Egypt: Court Rules Against Convert
In a blow to religious freedom in Egypt, a Cairo court has ruled against a Muslim convert to Christianity who requested that his religious affiliation be changed.
Christian Persecution
Pakistan Evangelical Pastor Killed Amid Growing Religious Tensions
Christians in Pakistan’s volatile North West Frontier Province (NWFP) faced new tensions Wednesday, January 30, amid reports that a Pakistani pastor has been shot and killed because of his involvement in evangelistic work.
China Police “Burning” Bibles and “Beating” Christians in Yunan Province
Members of a house church in China’s Yunan Province were "severely beaten" by police officials, who earlier "burned" the church’s Bibles, a Christian rights group said Wednesday, January 30.
Jordan: Authorities Expel Foreign Christians
Jordan has increased pressure on foreign Christians living in the kingdom, expelling many long-time residents over the past 13 months in what local churches see as an attack on their legitimacy.
Protestant Pastor Shot Dead In Philippines
Christians in the Philippines on Saturday, January 26, mourned a Protestant pastor after police confirmed he was shot and killed, the second member of the Philippine clergy to die violently in nine days.
Malaysia: Indigenous Group Sues Over Demolished Church
An indigenous church community has filed a lawsuit against local authorities in the state of Kelantan over the demolition of their church building on June 4, 2007.
Egypt: Tempers Flare into Melee at Convert’s Hearing
An Egyptian judge is scheduled to rule next week on the case of a Muslim-born convert to Christianity whose court hearing threatened to turn into a brawl earlier this month, the convert’s lawyer said.
Bangladesh: Elderly Christian Woman’s Home Set Ablaze
Unknown attackers tried to burn a 70-year-old woman to death on January 7 after learning that she would be baptized as a Christian next month.
House Church Members Flee Somaliland Amid Government Crackdown
Members of a house church in the breakaway Somali republic of Somaliland have fled to neighboring Ethiopia after hearing that the government wants to arrest them as part of a crackdown on evangelical Christians, an influential human rights group said Thursday, January 24.
China Releases More House Church Leaders From Labor Camp
China on Wednesday, January 23, released three female house church leaders "unconditionally" from their labor camp in Hubei province, in what their supporters described as "another legal stunning victory."
Death Toll Rising In Orissa Refugee Camps; Violence Spreading
An elderly pastor in India’s Orissa state, who fled the deadliest Hindu-violence against Indian Christians there in recent memory, has died in a government-run refugee camp, a well-informed rights group confirmed Tuesday, January 22.
Malaysia: Government Confiscates Christian Children’s Books
Adding to the furor over whether non-Muslims have the right to use the word "Allah" in their publications and religious practice, on January 11 online news agency Malaysiakini reported that officials confiscated English-language Christian children’s books because they contained images of prophets.
Nearly 100 Christians Injured In New Attacks In India
An uneasy calm returned to a Christian missionary camp and another area Sunday, January 20, in India’s Chhattisgarh state where up to 100 Christians were injured in attacks this week carried out by suspected Hindu militants, BosNewsLife learned.
China Releases Church Leaders From Labor Camp
Four Chinese house church leaders spent another day in freedom Saturday, January 19, after they were unexpectedly released from a labor camp following an "unprecedented legal victory" a Christian advocacy group involved in the case said.
Iraq: Serial Attacks on Churches Continue
A car-bomb exploded outside a Chaldean church in northern Iraq yesterday, injuring two people, a Baghdad bishop said. The blast is the 10th reported attack on Iraqi churches in two weeks.
China Launches “Secret” Crackdown On House Churches, ‘Open Doors’ Says
A leading group supporting Christians "persecuted for their faith" has launched a global prayer campaign for China where, it says, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been waging "a secret" crackdown on unregistered house churches.
Christian Leader in Xinjiang Province Arrested
China Aid Association learned that a House Church leader in Kashi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was secretly detained on January 12. According to an eyewitness, Mr. A Li Mu Jiang was taken away from his home by State Security Bureau agents for an accused "national security issue." His wife was also taken from her home for interrogation in the evening of the same day.
China Expels Children From Christian Orphanage
Children and their caretakers spent another Sunday, January 13, in uncertainty after they were expelled from their Christian-run orphanage in China’s Hubei Province, as part of a crackdown on Christian activities by local authorities, an official said.
China Detains Prominent House Church Leaders In Gansu Province
At least two prominent church leaders of a main house church in China’s Gansu Province remained detained Wednesday, January 9, after Chinese security forces raided a worship service, fellow Christians said.
Turkey Releases Teenager Planning “Massacre” In Church
A Turkish teenager who vowed to kill the pastor of a Protestant church and "massacre" Christians in the Black Sea coastal city of Samsun has been released by a local court because he is "to young" Turkish media reported Tuesday, January 8.