Attacked Pakistani Christian Widow Detained For Blasphemy
Christians in Pakistan’s Punjab province remained concerned Sunday after a Muslim mob reportedly tried to kill a Christian mother of two accused of blasphemy while also targeting her sister.
Christian Persecution
Afghanistan: The Church Is In a “Precarious” Position on Third Anniversary of Taliban Takeover
The Islamic extremist Taliban have been in power in Afghanistan for three years (since the US withdrawal in August 2021), and the Afghan church is in a “precarious” position, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Iran Denies Jailed Christian Woman Psychological Care
A young woman who has been jailed in Iran after abandoning Islam and turning to faith in Christ has been denied requested psychological care despite suffering mental difficulties linked to her treatment in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, Christians say.
Nigeria Government Continues to Tolerate Extreme Human Rights Abuses by Islamic Militants, USCIRF Report
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) states in its 2024 Annual Report that the government of Nigeria continues to tolerate terror attacks by nonstate Islamic extremists who want to impose their form of Sharia law upon Nigerians, especially Christians, Morning Star News reports.
Burma Releases Jailed Church Leader
A prominent church leader in military-ruled Burma, also known as Myanmar, has been released by local authorities while serving a lengthy prison sentence for allegedly violating the Asian nation’s controversial anti-terrorism legislation, Worthy News established Wednesday.
Concerns About Detained Ukraine Priest After Kyiv Bans Pro-Moscow Church
There was fresh concern Wednesday about a Ukrainian Orthodox priest sentenced to 14 years in a Russian labor camp after Kyiv effectively banned the branch of the Orthodox church with links to Moscow.
Nicaragua: 7 Catholic Priests Arrested
Amid intensifying persecution against Christians in Nicaragua by the ruling post-communist dictatorial regime, seven Nicaraguan Catholic priests were arrested and sent to Rome, Italy in exile earlier this month, CBN News reports.
Nigeria Church Destroyed By Arsonists
The governor of Nigeria’s north-central Niger state has asked residents to remain calm and cautioned against reprisal attacks after arsonists destroyed a major evangelical church building over the weekend.
Laos Pastor Killed Amid Mounting Anti-Christian Sentiments
Christian investigators say they are concerned about a series of attacks against Christians in Laos, including the recent killing of a pastor and the earlier murder of another church leader.
Nigeria: Fulani Slaughter 50 Christians in Benue State
At least 50 Christians were murdered in Nigeria’s Benue state last week during an attack on their villages by Fulani jihadist herdsmen and a criminal gang, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Pakistan: Christian Mother Brutally Attacked for Alleged Desecration of Quran
Residents of Punjab Province, Pakistan have reported that a mob of Muslims attacked and tried to kill a young Christian mother-of-two whom they accused of harming Islamic sentiments earlier this month, Morning Star News reports.
300 American Christian Leaders Call on US Government to Help Persecuted Believers in India
More than 300 American Christian clergy and lay leaders have publicly called on the United States government to take action in holding the government of India accountable for ongoing, chronic human rights abuses against Indian Christians at the hands of Hindu nationalists.
Vietnam: Christians Raise Concerns About Country’s New President
Christian advocates have expressed concern that the August 3 election of communist President To Lam as Vietnam’s new leader will make life more difficult for Vietnamese believers. Even before Lam’s election, Communist-ruled Buddhist-majority Vietnam ranked 35 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Indonesia: Authorities Foil Planned Suicide Bombing of Two Churches
Security officials in Indonesia have thwarted an Islamic terrorist plan to suicide bomb two church sites in East Java, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
India: Dozens of Tribal Christians Forced to Return to Hinduism, “Christians Who Convert From Hinduism Are the Most Vulnerable to Persecution”
Local Hindu leaders have forced more than 100 tribal Christians in eastern India’s Odisha state to undergo a formal ceremony symbolizing a rejection of Christianity and a return to Hinduism, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Nigeria: Prominent Christian Politician Found Dead After Abduction From Church
Prominent Nigerian evangelist and politician Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor, who was abducted from her church in Nigeria’s Delta state on July 30, was found dead in a river on August 1, her body naked and showing signs of torture, the Gist Mania news outlet reports.
Rwanda: Authorities Close More Than 4,000 Churches on Health and Safety Grounds
Authorities in Christian-majority Rwanda have closed more than 4,000 small churches in the last month, on the grounds they did not comply with health and safety regulations, BBC News reports.
India: Pastor Arrested on False Accusation of Bribing Hindus to Convert
A pastor in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state has been arrested by Hindu authorities who falsely accused him of bribing Hindus to become Christians, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Nigeria: Fulani Terrorists Murder Christian Farmers, “The Government’s Failure to Protect Christians Has Strengthened the Militants”
Fulani jihadist herdsmen murdered two Christian farmers and severely wounded three others during attacks on Christian-owned farms in northern Nigeria last week, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
China: Evangelical Christian Leader Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
An evangelical Christian leader in Guizhou Province, China has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on unfounded charges of fraud and “inciting subversion of state power,” Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.