Sixteen-year-old Hiba Anglo recently escaped from a gang of Muslims who kidnapped her last year, but it may be a long time before she recovers from the trauma. The kidnappers beat, raped and tried to force her to convert from Christianity to Islam. ‘They did many bad things to me,’ she said, as tears streamed down her face. ‘Several times I was warned if I don’t convert to Islam I risk losing my life. The man who imprisoned me did not allow me to pray Christian prayers and insulted my family as ‘infidels’. Hiba said that she gave the impression she had converted to Islam and was left unguarded. She fled and begged a motorist to take her to her home two hours away. Her mother said when she went to the police to open a kidnap case, officers said, ‘If you want your daughter back you should become a Muslim’.

Pray: for Hiba’s complete recovery from the trauma and for God to strengthen and protect the Sudanese believers.(Is.41:10-11)

More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/sudan/article_115849.html

Protesters are once again in Egypt’s streets calling for change fearing the revolution that toppled President Mubarak is in danger of being taken over by Islamists. ‘It's good news to go to the streets again to protect the revolution. The Muslim Brotherhood and the military council have hijacked the revolution,’ said Magdy Khalil, spokesman for Coptic Solidarity. Khalil and other Egyptians believe the ruling military council has made a political deal with radicals, moving Egypt toward an Islamic state no different than Mubarak's corrupt regime. ‘They are looking to protect their positions, so who can accept this position? The Muslim Brotherhood, plan to control the whole of Egypt,’ Khalil explained. He says the Brotherhood is ignoring high level corruption in exchange for power and control. Egypt's parliamentary elections will be in November but some believe more time is needed to overcome the political advantage of the better organized Muslim Brotherhood.

Pray: for God to raise up and give His wisdom to an impartial and democratic political movement that moves Egypt into her inheritance in the Lord. (Jer.29:11)

More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/July/Egypts-Christians-Work-to-Stop-Islamic-Takeover/

Nearly a third of the world's population live in countries where restrictions on religious beliefs and practices increased between 2006 and 2009, a new report reveals. Restrictions including social hostilities and government constraint rose in 23 of the world’s 198 countries, decreased in 12 countries and remained essentially unchanged in 163 countries. China, Egypt, France, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom were listed as countries where the religious are finding it more difficult to practice their faith.The report, ‘Rising Restrictions on Religion’ found that Christians were being harassed in more countries than any other faith group. Government or social harassment was reported against Christians in 130 countries. The number of countries in which governments used some measure of force against religious groups or individuals rose from 46% in the period ending 2008 to 51% in the period ending 2009.

Pray: the Church would not throw away her confidence in the Lord, and would persevere in every situation. (Heb.10:32)

More: http://www.christianpost.com/news/report-restrictions-on-religion-increased-in-23-countries-53616/

On August 3rd a car bomb outside a Catholic church in Kirkuk, Iraq, left 13 wounded as police disarmed two more car bombs targeting churches in the city. Online video images of the attack against the Holy Family Church showed a wall blasted open and broken glass, rubble and dust throughout the building. The explosion occurred on the second day of the month-long Muslim fasting period of Ramadan. See:http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/iraq/article_115875.html In Nigeria a committee was investigating how to overcome rapidly spreading Islamic violence after two weekend bomb explosions near churches in mainly Muslim areas. The blasts rocked the city of Jos on Saturday near a Baptist Church. A second bomb exploded Sunday morning near a Church of Christ in Nigeria building and an Assemblies of God sanctuary in the Kwarrarafa Area. The explosions came a week after five were killed in violence between Muslims and Christians in Jos.

Pray: for peace and protection in churches and public gathering places and for authorities to have much wisdom and watchfulness. (Ja.3:17)

More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/17791-bomb-blasts-near-nigeria-churches