Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: June 18, 2022
When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. (Proverbs 21:15)
Today, give thanks that the God we pray to is a God of justice. Amid so much injustice, we place our faith in an unchanging God who is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. Amen!
Pray for justice in Vietnam
Fifteen ethnic Hmong followers of the Duong Van Minh religious community in Vietnam have been sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison.
They were convicted on charges of ‘resisting officers on duty’ and ‘violating regulations on safety in crowded areas’.
At the funeral last December of Duong Van Minh – the founder of the community, which is unrecognised by the government – a total of 56 individuals were arrested, when police claimed they were there to force people to take COVID-19 tests.
Duong Van Minh followers have experienced years of harassment and discrimination, as a religious minority, but these arrests are another example of a trend we’ve seen of oppressive governments using COVID-19 regulations as a pretext to violate human rights.
You may have seen the heartbreaking news about the terrorist attack on St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Nigeria on Pentecost Sunday. The attack left 50 people dead and more than 70 injured. The Christian Association of Nigeria described the attack as ‘raw persecution’, and called on the president to find a lasting solution to ‘the unending killings in the country’.
In summary, please pray:
- That the 15 people from the Duong Van Minh community will be released from prison.
- For justice for the community which has long suffered discrimination and harassment for their beliefs.
- For all those affected by the terrorist attack on St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Nigeria – for comfort for those who lost loved ones, complete healing for those who were injured, and justice.
- For an end to extremist violence across Nigeria, and for the Nigerian government and international community to be stirred to take effective action to bring it to an end.