World Christian Ministries
3995 William Court, Charlottesville, VA 22903
http://www.WorldChristianMinistries.org  †  John@WorldChristianMinistries.org
   voice 434-296-5263  †  fax 708-253-0806

Dr. Rebecca Zakaria - Indonesia

Photo by Ibrahim Buaya.

I am Dr. Rebecca Laonita Zakaria. That’s me on the left. I am in jail with my two friends, Mrs. Ratna Bangun on the right, and Mrs. Eti Pangesti.

Earlier this year we realized that if nothing was done, the little girls in our area would grow up to be prostitutes like many of their mothers. So we started a “Happy Sunday” program. We helped the children with their math and reading. We took them to the zoo and to museums. And we told them Bible stories.

But then some hard-line Muslim mullahs found out about it and had us arrested on the basis of proselytizing Muslim children—which is against the law. But all the children were there with their parents’ permission, and none of them changed their religion.

Doesn’t matter. They threw us in jail, where we waited through a trial that was conducted only one day a week for several months. Finally, to the cheers and jeers of Muslim militants who packed the courtroom shouting, “Allahu akbar” (“God is Greater”), the three judge panel sentenced us to three years in jail.

In the last two months over 60 churches have been closed in West Java. Authorities say it is because they are operating illegally, but they won’t give them permits. Altogether, over 150 churches have been closed in recent years.

And just two weeks ago a group of girls, age 14 and 15, were attacked in a cocoa field while they were walking to school. Their attackers chopped off the heads of three of them, while a fourth girl escaped with severe machete wounds.

Most Muslims in our country want to live at peace with their Christian neighbors, but a militant brand of Islam, imported from Pakistan, is trying to stir up jihad against the Christians and establish Sharia (that is, Islamic) law. Please pray for us.