Christian Convert Kidnapped in Pakistan by Taliban Militants
A 16-year-old Christian convert from Islam remained missing, some two weeks after he was kidnapped by Islamic militants in Pakistan’s volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Christians said.
Christian Persecution
India Militants Attack Baptist Pastors; Several Injured
Twenty Baptist pastors have been attacked by suspected Hindu militants in southeastern India and several church leaders required hospital treatment for severe injuries, representatives said Friday, June 7.
Zanzibar: Islamist hotbed of hate
Tanzania, whose population is almost entirely Muslim, has seen a sharp rise in the persecution of Christians, especially on Zanzibar, a small island off Tanzania’s east coast where Pastor Dickson’s church was attacked on May 26.
Kazakhstan: Tea and Prayers lead to Pastor’s arrest
A pastor in Kazakhstan was arrested last month for allegedly serving hallucinogens to his congregation while wielding a powerful psychological influence over them.
China Plans To End House Churches
China’s closure of a dozen churches in Hainan Province while threatening to close many more strongly suggests that the Communist government has a clandestine plan to eliminate all unregistered house churches, according to the China Aid Association.
Uzbekistan: Religious lit under state control
Sharofat Allamova, a Protestant from the Khorezm Region of Uzbekistan, has been sentenced to one and a half years of corrective labor for the “illegal production, storage, import or distribution of religious literature,” according to Forum 18 News Service.
Iran arrests Pastor, then closes his Church
Iranian agents closed Iran’s largest Persian-language Pentecostal church Monday, one week after arresting its pastor during worship services, according to Fox News.
‘Reign of terror’ against Christians in CAR
Islamic militants launched a “reign of terror” against Christians in the Central African Republic after Seleka rebels took control of the country in a March 24 coup.
Will Obama finally act against violators of religious freedoms?
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has called upon President Obama for a clear and direct response concerning countries that have egregiously violated religious freedoms, according to BarnabasAid.
Iran Detains Pastor As Church Faces Closure In Wider Crackdown
A pastor of the Central Assemblies of God (AoG) Church in Tehran was detained Tuesday, May 21, as part of Iran’s wider crackdown on evangelical believers, Christian rights activists confirmed. The arrest of Reverend Robert Asserian came as his church prepared for possible closure by the end of June due to pressure from the feared Iranian Intelligence Ministry, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
India Detains Two Suspects Over Killing Australian Missionary, Sons
Nearly fourteen years after Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death by a mob in eastern India, police have detained two more suspects, Worthy News learned Monday, May 20.
Egypt Christian Killed In Alexandria Clashes
At least one Christian died and dozens were injured in clashes between Muslims and Christians in Egypt’s Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, police and local media said Saturday, May 18.
Muslim Militants shoot Christian leader
A Nigerian Christian leader was killed Wednesday after armed militants burst into his home, according to BNL news service.
N. Korea sentences American Missionary to 15 years
North Korea has sentenced an imprisoned American tour operator to 15 years hard labor for attempting to topple the Kim regime as part of a Christian missionary plan that began in 2006, according to Gawker.
Iranian Christian Prisoner Denied Surgery
A Christian prisoner suffering internal bleeding has been denied proper medical attention in Iran, according to Barnabas Aid.
Senior Christian Clerics Kidnapped in Syria
In April, two senior clerics caught in the Syrian civil war were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen and remain in captivity, their whereabouts unknown.
Amnesty for violent Islamist sect?
African Christians are divided over a proposal to grant amnesty to the militant members of Boko Haram, the violent Islamist sect whose bombings have killed thousands of believers and destroyed hundreds of their churches in northern Nigeria.
Pakistan: Minorities have no voting rights
The Executive Council of Pakistan’s Christian Congress issued a press release Saturday condemning the upcoming national election because 51 percent of Pakistani women and 18 percent of Pakistan’s population will not be voting for any candidates.
Islamic nations among world’s worst violators of religious freedoms
Of the 15 worst violators of religious freedom in the world, 10 are Islamic states.
Sudan: No New Licenses for Church Construction
In yet another official slap to Sudan’s Christian minority, a government minister recently announced that no new licenses would be granted for church construction.