Family in India Driven from Village for Embracing Christ
Animist worshipers of nature in a village in Jharkhand state this week humiliated and drove out a local family for becoming Christians.
Christian Persecution
Iran Christians Pray And Fast Amid New Crackdown
Christians in and outside Iran launched 40 days of prayer and fasting “for the salvation” of Iran on ‘Ascension Day’, Thursday, May 25, amid concerns over reports of a government backed crackdown on Christian converts and churches in the Islamic state.
Deadline Passes for Investigating Church Attacks in Egypt
With Cairo reeling from two weeks of clashes between thousands of police and demonstrators over the trial of two judges, Egypt appears to have forgotten its promises to investigate the April 14 stabbing of Christians in Alexandria.
Vietnam Troops Surround Christian Villages, Investigators Say
Vietnamese troops continued to surround several villages of predominantly Christian Montagnard Degar people Monday, May 22, amid fresh concerns over a government crackdown against this ethnic group, their representatives said.
State Governor in India Rejects Anti-Conversion Bill
Amid widespread criticism of the Rajasthan anti-conversion bill by Christian and human rights organizations, Rajasthan Gov. Pratibha Patil on Friday (May 19) refused to sign it into law, saying its provisions would violate religious freedom.
Iran: Secret Police Arrest Long-Time Convert
An Iranian Christian who converted from Islam 33 years ago is under arrest and interrogation in northern Iran, where secret police have held him incommunicado for the past three weeks.
China Conducts Massive Arrests Of House Church Pastors, Group Says
Chinese security forces carried out massive arrests of house church pastors in two provinces and at least one church leader from South Korea was expelled from the country, investigators said Monday, May 15.
Church Attacked, Pastor Arrested in Madhya Pradesh, India
Hindu extremists yesterday vandalized an independent church in Gauri Nadi village, about 12 kilometers (seven miles) from Jabalpur city in the north-central state of Madhya Pradesh. The mob beat a church member and lodged a police complaint against a pastor for ‘;forcibly converting’ Hindus.
South Africa Bans Christian Radio Network
Christians in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province worshipped Sunday, May 14, amid concerns over the future of their award-winning Good News Community Radio (GNCR) which was ordered to stop broadcasting by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), officials said.
Islamic Militants Confess to Beheading Three Girls in Indonesia
Police in Indonesia announced Wednesday (May 10) that suspected Islamic terrorists have confessed to beheading three Indonesian schoolgirls in Poso, on the island of Sulawesi, in October 2005.
Three Churches Attacked in Sri Lanka
Unruly mobs have attacked three churches over the past fortnight, in one incident setting car tires on fire in front of a Methodist church to prevent people from entering for Sunday worship.
Woman Accuses Family of Attempted Forced Conversion
A woman in the city of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh state, has accused six of her uncles and their pastor of trying to forcefully convert her to Christianity.
Police In India State Protects Christians After Militants Attack House Church
Police in India’s northeastern state of Punjab have urged Christians to remain calm and promised protection after a house church in Bhatinda district was attacked by Hindu extremists during an Easter service, news reports said Tuesday, May 9.
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Break Up Christian Meetings
Evangelical Christians in the ex-Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were on edge Saturday, May 6, ahead of Sunday worship services as security forces in both countries reportedly raided church gatherings and threatened believers, including children, while confiscating Bibles.
Nigeria Animists Attack Churches and Priests for “Making gods Angry”
Two Anglican priests in Nigeria were out of their comas Friday, May 5, after crowds of traditional animists reportedly beat them nearly to death and destroyed their properties for ‘making gods angry’ with church services.
Sudanese Church Damaged by Arson Attacks
Facing threats from a local Muslim militia leader, Christians in central Sudan have decided to leave their church half-built after it went up in flames the day after Christmas last year.
US and Rights Group Condemn Uzbekistan’s Crackdown on Christians
Human rights officials in Europe and the United States expressed concern Wednesday, May 3, over the persecution of Christians in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, nearly a year after hundreds of people died when security forces opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators.
Radical Muslims Stop Church Services
Radical Muslims in mid-April forced three churches to cease services in North Jakarta and the provinces of West Java and Tangerang, claiming the meetings were disturbing Islamic communities.
Muslims-Turned-Christians Face Death Threats in Netherlands
Parliamentarians in the Netherlands have urged the government to investigate reports of death threats against former Muslims who converted to Christianity, a Dutch Christian daily newspaper reported Tuesday, May 2.
Police Raid Protestant Pastor Home
Police officers from Uzbekistan’s criminal investigation department burst into the home of a Protestant pastor in northwest Uzbekistan last week, disrupting 12 people as they were having lunch together. The pastor and another believer were charged with “breaking the laws on teaching religion.”