Girls escaping deadly anti-Christian violence in India’s volatile state of Orissa face sexual after human traffickers falsely promise them a better life, human rights investigators said Friday, January 14.
Christians in two Indian states were still recovering of injuries and shock Tuesday, January 11, after Hindu militants attacked a church and Christians as part of their battle against the spread of Christianity among Hindus, Christians said.
Some 50,000 people rallied in Pakistan’s largest city Sunday, January 9, to oppose changes in a blasphemy law and to praise the alleged assassin of a provincial governor who campaigned against the controversial legislation.
Up to 70 Christians have been detained in Iran as part of a government crackdown on evangelical believers, Worthy News established Saturday, January 8. Most of those behind bare are thought to be former Muslims.
Hungary, which holds the European Union presidency, Italy, France and Poland have urged the EU to help prevent more attacks against Christians.
Somalia’s minority Christians faced new challenges Thursday, January 6, after their most comprehensive Christian library was reportedly destroyed by Muslim militants who also threatened to continue killing Christians.
The governor of Pakistan’s powerful Punjab province was shot and killed in the nation’s capital by one of his own bodyguards in apparent retaliation for his campaign against the country’s controversial blasphemy law, police and human rights activists said.
Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday, January 1, urged citizens of all faiths, including Christian Copts and Muslims to resist “terrorist acts”, after a church bombing killed at least 21 people and injured nearly 80 others.
Tensions remained high Sunday, December 26, near Jakarta where a group of angry Muslims backed by police surrounded homes of Christians in protests against what they called “unauthorized religious services”, Worthy News learned.
Muslims began protests Friday, December 24, against plans to change Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, after an Islamic leader offered nearly $6,000 for the killing of a Christian woman he accused of offending Islam.
Authorities in northern and central Nigeria tried to restore calm Saturday, December 25, after suspected Muslim militants targeted churches and other sites in Christmas Eve attacks that killed as many as 38 people, police and church leaders said.
“Many” church services have been canceled in Iraq over the Christmas period following deadly attacks and new terror threats, several church groups said Friday December 24.
Some 130 Christian worshipers, including children, remain imprisoned in Egypt, a month after some 2,000 security forces attacked their church under re-construction, killing several people, American and local missionaries told Worthy News.
Christians of house churches and other non-recognized groups prepared Friday, December 24, for a tense Christmas, after security forces halted Christmas celebrations and detained believers in several areas of Vietnam, Vietnamese Christians and rights investigators said.
Several Christians in Iran prepared Wednesday, December 22, to spend Christmas behind bars, including at least two Iranian pastors who face the death penalty on charges of ‘apostasy’, or abandoning Islam.
Human rights campaigners on Friday, December 17, urged the U.S. commander in war-torn Afghanistan, David Petraeus, to pressure the Afghan government to release two detained Christians who face the death penalty for “apostasy”, or abandoning Islam.
A Pakistani evangelist and pastor was still recovering Thursday, December 16, after he was set on fire by hard-line Muslims in Pakistan’s Punjab province, Christians and rights activists said.
The often prosecuted founder of one of India’s largest evangelical mission groups that rescues orphans and abandoned children has died after a long battle with health problems, his family and organization confirmed Saturday, December 4.
Rights activists urged Egypt’s government Friday, December 10, to free hundreds of Eritrean and other African refugees, including Christians, who they said have been held as hostages by human traffickers in the Sinai Desert for over a month, and probably sold to other dealers.
Scores of Coptic Christian children are recovering from injuries and nearly two dozen minors remain detained after Egyptian security forces opened fire on unarmed Copts protesting against the authorities’ decision to halt the construction of a church, rights investigators said Thursday, December 9.