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“The Lord will not abandon his people.”
Pastors in the Mopti region of Mali, sub-Saharan Africa, have been given an ultimatum from Islamic jihadists to close their churches and leave the area unless they convert to Islam, the British Open Door Mission said recently.
A pastor told an Open Door local official, “A contact from the jihadist came and brought a letter to pastors in the area for a meeting with them. When we went there, they delivered new rules for everyone in the area to follow.”
The rules Christians must follow include, “△All Christians including pastors must all convert to Islam. △Everyone must participate in the war for Islamization. △A tithe must be given to Jihadists. △All men between 18 and 40 years of age must pay 5,000 CFA francs (11,300 won) annually. △Men and women must abide by Islamic dress law.”
Pastor Charles Yavaga Diara, who had to leave his hometown of Timbuktu in 2012 by the Tuareg rebel Azawad Liberation National Movement (MNLA), said, “It is a serious situation like never before.” The attacks, which began in 2012 when a radical Islamic group took control of the northern region, have had their aftermath even today. “Churches were destroyed, and Christians were displaced and lost their homes,” a person of concern said.
Mali has suffered three military coups since its takeover by Islamic forces, and the state is having difficulty in controlling Islamist groups operating in the north.
“The brothers and sisters of faith do not want to comply with these demands, but they are very much afraid of being attacked. Many Christians have begun to leave the area out of fear. Please pray for church leaders, their families, and churches to navigate through this difficult time,” he said.
Association des Groupements d’Eglises et Mission Protestantes Evangéliques au Mali(AGEMPEM), the Malian Church Group and the Protestant Missionary Society, encouraged churches to pray and fast, while Christians in Bamako also held a meeting on the 18th and prayed. Mali is ranked 14th on the Open Door’s World Watch List (WWL). The World Watch List annually selects and publishes 50 countries where Christians are severely persecuted. (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper, Christian Today)
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.(Philippians 2:12)
God, may You judge the Islamic Jihadists with Your Justice as they commit evil acts to expand their sphere of power by forcing Christians with anti-Christian rules to convert to Islam, participate in the jihad war, and close the church. Pray they would be sisters and brothers trusting in the Lord to break the scheme of Satan trying to kneel churches by oppression and wickedness. May You watch over saints who are being persecuted in unprecedented dire conditions in this Muslim-majority country, and build a body of Christ that always obeys the word and accomplishes God’s salvation.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
