Day 28
Somalia
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called on young al-Shabab fighters whom he says are “brainwashed” to surrender to the government amid ongoing military offensives against the group. Speaking at a mosque in the country’s capital Friday, Mohamud, who last year after his election for second term declared an “all-out war” against the Islamist insurgents, also called on the al-Shabab fighters to denounce the terrorist ideology before it is too late. His remarks came after the militants carried out two attacks on government forces in Somalia’s central region in two days, killing more than 43 people including senior officers. Pray that the Somali government fighting al-Shabab for more than 15 years will be able to curtail the deadly attacks of the Islamist terror group. Pray for God’s merciful intervention in Somalia to free them from bondage, starvation and destructive wars (The Bible, Psalm 33:19).
Source:
Somalia remains in 3rd position in the World Watch report 2022 by Open Doors for Christian persecution by being more hostile. Incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud became the president on 23 May 2022. The current prime minister is Hamza Abdi Barre, approved by the House of the People on 25 June 2022. Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the Northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland. It is one of the countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. The pressure on Christians remains at an extreme level. Christians in the country risk being killed by Islamic militants, and clan leaders, elders, and family members monitor the movements of any suspected Christian convert. In recent years, the situation appears to have gotten even worse. Islamic militants have intensified their hunt for Christians, particularly any in a position of leadership. Somalia is one of the few places in the world that has banned the celebration of Christmas.
Day 28
Pakistan
UN human rights experts have condemned Pakistan for the practice of abductions, forced marriages and forced conversions of young girls and women from religious minorities to Islam. Activists say the government has been inactive and unwilling to initiate legislation to protect religious minorities, and in particular girls caught up in these practices. Pray from these verses that say, “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to Pakistan; therefore He will rise up to show her compassion.” Also declare that “the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (The Bible, Isaiah 30:18).
Source: Pakistan urged to act against forced child marriages, conversions (Al Jazeera)
Pakistan has the world’s third-largest Muslim population. Pakistan’s political and economic systems are crippled by the interference of refugees and radical Islamists. Pakistan officially hosts 1.4 million refugees, but it has been flooded with millions of people from Afghanistan in the last 18 months. At least 48 terrorist and extremist groups – including the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and IS – also find a home in Pakistan. The country’s culture of Islamization with its notorious blasphemy laws has led to devastating consequences for Christian Believers, who experience more violence than almost anywhere else. Threats of violence and terror attacks are a very real part of life for the Christian community. Despite obstacles, the Church continues to grow, though lack of sound teaching opens the door to corruption, immorality, and low spiritual standards among Christians. Pakistan has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic with the numbers of cases and deaths high, and the economic impact felt keenly among the nation’s poor.
