Iraq: Terrorists Blast Church
Unknown assailants bombed the entrance of a Catholic church in Mosul last week, destroying three sets of doors as well as windows in the church, monastery and guest house.
Christian Persecution
Turkey: Attackers Firebomb Protestant Church
Unidentified assailants hurled six Molotov cocktails at a Protestant place of worship in western Turkey last Saturday (November 4), breaking windows and inflicting minor damages on the exterior of the building.
India Court Hears Christian Missionaries Accused Of “Forced Conversion”
The high court of India’s western state of Gujarat heard a counter complaint Monday, November 6, from eight Christian missionaries accused of forced conversion and attempted murder. The Christians said police tortured them after they were attacked by Hindu militants.
India: More Villagers Forced to Bow to Hindu Deities
Hindu extremists yesterday forced Christians in the remote village of Bevainahalli, in the southern state of Karnataka, to bow down before Hindu deities and applied the vermilion mark to their foreheads. It was the second such incident in Chitradurga district in a little over a week.
India State Detains Young Christians for Preaching Gospel to Hindus, Report Says
There was concern Monday, November 6, about the whereabouts of four Christian youngsters amid reports they were detained more than a week ago in India’s southern state of Karnataka on charges of “forcible converting Hindus.”
Eritrea Releases Gospel Singer Helen Berhane From Prison
Amid mounting international pressure Eritrea’s authorities have released Helen Berhane, an Eritrean Gospel singer who was jailed since May 2004, Christian rights investigators confirmed Saturday, November 4.
Vietnam Tries Dissidents for “Terrorism” While Registering Churches
Political dissidents in Vietnam were preparing for a difficult court case Friday, November 3, after officials said they would be charged with “terrorism” even after authorities made efforts to convince the United States that freedom of expression and religious liberty for Christians had improved in the Communist nation.
China Security Forces and Peasants Destroy House Church, Group Says
A group of Chinese Christians faced a difficult period Thursday, November 2, after their house church building located in the campus of Changchun Agricultural University in the suburb of Changchun city, Jilin province was reportedly demolished forcibly by local authorities.
India Hindu Leaders Threaten Deportation Of Foreign Missionaries
Leaders of one of India’s largest Hindu parties have urged the arrest and deportation of Christian missionaries, and several of them have been attacked in tribal areas, BosNewsLife established Wednesday, November 1.
China Christians Protest Church Nationalization, Several Believers Detained Elsewhere
Tensions remained high in a city of China’s Gansu province Wednesday, November 1, after hundreds of Christians reportedly demanded the return of their church property 40 years after it was taken away from then during the Cultural Revolution.
Pakistan Christian Dies in Prison, Two Others Detained For Blasphemy
A Pakistani Christian who spent over two years in jail for allegedly degrading Islam has died and there were fears he may have been tortured, fellow Christians said Monday, October 30.
India: Christian Arrested at Healing Festival
Police last Friday (October 27) arrested a 25-year-old believer for “causing communal disharmony†after Hindu extremists harassed him for selling Christian literature at an evangelistic event in the eastern state of Orissa.
Vietnam: Churches Learn of Registrations Indirectly
Vietnamese authorities advised the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that 18 Vietnamese churches had been registered while not informing the churches themselves. Observers believe this is an indication that the country has stepped up efforts to convince the United States of improvements in its religious freedom record as two key U.S. decisions approach.
Turkey: Converts Charged Under Speech Law
A Turkish prosecutor slapped criminal charges against two converts to Christianity earlier this month, accusing them of “insulting Turkishness,†inciting hatred against Islam and secretly compiling data on private citizens for a local Bible correspondence course.
Iraq Christian Teenagers Face Death or Prison
There was mounting international concern Tuesday, October 31, about the persecution of Christian teenagers in Iraq amid reports that a 14-year old boy was beheaded while a 13-year-old girl is being held in prison.
Eritrea: Police Arrest 150 More Christians
In a large-scale roundup the past week, Eritrean authorities have detained 150 Christians from at least five of the country’s outlawed churches.
India Hindu Militants Attack Christian Villagers, Several Detained
Two Christian believers in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh were recovering from their injuries Sunday, October 29, after angry villagers and militants were beating them for their refusal to return to Hinduism, their previous religion.
India: New Believer Arrested, Urged to Frame Pastor
Police this morning arrested a recent convert in Mayapuri, Madhya Pradesh state for the second time in three days in an apparent attempt to pressure him to give evidence that his pastor forcibly converted him. By nightfall in India, the new believer was charged with “insulting religious beliefs.”
American-Korean Pastor Arrested
Local police raided Qilin Mountain Villa in the suburb of Uramqi City, Xijiang Autonomous Region, when some Christians were having a Bible training program held by a Korean pastor from America.
Christians Worldwide To Pray For Persecuted Believers
Eight organizations supporting persecuted churches have urged Christians worldwide to pray for 200 million Christians who they claim suffer “interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ.”