1st Century Town Discovered in Israel
The construction of a resort in Galilee for Christian pilgrims may have inadvertently uncovered the hometown of the biblical Mary Magdalene.
Month: May 2014
Pakistan: Charges of blaphemy filed against 68 lawyers
Sixty-eight lawyers in Punjab have all been charged with blasphemy after participating in a series of protests against a senior Pakistani police official, according to International Christian Concern.
Kazakhstan: Christian Jailed For Not Paying Fine After Raid
A Christian father of three has been jailed in Kazakhstan for refusing to pay a fine for leading a worship service in his own home, according to Barnabas Aid.
Ayatollah Khamenei Takes to Twitter to Bash Israel
On Wednesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took to Twitter to vehemently attack Israel and called the Jewish state a “fake nation” and the “most wicked terrorists.”
Pregnant Sudanese Christian Sentenced to Hang
A Sudanese judge Thursday sentenced a pregnant Christian to hang for apostasy despite appeals by Western embassies for compassion, according to The Times of Israel.
Hospital Employee Ordered to Remove “God Bless America” from Email Signature
A hospital that stirred nationwide outrage for ordering a military veteran not to say “God Bless America” in his e-mails has now implemented further restrictions.
U.S. Congressman Franks Decries Sentence of Sudanese Woman Refusing to Recant Christian Faith
On Mother’s Day, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, a Christian Sudanese woman who is eight months pregnant with her second child, was convicted of “apostasy” and “adultery” for marrying a non-Muslim and converting to Christianity. Meriam was given three days by the court to recant her Christian faith and, if she refuses, faces a possible death penalty as well as 100 lashes. Meriam’s sentencing is scheduled to take place Thursday. She is married to an American citizen.
Official PA Newspaper: Israel’s Creation is ‘Greatest Crime Known to Humanity’
The official Palestinian Authority Daily published an op-ed coinciding with Israel’s Independence Day last week calling Israel’s creation as “greatest crime known to humanity” according to Palestinian Media Watch.
Sudan: Pregnant Christian Convicted of Apostasy, Adultery
As the U.S. Celebrated Mother’s Day, a Christian carrying her second child to term has been convicted of adultery and apostasy, penalties that are punishable in Sudan by 100 lashes and death, respectively, according to International Christian Concern.
US Supreme Court Ruling Protects Religious Freedom for All Faiths
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court Monday affirmed the freedom of Americans to pray according to their own beliefs at public meetings in the landmark religious freedom case Town of Greece v. Galloway.
Syria: Maaloula’s Christian Sites Sacked By Rebels
An official report by the Directorate General of Antiquities has documented the destruction inflicted on Maaloula and its historical sites by Islamist rebel fighters after pro-Assad forces had regained the Syrian city, according to International Christian Concern.
Sri Lanka: Christian Criticize Creation of Religious Police
The government of Sri Lanka has created a religious police unit to settle disputes arising from an increasing intolerance against minorities by Buddhist groups, according to AsiaNews.
Eygpt: Exiled Christian Teacher Awaits ‘Blasphemy’ Appeal
One year after Islamists in upper Egypt accused her of committing blasphemy in front of a class of Muslim students, a Coptic Christian teacher fled to France where she remains in exile, according to Morning Star News.
Christians Can’t Bury Dead in Uzbek State Cemeteries
Christians in Uzbekistan are being blocked from burying their dead in state-owned cemeteries as secular officials bend to pressures from Islamic religious leaders, according to Barnabas Aid.
Private Christians across China to face public persecution
Thousands of Christians who worship in private “underground” churches across China are now facing public persecution, according to International Christian Concern.
Nepalese minorities must ‘reconsider their faith’
The Nepali government just announced that though all its citizens will be provided with national identity cards, members of religious minorities must submit to greater scrutiny to get their IDs, according to AsiaNews.
Eritrea even persecutes ‘official’ Christians
Eritrea even persecutes its own officially recognized religions.
Just last week, five Christians about to be ordained in Eritrea’s state sanctioned Evangelical Lutheran Church were arrested instead, according to Morning Star News.
Kyrgyzstan: Church Appeals Building Confiscation
A church in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is appealing a decision allowing local authorities to confiscate its building, according to Barnabas Aid.
Sudan: Christian Accused of Apostasy Because Dad was Muslim
A woman with child in Khartoum, Sudan, faces death for leaving Islam, according to Morning Star News.