Region / Country: Middle East and North Africa

Last September, we brought you news from a sensitive north African country where a political revolution had resulted in the closure of churches and persecution of Christians. Following on from the theme of this year’s World Student Day – persevere – we spoke to Jamil, IFES Regional Secretary for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to find out more about the situation in that country – and how the movement has been responding.   

Jamil recalls how the door was sharply closed there in recent years when government policies not only led to the closure of churches and the arrest and imprisonment of church pastors, but also the interrogation of all those who had links to international organisations.  

The relatively new student movement, which had been growing steadily over the prior fifteen years, was deeply affected by the national shutdown. Due to restrictions on campus and closure of church buildings, the students could no longer meet in their usual places for small group Bible studies. Moreover, the annual national conferences, which had been gathering and motivating around 150-180 students, could no longer be held. The head of the national movement knew his name was on ‘the list’ of those who might be arrested. Anxious that he would soon be taken in for questioning, he wiped his devices of sensitive data and emailed Jamil, “I’m ready for them – they’ll come soon!”. The door was closed.  

But the window was open. Jamil remembers that the same email continued with the head of student ministry describing how the movement was prayerfully considering ways to seek the support to fund one more staff worker. Almost within the same breath, fear had turned to hope. “Knowing their determination and passion, the ministry will never end there!”, Jamil tells us.  

It seems he is right: the students have not been discouraged or deterred by the closed doors of campuses and churches. They’ve taken their Bible studies out into the cafes and forests instead (see this Prayerline). One year on, the political situation is unchanged, but the enthusiasm of the students and staff continues. Impressed and humbled by their perspective and dreams, Jamil asks, “Are we willing to continue to live this adventure with them?”  

Let’s adventure with them now by praying for student ministry in this MENA country:  

Thank you for the support you show to IFES movements in MENA with your prayers. If you feel led to further support the movement described above by contributing to their efforts to fund another staff worker, then you can do so here.

A climate of caution still pervades among international students in Tunisia following a recent wave of racist attacks targeting sub-Saharan Africans. Our contacts in Tunisia have asked for prayer as they continue to provide moral, spiritual, and material support to hundreds of international students in this North African nation.

“The last few weeks have been very, very difficult. Several Sub-Saharans – including students – have been assaulted and arbitrarily imprisoned,” explains Armand. “We have struggled a lot between dealing with our own fears and reassuring students at the national level. We are asking the Lord to calm this storm.”

The surge of racist attacks began in late February following remarks by the country’s president about Black African migrants. In early March, many international students were too fearful to venture out of their homes. The national movement cancelled face-to-face meetings for two weeks and even cancelled its national Bible camp.

A month on, Armand reports that the intense fear and anxiety among sub-Saharan African students has diminished somewhat, but many students remain cautious and are waiting to see how things will progress day by day.

“Several of our students were ready to leave Tunisia permanently before the end of their studies, but we tried to reassure them and their parents,” he said. “But it is not easy. I fear that many students will leave at the end of the academic year and will not return, and that we will have fewer new international students coming into the country.”

Tunisia is a popular destination for international students from Sub-Saharan Africa who are attracted by the quality of the country’s universities, as well as the fact that Tunisia has lower living costs and less strict visa requirements compared to European countries. In response, the Tunisian national movement has developed a vibrant ministry among international students.

In this predominantly Muslim nation, international students make up the vast majority of the national movement. Approximately 500 international students attend weekly bible studies and other activities across 10 cities. Alongside this, Christian students play an important role in providing friendship, welcome, and orientation to international students, many of whom face culture shock, language barriers, and financial and academic challenges.

Armand explains that the Lord has opened wonderful opportunities through this international student ministry: “It really is the humour of the Lord that we have several testimonies of international students who meet the Lord here in an Islamic country. But doing pastoral care work with students in an Islamic context is very difficult and our ministry requires a lot of creativity.”

Please join with us in prayer for students in Tunisia:

For more information about international student ministry in Tunisia, listen to this recent Voices of IFES podcast interview (in French) with Armand.

In recent years, a sweeping revolution in one north African country has changed everything for the local IFES movement. Under the control of a new government, churches have been closed, church leaders and other believers prosecuted, and Christian activities officially frozen.  

Courageously, however, brothers and sisters in the student movement continue to carry out their activities. The general secretary quotes the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:9 in insisting they are “persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.” As there are few options for safe places to meet, and even fewer churches to host Christian activities, the students are gathering for prayer and Bible study in cafeterias, forests, and gardens. A few places of worship do remain open, so small groups of students take advantage of this to carry out secret ministry training.  

“The Lord continues, day by day, to encourage us and give us hope”, says the general secretary. “But please pray for the faith of the students, so that the Lord gives them hope to continue serving him.” 

Pray with us today for this national movement: 

Some places in the Middle East have been experiencing extreme humanitarian crisis for many years. The country we’re featuring in this edition of Prayerline has been embroiled in conflict for a long time, with different groups holding power in different regions. A huge proportion of the population are in need of food aid. Most people do not have electricity, and the most powerful wings of extreme Islamic thought are spreading, affecting the security of everyone in the country.

Nonetheless, there is life in the desert. God has been at work, bringing people to himself. The underground church is alive and well, and student ministry is thriving. There are four IFES staff working there.

Recently, the general secretary of the student movement in this country was exposed, threatened, and forced to leave the country. This was the catalyst to bring together around ten brothers for a training conference, to strengthen and equip them to continue student ministry. For a few days, they studied the Bible intensely. One attendee, who is known by his neighbours for talking about Jesus, rejoiced in ‘a complete training on the whole Bible. Now I have more confidence in what I believe and it has strengthened my faith’.

IFES MENA Regional Secretary, Jamil, shares that ‘it was humbling to be in the presence of these believers, so eager, enthusiastic, courageous and passionate in their love for Jesus and desire to share the gospel.’

Here is one of many testimonies shared at the conference:

‘Not long ago I was stopped by the police. An officer found a piece of paper in my car with the following words from Isaiah, written in Arabic:

“Do not fear because I am with you; do not be anxious because I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my right hand.”

‘The paper didn’t include any reference to where the words came from. Imagine my mixed emotions when I heard the officer reading the verse aloud; the same man who had been ordered to stop me, was inadvertently bringing me comfort and reassurance by reading this verse.

‘I spent a week at the police station. During this time, police went to my house, took my computer, and told my wife to leave me. She responded that all she sees from me is love, care and compassion for others. It was eventually decided that I would be taken to a detention centre. This place is far from the city. There is no record of your detention there, and no possibility of connecting with anyone in the outside world. It’s a place of torture, and people can be there for months, or years, or disappear completely. When we were on the way there, however, the commissioner received a call asking him to turn around and return to the station.

‘I don’t know what had happened. But the commissioner said to me back at the station, ‘you have caused us problems’. I asked his forgiveness for that. Six hours later, the commissioner asked for my forgiveness for causing me so much trouble, and declared me free to go.

‘I don’t know why I had that piece of paper in my car. I do give out a lot of gospel leaflets and New Testaments to people I meet. I’m glad that the police commissioner now has been able to read a copy of those words from Isaiah.’

Pray for these strategic leaders from this country: