Prayer diary: Tanzania

Since December 2012 there has been an increase in reported attacks against Christian leaders both on the country’s mainland and in Zanzibar.

In January 2014 a mob invaded the Sunday service of a Pentecostal Evangelism Fellowship of Africa (PEFA) church in Kisauni, Zanzibar with the intention of killing the senior pastor, and beat up a visiting clergyman after failing to find the pastor. Local Christians report receiving threats via text message or in leaflets naming church leaders as targets. At least 20 churches have been looted and burnt or demolished by mobs.

Although police are investigating recent attacks, perpetrators of previous incidents have yet to be brought to justice.

This week, please pray…

• Ask God to protect Christians in Zanzibar who receive little protection from the government or police force;
• Pray that in the upcoming presidential elections, all parties will support freedom of religion or belief for all Tanzania’s citizens;
• Pray for effective security strategies to end the spread of religious violence in Zanzibar, mainland Tanzania and neighbouring Kenya;
• Thank God for the courage of church leaders in places where it is difficult to be a Christian, and pray for their protection;
• Ask God to end discrimination against Christians in Zanzibar, so that they would enjoy equal access to housing, health care, employment and education;
• Pray that the Uamsho separatist religious group, behind many of the recent attacks on Christians and churches in Zanzibar, would turn away from violence;
• Ask God to bring the perpetrators of violent attacks against the Christian community in Tanzania to justice.