Muslim Gunman Attacks Somali House Church, Injuring Leader
A Muslim gunman opened fire on a Somali house church where Christians were worshipping on January 2, seriously injuring the church leader.
Christian Persecution
Pakistan Detains Christian Woman For “Insulting” Islam
A Christian married mother with six children remained detained in a Pakistani jail Thursday, January 25, and could face the death penalty for allegedly insulting Islam, her supporters told BosNewsLife.
India State Militants Threaten Christian Orphanage; Counsellors Arrested
A Christian orphanage and a Christian drug rehabilitation center in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh have come under pressure to close down, shortly after a controversial anti-conversion law came into force, human rights investigators said Thursday, January 25.
Uzbekistan Secret Police Detains Protestant Pastor
Uzbekistan’s secret police detained Protestant Pastor Dmitry Shestakov at his church in the city of Andijan last weekend, after a regional prosecutor had accused him of “committing high treason,” a Christian news agency reported Thursday, January 25.
Eritrea Security Forces Detain Dozens of Christians, “Burn” Bibles
Security forces have detained dozens of devoted Christians, including government workers, in the East African nation of Eritrea, a Christian news agency reported Tuesday, January 23.
India Militants Attack Missionaries, Throw Teenager From Train
Less than two weeks after their activists reportedly threw a Hindu convert to Christianity from a train, Hindu groups attacked Christian missionaries in India accusing them of “religious conversion,” BosNewsLife monitored Monday, January 22.
Pakistan: Court Overturns Life Sentence for Christian
A Pakistani court last week acquitted a Christian “blasphemy†prisoner on grounds that the convict was mentally unstable, while another Christian facing the same accusation was released on bail.
Gospel For Asia Missionaries Beaten, Arrested at Indian Festival
Gospel for Asia (GFA) native missionaries–including a state leader–have been driven away, beaten and even arrested by police at the site of the Ardh Kumbh, a massive festival during which millions of Hindu pilgrims bathe in the confluence of two sacred rivers at the north Indian town of Allahabad.
Ethiopia Christian Killed, Houses Burned, Investigators Say
Groups of Ethiopian Christians were reportedly still hiding in churches Thursday, January 18, after one believer was killed, Christian homes burned and several believers were threatened with execution for converting from Islam.
Sudan Christians Fear New Attacks As Bombings Continue
Sudan’s embattled Christian minority attended church services Sunday, January, 21, as the predominantly Muslim nation plunged further into renewed civil war, despite a peace agreement brokered by US Governor Bill Richardson and others this month.
Indonesia Militant Admits To Beheading Christian Girls
Tensions remained high in Indonesia’s volatile region of Poso Saturday, January 20, after a key Islamic militant admitted to taking part in the killing of three Christian high school girls there in 2005.
India State: Evangelical Group Involved In “Disappearance Children”
The government of India’s Hindu-ruled Rajasthan state has launched an investigation into the alleged involvement of a major evangelical mission group in the disappearance of children, news reports said Tuesday, January 16.
Pastor Shot Dead In Sri Lanka
Tensions remained high in the Sri Lankan city of Jaffna Wednesday, January 17, after a pastor was shot dead by government security forces, triggering fears of more ethnic and religious clashes in the volatile region, local Christians and investigators said.
Nigeria: State’s Policies Said to Strangle Christianity
As soon as Christians in this capital city of Nasarawa state tried to rebuild a Reformed Church building that Muslims burned down two years ago, more than 200 Islamists attacked the workers.
China Security Forces Raid Christian Gathering
At least nine Christians remained in police custody in China’s Henan province on Monday, January 15, more than a week after Chinese security forces raided a Christian gathering, fellow believers said.
China Court Sentences Christians To Long Prison Sentences
Details emerged Monday, January 15, of long prison sentences given to eight Chinese Christians on charges that included inciting “violent resistance” against the destruction of a church.
Sudan: Police Deny New Year’s Church Attack
Sudanese police have denied attacking 800 Christians at a New Year’s Eve service at Khartoum’s Anglican cathedral and injuring six members of the congregation, the church priest said.
India Militants Attack Pastors, Burn Churches
Pastors and other believers were recovering from injuries or struggling to rebuild burnt down churches in several areas of India Wednesday, January 10, after militants reportedly attacked them.
Indonesia: Service Cancelled in Otherwise Quiet Christmas
A 200-strong mob prevented a church here from holding a Christmas Eve service in what was an otherwise peaceful holiday season in Indonesia. Some Muslim groups even provided protection for churches alongside police and army personnel.
India: Hindu Extremists Beat Four Pastors
Seven youths beat Pastor Robert Kennedy of Bangalore in Karnataka state on Sunday (January 7), after asking him to “pray for a sick friend.†The pastor required 16 stitches to his head and back after the assault.