Your Advocates International
Bi-Weekly Update
The Good and Other News from or about Advocates around the World
Vol. 4, Issue 1                                                                                           January 10, 2012
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Prayers & Praises
A global chronicle of our advocates prayers & praises 
AdvAI Prayer Logo (50%)ocates Calls for  Prayer Around the World  

 


Let Us Know Your Needs 

Advocates' international prayer & praise correspondent,  Bulgarian human rights attorney Diana Daskolova  reminds all advocates to  e-mail AI Prayer Net  your Advocates International prayer requests for inclusion in the next

AI Prayer Calendar.            _______________

 

The entire Advocates Africa team thanks you for your prayers.  For inclusion in the next Advocates Africa Prayer Calender.  Please send any items of prayer or praise to  Alison Diarra at alisondiarra@jemmali.org Thank you.
Advocates International
Global Council Meeting
this week 
The next meeting of the Global Council will be held January 13-15, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.  Under the Chairmanship of Min Choon Lee, the GC continues to refine and implement the vision for AI's global efforts through our Global Resource Teams and Task Forces.
AI Global Council, London 2011 

We will also be meeting in conjunction with the Rule of Law Institute Conference that is scheduled to be held January 11-13, 2012.  We look forward to the synergy created by holding these two key meetings in the same location, and would ask for your prayers for safe travels for all the participants and for the Lord's guidance in all of our endeavors.
Blasphemy charges in Pakistan on the rise 

Our friends and colleagues in Pakistan continue to ask for your prayers as they have seen an increase in the number of blasphemy charges being brought against Christians in that country pursuant to Pakistan's 295B and 295C law.

One particular woman whom we have already been praying for, Martha Bibi, is scheduled for her next hearing on January 19, 2012.  One of the latest cases is that of Mr. Khuram Masih, who has a hearing scheduled for January 13, 2012. His request for bail was rejected at the last hearing.  Ruqqiya Bibi was recently sentenced to 25 years and an appeal has been filed on her behalf. 

CLAAS asks that we all "pray for these decisive cases as well as for the release of Ruqqiya and Khuram Masih from jail rapidly. We believe that God has power and can change the minds as well as decisions; he will certainly answer our prayers."

Fortunately, not all the news out of Pakistan is bad.  Joseph Francis and the CLAAS Team report the following:

Nagina Gullam was raped by a gang in 1997 when she was just 7 years old (case reported in Sunday Times UK in 1999). Through CLAAS support the accused were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court and still they are in prison. Ms. Gullam was also admitted to the hospital through CLAAS for medical treatment after the rape. After the punishment of the accused, Nagina's family was threatened by the Muslim feudal lords and forced for the compromise in the case. They also tried to kidnap Nagina to kill her. Therefore Nagina's family had to leave home and moved to another safe place with the help of CLAAS.

 

Since that time Nagina lived at CLAAS rehabilitation center Apna Ghar. She was going to School for education as well as learning stitching skills at CLAAS stitching center for girls of Apna-Ghar.

 

She went to grade 6 in school studies but she stopped because she was interested in stitching more than education. Later she was introduced to a Christian boy at her parents'  home and wanted to get married to him. Her parents were not agreed with her then, but CLAAS asked her parents that if she wants to get married to the person of her choice, that they let her do so and we believe that she will be happy with her husband.

 

On Sunday, January 08, 2012 Nagina, now 21 years old, was married and she is very happy and thankful to CLAAS. CLAAS team along with Mr. Joseph Francis attended her wedding ceremony and supported her family financially. 

So we praise the Lord for this joyful celebration, but pray with those whose lives remain in jeopardy because of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

 

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