by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - A pastor in Sudan has been jailed for alleged “witchcraft” after he led a prayer meeting for his sick mother, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. State-sponsored persecution of Christians has returned to Sudan since last year’s military coup toppled the moderate government, which had succeeded ousted Islamic dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Pastor Abdalla Haron Sulieman was arrested on November 21 while leading a prayer meeting at the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church church site in El Hasahisa town, Al Jazirah state, MSN reports. The pastor’s mother, Aisha Adam, had an infection in her legs which had crippled her: those gathered at the meeting prayed for her, and she was healed.
When news of Ms Adam’s healing spread to Muslims outside the church, they began crowding in and asking for prayer themselves, MSN reports. Upon seeing Muslims asking for prayer from a Christian church leader, local Islamic extremists became angry and called the police and demanded that Pastor Sulieman be arrested as a witchdoctor. Pastor Sulieman was arrested and detained.
“This is a serious violation against Christians in Sudan,” said evangelist Francis Ismail, who visited the pastor on Thursday, November 24, MSN reports.
“We need to continue to pray for our brother because he is in jail for the sake of the gospel,” another Sudanese Christian said on his Facebook page.
Sudan now ranks 13th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2022 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.