Bridge of Grace

In the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistani Muslim woman Aneeqa Ateeq was sentenced to death for the crime of "blaspheming Islam."  In May of 2020, Aneeqa was officially charged with blasphemy by Pakistani courts.  The incident began when Aneeqa began communicating with a Muslim man by the name of Hasnat Farooq over WhatsApp.  The two met through a popular online game and began communicating with each other.  Hasnat accused Aneeqa of sending him offensive images of Muhammad over WhatsApp and went to the authorities and accused her of blasphemy.  According to Judge Adnan Mustaq, "The blasphemous material which was shared are totally unbearable and not tolerable for a Muslim.   This is only the latest of many cases in which people are imprisoned, often for years on end, when accused of Blasphemy.  Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi spent over 8 years on death row when accused of this.  Only through International Pressure did the Pakistani Supreme Court ove...

For years Pastor Li Juncai led a large church in the Henan Province of China that was part of a network of government controlled churches.  However, as time went on he grew increasingly uncomfortable as he began to understand how much control that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had over the churches.  In China, the CCP monitors who attends the churches and regulates what the Pastors are permitted to preach.  In time, Pastor Li realized that the congregation had to choose their loyalty.  It either had to be with God, or the CCP.  They chose God.   Pastor Li and his congregation chose to leave and join an unregistered church known as the Yuanyang County Central House Church.  It soon grew to over 700 worshippers.  However, in the early 2000's, the CCP launched a new wave of persecution against the unregistered churches.  In 2014, over 4,000 crosses were removed from church buildings in the Zhejiang Province.  Pastors who resisted t...

 On Dec. 03, 1990, the Iranian Regime executed Pastor Hossein Soodmand for the crime of "Apostasy."  Born to a Shia Muslim family in 1940, Hossein converted to Christianity and became a Pastor for the Assemblies of God Church.  After the 1979 Revolution, the Iranian government began a massive crackdown on all Christian churches and institutions in the country.  Despite this, Hossein continued his work, operating churches underground and baptizing Muslim converts.  Due to his actions, Hossein was charged with being an enemy of the state and ultimately executed.   Pastor Ramtin Soodmand and the Grave of his Father Hossein Soodmand Despite the ongoing persecution, Hossein's son, Ramtin, vowed to continue his fathers work.  Despite having to witness his father's execution at the age of 16, Ramtin Soodman stepped forward and for 30 years served as a leader in Iran's house church movement.  Over that time, Ramtin and his fellow believers were conti...

When tattoo artist Chris Baker became a born-again Christian, he began to question his chosen profession as a tattoo artist.  Though he loved his work and had a great talent for it, he wasn't sure if this was a path that God would want him to continue on.  Like many who are unsure about which direction to go, Christ prayed to the Lord for guidance.  A few days later, Chris went to work at his warehouse job and a few of his coworkers complimented him on his tattoos while complaining that the only tattoos that they have are leftover gang tattoos that they desperately wanted to get rid of.  It was at this moment that Chris realized that the Lord was answering his prayer.   Chris approached law enforcement officers about using his talent to help former gang members ( Link to Video ).  He learned during his work how these former gang members were having such a hard time leaving their old lives behind.  Their tattoos were a sinister mark of their previo...

Link to Video The Social Media world was stunned as horrific videos surfaced of  Sri Lankan Christian Priyanthna Diyawadana being beaten to death and then lit on fire by a mob of Pakistanis in the city of Sialkot.  Priyanthna worked as a manager of Rajco Industries, a sportswear factor in Pakistan for the past seven years.  One day, he took down a poster that contained verses of the Qur'an and soon afterward, was accused of blasphemy.   Pakistan's blasphemy laws mandate lengthy prison terms, and in some cases, the death penalty, to any who insult Islam.  This can including "desecrating the Qur'an," "insulting Muhammad," or simply saying anything that is viewed as being "offensive to Islam."  In one highly publicized case, Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi spent 8 years on death row for Blasphemy, a sentence that was overturned only after International Outrage pressured Pakistan's Supreme Court to overturn the conviction and allow her to l...

Iran is a police state.  Everyday dissidents are arrested, imprisoned, or simply "disappear."  Speaking out against the regime could mean the end of you.  However, this does not stop courageous Iranians from standing up and speaking out.  Having endured over 40 years of dictatorship and repression, the people yearn for their freedom, but the Security Forces seek to deny the people this people.   For nearly two weeks, demonstrators in the Iranian city of Isfahan gathered in protest of the nations growing water shortage, a shortage blamed by many on government mismanagement.  Initially, the government tolerated this, but then the inevitable crackdown happened.  Security Forces stormed into the demonstrators, beating many with riot clubs, firing tear gas, and setting their tents on fire.  Sixty-seven demonstrators were arrested and many more injured.  As they were attacked, demonstrators screamed "Shame on you," "Death to the Dictator," "De...

Born in the Sinjar region of Iraq in 1993, Nadia Murad was abducted by ISIS militants in August of 2014 along with 6700 other Yazidi women.  For several months, Nadia was imprisoned, tortured, and repeatedly raped by ISIS terrorists.  By what can only be described as a miracle, Nadia escaped and managed to flee to a refugee camp in Germany.  Ever since her escape to freedom, Nadia has worked tirelessly against human trafficking and the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war.   Nadia formed the organization "Nadia's Initiative" and in 2018 received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.  Recently, Nadia was scheduled to speak at an event hosted by the Toronto School District where she would share her experience with students from over 600 schools.  However, the event was canceled by District Superintendent Helen Fisher, over fears of "Offending Muslims & Fostering Islamophobia."   The canceling of this even is not only absurd, but it is...