|PIC1|Hundreds of Christians packed the Bethel Convention Centre near Birmingham on Saturday for a day of prayer and praise in solidarity with the millions of Christians around the world who are still persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

The UNITE conference was organised by Christian persecution agencies Open Doors UK and Ireland, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release International and Jubilee Campaign, to pray for and deepen engagement with persecuted Christians as well as learn from their inspirational faith.

The day opened with Eddie Lyle, the head of Open Doors UK and Ireland, reading out the names of the countries where Christians face the worst persecution, including North Korea, China and Saudi Arabia.

Berhane Asmelash, Director of Release Eritrea, gave a moving review of the present situation of the persecuted church in Eritrea, where 2,000 Christians are currently imprisoned, some facing torture and time in military camps.

"Christians are discriminated against at every level of society," he said. Pray for prisoners "as if you yourself are suffering", he told the audience.

Conference delegates then joined in writing letters to EU Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid Louis Michel urging the EU to reconsider the 122 million euros of aid earmarked for Eritrea in light of the country's poor human rights record.

The UNITE coalition is aiming to have 100,000 letters sent to the EU commissioner by January 1, 2008.

The audience also pledged their solidarity with the persecuted church by signing the UNITE Declaration and their names into the Living Book of Remembrance, a physical symbol of UNITE's vision of One God, One Family, One Church.

Prayers for Eritrea were led by Christian Solidarity Worldwide's Stuart Windsor and Chair of the Council of Black-led Churches, Bishop Joe Aldred.

"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners," urged Windsor.

In his keynote address, the Pakistani-born Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, highlighted the difficulties faced by Christians in Pakistan under the blasphemy law.

"The blasphemy law has made thing very much worse," he said. "It's a bad law and a bad law will always result in suffering for people."

Bishop Nazir-Ali said the situation in Iran was also very difficult but spoke of "tremendous spiritual ferment" in the country, where he said a number of Muslims were coming to the Lord after experiencing Jesus in dreams and healing.

Referring to the fundamentalist interpretation of Islam adopted by terrorists, he said, "There is spiritual power behind this ideology and that spiritual power has to be confronted by the power of Christ."

Open Doors founder Brother Andrew later challenged Christians to pray for the persecutors and perpetrators of violence.

"Have you today prayed for bin Laden? If not, then perhaps that is why he is what he is," he told the audience.

Brother Andrew reminded believers of the command to take the word of God to all nations.

"This book has the answer," he said. "We must make every effort to bring this book and the presence of Jesus to them."

He added: "They will not invite you. You have to invite yourself."

The day was capped with a special persecution event for youth during which Brother Andrew told them: "There is only one name that is going to change the world - Jesus. Let's get on with it!"