Nigeria Gunmen Release Bishop But Violence Continues
A prominent Catholic bishop in Nigeria, kidnapped on December 27, has been released unharmed in an “answer to prayers,” his church said Saturday.
Christian Persecution
Uganda: Female pastor raped by Islamic extremists for preaching the Gospel
Islamic extremists in Uganda raped a female church pastor last month, claiming they were “teaching her a lesson” for converting Muslims to Christianity, Morning Star News reports. The Pastor, who was not named for her protection, was attacked in Kapyani in the Kibuku District of eastern Uganda on December 21. Although Ugandan law allows freedom of religion, and Muslims are a small minority in the country, radical Islamic persecution of Christians is ongoing.
Slaughter of Christians in Nigeria: “Please continue to pray for the safety and security of our brothers and sisters”
Muslim Fulani militants are continuing to murder Christians in Nigeria, and at least 18 people from Christian communities in Kaduna state were slaughtered in the week leading up to Christmas, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Indonesia Bans Islamic Defenders Front
Christians in a movement of former Muslims and other believers welcomed a decision by Indonesia’s government to ban an Islamist group that attacked churches and other targets.
India: Christian persecution expected to intensify in 2021
A new report forecasts that Christians in India will be subject to increased persecution in 2021, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
China bans Christmas activities
Chinese government authorities increased their persecution of Christians this Christmas season by banning numerous worship services and carol events, the Christian Post reports.
Sudan Detains Church Arsonists
Sudan’s police reportedly detained nine men suspected of repeatedly burning church properties amid ongoing Islamic pressure on minority Christians.
Nigeria Fighters Kill and Kidnap Christians
Christian farming communities reportedly faced new attacks and abductions on Christmas Eve by suspected Islamic Fulani fighters who recently killed dozens of Christians.
Important new report on religious persecution in North Korea: Christians are the most targeted among faith groups
A groundbreaking new study entitled “Persecuting Faith” has found that Christianity is the most persecuted faith in secretive North Korea, Christianity Today reports. Drawing on the testimonies of 117 defectors, the 2020 report was published by the Korea Future Initiative (KFI) in the hope it will inform any future human rights sanctions applied to North Korea by Western countries.
Sudan: Amid hope of less Christian persecution, church tent is burned down 5 times and congregants threatened
Islamic terrorists in Sudan have burned down a church’s worship tent five times and have threatened to kill congregants if they put up another tent and continue to worship, Morning Star News reports. Sudanese Christians hope that Islamic persecution against them will diminish as dictator Omar al-Bashir was deposed in Apr. 2019 and Sudan has a new transitional government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
China City Bans Christian Teachers Professing Faith
Authorities in China’s Wenzhou City are forcing all school teachers, including Christians, to sign a document forbidding them to profess their faith or any other religious beliefs, rights activists and other sources confirmed.
Indonesia Detains Islamic Leaders Amid Rising Extremism
Indonesian security forces have detained hardline Islamic leaders with suspected links to terrorism amid concerns among Christians about growing Islamic extremism.
Parents Kidnapped Nigeria Schoolboys Fear Radicalization
Families of more than 300 Nigerian kidnapped schoolboys fear they may face similar pressures as Christian schoolgirls abducted earlier by Islamist militants.
Chinese Jailed Pastor Publishes Poetry Encouraging Believers
Chinese Pastor John Cao, who serves a seven-year jail term in China, has written a poetry book urging believers to realize that Jesus Christ will never forsake them. Christ, he adds, gives treasures nobody can take away.
China Prosecutes Christians For Selling Audio Bibles
China is prosecuting Christian businessmen for selling audio versions of the Bible in a government effort to “eradicate pornography and illegal publications,” rights groups confirmed.
Ex-Jailed Pastor Warns US Christians Of Persecution
A U.S. pastor who spent two years in a Turkish prison for activities linked to his faith warns of upcoming persecution of Christians in the United States.
India: Hindu extremists lock Pastor in room and leave him to die as punishment for sharing the Gospel
A pastor in northeast India has been rescued after a gang of radical Hindus locked him in a room and left him to die because he was distributing Gospel tracts, Morning Star News reports. Pastor Shelton Vishwanathan was accosted by six men who knocked him unconscious and imprisoned him in a room in Bihar state’s Sheohar District on October 5.
Nigeria added to US blacklist of countries which allow religious freedom violations
The United States added Nigeria to a blacklist of countries that violate religious liberties Monday, DW reports. Joining Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and China, Nigeria is now listed as a country “of concern” “under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.”
Hungary Soccer Club And Government Support Persecuted Christians
Hungary’s leading soccer club Ferencváros (FTC) and the conservative government have agreed to support persecuted Christians worldwide.
India: Tribal animists attack and hospitalize Christians at child-dedication gathering
Twenty-one Christians were taken to hospital after a large gang of tribal animists attacked a church hall and adjoining home in Chhattisgarh state, India last week, Morning Star News reports. The attackers accused the believers of influencing and converting people to Christianity. Several Christian families have gone into hiding since the attack.