India Jails Pastor For ‘Converting Hindus’
A church leader in India’s state of Madhya Pradesh remained detained Monday after being convicted “on false charges of forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity,” Christians told Worthy News.
Christian Persecution – Asia
China Forcibly Repatriating North Korean Christians to Face Torture and Other Atrocities, USCIRF Hears
Human rights activists report that China has exposed hundreds of North Korean Christians to torture, enslavement, sexual violence, and imprisonment by forcing them to return to North Korea and the violent dictatorship of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un in the last year, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.
New Vietnamese Christian Killed After Pressure From Authorities
A Vietnamese man who recently became a Christian has been killed after local authorities objected to his conversion, Worthy News learned Saturday.
Pakistan’s Longest Jailed ‘Blasphemy’ Pastor Still Facing Execution
Concerns mounted Friday about the plight of Pakistani Christian Zafar Bhatti, a pastor listed as Pakistan’s longest-serving blasphemy prisoner, who is facing execution.
Indonesia Detains Influencer For ‘Blasphemy Against Jesus’
Indonesian police have detained a social media influencer for blasphemy against Jesus while Christians face growing pressure in the world’s largest Muslim nation, sources told Worthy News.
Afghanis Are Tiring of Islam and Turning to Christ, Report
Just over three years since the Islamic extremist Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the Open Doors UK international advocacy organization spoke to three Christian widows who confirmed that, amid intense oppression and danger, Afghanis have been turning from Islam to Christ.
Prayers Urged For Kidnapped Christian Girls In Pakistan
Christians have urged “prayers for the safety of girls” in Pakistan after a Christian girl who was kidnapped last month, forced to convert to Islam, and marry one of her Muslim captors came to symbolize their suffering.
India: Pastor Sentenced to Five Years Imprisonment for Alleged Forced Conversion of Hindus
A pastor in India’s Madhya Pradesh state has been found guilty on false charges of forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity and has been sentenced to five years imprisonment, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Pakistan: Young Christian Girl Abducted and Forced into Islamic Marriage
A 16-year-old Christian girl has been kidnapped from her home in Punjab Province, Pakistan, and forced into marriage with the Islamic man who abducted her, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. With an increasing number of young non-Muslim girls being abducted and forced into Islamic marriages, Pakistan ranks 7 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Indian Christians Fear No End To Manipur Conflict
Indian Christian leaders are skeptical about the federal government’s “road map” for peace in India’s conflict-torn Manipur state, where scores of Christians were killed and hundreds of churches and other properties were destroyed.
Pakistan Sentences Christian Mother To Death For Blasphemy
A Pakistani court has sentenced Shagufta Kiran, a Christian mother of four, to death for “committing blasphemy against Islam,” a senior Christian advocacy activist told Worthy News Thursday.
Pakistan Detains Police Officer For Killing Blasphemy Suspect
Pakistani authorities detained a police officer who allegedly shot dead a man for “blasphemy against Islam” following the recent killing of a Christian on similar charges, Worthy News established Saturday.
Bangladesh: Christians and Hindus Persecuted by Islamist Parties
Religious rights advocates have warned that Christians and Hindus in Bangladesh are experiencing intensified persecution as the country’s interim government has allowed the previously banned Jamaat-e-Islami Islamic party to have free reign in the country, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) reports.
India: Hindu Extremists Attack Church in Odisha State
Amid ongoing persecution against Christians in India by Hindu extremists, a pastor and several other believers were assaulted during a Hindu nationalist attack on a church service in Odisha state on Sunday, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Indonesia Pastor Worships Outdoors After Church Removal
An evangelical pastor in Indonesia says he is resuming worship services despite being removed from a store where his congregation had been meeting in a show of defiance toward authorities of the world’s largest Muslim nation.
Indonesia: Officials Drag Pastor Out of Worship Center, Seal Church Shut
A pastor in Jombang Regency, Indonesia was last month dragged out of a shop his church had been meeting in by around 50 government officials who then sealed the shop shut, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Attacked Christians In Pakistan Still Await Relief, Justice
Over a year after thousands of furious Muslims attacked a Christian area in the city of Jaranwala in Pakistan’s Punjab province, many survivors living there still await promised “relief and justice,” well-informed Christian aid workers told Worthy News.
Pakistan Christian Girl Forced To Marry and Convert; Two Boys Held For ‘Blasphemy’
There was concern Thursday about three Christian youngsters in Pakistan, including a 12-year-old girl who was forced to marry and convert to Islam while two 18-year-old brothers were charged with blasphemy, several sources said.
Christians Pray As Indonesia Descents Into Chaos Over Election Reforms
Christians in Indonesia appealed for prayers Tuesday as security forces crushed nationwide protests against attempts by parliamentary allies of outgoing President Joko Widodo to change regional election legislation in their favor.
Indonesian Pentecostal Leader and Pastor Lumenta Dies At 72 (Worthy News In-Depth)
Pastor Johannis ‘John’ Hus Lumenta, the restless, dedicated secretary-general of Indonesia’s main Pentecostal denomination Gereja Pantekosta di Indonesia’ (GPdI), has died, Christians confirmed to Worthy News early Sunday.