The Church in Sudan: rebuilding after conflict

Campaigning for the safety of converts: your letter can help

Christian converts from Islam: their plight in the West
March/April 2009
 To guard the safety of Christians in hostile
environments, names may have been changed or
omitted. Thank you for your understanding.
Front cover: A Christian girl from South Sudan
3 Projects
Caring for the whole
person in Ethiopia
11 Newsroom
How Muslims in Africa
use aid to win converts
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders

6
and obtain permission for images used in this
publication. Barnabas Fund apologises for any errors
or omissions and will be grateful for any further
Focus
information regarding copyright.
The struggles of Christian
asylum seekers with

Contents
Western procedures

9 Campaign Update
Your letter will help Christian
converts from Islam
14 Country Profile
 he suffering Church in the
T
divided nation of Sudan

10 Resources
Books on women and
Islam, and our alternative
18 In Touch
A great response to Suffering
gift catalogue Church Sunday

Information Pull-Out
The plight of converts from
Islam in the West
20 Prayer Booklet
Prepare for Easter by praying
for the persecuted Church

FROM THE DIRECTOR

His Cross and His Peace

When I visited South Sudan in the
mid-1990s the civil war was raging
– a conflict in which 2 to 3 million
Sudanese people died, primarily
black African Christians, as the
South resisted the imposition of
sharia law and Arabic language
by the North. I was struck by the
enormity of suffering endured by
the Christians and by their deep
faithfulness to Christ. Suffering and
faithfulness could not be separated.
They painted crosses on their
clothes, they carried crosses as
they walked, and they topped
each tukul (round thatched hut)
with a cross.
Soon we will enter the Easter season and
reflect again on our Saviour dying on a
cross for our sins and rising again for our
justification. We need to keep in mind His
words to His followers, as He described
the persecution they could expect. “I
have told you these things, so that in me
you may have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world!” (John 16:33)
Today Sudan faces an uncertain future,
and Christians in many countries live with
hostility, injustice and danger. It is in this
context that the Lord sustains and
continues to build His Church, a Church
that we are privileged to be part of, a
Church that is His body here on earth. He
has promised us His peace, and it is this
peace for which we must pray for our
persecuted brothers and sisters.
Joyce Meyer tells the story of how two
artists were commissioned to paint a
picture entitled “Peace”. One produced a
tranquil pastoral landscape of fields and a
little stream. The other painted a turbulent
waterfall, pounding the rocks below, all
noise and spray, but hanging over it, at
the end of a branch, was a nest with a
tiny bird sitting on her eggs – peace in
the turmoil.
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
International Director
Turn to pages 14-17 to read more about Sudan.
For prayer resources in the weeks before
Easter, turn to page 20.

 BARNABAS AID march/APRIL 2009

 Newsroom
Focus

Fleeing Persecution:
Converts and Western
Asylum Procedures
According to the teachings of sharia (Islamic law), leaving Islam is
a crime on a par with treason. It is therefore punishable with
death (or, according to some schools of sharia, life imprisonment
if the apostate is a woman). A range of other penalties are also
listed in sharia, including forced dissolution of the former
Muslim’s marriage, loss of children and disinheritance.

Some of these punishments – even the
death penalty – are included in the legal
systems of a number of Muslim-majority
countries in the 21st century.
Furthermore, the concepts of such
punishments for those who leave Islam
are well known to the majority of ordinary
Muslims, and particularly to radical
Muslims. Family members or Muslims
Asylum seekers behind wire in
an Australian detention camp
(Source: Video Teppista, photograph
by Richard Schweizer)
from the local community may attempt to
enforce such punishments themselves,
believing that what they are doing is
correct in God’s eyes. Many converts
from Islam are arrested and imprisoned
by the authorities, even if apostasy is not
forbidden by the laws of the land; some
other legal pretext will be used.
A convert from Islam can therefore be in
severe physical danger whether or not
there is any law against apostasy on the
statute books of his or her country, and
whether or not any such laws are
enforced. Although many converts
remain in their homelands, some face
such threats or violence that they may
seek refuge in non-Muslim countries.
Christian converts
from Islam
The persecution that Christian converts
from Islam face is often not recognised
by Western governments. Several
Christian converts from Islam have been
refused asylum in recent years, and
immigration officers frequently fail to
distinguish between Christians who come
from a Christian background and those
who have converted from Islam.
A briefing by the British Evangelical
Alliance (EA), published in 2007,
expressed concern at the way in which
asylum decisions were often based on
inaccurate and out-of-date background
information. Many countries rely on
United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) recommendations in
deciding whether Christians are in real
danger of persecution in the country that
they have fled. Barnabas has heard of
cases of Iranian converts being refused
asylum in the UK, Germany and New
Zealand. Sometimes church leaders
vouch for the genuineness of
conversions, but the New Zealand
Minister for Immigration has reportedly
claimed that this is irrelevant in the case
of Iran. The issue is whether the fear of

 BARNABAS AID march/APRIL 2009

 Newsroom
Focus

A mosque in Tripoli, Libya. A Libyan Christian convert who

fled to the UK was beaten almost to death by Muslim
detainees at a Removal Centre, where he was placed after
being refused asylum (Source: Luca Galuzzi – www.galuzzi.it)

persecution is well founded and,
according to the UNHCR, it is not. He
was reported as saying, “We are
governed by the advice of the United
Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, not vested interest groups,
and not representations from others,
though they are taken into account. To
date ... the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees does not
support the contention that Christians
face these dangers if returned to Iran.”
Many Western people also do not
understand that persecution can come
from community and family rather than
from police or government authorities.
One such example is the case of
“George” and his wife, who fled to the
UK after receiving death threats from
his family. George grew up in Syria in a
Muslim family. When he converted to
Christianity in 2003, his family was
furious. He soon began to receive death
threats, including a video of a
beheading, and his family told him that
if he did not return to Islam they would
“wash their shame”, meaning that they
would kill him.
After living in hiding for several years,
George and his wife (who converted in
2005) fled to the UK, and they applied for
asylum. They provided their case worker
with George’s baptism certificate and a
letter from their previous church leader.
However, the Home Office initially
refused their request for asylum, claiming
that it would be safe for the couple
simply to re-locate within Syria, further
away from their families. Another reason
given for the refusal was that the Home
Office did not believe that George’s
father would actually hurt his son.
George said, “What could I do in this
situation? Should I ask my father for a
note forwarded to the Home Office,
guaranteeing for them he will hurt me if
he catches me?”
This perception shows the wide gap
between the Western (and Judeo-
Christian) worldview and the Islamic one.
It is almost impossible for many in the
West to imagine that a father would kill
his own child, but this action is accepted
as legitimate and even necessary in many
Muslim contexts if the child dishonours
the family. A case in point was the
murder of Fatima Al-Mutairi, a young
Saudi Christian woman, by her Muslim
brother after he found out that she had
converted from Islam to Christianity. In
some Muslim countries this principle is
taught from a very young age.
Western ignorance of Muslim attitudes to
apostasy can have serious consequences
for asylum-seeking converts even without
their being deported to their home
countries. According to reports, a Libyan
Christian convert from Islam was beaten
almost to death by Muslims while at West
Drayton Removal Centre in the UK.
Twenty-eight-year-old Moftah
Abdulghani, who had fled Libya after
converting to Christianity, was awaiting a
review of his case following the failure of

BARNABAS AID MArch/APRIL 2009 

 Newsroom
Focus
his application for asylum in the UK. His
Christian faith became known to the
hundreds of Muslim detainees at the
same Removal Centre, who began to
abuse and threaten him. The assault,
allegedly at the hands of Yemeni and
Somali detainees, happened as Moftah
left the makeshift church at the Removal
Centre. After the attack, he was moved
to another detention centre and kept in
solitary confinement for his own safety.
Moftah has since been given temporary
leave to stay in the United Kingdom.
How to prove
one’s faith
To qualify for refugee status in Western
countries, displaced Christians have to
go through the often lengthy “process of
verification”. During this process the
respective authorities will try to determine
whether the person applying for asylum
will face real danger if returned to his or
her home country. In the cases of
Christians asking for asylum on grounds
of religious persecution, authorities will
also try to establish if their Christian faith
is genuine.
Unfortunately the way in which Western
immigration and asylum officers try to
verify the claims of asylum seekers often
displays a great deal of ignorance and
insensitivity. Immigration and asylum
officers frequently struggle to understand
the severity of the danger converts may
face from their government, community
or family. Insufficient knowledge of the
Christian faith and of asylum seekers’
social and political background is a
serious obstacle to determining the
validity of asylum claims on grounds of
religious persecution.
A UNHCR paper on verifying claims for
protection on religious grounds pointed
out as early as 2002 that in many cases
the questions asked during interviews
were inappropriate and did not help to
establish whether claims were genuine or
not. The paper explained that
... knowledge of a particular faith
does not necessarily correlate to
sincerity of conviction. This is
especially true where the test of
 BARNABAS AID march/APRIL 2009
knowledge is being conducted
cross-culturally... judging an
applicant’s knowledge or
consistency of actions with beliefs
runs the risk of being subject to
error as the adjudicator may not
have a sufficiently adequate
understanding of the religion
to be able to make these type
of assessments.1
Despite reports such as this, the
problem of Christian asylum seekers
being deported even though they
genuinely face severe danger seems to
persist. The EA briefing listed a number
of questions asked of Christian asylum
seekers.2 An Iranian convert to
Christianity was asked questions such
as “Who was turned into a pillar of
salt?”, “Who had a coat of many
colours?” and “What was Daniel famous
for?” As he had never read the Old
Testament he was unable to answer and
failed. One convert was asked to “recite
the [Catholic] mass”; another one, “How
do you cook a turkey for Christmas?”3;
yet another, “What were the names of
the thieves either side of Jesus as he
was crucified?” (they are not named in
the Bible). One asylum seeker was
asked, “What was the forbidden fruit?”
His application was refused because he
did not name it as an apple (the Bible
does not identify the fruit).4
A further problem that often weakens
the case of Christian asylum seekers is
the failure to provide them with
Christian interpreters. While asylum
seekers have the right to demand a
female or male interpreter, they cannot
request someone who is a Christian or
at least neutral and objective towards
the Christian faith. It often happens that
Christian converts from Islam are given
Muslim interpreters. At best these
interpreters may be unfamiliar with
Christian terms. But what the convert
asylum-seekers fear most is a hostile
interpreter who deliberately
mistranslates what they say, or
even reports their story to the
Muslim community in the UK or the
authorities in their home country,
thus potentially putting the converts
in huge danger.
A positive sign
In a landmark victory on 29 September
2008 George and his wife were finally
granted asylum in Britain. Their legal
representative said, “This is a significant
and groundbreaking decision that clearly
puts the focus on the fact that many
converts to Christianity from Islam face
real danger, including the ultimate
penalty of death.” Please join with us in
praying that the decision will mark the
beginning of a better-informed and more
sympathetic approach to Christian
converts who flee to the UK for
protection, and that other countries will
take note and reform their practices too.
Refugee:
a person who has fled his/
her country owing to well-
founded fear of being
persecuted for reasons of
race, religion, nationality,
membership of a particular
social group or political
opinion, is outside the
country of his/her
nationality, and is unable or,
owing to such fear is
unwilling to avail himself/
herself the protection of
that country.5
1
Karen Musalo, “Claims for Protection
Based on Religion or Belief: Analysis and
Propose Conclusions”, Legal and
Protection Policy Research Series,
UNHCR, 2002.
2
Jennifer Coton, Altogether for Asylum
Justice: Asylum seekers’ conversion to
Christianity. London: Evangelical Alliance
UK, 2007.
3
Joanna Sugden, “How the Government
tests for faith”, The Times, 18 July 2007.
4
Coton, pp14-17.
5
Pocket Guide to Refugees, UNHCR,
May 2008.

Immigration Issues:
how you can help to
keep converts safe
It has been very encouraging to see
how Barnabas‘s 2009 campaign for the
abolition of the Islamic apostasy law
has already caught the imagination and
touched the hearts of many people. For
example, in the USA it has been
featured on a Los Angeles Christian
radio talk show and in WorldNetDaily.
Please do continue to make the petition
and campaign known. Have you
contacted your local newspaper or local
radio about this issue? It is a matter of
freedom and justice – which should be
top of everyone’s agenda – that
Muslims who choose to leave their faith
should not have to face the fear of
death or any other penalty.
Danger in the West
Sadly, such converts can face danger
even in the West. Read more about this
in the pull-out supplement at the centre
of this magazine.
Even worse, the danger can come
not only from elements of the Muslim
community but also from non-Muslim
officials making decisions on
immigration and asylum applications.
Many times Barnabas has heard of
cases of Christian converts from Islam
being refused asylum in a Western
country. They are forced
to return to their country of origin,
where they could face persecution
or even death.
This is because the officials dealing
with their cases are unaware of the
Islamic apostasy law. Therefore they do
not realise the difference in the position
of, say, Egyptian Christians born into
families that have been Christian for
Campaign: Why should they be secret?
countless generations and Egyptian
Christians born into Muslim families who
have decided for themselves to follow
Christ. People in the first group may
face discrimination at school or in the
workplace, or discourtesy from taxi-
drivers or shopkeepers. They may attend
church buildings that are shabby and
overcrowded owing to difficulties in
getting permission for repairs. They may
even, if living in rural areas, occasionally
experience anti-Christian rioting or – if
female – kidnap or rape by Muslims. But
people in the second group face the
ever-present possibility of violence from
their own family members, of arrest on
false pretexts followed by torture and
imprisonment, or perhaps periods of
forced psychiatric treatment to
brainwash them out of their
“deviant” beliefs.
Change the situation
Please help to change this situation.
Write to the head of the immigration
authorities in your country and urge her
or him to train the staff to know the
different security situations of
Christians from a Christian
background and Christians from a
Muslim background. The staff need to
be made aware that in Muslim-majority
countries a convert from Islam can be at
severe risk even if Christian-background
Christians face little or no danger. Ask
the head to recognise that Muslim staff
handling convert cases could face a
painful conflict of loyalties, having to
choose between the demands of their
job and the demands of their faith. Ask
her or him to make sure that converts
from a Muslim background are not given
Muslim interpreters or housed with
Muslim asylum-seekers, thus increasing
their personal danger even while in the
country where they would like to have
asylum. This often happens, not out of
deliberate malice, but simply because
officials from a Judeo-Christian
background have no concept of the
hostility with which converts from Islam
are treated. (Turn to pages 6-8 to read
more.)
Please make your letter polite. It does
not need to be long. Ask for an answer. It
is likely to have more impact if you put it
in an envelope and post it, but you could
use fax or email if you prefer.
In the UK write to:
Ms Lin Homer
Chief Executive
UK Border Agency
1st Floor Seacole Building
Room S.1.40
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
Fax 0870 3369050
Email Lin.homer@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Meanwhile…
Keep on gathering signatures
for the petition. Sign-up sheets
and more details about the
petition are available from
http://www.barnabasfund.org/
whyshouldtheybesecret or
from your national Barnabas
office (contact details on the
back cover).
BARNABAS AID MARCH/APRIL 2009 
 Resources

In this edition we highlight two books by Rosemary Sookhdeo on

the theme of women and Islam. She has been involved in
ministry among Muslims for over 30 years.

Stepping into the Shadows: Why women convert to Islam

Rosemary Sookhdeo
Why is it that every year thousands of women, including Christians, are converting to Islam?
What is the attraction of Islam to them, and what can we do about it?
This book goes behind the scenes into the lives of several women who married Muslims or
converted to Islam by conviction, and reveals what happened to them. It uncovers and
analyses the problems and challenges that such women encounter, and addresses the long-
term implications of the decisions that they make. It also includes testimonies of how some of
them come to Christ.
The book will be invaluable to parents, pastors and church leaders and will warn and
challenge anyone about to marry a Muslim or convert to Islam.
Isaac Publishing, paperback, 121 pp, special offer price £5.00 + £2.00 postage
(normal price £7.99)

Secrets behind the Burqa Rosemary Sookhdeo

Secrets behind the Burqa reveals what really happens in the daily lives of millions of Muslim
women and girls in the West. Going behind the scenes, it describes how the Muslim male
views women and how the behaviour of Muslim women is completely controlled. Rosemary
Sookhdeo details the hidden religious and cultural systems within Islam that oppress and
endanger women.
With Islam a growing religion in the West, Secrets behind the Burqa analyses whether Muslim
women will be able to embrace Western values and thinking or will be trapped inside their
own systems.
Isaac Publishing, paperback, 145 pp, special offer price £6.99 + £2.00 postage (normal
price £9.99)

To order either of these books, please visit www.barnabasfund.org/shop. Alternatively please

contact your nearest Barnabas office (addresses on back cover). Cheques for the UK should be
made payable to “Barnabas Books”.

Gifts of Love
Our 2008-2009 “alternative gift” catalogue describes a selection of twelve different key
ministries supported by Barnabas that bring hope and change to Christians in many parts of
the world. These include the supplying of clean drinking water to Christian communities, the
support of Christian victims of natural disasters, and the provision of clinics and other medical
assistance for Christians who cannot easily access adequate health care. These projects are
just some from a wide range that we support, helping Christians under pressure in over 50
different countries.
Whether you are looking to give to a ministry as an alternative gift for a loved one, or you
yourself, your small group or your church would like to give support (perhaps on a regular
basis) to a specific project, you will find here a wide range of options for gifts large and small
that will help to transform the lives of Christian brothers and sisters.
You may already have received the catalogue, but further free copies are available on request.
Please contact your nearest office or order online at www.barnabasfund.org/gol. Gift
certificates are also available.

10 BARNABAS AID march/APRIL 2009

 Pull-out Supplement

MUSLIM CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY IN THE WEST

Muslim Converts
to Christianity
in the West
Introduction
The majority of Muslim scholars agree that apostasy from Islam is a crime for which God has
ordained the death penalty. Further punishments are laid down in Islamic sharia law, including
losing one’s spouse and children. These views are not only held in Muslim-majority countries,
but are also widespread in the West. The following quotes, from an Islamic website based in
South Africa, are typical of many Muslims:
“When any member of a Muslim family abandons his/her faith (May Allah forbid) and adopts
the teachings of another creed, he will not be regarded as an heir to the estate of any of his
family members. His marriage to a Muslim lady is immediately terminated, thus causing her to
become unlawful for him.”1
“The law for the renegade is that firstly Islam will be presented once again to him and if he has
any doubts or queries then these should be cleared out and he will be given a respite of 3
days. If he accepts Islam again, then fine otherwise he will be killed.”2
This understanding of the Islamic law of apostasy creates serious difficulties for Muslims in the
West who have converted to Christianity.

The plight of converts are Cat Stevens, Jemima Khan, and the sons of Frank Dobson,
the former Health Secretary, and of Lord Birt, the former BBC

from Islam to Christianity Director-General.

in the West However, the growing numbers of Muslims who convert to

Many non-Muslims who convert to Islam in the West are
publicly celebrated and applauded. They feel secure and under
no threat, able to pursue their lives and careers and proselytise
for their new faith. Among such converts in Britain, for example,
Christianity in the West face severe persecution and often live
in fear of their lives. They face not just being disowned and
shunned by their families and communities, but also
harassment, violent attacks, kidnappings and even murder.
A 2007 Policy Exchange study found that 36 per cent of British
Muslims aged between 16 and 24 believed that Muslims who
converted to another religion should be punished by death.3

1
http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=13536, viewed 6 January 2009.
2
http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=7676, viewed 6 January 2009.
3
D. MacEoin, The Hijacking of British Islam: how extremist literature is subverting Britain’s mosques. Policy Exchange, 2007.

BARNABAS AID MARCH/APRIL

MArch/APRIL 2009 11I
 Pull-out supplement
MUSLIM CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY IN THE WEST
Some observers argue that in Western countries with large
Muslim populations, Muslims feel under pressure from the
majority culture and the demand to maintain a Muslim identity
is intensified, so generating an even stronger reaction against
converts: “When identities are precarious, their enforcement
will take an aggressive form.”4 Converts may also be put
under pressure by the embassies of their former home
countries, which warn them that they will be denied entry
unless they repent and return to Islam. Some countries
prescribe the death penalty for apostasy (although it is rarely
put into practice), and the Iranian parliament has provisionally
approved a bill to add this to its national law. The same bill will
also allow the courts to convict Iranians living outside the
country of crimes relating to national security, which for most
Muslims include apostasy, which is widely viewed as
equivalent to treason.
Just as in the Muslim world, many Muslims who convert in the
West have to do so secretly, fearing for their lives from family,
friends and the local Muslim community. They often use
assumed names in order to protect themselves and their
families. A convert in the UK reported that people in his local
Muslim community had told him that had they all been living in
Many Muslims who convert in
the West have to do so secretly,
fearing for their lives from
family, friends and the local
Muslim community.
a Muslim country they would have been the first to chop off his
head. Many converts face pressure from Islamist radicals in
the West. Khaled converted to Christianity in 1990 in Iraq and
then emigrated to the Netherlands, hoping to enjoy freedom of
religion. He was surprised to receive regular death threats
there from Islamic radicals. An Egyptian convert to Christianity,
Paul, had a similar experience in Chicago. Once his conversion
became known within the Muslim community there, he was
threatened by radical Muslims, who maintained a sustained
campaign of threats and intimidation against him.
Again, as in the Muslim world, some church leaders in the
West prefer not to evangelise among Muslims nor to accept
converts from Islam into their churches in order to avoid the
security repercussions and maintain friendly relations with the
local Muslim community. The growing tendency to conduct
interfaith dialogue with Muslims while ignoring the problem of
Muslim attitudes to evangelism and the Islamic apostasy laws
has a negative effect on many converts from Islam, who feel
Ruth Gledhill, “British Muslim ‘bullied’ for converting to Christianity”, The Times, 28 April 2008, quoting Christian Solidarity Worldwide
4
report, No Place to Call Home.
II BARNABAS AID MARCH/APRIL 2009
abandoned by the churches and defenceless in the face of
harassment and threats.
Converts who suffer harassment and persecution often
accuse the police, religious authorities and politicians of
finding the issue of apostasy from Islam so problematic that
they refuse to respond to appeals for help.
Many converts from Islam feel
abandoned by the churches
and defenceless in the face of
harassment and threats.
There is a growing number of Muslim converts to Christianity
in the West, but relatively few church leaders understand their
special problems. Like their sisters and brothers in the Muslim
world, converts often feel alienated and misunderstood and
find it difficult to fit into the church culture, where they are
often viewed with suspicion as second-rate believers who
might still be Muslims or might return to Islam. Used to the
community-centred Muslim culture, they find the isolation and
rejection doubly painful and difficult to bear. Facing threats
from other Muslims, rejection by their families and a chilly
reception in church, many new converts are loners who share
their testimonies and communicate on the internet with others
in a similar position. Some gather with other “Muslim-
background believers” in small fellowships to establish the
community they so desperately need.
Other problems are faced by converts who come to the West
to seek asylum specifically because of the persecution they
have suffered as a result of their faith. These are detailed on
pages 6 to 8 of this magazine. Christian asylum-seekers from
Muslim countries face a real danger of being denied
permission to stay in the West and of being deported back to
their home countries.
Some specific cases
The Hussein family
Nissar Hussein is a hospital nurse in Bradford, UK. Born a
Muslim, he converted to Christianity in 1996, and his wife
converted soon after. Since their conversion they and their
children have been regularly jostled, abused, attacked, told
loudly to move out of the area and given death threats in the

street. His wife has been held hostage inside their home for
two hours by a mob. His car, walls and windows have been
daubed in graffiti: “Christian b___”. Bricks have been thrown
through their sitting room window and through their car
window. Nissar’s car has also been rammed and torched,
and the steps to his home have been strewn with rubbish.
Recently he was told that his house would be burnt down if
he did not repent and return to Islam. He reported this threat
to the police, who told him that such threats were rarely
carried out and that he should “stop being a crusader and
move to another place”. A few days later the unoccupied
house next door was set on fire.
Mr Hussein told The Times: “It’s been absolutely appalling.
This is England — where I was born and raised. You would
never imagine Christians would suffer in such a way ... We
feel completely isolated, utterly helpless. I have been utterly
failed by the authorities. If it was white racists attacking an
Asian guy, there would be an absolute outcry ... They are
trying to ethnically cleanse me out of my home. I feel I have
to make a stand as an Asian Christian.”
A British imam’s daughter
“Hannah”, a British imam’s daughter, became a Christian
after she ran away from home in 1992 (when she was 16
years old) to escape an arranged marriage. She is living in
fear of her life and was recently placed under police
protection after receiving death threats from her family for
converting to Christianity. She has been in hiding since 1994,
when her home was attacked by a group of men armed with
knives, axes and hammers, and she has had to move house
45 times to escape detection by her family since she first
became a Christian 15 years ago. The latest threat was a text
message from her brother warning that he could not be
responsible for his actions if she did not return to Islam.
Hannah has been in hiding
since 1994, when her home
was attacked by men armed
with knives, axes and
hammers.
Sofia Allam
Sofia grew up in a traditional Muslim family in Dagenham,
London. Although the family read the Qur’an and prayed
regularly, her parents did not force her to wear Islamic dress
and allowed her to attend a girls’ comprehensive school. When
she was 18 years old, her parents wanted her to accept an
arranged marriage. However, she refused, stating that she
wwanted to continue her education, and was allowed to go
Pull-out supplement
MUSLIM CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY IN THE WEST
to university. This episode lasted for only three months as
she was so homesick that she returned home to her parents.
She then got a job in a hotel and eventually became a
manager.
While working she became interested in Christianity and
bought a Bible, which she hid in her bedroom. Reading it
convinced her to leave Islam for Christianity. Her mother
found the Bible in 2003 and asked her if she was still a
Muslim, to which she answered that she did not think so.
Following that confession, her parents’ attitude changed
completely. Her mother constantly screamed at her and
beat her around the head. Her kind father insulted her, called
her a kafir (an offensive term for a non-Muslim or “infidel”),
and threatened to kill her. Her uncles were recruited to
intimidate her and try to convince her to return to Islam.
Finally, after three weeks of abuse and bullying, Sofia left
her parents’ house.
“Tahir”
“Tahir” comes from a Palestinian Muslim family that had
emigrated to Chicago, USA. Following the 9/11 attacks he
started reading the New Testament and gradually became
convinced of its truth. His father disowned him and
threatened to recruit thugs to beat him up. His wife
threatened to leave
him and return to Palestine. She accused him of selling his
soul to the devil and warned him that he would not get
custody of their children, who would be brought up as
Muslims. His brother-in-law told him that his marriage was
no longer valid. Finally he found a spiritual home in a small
fellowship of converts from Islam.
Raped for reading the Bible
A Muslim woman (whose name was not disclosed for legal
reasons) arrived in New South Wales, Australia as a refugee
from Iraq and began to read the Bible. A Muslim man noted
her contact with Christians and warned her that if she went
with them, anyone who killed her would go to heaven. In
September 2002 he lured her to a farm claiming to have news
of her family. She was hit on the head, had a hijab tied round
her face, and was raped twice. She has since converted to
Christianity. In her statement to the court at the man’s trial,
she said, “Before I’m not afraid of anyone. Even when
Saddam Hussein put me in prison, I was still strong. Now I’m
afraid all the time. They can kill me here too in Australia.” She
said that she had become isolated within the Iraqi community,
and that her father had refused to speak to her for months
because of the shame she had brought on the family.
“Sabatina James”
Sabatina was aged 20 when her father and other family
members threatened her with death in 2003 for apostasy.
She had converted from Islam to Christianity while attending
high school near Linz, in Austria. Her father, who originates
BARNABAS AID MARCH/APRIL 2009 III
 Pull-out supplement
MUSLIM CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY IN THE WEST

from Pakistan, said to Nazir-Ali of Rochester, UK warned that converts from Islam
her, “In two weeks you might be killed in Britain unless British Muslim leaders speak
have to become a out openly on behalf of the right of individuals to change their
Muslim again or you’re faith. He added that it was still common for those deemed
dead.” When she apostates in Britain to be ostracised, to lose their job, and to
appealed to the Austrian have their marriages dissolved and their children taken away.
authorities for help, they The Bishop called on the Muslim leaders in Britain to “uphold
suggested that she basic civil liberties, including the right for people to believe
resolve the conflict by what they wish to believe and to even change their beliefs if
returning to Islam. She they wish to do so”.
“Sabatina James” was
fled across the border to
threatened with death by her
take refuge with a family
of Christian refugees
family when she converted from The reluctance of Muslim
Islam to Christianity
from Pakistan living in
Germany.
leaders to deal openly with
the problem reflects the
Abolition of the apostasy law? widespread reluctance of
In London in December 2004, in response to letters from
Muslims to tamper with what
Barnabas supporters, Prince Charles called a private meeting of they believe is God’s law.
Christian and Muslim leaders to seek for ways to reform the
sharia apostasy law and end its compulsory death penalty for
converts from Islam to other faiths. The Muslim leaders On a positive note, however, on 22 October 2007 Christian
cautioned the prince and other non-Muslims against speaking and Muslim groups in Norway signed a joint declaration
publicly on the issue becase, they said, sharia comes from God affirming the right to convert from one faith to another without
and cannot be changed. They argued that Islamic moderates fear of harassment or violence. This was the first time that a
could have more influence on those upholding the traditional church and a representative national Muslim organisation had
position if the debate remained internal. A number of Christian publicly acknowledged the right to convert. Barnabas’s 2009
delegates expressed their unhappiness with the outcome. campaign seeks to build on this precedent and eventually
Some urged the prince and Muslim leaders in Britain openly to to bring an end to the Islamic apostasy law. (For further
criticise the traditional Islamic law on apostasy, calling for it to details and information on how to be involved, please turn
be abolished throughout the world. to page 9 in this magazine.)

The reluctance of Muslim leaders to deal openly with the

problem reflects the widespread reluctance of Muslims to
tamper with what they believe is God’s law. Even those who
may believe that the apostasy law needs to be reformed or
abolished would need to be very courageous to say so in
public. They might face accusations of heresy, blasphemy
and apostasy, so putting their own lives in danger.
In response to this reluctance by Muslim leaders to make a
determined stand against the law of apostasy, Bishop Michael
Conclusion
The Islamic law of apostasy has a profoundly negative impact
on converts from Islam to Christianity in the West. In spite of
the rights to individual religious freedom, including the right to
change one’s religion, enshrined in Western legal systems,
these converts often find the upholders of the law reluctant to
provide them with the protection they need as they face severe
persecution from within the Muslim community.

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IV BARNABAS AID MARCH/APRIL 2009


Islamic school and mosque,
South Africa
Islamic Dawa and
Humanitarian Aid in Africa
“I have never seen such poverty as I saw in
the war-ravaged Democratic Republic of
the Congo when I visited recently. More
than 5 million people have been killed in
recent years because of the continued civil
conflict, and almost another million are
homeless and displaced. I saw food being
handed out at mosques or given door-to-
door. I heard the message from the
loudspeakers: ‘What are the Christians
doing to help? See how Muslims are
meeting the needs of the community.’
I was deeply saddened to see how Islam
is exploiting the desperation of the neediest
Christian people in order to gain converts
to Islam.” - Brendan Smith, Barnabas’s
Africa Regional Coordinator
Africa, the poorest and most troubled
continent in the world, is a main target of
Islamic outreach (dawa). Humanitarian aid
is one of the most important and effective
methods. Islam focuses on the key
vulnerabilities of poverty and nominalism
in the African Church, often offering aid
on condition that the recipient converts
to Islam.
Schooling
In the traditionally Christian townships of
South Africa a number of schools that
specifically target the poor have been built
by Muslims. They offer free education,
uniforms, stationery and two meals a day,
as well as sports and cultural tours across
the country. Millions of children in South
Africa are AIDS orphans and live in child-
headed households. These Islamic schools
offer boarding facilities to such orphans.
Many parents, too poor or sick to look
after their children, abandon them at these
schools. The top students are offered
scholarships to attend university. The only
requirement for the children to attend the
school is that they and their parents (if they
Newsroom
are not orphans) convert to Islam. They
have to sign a declaration of their new
Islamic faith and attend Islamic prayers a
number of times a week. Some schools
are more like madrassas than normal
schools and the children are instructed in
Arabic and radical Islam at a very young
age. The schools are funded by Islamic
businesses and by countries such as Iran,
Saudi Arabia and Libya.
This approach is certainly not unique to
South Africa, and similar schemes operate
in, for example, Uganda, Rwanda,
Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Malawi.
Governments of these countries actively
welcome such initiatives, as they reduce
the burden on overstretched education
departments. Free government land and
relaxed syllabus requirements are often
given as incentives for Islamic groups to
build schools.
BARNABAS AID MArch/APRIL 2009 11
 Newsroom
Health care
Because of the prevalence of HIV,
tuberculosis, malaria and a host of other
diseases in rural Africa, life expectancy is
low and infant mortality is high. Health
care is virtually nonexistent in many parts
of the continent. In recent years there has
been a dramatic increase in the number of
Islamic medical clinics in rural areas.
Many of these clinics are set up in non-
Muslim areas. The health care that is
offered is excellent; however, in many
Islamic food aid station, DRC.
It is built next to a church
Sharia Courts in the UK: what do they mean?
In September 2008 the British
Government acknowledged that it
had for some time accepted the role
of sharia tribunals in arbitration, in
certain limited fields. The
Government has not given any official
endorsement of sharia law or sharia
courts, but the Muslim Arbitration
Tribunal (www.matribunal.com) is
seeking to give that impression,
presumably with the aim of
establishing wider recognition for
sharia in the UK. The following
analysis is based on information
provided to Barnabas by several
senior lawyers.
Under the Arbitration Act 1996, parties
can enter into arbitration agreements
whereby they agree that a civil legal
dispute can be dealt with by a mutually
agreed arbiter rather than through the
12 BARNABAS AID MARCH/APRIL 2009
clinics patients will not be treated unless
they convert to Islam. In life-and-death
cases many people feel they have no
choice and convert. Some Islamic
hospitals and clinics in Burundi offer free
maternity care if the mothers promise to
bring their children up as Muslims. The
children are often registered with Islamic
names by the hospital. Many clinics have
mosques attached to them.
Food aid
Much of Africa is in a state of famine
because of poor farming methods,
climate change and a global food
shortage. Where food is scarce and
people are starving, hunger is often used
as a tool to gain converts to Islam. In
recent months there have been cases in
countries such as Ethiopia, Malawi,
Burundi and Tanzania of food aid being
provided to people if they agree to
become Muslims. In Malawi there are
even specific examples of people having
to receive and change into Islamic
clothing before they are allowed food aid.
These methods are extremely effective in
gaining converts. There is an old Swahili
saying: “A hungry stomach has no ears.”
ordinary courts. The parties can choose
to have the Arbitration conducted under
the rules of any legal system, whether
French law, Japanese law or sharia.
Arbitration is very common in business
and building disputes and, once an
arbitration agreement has been signed,
the verdict of the arbiter can be
enforced by the ordinary civil courts.
The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal (MAT)
claims to operate under the Arbitration
Act, and it is this that has led to press
reports claiming that the British
Government had given official
recognition to sharia courts.
Arbitration, however, does not apply to
criminal disputes. It is therefore
surprising that some police forces are
reported to have allowed cases of
domestic and other violence to be dealt
with by sharia tribunals. This is contrary
Islamic clinic and mosque, Malawi
Business support
Another very successful dawa initiative is
that of micro-credit or micro-finance. Small
loans are made available to families or
businesses at reduced and manageable
repayment rates. However, they are
available only to Muslims. Many people
convert to Islam in order to gain access to
these loans. Communities are educated in
the benefits of joining such schemes,
which include access to Muslim suppliers
and customers as well as business
mentoring and support. Conditions are
often imposed on those who take the
loans: that they may hire only Muslim staff
and may deal only with Muslim partners.
This kind of activity occurs throughout sub-
Saharan Africa.
to arbitration law and is particularly
dangerous in domestic violence cases.
It has long been recognised that victims
of domestic violence are extremely
vulnerable to pressure from their
abusive partners, and to prevent this the
Crown Prosecution Service does not
allow victims of abuse simply to decide
that they no longer want to proceed.
There is no legal reason why this should
be different because the violence has
occurred in a Muslim family.
It is also important to note that
arbitration cannot be used in cases
involving child custody, access etc.,
which have to be decided by Family
Courts acting in the best interests of the
children. In such cases, mediation is
allowed, and it seems that MAT may be
deliberately confusing mediation and
arbitration. A mediator will try to bring

Refugee support
There are millions of refugees and
internally displaced people throughout
Africa. Islamic humanitarian
organisations often hand out aid but
are biased towards Muslims in its
distribution. Many refugees become
Muslims just to be able to receive aid.
In the Great Lakes region of Rwanda,
Burundi and the Democratic Republic
of the Congo many returning refugees
who have lost everything through war
and famine are given houses, land and
businesses by Muslim groups if they
convert. It is not surprising that many
people do convert.
Conclusion
Christianity is said to be growing at an
astonishing rate in Africa. Yet as a
number of recent conflicts across the
continent have indicated, tribalism often
overrules allegiance to Christ.
Unspeakable atrocities have been
committed in majority Christian
countries. Within this context the Islamic
faith is gaining influence and converts.
both parties to a mutually acceptable
solution, which can then be endorsed by
the Family Court and become the court
order. However, it is a principle of
mediation that the mediators do not
make any decision themselves. It
appears that MAT may be making child
custody etc. decisions according to
sharia principles with the intention of
having those decisions “rubber-
stamped” by a Family Court as if they
were mediation agreements. If this is
happening, it is a misuse of the law and
involves the potential misleading of a
Family Court.
Arbitration can be applied to disputes
over inheritance, and therefore a sharia
tribunal could be asked to deal with
inheritance disputes between members
of a Muslim family. However, it may be
that enforcement of a sharia arbitration
decision on inheritance would be
contrary to public policy, since sharia
rules automatically mean that a
Where Christian nominalism is rife
because of illiteracy and a lack of effective
discipleship, many Christians do not know
their own faith well enough to spot that the
teachings of Islam are so different. It is
small wonder that the hungry, sick and
vulnerable are easily swayed by material
provision. The impoverished churches in
Africa cannot compete with the well-
funded Muslim groups that deliberately
target the poor. Many churches in Africa
Islamic school (madrassa), water project and mosque, Uganda
daughter’s inheritance is half that of her
brother and a woman’s evidence is
worth half that of a man. Under the
Human Rights Act 1998, a court in the
UK cannot act in a way that is
incompatible with the European
Convention on Human Rights
requirement for a fair trial. A trial where a
woman’s evidence carries less weight
than a man’s is not a fair trial.
In a 2003 case, the European Court of
Human Rights specifically stated that
sharia law is incompatible with the
European Convention, and it is therefore
arguable that any decision of MAT
reached through the application of
sharia law cannot be enforced by the
UK. In 2008 the House of Lords refused
to allow the extradition of a woman to
Lebanon because it said that the rules of
sharia law applying to custody of
children was arbitrary, unreasonable,
and incompatible with the European
Convention on Human Rights. It is ironic
Testimony
Newsroom
rely on donations from within their
congregations, most of whom live below
the breadline, while the Muslim groups are
funded by countries such as Iran, Saudi
Arabia, Pakistan, Libya and the UAE.
Barnabas is helping to stem the tide of
Islam in Christian areas of Africa by
empowering local churches to meet the
needs of Christians in impoverished
communities.
that the House of Lords made this
decision only weeks after the Lord
Chief Justice had suggested that
sharia law might have a place in
Family Law cases.
While freely chosen arbitration between
equal parties in limited areas of law is
long established in Britain, the attempt
to extend Arbitration to allow the use of
sharia in Family Law matters is of great
concern. Many Muslim women in the
UK are disadvantaged in terms of
language and education, making it hard
for them to know what their legal
options are, and they can be subjected
to immense pressure from family and
community. In addition some Muslims
consider that it is haram (forbidden and
punishable) for a Muslim to use non-
Islamic courts if a sharia alternative is
available. This view carries with it an
implied threat of violence towards
British Muslim women who want to
choose British law rather than sharia.
BARNABAS AID MArch/APRIL 2009 13
 Country Profile

Sudan at the
Crossroads
After decades of civil war and intense
distress for its people, Sudan today stands
at a crossroads. Will it go forward into a
new era of peace and development, or turn
aside into renewed violence and suffering?
And what of its Church, so often caught in This small hut (tukul) in Juba is typical
of many poor homes in South Sudan
the crossfire of its conflict? (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

A divided nation
The Republic of Sudan is roughly the
size of Western Europe and is the
largest country in Africa, covering a
vast area west and south-west of the
Red Sea. It has a wide variety of
geographical features, from deserts to
mountains and swamps to rain forests.
But the most important division in
Sudan is not between its natural
environments, but between the mainly
Muslim North and the mainly Christian
South. It is this that principally
determines the life of the nation
today, and the conditions of its
Christian population.
Christianity was introduced into what is
now Northern Sudan by the late 3rd
century AD, and by the seventh century
the population was largely Christian. But This five-star hotel is in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan located in the North
at this time Islam was brought to (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
neighbouring Egypt and its surrounding
region by an armed invasion of Muslims The South of Sudan retained its tribal South were kept virtually separate, and a
from the Middle East. The result of their religions, and was a source of slaves for passport was needed to pass from one
military conquest, and the subsequent Arab slave traders in the North. But to the other. Christian missionaries were
influence of Arab Muslim traders and Western Christian missionaries were allowed to work only in the South, where
culture, was the Islamisation and working in Sudan as early as the 17th they made a significant impact. The
Arabisation of all North Africa. It was not century, and after the territory came British authorities favoured the North,
until the 15th century, however, that the under joint Egyptian and British control in and allowed the South to stagnate both
Christian kingdoms of Northern Sudan 1899 their numbers increased. During socially and economically. At
succumbed to this process. this time, however, the North and the independence in 1956 they in effect

14 BARNABAS AID march/APRIL 2009


handed the South over to Northern
control. Southern ministers were soon
dismissed from the new government, and
Southern members of parliament
resigned in protest at its actions.
So now the twelve provinces of Northern
Sudan are dominated by Arab Muslims,
while the Southerners, who are mostly
African by race, are predominantly
Christian. The proportion of Christians in
the whole country is around 23%, but in
the South it is nearer 70%. About 65% of
the total population is Muslim, and
around 10% (mainly in the South) follow
traditional tribal religions.
Numerous other fault lines cross the
national scene: between the 140 or
more people groups with their more than
100 languages; between itinerant
pastoralists with their herds and settled
farmers with their land; between
moderates and hardliners, especially
among the Muslims. There is a saying
in Sudan: “If you are not confused, you
don’t understand the situation.” But
more seriously, these multiple divisions
are a potential – and actual – source of
severe conflict.
Civil war
For most of the last 54 years Sudan
has been racked by a civil war waged
between the Arab Islamic government
in the North (based in the capital,
Khartoum) and the African and mainly
non-Muslim population in the South.
The first government of the independent
nation attempted to discourage the
practice of Christianity and insist on
Arabic as the official language. When
in 1958 it then abrogated an earlier
agreement that provided for North and
South to be governed separately, the
violent unrest among Southerners
exploded into full-scale war.
A peace treaty in 1972 granted autonomy
to the South. But in the late 1970s oil
was discovered in Sudan, in areas
straddling the boundary but mainly in the
South, and the Northern government
then took back the oil-rich regions. In
1983 Northern rule was re-introduced in
the South, and President Nimeiry
imposed Islamic sharia law over the
whole country. The Northern government
was dominated by a committee from the
National Islamic Front (NIF), and the party
Country Profile
leader, Hassan Turabi, exerted enormous establishing of many active churches in
influence through his vision of Sudan as areas with many unreached peoples. The
a new worldwide centre of Islam. The war years also saw massive church
government apparently intended to keep growth in the South, especially among
the South underdeveloped until it could the Dinka and Nuer peoples. It is
be Islamised. estimated that the proportion of
Christians amongst Southern peoples
The non-Muslim South, which did not
increased from 5% in 1960 to perhaps
want to be ruled by Islamic law, rebelled
70% in 2000.
again, and this second phase of the war
lasted until 2002, with the deaths of over Neither side was able to gain victory in
two million people (mainly Southerners) the war, and international pressure
and the displacement of at least five eventually led to negotiations, and then
million. Atrocities were committed not to the signing of the Comprehensive
only by the Northern government, but Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. Under
also by Southern guerrilla movements, this the South is given a considerable
splinter groups from the Sudan People’s degree of autonomy for six years under a
Government of South Sudan (GoSS), and
Liberation Army (SPLA).
in 2011 a referendum on secession will
Sudanese Christians suffered grievously be held. Among various other provisions
with the rest of the South. Many were of the CPA was the commitment that
killed, died of disease or starved to sharia would have no jurisdiction over
death. Millions fled from rural areas to non-Muslims anywhere in the country.
the towns or to neighbouring nations.
Christians were frequently harassed by
the regime, for example by having their
homes and church buildings
demolished, and there were credible
reports of massacres, kidnappings and
forced labour. Children were abducted
and either conscripted to the army or
subjected to an Islamisation process
by Islamic education groups. Pastors
were arrested.
The influx of displaced Southerners into A Christian congregation in South Sudan
the North, however, and their spreading gathers for worship in the open air
all over the region, led to the
A large mosque in Khartoum, symbolising the strength of Islam in North Sudan
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)
BARNABAS AID MArch/APRIL 2009 15
 Country Profile
Continuing tensions
and violence
Since the CPA came into force the
conditions for people living in the South
have undoubtedly improved. But serious
problems remain throughout the country.
In the western region of Darfur, pro-
government Arab militias called the
janjaweed stand accused of the ethnic
cleansing of non-Arab groups. The
Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir, has
recently been accused by the
International Criminal Court of genocide,
crimes against humanity and war crimes
in the area. Although Christians have not
been especially targeted, their security,
like that of the rest of the Darfur
population, continues to be threatened.
The South was wrecked during the war
by indiscriminate bombing and violent
raids and was left largely without roads
or crops, money or electricity. The GoSS
has struggled to obtain the resources it
needs to achieve reconstruction. For
example, it is supposed to pay teachers’
salaries, but in many places it either does
not have the money or will not assume
The political division of Sudan into North (Muslim-majority) and South
(Christian-majority)
16 BARNABAS AID march/APRIL 2009
the responsibility. Many of its leaders
have no experience in governance or
administration. The South is meant to
receive 50% of the country’s oil
revenues, but some observers doubt that
the Northern government is dividing the
money fairly. A kind of peace may have
returned to Christians in the South, but
no sort of prosperity as yet.
The CPA gives further grounds for
concern. Some issues remain
unresolved, and little effective machinery
exists to make the Northern government
honour its commitments. In the long run
the CPA may prove to be no more
dependable than earlier agreements that
were broken by Khartoum, and give no
more security to Sudan’s Christians.
The process of Islamisation and
Arabisation, begun after independence
and continuing ever since, has been
extended in the North by President
Bashir. Women are expected to wear the
black chador (a loose cloak that covers
the whole body and the head), whether
they are Muslims or not, and a woman
whose head is uncovered will be turned
away from her workplace. They are not
supposed to walk on the street with a
man who is not a relative. An Islamic
banking system has been implemented.
Southerners in the army are offered
inducements to convert to Islam.
There is strong support for independence
in the South, and the vote on this in 2011
is likely to be the most crucial event in
the near future for Sudan’s Christian
communities. A smooth transition will
however be very difficult to achieve.
Merely organising the referendum will
be a challenge when many people have
never voted before. Violence continues,
especially in places where the border
between North and South has never
been agreed, and a vote for secession
may provoke a major war over frontiers
and oil fields. In any case, several
decades of development will be needed
to rebuild the infrastructure. So
Christians in Sudan face an uncertain
future, even without the many ways in
which they are specifically targeted.
The suffering
Church in Sudan
Sudanese law expressly declares that
apostasy (leaving Islam) is a criminal
offence punishable by death in
accordance with sharia. The government
claims that any manifestation of apostasy
in public constitutes a threat to public
order and should therefore be
prosecuted as high treason. In fact the
death penalty is seldom imposed, but in
the North Muslim converts to Christianity
face arrest, imprisonment and torture.
Even if they escape judicial censure,
converts face severe social pressure to
recant. They may be held prisoner by
their families, suffer beating, or simply
disappear. In the South, however, the
constitution provides for freedom of
religion, and the policies of the GoSS
have so far confirmed this.
Conditions remain difficult for Christians
in other respects. In June 2008 it was
reported that Sudanese government
troops had been pressuring some
impoverished Christians to become
Muslims by withholding international food
supplies and even drinking water. To
receive aid they first had to enter a
mosque and make the Islamic statement
of faith, and then confirm their
“conversion” with a thumb print. Some
Christians have also been transported
into the desert and left there without

food or water. Children of Christian
families are especially vulnerable to
abduction and enslavement by
government forces or militias.
In the North Christians face many forms of
discrimination. It is difficult for anyone
with a Christian name to get a job, and
some destitute Christians have even
changed their names in the hope of
gaining employment. Christians are also
excluded from government and the
professions, including some in which they
have traditionally been prominent, such as
banking. An atmosphere of suspicion
against Christians, especially their leaders,
has been created by the media.
Various measures designed to restrict the
spread of Christianity and the work of the
Church have been imposed, and all
Christian activities are subject to control.
No mission work is permitted except by
governmental licence, and churches have
to register with the state. Christian use of
the media is severely restricted, and
evangelistic programmes are not
broadcast from within Sudan for fear of
intimidation. Evangelism among Muslims
is discouraged. Christian preaching is
permitted only within church buildings,
and special permissions must be obtained
for other events, such as large rallies.
Christians in the North have difficulty in
obtaining permits to build churches or
other institutions such as schools, despite
the increase in demand caused by large-
scale migration to the North during the
war. Those living outside Khartoum
cannot easily travel into the city, but
because the churches there are under-
utilised the government has argued that
there is no need to build any more. Some
older church buildings have been
bulldozed and land expropriated by the
government. Migrants are now returning
Barnabas supports a training project
for Christian teachers
Country Profile
to the South, increasing the need for
buildings there.
After years of persecution there was
some hope that the signing of the CPA
would bring an extension of religious
freedom for those living in the North as
well as those in the South. But given the
fragility of the peace and the
uncertainties of the future it remains to Food aid from Barnabas for Christians
be seen how far the government’s in Darfur is unloaded from a lorry
promises will be fulfilled.
The Church in South Sudan
Despite the horrendous suffering of
Christians in South Sudan in the last 25
years, they have provided a striking
example of faithfulness to Christ.
When one group of Christians were
asked, during the civil war, why they
always crowned their small round huts
(tukuls) with a wooden cross (see
picture), they said that they did not
want government warplanes
accidentally to bomb the local non-
Christians, when the bombs were
intended for Christians!
The churches are also renowned for the joy and persistence of their singing, even
in the midst of unbelievable deprivation and distress. When asked why they sang
so joyfully, when they seemed to have nothing to be thankful for, they replied,
“Because God has given us another day, and because we are going to heaven.”
Aid from Barnabas to Sudan
During the war a whole generation of young Southerners were entirely deprived of
the opportunity to go to school. Education is a vital need. Barnabas has been
helping a number of different Christian schools for displaced children in the North,
as well as schools in the South. (Project reference 48-344)
The need for health care is pressing. A local Christian group is setting up four
church-run clinics in isolated rural areas of the South. Barnabas is financing their
construction and equipping, and their running costs in the first year, including the
salaries and further training of three health workers. (Project reference 48-758)
Barnabas is providing food aid (such as corn, sugar, lentils and rice) for a hundred
Christian families in Darfur. (Project reference 48-511)
Many Christian school teachers have received little or no training in how to teach,
or have fairly basic education themselves. Barnabas is supporting a variety of
training courses for Christian teachers, in their schools or at a training centre.
(Project reference 48-494)
Barnabas is helping to support a Christian prison ministry in North Sudan. Many
Christian women are imprisoned, either for debt (as displaced people they have
little or no income) or for failing to adhere to some aspect of sharia, for example,
the requirement to cover themselves properly. (Project reference 48-575)
BARNABAS AID MArch/APRIL 2009 17
 In touch

A great response to
The Son of Man in all His glory
Will sit upon His heavenly throne
“Let all the nations pass before Me,
Suffering Church Sunday 2008 I shall choose those who are My own.

It has been a huge encouragement to us � A pastor in Beaudesert, Australia wrote

at Barnabas to hear of the imaginative
ways in which our supporters have used
our Suffering Church Sunday resources
since last November.
� A church in Pontlottyn, South Wales,
held a “meal in a bowl” event (pictured)
after their morning service and
considered the information we had
provided. After this they were able to
send a generous donation to support
the persecuted Church.
� Another reader, from Smethwick, West
Midlands, UK, combined material from
various agencies that support suffering
Christians. He developed the idea of a
week-long prayer calendar for the children
to make and then use, for those who have
to read their Bibles in secret, those who do
not have enough to eat, and so on.
At a church in Croydon, UK, the outline
� Then you did it as for Me.”
sermon and “Faith Costs” cards made an
effective combination. Not only did people
respond positively on the day; they also
used the resources as part of a month’s
fundraising and prayer for the work of
Barnabas.
to say, “I think that we as Christians know
that terrible things are happening around
the world, but we don’t like to be
confronted with the reality. You have
helped our eyes to be opened and have
provided ways to be active. Thank you!”
� Finally, some supporters were
challenged by the statement that there
are very few hymns or songs on the
theme of caring for our fellow believers,
and were moved to produce works of
their own. We have reproduced one of
these on the right, which arose from the
author’s reflections on the Bible study
notes on Jesus’ story of the sheep and
the goats.
We offer our thanks to these individuals
and their congregations for their creative
concern, prayers and generous support
for the persecuted Church.
The resources, which can be used at
any time of year, are available at
www.barnabasfund.org/scs
“You that fed Me when I hungered,
You that quenched My raging thirst:
You are My sheep, I am your Shepherd
You are the ones who shall be first.
“I was a stranger, and you healed Me;
I was naked; Me you clothed.
I was sick; you gave Me comfort;
A prisoner, and yet was not loathed.”
Those righteous ones will then ask of Him,
“When did we do these things You say?”
The Son of Man will answer gently,
“You did these things for Me today.
“For when you tended for My brothers,
Cared for My sisters, friends, you see,
And did it for the least among them,
So when, in times of tribulation,
Your brothers and sisters are oppressed,
Hold out your hand to them in friendship
And you will then by God be blessed.

� A church in Barnstaple, Devon, UK that

Chris Trigger, 2008
meets in a converted railway shed was
able to project the PowerPoint
presentation ten feet wide! With the Chris suggests that these verses could
reading and six-point message shown be sung to the tune St Clement, which is
behind him, the speaker was able to often used for The day thou gavest, Lord,
Suffering Church Sunday lunch at
recount in depth the stories and is ended.
Pontlottyn Church
information from the magazine.

Remember persecuted
Barnabas UK meetings Christians this Lent –
Confirmed dates and venues of Dr Patrick Sookhdeo’s speaker meetings on Islam, and Easter
the Church and the Future of Britain (described in the January/February 2009 edition The weeks leading up to Easter are
of Barnabas Aid) are listed below. We extend a warm welcome to all our supporters especially good for focusing on the needs
and their friends. of the persecuted Church, both in prayer
and with practical giving. Why not hold a
Friday 6 March Wirral 7.30 pm Grange URC, Kings Road, Higher Bebbington simple soup and bread lunch and invite
Saturday 9 May Shrewsbury 7 pm Barnabas Community Church Centre, people to give a donation to support the
Longden Coleham persecuted Church? Some congregations
also give their Easter offering to help our
Saturday 16 May Ipswich 10 am-4 pm Venue to be confirmed Christian brothers and sisters who are
suffering for their faith.
Saturday 28 May N Ireland 7 pm Ballynahinch Baptist Church, 24 Lisburn Road,
Ballynahinch To help Christians intercede for the
persecuted Church at this time, Barnabas
And don’t forget the UK Supporters’ Day, to be held on Saturday 6 June at Freshbrook has produced a special prayer booklet
Evangelical Church, Worsley Road, Swindon, Wiltshire. Further details will be provided (enclosed). Turn to the back cover of this
in the next edition of Barnabas Aid. magazine for more details.

18 BARNABAS AID march/APRIL 2009