China’s Pledge to End Labor Camps Doubtful
The secretary of the Central Politics and Law Commission said China would end the practice of sending its citizens to labor camps without the benefit of a trial, but critics remain skeptical.
Christian Persecution
India Christians Refused Water; Church Attack Injures Dozens
Impoverished Christian villagers in India’s western state of Maharashtra were refused water and firewood Tuesday, January 8, after a Hindu attack on their house church injured some 30 believers, a chief investigator told Worthy News.
Iran Pastor Nadarkhani Freed From Jail; Others Remain Detained
Iran on Monday, January 7, released Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was jailed on Christmas Day to serve the remainder of a sentence for evangelism among Muslims, his evangelical house church movement confirmed.
Syria Christians Attacked Ahead Of Presidential Speech
Beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was to deliver a speech on Sunday, January 6, a day after rights activists said a shell hit a Christian area of Damascus and a car bomb exploded elsewhere in the Syrian capital.
Burma Government Admits Bombing Christian Kachin
Burma’s government admitted Thursday, January 3, that the military is involved in airstrikes against the mainly Christian Kachin, a week after Worthy News and other media carried reports about a massive offensive in the north of the country.
Sudan Army Kills 11 Christians In Airstrikes; Priests Detained
Christians in Islamist-run Sudan have ushered in the New Year amid ongoing airstrikes by Sudanese government forces that killed at least 11 believers before and after Christmas, while two priests remained detained for converting a Muslim.
13 Crushed To Death At Evangelism Vigil In Angola
Up to 13 people were crushed to death and some 120 injured as they tried to enter an overcrowded stadium for an evangelism gathering of a Pentecostal church in Angola’s capital Luanda, officials confirmed late Tuesday, January 1.
Bomb kills two in Libyan church
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry reported that an explosion at a Coptic church in Misrata, Libya, killed two Egyptian citizens and wounded two others Sunday during preparations for New Year’s Eve mass.
Iranian-American Pastor Imprisoned in Iran
In Iran, an Iranian-born American pastor with dual citizenship remains behind bars in Evin prison for the holidays.
Iran Returns Pastor Nadarkhani To Prison
Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was recently acquitted of apostasy, has been returned to prison on an earlier charge, rights activists told Worthy News.
Gunmen attack Nigerian Christians at Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the state, not a Christian was stirring, because those who dared attend services in Nigeria that night risked their very lives.
At least twelve Christians were killed by gunmen in separate attacks; the assailants are suspected to be militant members of Boko Haram, an Islamist group that has already killed nearly 100 Christians around Christmas in Nigeria over the past three years.
Iran Churches Warn Of Christmas Raids, Detentions
Iranian Church leaders have urged prayers for Christians in Iran amid concerns authorities will raid more house churches and detain believers over the Christmas and Western New Year period.
UZBEKISTAN: Holiday Singing, Bible Reading officially prohibited
This month in Uzbekistan, a dozen Bostanlyk policemen raided a gathering of 80 Protestants on holiday together at the Phoenix resort near the capital.
Fatwa threatens Iraqi Christians
A Muslim cleric has issued a fatwa threatening Iraqi Christians unless they convert to Islam, but the country’s prime minister urged them to stay.
Will Boko Haram rate an FTO designation?
Christian groups have petitioned the U.S. government to designate the African Islamist group Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, but that designation is opposed by Nigeria’s own government.
Coptic Christian Convicted by Cairo Court
A Cairo court sentenced a Coptic Christian to three years in prison Wednesday for posting portions of an American-made film about Islam that was blamed for widespread unrest in the Middle East.
Turkey: Prosecutor pulled from murder trial
A prosecutor probing a possible link between the assassination of a Christian newspaper editor and the Malatya murders of Turkish Christians was abruptly transferred last week to another court.
Kazakhstan: Unregistered Churches, Mosques Forced to Close
Churches and mosques in Kazakhstan are being forced to close as that nation’s deadline for mandatory re-registration expires, but many religious communities have complained that the procedures for their closures were both arbitrary and flawed.
Indonesia: Protestants send Postcards in Protest to President
Protestants from two officially restricted churches in West Java gave 6,000 postcards to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, asking him for permission to worship in their own buildings for Christmas.
Pakistani-American Author charged with Blasphemy in Islamabad
In Islamabad Sunday, a man accused his own uncle of disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad, prompting local authorities to register the case under Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws as determined by the legal personnel at Police Station I-9.