Hindu Nationalists Attack Christians in India
On Monday, Hindu nationalists beat about 150 members of a Pentecostal community in Sirisguda, India, with sticks, according to AsiaNews.
Christian Persecution – Asia
Seven Protestant Churches Close in Indonesia Due to Islamic Pressure
Under pressure from Islamic extremist movements authorities in West Java, have ordered the closure of seven Protestant churches for ‘alleged irregularities in building permits’ according to AsiaNews.
N. Korea Sentences Missionary to Life (Video)
Kim Jung Wook, a South Korean Baptist missionary, has been given a life sentence at a hard labor camp in North Korea for allegedly spying for South Korea and trying to establish underground churches.
Pakistan’s Blasphemy Double Standard
Nazir Bhatti, President of the Pakistan Christian Congress, said his country has a double standard when it comes to enforcing its own blasphemy laws.
Myanmar May Pass Law Against Mixed Marriages
Nearly 100 multi-ethnic groups in Myanmar have rejected a proposal by Buddhist extremists to restrict interfaith marriage and other religious rights and freedoms, according to AsiaNews.
North Korea Blames Missionaries for Trafficking, Terrorism
North Korea has tried to deflect international criticism away from itself by accusing Christian missionaries of human trafficking and even terrorism in the DPRK, according to the Christian Post.
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.
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.
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.
Malaysian Hotels to Ban Bibles, Non-Islamic Books
A decision to ban hotels from carrying books on non-Islamic religions is further proof of the erosion of the rights of non-Muslims in Malaysia, according to the Malaysia Chronicle.
Christians in India Outraged by Candidate’s Remarks
Christian leaders condemned the claim made by a Hindu nationalist party candidate when he denied any knowledge of the many attacks on members of their communities and its churches in India, according to International Christian Concern.
Christian girls kidnapped, forced to marry Muslims in Pakistan
Every year in Pakistan, an estimated 1,000 girls and young women are kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and then married to Muslim men, according to Barnabas Aid.
Malaysia: Christians Want Confiscated Bibles Returned
Malaysia’s Christian Federation and Bible Society are both appealing Selangor’s administrative authorities to return more than 300 Bibles confiscated months ago in raids by the Islamic Department, according to International Christian Concern.
Pastors in Bhutan jailed without charges
Two pastors in southern Bhutan have spent more than a month in jail without being formally charged, according to Morning Star News.
Accord Formally Ends Conflict in Philippines
The Philippine government signed a peace accord with that country’s largest Islamist group in the hopes of ending decades of violence that killed more than 120,000, according to International Christian Concern.
Pakistani Christian Couple Sentenced to Death for ‘Blasphemy’
A Christian couple in Pakistan’s Punjab Province was sentenced to death Friday for allegedly sending blasphemous text messages, according to Morning Star News.
Pakistan: Rights Groups Decry Death Sentence for Christian
Rights groups have decried the death sentence handed down to one Christian man after more than 100 Muslims who destroyed his neighborhood were freed on bail.
North Koreans Face Execution for Contact with Missionary
Thirty-three Koreans could be executed by the North’s State Security Department Sunday for allegedly accepting funds to overthrow Kim Jong-un’s regime, according to Chosun Media.
Sri Lanka: Pastor and Wife Attacked for Defending Right to Worship
Eleven monks from the nationalist Buddhist Strength Force lobby led a violent mob of 250 villagers who physically assaulted the family of the pastor of Holy Family Church in Asgiriya, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 16, according to Christian Today Australia.
North Korea Releases Australian Missionary
John Short, an 75-year-old Australian Christian, was released from detention in Pyongyang, North Korea yesterday. The missionary, based in Hong Kong, had been arrested and charged with attempting to overthrow the government on February 16th by authorities in North Korea.