BARTLESVILLE, OK — “Persecution is real, and it is biblical, and Jesus told us we will face persecution in this world,” said Pastor Hassan Abduraheem during The Voice of the Martyrs’ “I Am N” Virtual Event earlier this month.
During the online event, Hassan and two other survivors of Muslim extremism shared their inspiring stories of persecution with a vast, global audience. More than 2,300 churches hosted watch parties (with an unknown number in attendance) and more than 57,000 individuals registered to participate from 61 countries, including Pakistan, Qatar and Israel.
The name of this event originated with a show of support for Middle Eastern Christians after violent Muslim extremists from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) went door-to-door, spray-painting Christian homes and churches in Northern Iraq with the symbol ” ن”, the Arabic letter “N,” for Nasara, a pejorative term used by Muslims to mean “followers of Jesus of Nazareth.”
Christians around the world began displaying the Arabic letter ” ن” to raise awareness of the persecution, show solidarity and encourage prayer. The mark became a worldwide symbol of hope and courage.
VOM’s virtual event featured Hassan, who was arrested in 2015 in Sudan for providing aid to a persecuted Christian. Though sentenced to 12 years in prison, Hassan received a presidential pardon and was freed in 2017.
Heather Mercer, a missionary to Afghanistan who was arrested by the Taliban in 2001 and jailed for more than 100 days, shared that, “As believers, we are not guaranteed a life of ease or a life without suffering. He will call us to things more costly and uncomfortable than we ever thought.”
John Samara, a Syrian-born front-line worker said, “There are more Muslims coming to know Jesus Christ as Lord our Savior in the last 20 years than in the last 1,400 years.”
The “I Am N” Virtual Event was broadcast in English with worship led by Steven Curtis Chapman and in Spanish with worship led by Alex Campos.
About The Voice of the Martyrs
Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, The Voice of the Martyrs is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization serving persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ. For more information, visit VOM.org.
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