Iraqi Christians Worship Amid Worst Violence In Years
Christians in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul were risking their lives Sunday, October 19, to worship in churches amid the worst attacks against them in five years.
Christian Persecution
Iraq: Church Leaders Plead for Help in Mosul
Amid escalating violence against Christians, Iraqi church leaders have appealed directly to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for increased efforts to curb the continuing attacks In Mosul.
Eritrea “Burns” Bibles, “Detains” Christian Students
Eritrean authorities confiscated and burned 1,500 Bibles from new high school students who arrived at country’s main military training city, and detained eight students who protested the destruction of the books, Christians said Wednesday, October 15.
Vietnam Family Fears Christian Worship Leader May Have Been Killed
The family of a jailed Degar Montagnard Christian in Vietnam’s Central Highlands feared Wednesday, October 15, that she may have been killed or suffers from serious injuries as a result of torture.
Missionary, Wife and Students Beaten by Radicals
Gospel for Asia missionary Sursen and his wife, Nirmala–along with two Bible college students, Jolen and Kushal–were beaten by a mob of religious extremists on October 5 in Uttar Pradesh, India. The attacks came as the group was praying before their regular Sunday morning worship service.
US Kills Key Al Qaeda Leader As “Terrorists” Murder Christians
The United States military said Wednesday, October 15, it had killed a key leader of the ‘Al Qaeda in Iraq’ terrorist network in the main northern Iraqi city of Mosul where suspected armed militants linked to the group have been roaming the streets and reportedly killed up to 40 Christians in recent days.
Tajikistan Seizing Church Properties; Christians Forced Underground
Authorities in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan have begun destroying and banning Protestant churches, forcing an increasing number of Christians to meet and worship “underground” missionaries said Wednesday, October 15.
India: Prayer Team Beaten Mercilessly — Then Arrested
The Christian community of Chhattisgarh state is rattled after a gruesome mob attack and torture in Surguja district.
Iraq Police To Protect Christians In Mosul; Thousands Flee Violence
Some 1,000 police began deploying in Christian areas of Iraq’s northern city of Mosul Monday, October 13, after thousands of Christians fled the worst violence against them in five years, BosNewsLife learned.
Christian Businessman Killed In Mosul
A Christian music store owner was shot and killed in Mosul, Iraqi police said Monday, October 13, the latest in a series of killings that has caused thousands of Christians to flee the northern city in recent days, BosNewsLife monitored.
Pakistan: Pastor Suffers Police Attacks, Death Threats
A Pakistani pastor and his family in Punjab province have been living in fear for months after death threats from a murder suspect and repeated attacks on their house by police squads.
India: Evidence Concocted Against Christians in Murder of Hindu Leader
After police in the eastern state of Orissa confirmed this week that Maoists killed Hindu nationalist leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a Hindu extremist group circulated allegedly forged documents in an attempt to implicate a local church in the Aug. 23 murder.
Two Pakistani Christians Jailed For “Desecrating” Koran; Family Flees
Two Pakistani Christians, a father and his teenage daughter, remained jailed Sunday, October 12, on charges of blasphemy against Islam after a local court refused to release them on bail, their legal representatives told BosNewsLife.
Vietnam Preacher Killed In Central Highlands
Degar Montagnard Christians in Vietnam’s Central Highlands faced another tense day Monday, October 6, after investigators confirmed that a preacher was killed, apparently by Vietnamese security forces, as part of a crackdown on Christianity and ‘house churches’ in the area.
India: Three More Christians Murdered in Orissa
At least two more Christians were killed today in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district after Hindu extremists this week set fire to nearly 400 homes there and in Boudh district. A third man succumbed to axe injuries on Wednesday (Oct. 1).
Somali House Church Attacked for the Second Time
Washington, D.C. (ICC) — The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has just learned that a Muslim mob attacked a house church in Tayeglow, a town 198 miles from Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
Seven Degar Montagnard Christians Detained In Vietnam Crackdown
Seven Degar Montagnard Christians are among those being held in a Vietnamese prison after they were detained as part of a major government backed crackdown on ‘illegal’ house churches in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, their friends said.
China Permits House Church To Gather Again; Restores Water And Electricity
Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan and his wife celebrated their first peaceful Sunday in more than three months after officials restored their water and electricity and permitted their house church to gather, their supporters said Wednesday, October 1.
Chinese Security Forces Raid Evangelical Church
Chinese security forces have raided an evangelical church, confiscating Christian properties including Bibles, hymnals, a large cross and the collection box, Christians said Wednesday, October 1.
Iran Releases Iranian Converts
Iran has reportedly released two Iranian Christians from Muslim backgrounds who could have received the death penalty on charges of apostasy, BosNewsLife monitored Wednesday, October 1.