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Here are a few snippets of the latest news from Barnabas Fund. For more in-depth news from around the world, please visit their website: www.barnabasfund.org/en/news
PAKISTAN—Pakistani Christian girl rescued from abductor
A Christian girl who was abducted from Lahore, Pakistan, on 5 January has been rescued and reunited with her family. Saba Shafique left her home in Walton Model Colony, Lahore to buy milk at 7am that morning and was kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam and married to her abductor. The abductor was identified as Muhammad Ali, also from Walton Model Colony and known to Saba’s family. The family subsequently received an “Islam acceptance certificate” to confirm her allegedly voluntary conversion, as well as a marriage certificate that falsely claimed Saba to be more than 18 years old and therefore of an age to be legally married. Ali, who is already married, kidnapped Saba and took her to Nawabshah in Sindh, more than 580 miles to the south-west.
Legal representatives of the family accompanied police officers on the 36 hour journey to rescue Saba from the abductor’s custody. They were able to locate her, locked in a small room in a remote area away from the city of Nawabshah. Police arrested her abductor. In a statement Saba disclosed that she had been subject to daily physical assaults by her “husband” and denied the right to contact her parents. She described her two-month ordeal as “living like a slave, completely helpless”. Legal proceedings are being pursued against her abductor.
Praise God for this answer to prayer with the successful rescue of Saba. Pray for justice to be served in the ongoing legal action. Ask that Saba will know God’s comfort as she recovers from her traumatic experience. Pray for the Lord’s protection of Saba, her parents and three siblings from any anti-Christian hostility within their community.
SYRIA—Syrian Christians deeply concerned about sectarian violence
Christians in Syria are deeply concerned for their safety following reports of mass killings in the country’s north-western regions. Fighters loyal to the new government have been accused of killing more than 1,200 civilians across the governorates of Latakia, Tartous, Hama and Homs. Among the victims were a number of Christians. Reports indicate that at least 12 Christians are among the dead, but the actual number is likely to be higher. Several murders of Christians have been reported, although church leaders in Syria have cautioned that not all reports are accurate and that some may be exaggerated.
Clearly, however, the scale of the sectarian violence has raised serious concerns about the safety of religious minorities. On 10 March a group of church leaders issued a statement asking the international community “to take concrete steps” to safeguard Syria’s historic Christian communities “who stand on the brink of disappearance within the next decade”. “There’s a feeling that no one is protecting us,” shared one believer in the city of Latakia. “I feel a mix of both fear and anticipation for what lies ahead in Syria.”
Ask God to protect Syrian Christians who face persecution, hardship and uncertainty. Pray that He will strengthen their hearts with courage and perseverance. Ask that He will heal the wounds of war, restore broken communities, and bring reconciliation where there is division.