Story number 1 for 7 Oct 2002

(Pakistan)–Topping the news, a grenade attack at a Christian missionary hospital and a shooting at a girls’ school in Pakistan on Friday are evidence of troubles for believers there. These follow a series of strikes on Christian targets in this Muslim country. Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton witnessed the building tensions. “They are discriminated against and held down in the society there, in the education system, in the employment system. What really creates problems for believers is those who come from a Muslim background. Muslim converts face a lot of difficulties and a lot of persecution.” A rumor of a U-S-led war against Iraq has added to the hostilities against not only Christians, but Westerners, as well. Nettleton urges prayer. “The risks for Christians in Pakistan who live there everyday, and are there all the time, are far greater than the risks for people who come and go. So, I think we can pray for the believers there that they’ll be strengthened and encouraged, and that they’ll be bold in their witness.”