Panama — Among those deported from the United States to Panama for eventual return to their home countries are several converts to Christianity facing severe persecution in their home countries, according to widespread media reports in a story published by The New York Times.

“Only a miracle can save us,” one deportee said. A persecuted minority who converted to Christianity in a banned underground church, her life — and those of many around her — hang in the balance as they await their fate at the hands of Panamanian authorities.

Ten Iranian Converts

At least 10 of those being held in Panama en route to their home countries are Iranian converts from Islam. If returned to Iran, they will face the death penalty for apostasy — a severe crime under Sharia law. Iranian Christians have been heavily persecuted for decades, despite a long history in the country.

While the government allows some degree of freedom for historically non-Muslim communities, converts from Islam to Christianity are viciously persecuted and are treated as a national security threat.

One of the world’s few theocracies, the Iranian system is built on extreme devotion to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. After the overthrow of the secular but authoritarian monarchy in 1979, Iran swung hard toward Islamist extremism and has continued on that path ever since, with a growing security apparatus designed to suppress religious and political dissent in every corner of society.

Iran’s constitution, finalized soon after the 1979 revolution, is a religious manifesto that quotes the Quran extensively and mandates the military to fulfill “the ideological mission of jihad in Allah’s way; that is, extending the sovereignty of Allah’s law throughout the world.”

For religious minorities in Iran, there is no escape from the extremist policies of a government fueled by an extremist interpretation of Shia Islam that leaves no room even for Sunni Islam, much less religious minorities like Christianity.

A Lone Chinese Christian

The Iranian refugees are not the only persecuted minority being sent back to their home country.

One man in his 50s who had recently fled China held up a Chinese-language Bible and explained to a reporter for The New York Times that he had come to the United States seeking freedom. International Christian Concern (ICC) has worked to support Chinese Christians in the past, including by providing them with secret Bibles.

The Chinese man, identified only by his surname Wang, faces the threat of forced return to a country that has waged a decades-long war against Christianity and aggressively works to extradite and punish religious refugees who have fled the country seeking religious freedom.

China is known to have forced abortions on its citizens, sterilized women without their consent, and murdered religious minorities to sell their organs on the black market. Christian home churches are an attempt to escape government scrutiny, but even they are often raided and their members arrested on charges of working against the interests of the state.

China operates a concentrated campaign of persecution against its Muslim-majority Uyghur population. Donald Trump, at the end of his first term, declared the Chinese government’s actions against the Uyghurs a genocide after detailed research by government and civil society organizations around the world documenting a vast network of concentration camps throughout the Xinjiang region.

China has even reached beyond its borders to suppress religion and silence opposition. Chinese spy rings have been discovered around the world, from Kabul to New York City. The Afghan spy ring worked with the Haqqani network, a Taliban-affiliated terrorist group, to hunt down Uyghurs and bring them back to China. China has also stepped up its efforts to capture escaping religious minorities through the more traditional route of formal extradition requests.

Non-Refoulement

In Wang’s case, though, it does not appear that China has filed an extradition request or engaged actively to seek his return. While the United States has long maintained programs providing paths for refugees fleeing religious persecution, these programs appear to have been disrupted in recent weeks, halting the admission of already-vetted persecuted minorities and making it difficult or impossible for new arrivals to make their case.

According to reports, those recently deported to Panama include persons from Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Uzbekistan — a list that includes many of the countries that are most hostile to Christianity.

Refoulement, or the forced return of refugees and asylum seekers to countries where they are likely to face persecution, is prohibited in numerous international treaty bodies, including the Convention against Torture and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED). The United States is party to the Convention against Torture but has refused to sign the ICPPED.

According to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, adherence to non-refoulement is “an implicit guarantee flowing from the obligations to respect, protect and fulfill human rights.”

Justifying its decision to deport these Christians and others, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman claimed that “Not a single one of these aliens asserted fear of returning to their home country at any point during processing or custody.”

While the veracity of her claim is impossible to verify, the principle of non-refoulement applies to “all migrants at all times, irrespective of migration status,” according to the U.N. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Sources:persecution

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In just a few days, Christians around the world will gather for an unprecedented, unifying event called Gather25.

During an appearance on  Prayerlink, Gather25 visionary and organizer Jennie Allen shared that her motivation for the worldwide rally came from a dream she had about the possible return of Jesus within 10 years.

“Nobody knows the hour or the day, but I think all of us can agree it feels like it could be the season,” said Allen. “And when I dreamed that it wasn’t good news and part of the reason it wasn’t good news is that so many people still have not heard the gospel. And so I thought when I woke up, we should gather the entire global church and we should talk about being on mission together.”

It is a mission moving closer to reality for the first time in history as Christians from each denomination and continent join together for prayer, worship, and repentance.

“We’re going live from seven different locations on every continent in the world and we are telling the stories of the global church,” said Allen. “We’re going to share with everyone this is what God is doing today in the world. And so, anyone can be a part, they can tune in and watch from their home, from their church. We’re hoping for lots of different small events or large events that are happening all over the world.”

Allen who was a key figure in 2024’s college revivals nationwide credits the miracle of technology in helping bring her vision to life.

“One of the reasons it’s possible is because of artificial intelligence, we’re able to live-translate in over 80 languages and so we’ll be able to sing one song together across the world,” Allen explained.

“In the very beginning when we started talking about this, people would say, ‘Are you sure that it’s never been done before?’ And because the technology has never existed, we were sure besides Pentecost, when the very small amount of believers were gathered at one time and one place, it just hasn’t been possible because of languages.”

Allen said the support of other ministries is also playing a major role.

“We’re partnering with You Version, the Bible app, Bible Project Alpha, and then international ministries like East West and Campus Crusade for Christ, and all of these ministries that are just spread out all over the world, they have reach everywhere. And so, it really is possible because of our teammates and our friends and then so many incredible people have offered their voice and leadership to this.”

According to Allen, prayer remains the foundation for all planning as Gather25 draws near.

“When it’s all said and done, this will be happening because groups of people have been going to the Lord and begging him to protect us to allow this to happen, praying for this to happen.

Allen also shared her heart and prayer for the upcoming event.

“My prayer is that many, many people would be saved because the church came together and worshiped God and repented and our hearts were made right. And we were on mission together.”

Gather25 is set to take place across 25 hours starting February 28 through 9 p.m. March 1.
Sources:CBN News

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According to the US Department of Agriculture, more than 23 million Americans live in what’s known as food deserts. These areas, usually in low-income communities, don’t provide residents access to affordable, healthy food options, like fresh produce.

When you take a closer look into a city like Norfolk, VA, you might be surprised that an area like this exists where residents often live more than a mile from the nearest supermarket.

E. Palmer Supermarket is in the Berkely section of the city. Complete with fresh fruit and vegetables it has become a beacon of hope for an area that went years without a full-service grocery store like it.

“There’s a lot of seniors in the area, a lot of senior walkup traffic. So, we thought this would be a good area to really get the people, the healthy food options that they need,” said Esron Palmer, co-owner of E. Palmer Supermarket.

Palmer and his Dad, Michael, obtained a grant and loan from the city to launch the business three years ago.

“None of the big box retailers wanted to come in, your Food Lions, such names like that,” Palmer told . “So, they provided the opportunity with a grant to get it started. So, once I graduated from VCU, my father let me know the opportunity. We drafted up a business plan and we were running from there.”

People in food deserts often have little choice other than to buy unhealthy processed food available at nearby convenience stores.

“Most of the food in these establishments are ready to eat, or commercially packaged goods, are highly processed foods,” said Dr. Darin Detwiler, a teaching professor of Global Economics of Food and Agriculture at Northeastern University. “You typically don’t find ease of access to raw fruits and vegetables or whole ingredients.”

Detwiler also shared that people living in such areas face a greater risk of diet-related health conditions.

“When we’re looking specifically at the health impacts, we have everything from foodborne illnesses to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, and other concerns,” Detwiler explained.

Those health concerns are a major reason E. Palmer offers its customers, many who live on a fixed income, incentives for purchasing healthy food.

“We try to keep up with our produce as best as we can, getting the freshest produce possible at the good price for our customers,” said Palmer. “We also offer to our EBT customers 50 percent off their fruits and vegetables anytime they shop.”

“I saw the fresh fruits, the fresh vegetables, the fresh meats, the prices,” said customer April Taylor. “Within this area, if you didn’t have this, you have to go way out to get it.”

Detwiler said there are a number of reasons why food deserts exist.

“Lack of supermarket investment, high real estate costs and zoning laws, supply chain challenges, but also there’s some systemic elements, housing discrimination, underdeveloped neighborhoods, even the idea of structural inequalities within communities that have historical and systemic basis in racism,” Detwiler explained.

These are all issues the Palmers are helping to overcome through hard work and faith.

“Can’t do anything without Christ,” Palmer commented. “Everything through God. And he just helped us throughout the way, keeping faith, making sure that we have everything that we need as far as the knowledge and the strength to continue.”

Customers are beyond grateful, such as longtime resident Joan Spaulding.

“All the other stores are so far, I guess they don’t want to come in this neighborhood,” Spaulding said. “But these people here have came in our neighborhood. They give us the best food that we could ever ask for. We have fresh fruits, vegetables, everything. I come here every day, it’s like home and I love it so much.”

Others highlight the family-like atmosphere, such as a weekly free breakfast for seniors at the store’s on-site restaurant.

“The store is very important. Without this store, the community wouldn’t be a community,” said regular shopper Ralph Finklea.

That kind of feedback is what fills Palmer with a sense of fulfillment, knowing that he is meeting the needs of many, hopefully for years to come.

“It feels great coming here to see the smiling faces on people. The products we offer are with our healthy food options and everything like that. It is really great to know that we have that here for them to come and get whatever they need,” Palmer said.
Sources:CBN News

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