India: Political Fears Spurs Anti-Christian Violence
Growth in the incidence of violence against Christians in India this year is rooted largely in the political insecurity of Hindu nationalists, sources say.
Christian Persecution
India: Christians Attacked, Charged with Attempted Murder
Seven Christians working with the Indian Missionary Society (IMS) in India’s Gujarat state were released on bail this morning. The group was charged with attempted murder after Hindu extremists waylaid and assaulted them last week.
International Concern Over India State Anti Conversion Law; Missionaries Attacked
Christian investigators on Monday, October 2, urged the international community to pressure the government of the Indian state of Gujarat to respect religious freedom following the adoption of controversial legislation and attacks against missionaries there.
Vietnam Pastor Beheaded After Refusing To Halt Church Services, Friends Say
An influential Vietnamese evangelical pastor and evangelist has been beheaded after he refused to halt his massive church services, his friends said Saturday, September 30.
Iran Detains Daughter Of Executed Pastor And Her Husband, Report
Iran’s feared secret police have detained a Christian couple in the northeastern city of Mashhad, forcing them to leave behind their 6-year-old daughter, a Christian news agency reported late Friday, September 29.
Attacks on Somali Christian Refugees in Kenya
Somali Christian refugees in Kenya continue to face increasing attacks from Somali groups and struggle to receive adequate assistance to survive, according to reports received by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
Violence Against Christians Increases In Iraq, Several Killed
Islamic violence against Iraq’s Christian minority has increased in recent days killing at least two people, as the Muslim month of “Ramadan and statements [about Islam] from Pope Benedict XVI have ignited an explosive atmosphere,” well-informed religious rights investigators said Thursday, September 28.
Azeri Officials Deprive Christian Baby of Name
Born on June 18 to a Christian family in northern Azerbaijan, three-month-old Ilya Eyvazov still has no official name.
Muslim Youths Destroy 10 Nigerian Churches
A mob of Muslim youths injured six Christians — one critically — and set fire to 10 churches last week in Dutse, capital of Jigawa state in northern Nigeria.
Vietnam’s Unexpected Amnesty Gives Hope For Christian Prisoners
Hundreds of Montagnard Degar Christian prisoners in Vietnam were anxiously awaiting news Tuesday, September 26, whether an announced amnesty for at least hundreds of political dissidents would also apply to them.
Beatings, Threats Continue in Madhya Pradesh, India
Hindu extremists severely beat two pastors on September 24 in Madhya Pradesh, India, before dragging them to a police station and accusing them of ‘forcing’ conversions. Two days earlier, extremists had attacked and injured two evangelists in the same state, later accusing them of ‘hurting Hindu sentiments.’
China Court Frees Christian Leader From Labor Camp
A Chinese Christian leader was free Monday, September 25, after a Chinese court revoked a ‘re-education through labor’ ruling, an unprecedented move in this Communist-run nation.
Nagorno-Karabakh Releases Baptist Soldier After One Year Jail
A Christian soldier who was imprisoned in the troubled unrecognized republic of Nagorno-Karabakh for refusing to swear the military oath and carry weapons on Biblical grounds, has been released, after spending one year in jail, BosNewsLife learned Monday, September 25.
Nigeria Muslim Mob Destroy Churches and Christian Homes; Several Injured
Christians faced another tense night in Northern Nigeria late Friday, September 22, where authorities imposed a curfew after angry Muslim mobs burned 11 churches over what they called “blasphemy” against the Prophet Mohammad by a Christian woman, police and Christian investigators said.
India State Police Orders End To Christian Worship Services, official
Police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka have ordered several Christian leaders not to hold Sunday worship services saying Hindu militants planned to attack their churches, an official told BosNewsLife Saturday, September 23.
Pakistan Jails Teenage Christian On Blasphemy Charges
A teenage Pakistani Christian spent Saturday, September 23, behind bars on suspicion of ripping book pages containing Quranic verses, the latest in a series of detentions raising concerns about Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws.
Eritrea Orders Protestant Assets Confiscated
The Eritrean government demanded this month that the Kale Hiwot Church surrender all its property and physical assets to the government.
Indonesia Christians Executed
Three Christian men who were suspected of involvement in killing Muslims have been executed despite international doubts about the evidence against them, both officials and Christians rights investigators said late Thursday, September 21.
Indonesian Christians to be Executed Thursday
The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has just become informed that the execution date has been re-scheduled for three Christians involved in the Poso conflict. The men are to be executed on Thursday, September 21, 2006. They were the only ones charged in a conflict in which massive numbers of Muslims participated.
Somalia Militants Kill Christian Convert
Muslim militants in Somalia shot and killed a young Christian man who converted from Islam eleven months ago, Christian sources said Friday, September 15.