Sharia Law:  Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah stunned the world by his announcement last October that Sharia law would be implemented May 13.  It has been temporarily delayed. The tough Islamic law includes flogging, severing of limbs, and death by stoning.  The Sultan stated Sharia law would act as a "firewall" for Brunei against outside influences. The United Nations warns that punishments like these classify as "torture or other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment."     Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah delivering a speech in October 2013. Source: AP
Double Standards: Thirty percent of Brunei's 400,000 are not Muslim, and they express anxiety over whether the law will apply to them.  The new code also violates freedom of religion, opinion and expression. The Sultan is well known for his opulent, self-indulgent lifestyle in this tiny but oil-rich country. Now 67, he has slowly been moving Brunei in this direction for decades, but this recent, drastic declaration has no clear motive. Brunei is not a target of Islamic extremists, so why now? No one knows.  Religious scholar, Reza Aslan comments, "This is obviously not coming from a place of religious devotion, since the Sultan himself is in violation of every single rule of Sharia law you could possibly imagine."
The nation of Brunei is number 24 on the 2014 Open Doors World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world. Window International Network Partners pray for Brunei on Day 20 in accordance with the Praying Through the Window 9: Global Terrorism and World Religions prayer calendar. Lets Pray for: The non-Muslim population that can unknowingly err with committing a minor infraction, such as uttering the word, "Allah," and suffer extreme consequences. Pray for their protection from antagonists (The Bible, Proverbs 26:27).
The Muslim population that is already deprived of many comforts due to the Sultan's extravagant life-style (The Bible, II Samuel 12:1-14).
The women who would bear the brunt of the harsh new laws (The Bible, I Timothy 2:2).
God to convict the Sultan of his harsh ultimatums so that he will repent and revoke them (The Bible, Daniel 2:28).