Maldives
Christian Deported for Owning Bible
A Christian from India teaching at a school in the MALDIVES was detained for over two weeks and then deported on October 14 because authorities discovered he owned a Bible.
Pray that God’s Word would be accessible in the Maldives. “God sent forth His Son...to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Expatriates Fearful in Maldives
A European working in the MALDIVES reads the Bible online because carrying a Bible is too dangerous. Airline passengers flying to the country are prohibited from bringing “materials contrary to Islam.” This foreign Christian is also afraid to worship with other believers.
Pray that God will encourage him and the other expatriate workers in the Maldives. “As you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end.”
Believer Disappeared
A youth from the MALDIVES who studied abroad recently came to Christ. His parents found out and “took him away.” He has not been heard from since then. The Maldivian government claims to have a 100% Muslim population. Those who deny Islam face death.
Pray that this young man will live. “It is He…who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.”
Attempts to "prevent" Christianity
A man suspected of missionary activity left the MALDIVES. One Maldivian newspaper says, “Anti-Islamic work is becoming widespread and people are concerned that it may spread further unless the responsible sources do enough to prevent it.”
Pray that government efforts to repress Christianity will fail and the Gospel will overflow through this closed country. “And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
Radio Spreads Gospel
In the MALDIVES, all citizens must be Muslims. Nevertheless, Christian radio has begun to reach this country with the Gospel.
Praise God for the spread of His Word, and pray that He will protect from arrest those who embrace it. “Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
Christian Students and Islam
In the June prayer guide that many of you are just receiving, you will see an entry on two brothers in Egypt. The limited space of the prayer guide did not have room for their full story. These Egyptian brothers have been facing challenges to their faith for years. They were forced to take Islamic Religion exams at school in order to receive a promotion to the next class. One brother wrote on his exam, “I am a Christian.” The other wrote, “My religion is Christianity.” Even when they were forced to retake the exam again, they wrote the same messages.
Family Threatened with Deportation
April 1, 2010
In the MALDIVES, Islam is the only accepted religion and Christians are considered outlaws. A man who has compassionately helped his neighbors but has not openly evangelized them is now being accused of missionary activity. He, his wife, and three children may be deported.
Pray for the family’s protection, and pray that his Muslim neighbors will see Christ’s love in this man’s compassion. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Bill to Ban Churches
In the MALDIVES, a bill has been proposed that will ban all non-Muslim places of worship. This bill was written to “maintain Islamic principles in the country and to prevent the spread of non-Muslim faiths,” effectively making it impossible for Christians to gather.
Pray that the bill will not become law and that God will sustain the hope of the believers. “But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
All Christian Activity Banned
A proposed law in the MALDIVES would ban all non-Muslim places of worship. Christians, already under stiff opposition, would face large fines and long imprisonments.
Pray that the law will be voted down and that the church will be strengthened in the face of new persecution. "For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel."
Muslims Ban Christian Worship
Christian workers in the MALDIVES are being forbidden to bring Bibles into the country or even worshipping God in private. They are told they can practice Christianity if they are "unnoticed by locals" but they have no privacy in which to worship.
May their worship be invisible to the eyes of their enemies! "But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him."
Politics and religion in the Maldives
After thirty years under an Islamic dictator, the Maldives now has a freely elected government with a reform-minded president. However, the new ruling coalition also includes a hard-line Islamic faction, and this group controls a number of religious matters for the country. It is feared that rather than bringing an increase in freedom, the situation could become even more unbearable for the few Christians there.
New constitution in the Maldives
Maldives' new constitution has been hailed as a human rights victory. Yet under this constitution, "a non-Muslim may not become a citizen of the Maldives," and family members of non-Muslims could lose citizenship. Sharia law is the supreme authority, and laws may restrict religious freedom "to protect the tenets of Islam." Freedom of thought and communication are explicitly limited to that which is not contrary to Islam.
