Barnabas weekly newsletter 27 January 2011

A Christian pastor released from prison in Uzbekistan on Friday has thanked Barnabas Fund supporters for their prayers, which he says helped sustain him throughout his four-year ordeal.

David (Dmitri) Shestakov was arrested because of his Christian activities in January 2007 and later sentenced to four years in a labour camp, where he has endured harsh conditions and suffered severe health problems.

“Words cannot express how grateful we are”, said a Barnabas Fund partner from a Christian orphanage in Burma (Myanmar) that now has clean drinking water after we funded the construction of a water well.

The 25 orphans previously had to drink very poor quality water because they had no access to an alternative supply.

Through our Water Projects Fund, Barnabas provides sources of safe drinking water or improves existing ones for needy or persecuted Christians throughout the world.

The succession of attacks against Christians across the Muslim world over Christmas and New Year is just the peaking of a decade-long process that has been accelerating in recent years as radical Islamism has increased its influence.

While spearheaded by radical Islamists, it is based on a long tradition of Muslim anti-Christian sentiment and practice, as well as government-sponsored discrimination and repression.

Urgent prayer is needed for two Afghan converts from Islam to Christianity who are being held in prison because of their faith.

Barnabas Fund has previously reported the plight of Shoaib Assadullah (25) and Said Musa (45), and this week received worrying updates on both of their cases.

US Congress urged to act on behalf of Christians in Iraq and Egypt

Barnabas Fund welcomes moves by the European Parliament and United States Congress to address the persecution of Christians around the world.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have adopted a resolution condemning the recent attacks against Christians in Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Cyprus, Iran and Iraq. And at a Congressional hearing, the US government was urged to put pressure on the Iraqi and Egyptian governments to protect Christians in their countries.