Indonesia Muslim Villagers Ban Christmas Choir Practice
A Christian choir in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province pondered Monday how to perform this Christmas after local Muslims objected to their rehearsal.
Christian Persecution – Asia
India: Christians Banned From Eight Villages in Chhattisgarh State
As part of an intensifying intolerance of Christianity in India, eight village councils in the Sukma District of India’s Chhattisgarh State passed a joint resolution earlier this month to ban Christians from staying in their communities, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.
100 Christian Families Freed From Slavery In Pakistan; Thousands Still Held (Worthy News In-Depth)
There was hope Tuesday for at least some of the thousands of Christians held as “bonded labors” in Islamic-ruled Pakistan, with Christian aid workers telling Worthy News they freed 100 Christian families ahead of Christmas.
Indonesia: Authorities Allow 2 Years’ Worth of Garbage to Pile Up Beside Church Building
Authorities in Islamic-ruled Indonesia have allowed two years’ worth of putrid garbage to pile up next to a church building and Catholic university in Yogyakarta city, capital of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Central Java Province, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Christians Are Persecuted in Most Indian States, Report
A new study shows that Christians in India face persecution at the hands of Hindu nationalists in no fewer than 23 of the country’s 28 states, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Pakistan: Pastor Takes Family Into Hiding Following Rape of 14-Year-Old Daughter
A pastor in Punjab Province, Pakistan has taken his family into hiding after police failed to arrest an Islamic neighbor who raped his 14-year-old daughter and then threatened them all, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Police Refuse to Arrest Islamist Who Raped Their 18-Year-Old Girl at Gunpoint, Her Christian Family Says
Police in Punjab Province, Pakistan, have refused to arrest an Islamic man who is accused of raping a young Christian woman at gunpoint earlier this month, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Myanmar Christians Face Further Acts of Repression by Military
Christians in Myanmar’s Rakhine state face continued persecution by the country’s Buddhist military junta (Tatmadaw), which has proved itself violently hostile to believers and recently imposed new restrictions on church services, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Pakistan: Christian Father Jailed on Alleged Blasphemy Charge
As Christians in Punjab Province, Pakistan, continue to face intense violent persecution from Islamic extremists, a Christian father of three was arrested on November 3 and jailed pending trial for blasphemy, Morning Star News reports.
India: Police Stand by as Hindu Nationalists Attack Christian Farmers
Amid intensifying persecution of Christians in India, police in Chhattisgarh state stood by as a large mob of Hindu nationalists attacked a group of Christian agricultural workers who refused to denounce Christ and leave their communal farm last month, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Pakistan: Second Christian Charged With Blasphemy is Released on Bail
A second Christian charged with blasphemy in Pakistan was released on bail pending trial last week after a court found there was no direct evidence in the three cases brought against him, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.
Azerbaijan Systematically, “Maliciously” Destroying Armenian Christian Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, Report
A new report by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) calls on the international community to hold Azerbaijan accountable for what it describes as the systematic “malicious destruction” of Armenia’s Christian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pakistan: Christian Mother Granted Rare Bail in Blasphemy Case
In a rare move for a Pakistani court, a trial judge in Punjab Province, Pakistan, last month granted bail to a Christian mother falsely accused of blasphemy, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.
Ex-Terrorist Condemns Arrests Christians In Indonesia
The leader of an underground Christian movement for former Muslims in Indonesia expressed concern Monday about the recent arrest of two Christians for “blasphemy” against Islam.
Indonesia: Two Christians Arrested for Social Media Blasphemy Against Islam
Police in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, recently arrested two Christian men in separate incidents of alleged blasphemy against Islam, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Although Christianity is constitutionally legal in Indonesia, the Muslim-majority country ranks 42 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
India: Hindu Nationalists Use WhatsApp to Harass Christians and Muslims
A major Hindu nationalist organization has been weaponizing the popular WhatsApp messaging service to persecute non-Hindu religious and ideological communities in India, including Christians, Rest of the World (RW) reports.
Pakistan Court Acquits Christians Of Blasphemy
Two sisters, both Christians, have been acquitted two months after being charged with “blasphemy” against Islam in Pakistan’s Punjab province, but concerns remain about other believers still held in Pakistani prisons, Christians said.
Kidnapped Christian Girl Rescue In Pakistan Offers ‘Ray of Hope’
A kidnapped 16-year-old Christian girl was back with her parents in an area of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Thursday after being rescued by Christian activists, a representative said.
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.
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.