Testimony of Kormangazi

We know Peter, James, and John and their valiant Spirit-empowered testimonies for Christ and His Church from the New Testament book of “Acts.” But the two thousand year old story of Kingdom advance continues today, all around the world, including here in Kazakhstan.  Names like Kormangazi Abdumuratov are being added to the sacred roll. What follows are the words of this 24 year old young man. Pray for him, his wife, their three-month old child – and the church he leads near the Caspian Sea.

I, Kormangazi Abdumuratov, write this testimony of events over the last several months. 

EXPERIENCE WITH OIL AND GAS INSTITUTE: MAY & JUNE 2002

In May, 2002, the head of the Technology Department, of the Atyrau Oil and Gas Institute where I studied, Mr. Nasihan Jumamurhamedov Gilmanovich, called me to a meeting. He said, “Why did you tell me you are studying part-time in a Medrassa in Chemkent. We’ve heard all about you from the KNB. (New name for the KGB.) You are not a Muslim, why did you say you were going to a Medrassa?” Then I explained to him that it is a Christian Medrassa I attended in Chemkent - a type of Bible School in the Kazakh language.

After that, he took me to the office of the Rector of the Institute, Mr. Serikov.  The 3 of us met together. I explained that I am a Christian and gave my personal testimony why I believe in Jesus. I said that in Kazakhstan, we have freedom of religion.  He replied, “No, you are wrong. You have accepted the religion of the crusaders. Many foreigners have come to Kazakhstan and they have misled you. They have come to divide the Kazakh people and bring war and violence.” I explained that I do not believe in fighting. God said we have no right to hurt other people. I explained there are Christians in all countries all over the world, and they are not doing terrorism or violence as they bring Christianity. Then the Rector put his hand on the Koran (which he had on his desk) and said it was the only true book. The Rector then went on talking about the Germans, them being Christians, and how they started World War II. Then he said, “Now do you understand? Do you see that what you believe is wrong and do you want to come back to the Kazakh ways and beliefs? I am working to advance the economy, and I don’t think about the past.” I explained that I agree and that is also the reason I am studying at the University, to get an education so I can get a good job and advance the economic situation for my family and Kazakhstan.  He said that his students should focus on the economy and not think about religion and faith – “So, are you going to stop what you’re doing? If you continue like this, I don’t need a student like you.”  I replied, “No, I will not deny my relationship with God, even if someone threatens to kill me I refuse to deny my faith.  I will not stop believing in Jesus.”  I then went on to remind him that according to the Kazakhstan Constitution, as a Kazakhstan citizen, I have a right to freedom of religion, but he interrupted me and said he does not tell his students how to believe, but he doesn’t need “a student like me in his Institute.”

About a week later the department head again called me into a meeting room. In that room were several leaders of the Institute. I was placed on one side of the long table and these 6 men were on the other side facing me – like I was on trial. They each asked questions about the other Kazakh believers I meet with, what I believed, why did I believe, why I was not a Muslim anymore. They raised their voices and told me I was a traitor to the Kazakhs and I was bought off by foreigners.  They used many derogatory words. They kept asking me about any contact I’ve had with foreigners. I calmly shared with them why I believe in Jesus and my testimony how I came to follow Christ.  They became more angry as the meeting went on. The institute’s faculty head said, “We don’t need a student like you. Your influence will ruin our other students. You won’t study at our institute any longer. Leave this city and go back to where you came from….”  I explained that even if they kick me out of the university I will still stay in this city, if that be God’s will. They kept saying, “Don’t meet in your house with people to read the Bible or pray any longer. It is illegal. Don’t talk to anyone about your faith. ….  If you keep doing it, we will never give you peace, we will keep after you and make your life difficult. If you need problems, I will give you problems. If you don’t want any troubles, then leave our city.” They gave me paper and forced me to write a confession about what I believed, what I did, etc.  The meeting went on for 2 hours.

A week or so later was final exam week. My professors refused to let me take my final exam. Each day I would go to the Institute and try and get my final exam, but they kept putting me off. They continued this till summer break, thus not letting me finish my 1^st year at the institute. I was not allowed to continue my education at that institute.

8 SEPTEMBER, 11:40AM  HOUSE SEARCH BY POLICE and KNB

           

I opened the door and the police showed their badge. They said throughout Kazakhstan, they were checking everyone’s passport (identification). Standing at the door, I handed them my passport. They took my passport. Then they said they heard voices in the apartment, so they pushed the door open and entered. A total of 7or 8 men entered my apartment (two with police uniforms, the rest plain clothed). The two top ranking police were, Captain of the Atyrau Police, Mr. Asilbek Boranbiev. The second was Mr. Orinbasar Kushkenbaiev, also a rank of Captain in Atyrau Police. I asked them what they were doing coming into my house, and where was their search warrant. They said, “Don’t worry”, and I couldn’t stop them. They said they didn’t have a search warrant, but they had a right to come in to check passports. “We didn’t come to search the house, we’re just checking passports.”

            At that time, we had 8 people in the house because we were having an informal prayer meeting.  The police began checking everyone’s passport and writing down everyone’s name and information. Then they started going into each room of the house and searching. They started asking, “Whose books are these, whose Bible is this?” Then they started to write a citation for illegally holding a church meeting (holding a church meeting without being registered).  Two of the men went back down to their cars and came back with a still camera and video camera. They filmed each person individually, any books or Bibles they could find, each room of the entire house was video taped.  I asked if they had a warrant to take film footage of my apartment and they replied, “Don’t ask so many questions.”  They then forced everyone out of our apartment into 3 waiting cars. It was around 1:30 pm. The house search lasted had taken about 2 hours. They said they were taking us to the police station for questioning.

            They divided all 8 of us into 8 separate interrogation rooms at the police station. They forced each of us to write a confession, stating what we were doing, what we believe in, etc. They would not let each person write what they wanted, rather, they would ask questions and tell them to write the answers. If the police didn’t like the answer, they would suggest what the person should write for their confession. For example, the police said to one of the Kazakh believers, “Write that Kormangazi forced you to come to his house to come to a religious meeting.” The police would yell, using intimidation and fear to get the people to write what they wanted.

            After 1-2 hours of this interrogation, they freed everyone except myself, Kormangazi. They videotaped and interrogated me in one room, while they were speaking very friendly, slowly, and kindly. Then they took me into a second room, where they yelled at me and threatened me, saying that they were preparing to put me in prison. They tried to scare me by saying this is my 3^rd time to be arrested for illegally holding church meetings and the “3 times arrested” rule in Kazakhstan means he will get 3 to 5 years in prison. They kept telling me that the law says a church that is not registered cannot meet.  I explained that if a group is less than 10 people then no registration is required, and 10 people is required for registration. In fact, we’ve already submitted the paperwork to become registered. We complied with all aspects of the law.

            Then 3 or 4 policemen all asked me questions simultaneously. One came up behind me and punched me in my left shoulder. The policeman who hit me was obviously very angry.  It was not a hard punch, but an obvious effort to intimidate me. I stood up and asked him why he punched me. They all then said, “Who punched you?  No one punched you!” I told them that if they physically attacked me, I would press charges against all of them.  Then I refused to talk to them anymore. They kept asking me questions, some I answered, some I refused to answer.

           

One of the KNB agents who was at the Oil and Gas Institute interrogation came into the room. He told me he had my written confession from the Institute, where I stated that I received money from foreigners to propagate Christianity. It supposedly said I was forced to do this religious work and I worked for them as their agent solely for the money.  I told him I never wrote or said such a thing. He said the professors at the Institute were witnesses that I said and wrote it.  I said, “If you have such witnesses, bring them here – those are just lies!!”  He then asked me why I continue on this road of faith, so I again told him my personal testimony in Jesus Christ and why I’m a witness for Him, why people need to have their sins forgiven through Jesus, about heaven and hell, etc…  I told him I would never, no matter how much trouble they give me, deny Christ. I told him that if the growth of the Christian Church in Kazakhstan is the work of God, then no matter how much he or the government try to stop it, they will never be able to – because no man can stop God and what He is doing.  So I encouraged him to think about that.

 

            Then they put me in another room with another man. They showed me the confession of faith I had written earlier that day and I saw where they had erased part of what I wrote and added their own words at the end.  I asked them what they had written on my testimony. They said it was nothing, just a correction. I continued to press them about it.  Then, when they saw they couldn’t get away with it, they erased the words they had added. Then they told me to sign it.  They told me they would send me to court.  They tried to force me to sign a statement, “I agree to not have people over to my house for meetings, to pray or read the Bible together,” but I told them I refused to write such a thing, because I have friends come over and we pray/read the Bible together. Altogether, I was held at the police station about 6 hours.

            A few days later, parts of the video that the police took illegally in the apartment was shown on the local Atyrau T.V. station. The TV commentator said this was a dangerous cult, they deceive people, take children away from their parents, and after they become members of this cult, the leaders demand large sums of money from the followers. They warned the public to not take religious books from anyone other than the official Mosque and be on your guard against such religious cults.

            The next week, two KNB agents went to another Kazakh Christian believer, interrogated him and threatened him with imprisonment. The name of these KNB agents were Ivanov Valera and Erken.

            I testify that these are the facts as they happened.  If you have any questions about this you can call me I will be glad to testify to these facts (country code 7, 300-367-6249).

Kormangazi Abdumuratov 

(Originally dictated in Kazakh, then written and translated into English on Nov. 1, 2002).

Government Challenges

The freedoms we treasure, and sometimes take for granted, are unknown in many parts of the world, including here in Kazakhstan. Two incidents, on opposite sides of this huge nation, illustrate the challenges faced by citizens here – especially those who want to live in the freedom of Jesus Christ. As you remember to pray for many people and lands in these troubled days, ask the Lord to advance His Kingdom here in Central Asia.

The first account is by one our Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary workers; a young wife, and mother of three. She has found freedom in Jesus from her former life in Islam. Jesus has made her bold and compassionate – really free!  

“Last week I went to our local administration to register our students. (Note – People in the nation cannot move anywhere without the written permission of the government.) Our director had previously visited the district administration for permission to register our students in this local administration. But our Akim (Title of Local Administrator) said that in order to gain his approval, we must subscribe to some newspapers. It doesn’t matter whether you want them or not.

His appointment Secretary was a rather affable woman. But when I said that I’m from the Seminary, she said first I need talk to Akim. He was angry. He talked to me rather familiar. He said: “Your director said that you have no money to subscribe to my newspapers. You think I believe you? Nothing of the kind! Any of you earns at least $50 a month. No money! People on my staff work for government and earn only $25 a month, not like you. How many students you want to register? ” I answered 23 people. He said: “It doesn’t matter, as you are so poor I will let you subscribe to the cheapest magazine, it will cost only 50 cents for each person wanting to be registered. Poor people!”

I was calm, though he tried to humble me. I wonder how he can’t understand that he is not right. He makes people to subscribe newspapers even if they don’t want them. Every person, in spite of his economic abilities must subscribe to a newspaper or magazine. While I was waiting for my appointment, a poorly dressed man came in for approval of his document. He said that he is ready to subscribe, he likes reading newspapers, but now he has no money. The Secretary told him he can’t be served without subscribing, and told him to return when he will have money.

As I returned to our Seminary I asked God to bless that Akim. Maybe he thought that he could make us humble, but he doesn’t know that we are humble before God, not before him. Amen.”

The following is written by a foreign Christian worker who has worked in this country for many years:

Upon our arrival back from our home leave, we learned that all was not well. All of the Kazakh church planters were being prosecuted for starting "illegal" churches. You may remember that 10 months ago, these churches applied for legal status (registration) but the government refused to register them. Now they are prosecuting them for meeting without being registered. They are being threatened with 3-5 year prison sentences and

are scared. Several of the Kazakh families are ready to give up and return to their home churches in different parts of the country (but, so far, they are sticking with it).

Over the last 4 weeks, all of the Kazakh church planters we work with in our region and neighboring region have been called into the KNB (formerly the KGB) at various times and interrogated (sometimes lasting for hours). They also keep telling the pastors, "Don't hold any more meetings - in your house or anywhere!" but of course they keep meeting - just more secretly, sometimes in smaller groups in various locations.

A TV crew showed up (with KNB officers) at one of the churches last weekend and filmed the service. Then they showed it on local TV this past week and made all sorts of false accusations/lies against the group (saying they are a cult, take kids from their parents, etc.). We have seen this happen in other cities and the purpose of it is to turn the

tide of public opinion against the believers and make relatives of these Christians fearful that their family members are involved in some sort of cult. The television coverage warns people not to get involved with the group because it is dangerous.

The pastor of one of the churches, who was also a student at the university, was called to a meeting with the president of the university and all his teachers. They told him that if he renounced his faith in Christ, he would be allowed to continue his studies. During this

meeting, there were also 2 members of the KNB present who publicly mocked and humiliated him with all sorts of false accusations. The pastor/student did not renounce his faith and was subsequently kicked out of the university. The KNB also told many of his friends at the university, "If you join this "sect" and follow Jesus, you will be

kicked out of school also." Please, please, please pray for these Kazakh church planters.

So, there is plenty of reason to pray. Please join us in this, won't you? Ours isn't an isolated case. We are hearing of heated persecution in different parts of the country.

When you read about persecution in the Bible it sounds sort-of exciting and adventurous, but when you are close to it, and have an adult Kazakh pastor sitting in your living room, in tears from the stress of it and the stress on his family, it is heart wrenching. At times it brings us to tears to see their suffering. We and the Kazakhs are trying to "rejoice" in it, as we are encouraged to do, but it easier to "say" than "do" sometimes. Please pray that we all can keep the right attitude.

For the following 4 pastors of churches in the our province:

For Pastor K. He has received the most harassment and was kicked out of the university. To add to his stresses, his wife gave birth to their first child this summer and the child is sick and has been hospitalized on and off since birth.

For Pastor A. His wife is weary of the persecution and wants to go back to their home church. They haven't had any water in their home all summer and sometimes walk a half mile to carry it in pails. Pray for rest/refreshment for them as they are now going home for a needed 2 week vacation (their home is 1000 miles away).

For B and D, two of the Kazakh church planters that got married last weekend.

For Pastor M and his family. That he will not be fired from his teaching job as a result of this persecution. The KNB has visited his school several times and pressured the principal to fire him, but he hasn't.

Pray that family members of believers would not forbid the believers from going to church as a result of the media coverage.

Pray that the Kazakh lawyers and human rights defense organizations we've contacted.

Praises:

Praise God that despite the persecution, Kazakhs still keep coming to Christ (Pastor M reported that just last Sunday, 5 days ago, three more elderly Kazakhs prayed to receive Christ at their Sunday service.)

Praise God for 2 new Kazakh "tentmaker" church planters who have just joined us.

It's always great to get fresh reinforcements.

Until He is done with us here, Mark and Dayna Blair