Visitation rights curtailed for Chinese Christian Convert
Visitation rights for the family of a prominent Chinese house church leader incarcerated in Xinjiang have been severely curtailed, according to International Christian Concern.
Month: January 2013
Islam Dominates List of Top Persecutors
Eight of the top 10 persecutors of Christians worldwide are Islamic states, according to the Open Doors’ 2013 World Watch List.
Iran sentences American Pastor to eight years
An American pastor already imprisoned in Iran for evangelizing was sentenced Sunday to eight years in prison for attempting to entice Iran’s youth away from Islam through his network of underground house churches.
Syrian rebels rob religious sites
In their battle to topple the Assad regime, rebel jihadists of the Free Syrian Army have also looted religious sites in Northern Syria, according to Human Rights Watch.
Accused Christians remain in jail for years
Seven Christians who were accused of killing Hindu nationalist leader Laxmanananda Saraswati back in 2008 remain imprisoned while thousands of their fellow believers still live in fear of further reprisals resulting from his political assassination, according to International Christian Concern.
Wolves in sheep’s clothing foiled in plot to kill Shepherd
Two wolves who infiltrated a Turkish congregation were among more than a dozen suspects arrested as police foiled a plot to assassinate the pastor.
Wife Jailed Iranian-US Pastor Denies Bail Claims
The wife of a jailed Iranian-American pastor has denied Iran’s claims that her husband will be released on bail as an attempt to “silence the international media.”
Nigeria Militants Kill 23 For Disobeying Islamic Law; Christians Tense
Minority Christians in northern Nigeria were on edge Thursday, January 24, after militants killed at least 23 people for disobeying Islamic religious law, known as Sharia, residents said.
Iran Launching “Systematic Prosecution” Of Protestants, Former Muslims
Iran has launched the “systematic persecution and prosecution” of “Protestants and Christian converts” with a Muslim background, closing churches, detaining believers and threatening some with execution, a new report claims.
Pakistan Throws Out Blasphemy Case Against Christian Girl
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has dismissed a final attempt to reopen a blasphemy case against a mentally challenged Christian teenager, Christian rights activists confirmed.
Muslims rush from Mosques to destroy Coptic Building
Thousands of Egyptian Muslims shouting “Allahu Akbar” left their mosques Wednesday to destroy a social services building owned by the Coptic Church.
China’s Pledge to End Labor Camps Doubtful
The secretary of the Central Politics and Law Commission said China would end the practice of sending its citizens to labor camps without the benefit of a trial, but critics remain skeptical.
India Christians Refused Water; Church Attack Injures Dozens
Impoverished Christian villagers in India’s western state of Maharashtra were refused water and firewood Tuesday, January 8, after a Hindu attack on their house church injured some 30 believers, a chief investigator told Worthy News.
Iran Pastor Nadarkhani Freed From Jail; Others Remain Detained
Iran on Monday, January 7, released Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was jailed on Christmas Day to serve the remainder of a sentence for evangelism among Muslims, his evangelical house church movement confirmed.
Syria Christians Attacked Ahead Of Presidential Speech
Beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was to deliver a speech on Sunday, January 6, a day after rights activists said a shell hit a Christian area of Damascus and a car bomb exploded elsewhere in the Syrian capital.
Burma Government Admits Bombing Christian Kachin
Burma’s government admitted Thursday, January 3, that the military is involved in airstrikes against the mainly Christian Kachin, a week after Worthy News and other media carried reports about a massive offensive in the north of the country.
Sudan Army Kills 11 Christians In Airstrikes; Priests Detained
Christians in Islamist-run Sudan have ushered in the New Year amid ongoing airstrikes by Sudanese government forces that killed at least 11 believers before and after Christmas, while two priests remained detained for converting a Muslim.
13 Crushed To Death At Evangelism Vigil In Angola
Up to 13 people were crushed to death and some 120 injured as they tried to enter an overcrowded stadium for an evangelism gathering of a Pentecostal church in Angola’s capital Luanda, officials confirmed late Tuesday, January 1.
Bomb kills two in Libyan church
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry reported that an explosion at a Coptic church in Misrata, Libya, killed two Egyptian citizens and wounded two others Sunday during preparations for New Year’s Eve mass.