What do you think of when you picture the Maldives? I guess for most of us it's a dream holiday destination. Yet it ranks 13 on the Open Doors World Watch List, the 13th most persecuted country in the world. From the Open Doors website:Leader: President Abdulla Yameen
Population: 370,000 (A few hundred Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Islamic republic
Officially, there is not a single Maldivian Christian. The constitution refers to the Maldives as '100 per cent Muslim' and being Maldivian is equated with being a Muslim; anyone who chooses to leave Islam is likely to lose their Maldivian citizenship. It is also illegal to 'propagate any religion other than Islam'; this can be punished with two to five years in prison. Maldivian Christians must keep their faith completely secret. Migrant Christians living in the Maldives can only practise their faith privately and are closely monitored.
The government sees itself as the protector of Islam, and the judicial system increasingly reflects Sharia (Islamic law); the death penalty has been introduced as punishment for murder, even for children, and a law banning marital rape was vetoed by the president as 'un-Islamic'. Converting to another religion means losing your citizenship, and being found to own a Bible would result in a prison sentence.
Pray:
- For comfort for isolated secret believers, and for them to find ways to safely make contact with other Christians
- The government controls the media and always portrays Christians negatively. Pray that the non-verbal witness of migrant Christians and technology such as the internet will show Maldivians a true picture of what it means to follow Jesus
- That against all odds, many Maldivians will come to faith.
A prayer to pray:
Heavenly Father, we ask that you would make us ever mindful of our brothers and sisters around the world who need us to stand with them as they suffer in your name. Teach us what it means to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony; we pray that we would not love our lives so much as to shrink from death.
For more information, visit www.opendoorsuk.org
