Uzbekistan

Population
28,661,637

Chief of State
President Islom Karimov

Head of Government
Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Christians
2.10%

Evangelical Christians
0.30%

Dominant Religion
Sunni Islam

Persecution Ranking
16

This Central Asian nation is situated between two rivers called the Amudarya and Syrdarya. Uzbekistan borders Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. It is the most populous country in Central Asia. Once part of the ancient Great Silk Road that connected Europe and Asia, it prided itself as an affluent center of trade and culture.

After more than a century of subjugation, in 1991, Uzbekistan became a sovereign nation breaking ties with the former Soviet Union.

Currently, the system of government is authoritarian with an abysmal human rights record. According to a UN report, the use of torture is “systematic”. The press is strictly reined in by the state.

In spite of being the world’s biggest producers of cotton and being rich in natural resources, poverty and unemployment are quite rampant.

According to the World Watch List, “Evangelical Christianity is seen as a destabilizing element that needs to be eradicated. Churches live in fear of raids, termination of services, confiscation of literature, and the imposition of heavy fines, which are frequent and increasing. Church members face harassment, detention, and arrest for holding private prayer meetings or possessing illegal literature.”

Pray for the Christian Believers in Uzbekistan, Pray that they will be a powerful witness of the Gospel in their nation (The Bible, Isaiah 55:11).

Pray that God will give those in governance wisdom to work for the betterment of their people (The Bible, Proverbs 11:14).

Pray for relief from poverty and unemployment (The Bible, 1 Peter 5:6-7).

Source: http://www.win1040.com/reporter.php