
told him that if he does go to jail he Mustafa was kidnapped by military officials, buried in the sand and left to die, but
should use the time to study his Bible by God’s grace he survived
and deepen his relationship with God.

14 )(95()(:(0+ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009