Religious persecution — especially against Christians — is on the rise, and no one knows this better than a young Indonesian wife and mother named Asia Bibi.
In 2010, Asia was working in an orchard with others when she went to fill a bucket with water for herself and her co-workers. When she dipped her cup into the bucket to drink, her Muslim co-workers objected, saying that in doing so, she, a Christian, contaminated it for Muslims. When the incident was reported to the local authorities, Asia was immediately arrested and held in solitary confinement to await trial for blasphemy. If found guilty, she would face death by hanging.
That was in 2010. Eight years later, on October 31, 2018, her case finally was tried before Indonesia’s highest court and she was found innocent of breaking Indonesian law. However, during the eight years, Asia’s trail had become a high profile case in this 87% Muslim majority country, and when the verdict was announced, crowds poured out into the streets in protest.
Her family sought and was granted asylum in Canada, but Asia continued to be held in Indonesia for her own safety. Yesterday, March 8, came the welcome news that she has been secreted out of the country and is now reunited with her family in Canada.
Click here to see the full story on BBC.
ACTION
- PRAY for Asia and her family’s adjustment to their very different life and world in Canada, and also for her healing. Eight years of solitary confinement will have taken a toll even on the most stout of heart.
- SUBSCRIBE – In addition to posting news about the persecuted church, each Fall Encompass Crisis Response joins the global Christian community in mobilizing the Church in remembering in prayer our persecuted brethren throughout the world. Email us at crisisresponse@encompassworld.org to subscribe to that email campaign.
