Iraq Court Backs Christian Woman In Landmark Religious Freedom Case
Iraq’s highest appellate court has ordered authorities to recognize a woman’s Christian faith in state records rather than the Muslim designation forced on her under Iraqi law.
Christian Persecution
Egypt Executes Killer Of Coptic Priest
Egyptian authorities have executed the man convicted of murdering a Coptic Orthodox priest, bringing to a close a case that shocked Egypt’s Christian community more than four years after the fatal attack, Worthy News learned Tuesday
Seven Indian Christians Sentenced to Five Years After Birthday Gathering
Seven Christians in India’s Madhya Pradesh state have been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment following accusations that they used a child’s birthday party to conduct unlawful religious conversions.
Nigerian Christians Massacred In Kaduna Attack As Death Toll Reportedly Exceeds 60
Christians in Nigeria were mourning Wednesday after dozens of believers were killed in coordinated attacks on villages in the country’s northwestern Kaduna State, with local monitors warning the death toll may exceed 60.
Three Christian Men Cleared After False Blasphemy Allegation In Pakistan
Three Christian men who were detained in Pakistan for allegedly “desecrating” the Quran, viewed by Muslims as holy, have been released after police and authorities concluded the allegation “stemmed from a personal dispute rather than an act of blasphemy,” Christian advocates told Worthy News Wednesday.
US Condemns Killing Of Nigerian Pastor’s Family As Pressure Mounts Over Christian Persecution (Worthy News In-Depth)
The United States has condemned the “horrific killing” of nine relatives of Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, a Nigerian pastor whose earlier appeal warned that “fear has become a way of life” in Nigeria’s violence-plagued Plateau State.
Church Attacked By Mob In Egypt And Christians Face Continuing Pressure
Christians in southern Egypt were recovering from shock and injuries Friday after a violent crowd attacked a Coptic church in the latest reminder of the pressures facing believers despite government efforts to improve their status.
Christian Man Vanishes In Pakistan As Concerns Mount Over Missing Believers, Jailed Christians
Concern mounted Friday over the disappearance of a young Christian businessman in Pakistan and the continued imprisonment of two Christian men held for years on blasphemy charges, underscoring the challenges facing the country’s Christian minority.
China Detains Christians In House Church Crackdown (Worthy News In-Depth)
Christians worldwide were urged to pray after Chinese police reportedly raided several house churches in the city of Yueyang in central China’s Hunan Province, detaining numerous believers in what advocacy groups described as the latest crackdown on unregistered congregations.
Russia Targets Child Evangelism Fellowship As Missionary Faces Trial (Worthy News In-Depth)
Russia has added a U.S.-based Christian ministry focused on evangelizing children and caring for minors to its list of “undesirable organizations,” raising concerns about the safety of its workers as well as churches and organizations using the ministry’s materials, sources told Worthy News.
Missionaries Help Nearly 200 Pregnant Refugees In Jordan Choose Life
Christian missionaries told Worthy News Wednesday that their “pregnancy support ministry” in Jordan has helped nearly 200 pregnant refugee women and girls over the past year despite war, displacement and, in some cases, pressure to abort their unborn children.
Nicaragua Ends Elections As Christians Face Growing Pressure
Outspoken Christians and other government critics are expected to face mounting pressure after Nicaragua’s long-serving President Daniel Ortega said the Central American nation will no longer hold elections, eliminating any possibility of an electoral challenge when his current term ends next year and further consolidating the power he shares with his wife, Rosario Murillo.
U.S. House Moves to Halt Aid to Nigeria Over Continued Killing of Christians
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that could suspend American assistance to Nigeria unless its government takes measurable steps to protect Christians and prosecute those responsible for religiously motivated violence.
EU Parliament Condemns Persecution Of Christians In Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan
Pakistani Christian advocacy leaders have praised the European Union’s legislature for condemning the persecution of Christians and other violations of freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan and several other countries.
Chinese Authorities Raid Early Rain Covenant Church Gathering, Detain 33 Christians
Chinese authorities raided a worship gathering connected to Early Rain Covenant Church in Sichuan province, detaining 33 Christians and holding scores of other believers—including elderly members and families with children—inside the meeting hall for several hours, according to a statement issued by the church.
China Intensifies Crackdown on Christians Worshipping Outside Communist Party Control
Chinese authorities have intensified a nationwide campaign against Christians who worship outside state-controlled churches, arresting thousands of believers and targeting some of the country’s largest underground congregations, according to an investigation by The Telegraph.
Firebomb Attacks Target Churches In New York; Suspect Arrested (VIDEO)
Police have detained a 36-year-old man accused of carrying out a series of Molotov cocktail attacks against churches in New York City.
Two Christians Shot Dead While Playing Cricket In Pakistan
A leading Christian advocate has urged greater protection for religious minorities in Pakistan after two young Christian men were shot dead while playing cricket in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province.
Nigeria Rescues Dozens Of Kidnapped Schoolchildren After Weeks In Captivity
Nigerian security forces have rescued dozens of schoolchildren and teachers nearly two months after they were abducted by suspected Boko Haram-linked Islamic militants, raising fresh concerns that Islamist extremists are expanding their reach into southwestern Nigeria, officials said.
Report: Christians Face Deadly Persecution as Nigeria’s Violence Escalates
Tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in Nigeria over the past six years, many in attacks blamed on radicalized Fulani militant groups, according to a new report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa.