Nigerian Court Sentences Three Masqueraders to Death
On February 28, a Nigerian court sentenced three men to death for killing a Christian pastor and attacking worshippers at his the church seven years ago.
Christian Persecution
Christians Axed to Death in Church Meeting by Muslim Warriors
A recent upsurge in violence in southern Plateau State in Nigeria has claimed at least 100 lives and in the worst single incident so far, at least 48 people were murdered, many during an early morning prayer service on February 24.
Huichol Christians Ordered to Leave Mexican Town
Eighteen families of the indigenous Huichol tribe in Tenzompa, Jalisco, Mexico, — more than 80 adults and children, in all — are threatened with expulsion from their homes for the “crime” of believing in the Christian gospel.
Angry Mob Destroys Church in Bolivian Andes
An angry mob of Quechua-speaking Indians destroyed the only evangelical church in the remote village of Chucarasi in the Bolivian Andes on February 28 after beating a congregational elder unconscious. Villagers apparently attacked their Christian neighbors because they blamed them for a hail storm that damaged local crops.
Christians in Laos Threatened with Death or Eviction unless they give up their Faith
Christians in Laos have been told they will be killed if they do not give up their faith or leave their village.
Vietnamese Evangelists Severely Beaten in Police Custody
Law enforcement authorities in Vietnam are subjecting house church leaders who confront injustice to relentless harassment, according to sources in Ho Chi Minh City. The renewed pressure is thought to be retaliation for recent incidents where police have had to retreat from persecuting Christians because of effective local and international advocacy.
Iraqi Christians Threatened by Interim Constitution, says Group
A leading human rights group investigating the plight of persecuted Christians in Islamic nations warned Friday, March 5, that Iraq’s interim constitution will not end Muslim violence and discrimination experienced by Iraq’s Christian minority.
Christians in India Respond to Charges of Evangelistic “Conspiracy”
Christian leaders in India have released a joint statement in response to allegations made by the weekly newspaper Tehelka against the Christian community. In its inaugural issue on January 30 and a second issue on February 8, Tehelka claimed Christians were carrying out “the conversion agenda of U.S. President George Bush,” and using the HIV/AIDS problem as “an opportunity for evangelism.”
Chinese Pastor on the Run
A Chinese house church leader is on the run from Public Security Bureau officers after his church was raided February 9.
Eritrean Police Jail 51 More Evangelicals
Police swooped down on a group of Protestant Christians worshiping in secret in the Eritrean capital of Asmara on Sunday, February 16, hauling off to jail the 51 evangelicals present.
China: Crackdown on House Churches
In January 2004, top cadres of China’s Religious Affairs Bureau and the policy-making United Front Work Department met for the annual National Religious Working Conference.
Four Christian Women Killed in Iraq, Others Injured
Four Christian women were killed and five others injured when militants in a passing car raked their minibus with gunfire 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Baghdad, an informed human rights watchdog confirmed Monday, January 26.
Pakistani Christian Jailed on Dubious Blasphemy Charge
In an apparent attempt to settle an old grudge, a Pakistani man who converted to Islam several months ago has implicated a Christian acquaintance for alleged blasphemy.
Islamic Law Enforcers Victimize Christian Women in Nigeria
Christian leaders in northern Nigeria report that enforcement of the Islamic legal code known as sharia is continuing despite protests and drastically impinges on the religious liberty of Christians and other non-Muslims in that part of the country.
Protestant Churches Sustain Attacks
Muslim protestors have attacked at least five Protestant churches over the past three weeks in the regions of East Java, West Java and North Sumatra.
Violence Against Christians Escalates in Sri Lanka
Christians suffered further violence in the Buddhist-majority country of Sri Lanka on January 20, when a Catholic church was attacked near the capital, Colombo, despite the presence of a heavily armed police guard.
Pakistani Police Arrest Karachi Bombing Suspect
Pakistani police arrested one suspect and seized a “huge” cache of powerful explosives in Karachi over the weekend, declaring both were linked to grenade and car bomb explosions at a local Bible Society shop on January 15.
Christian Activist Accused of Converting Hindu Sex Workers
Anson Thomas, a Christian activist who has rescued scores of minors working as prostitutes in Mumbai, India, was recently accused of “unlawfully converting” Hindu commercial sex workers. Owners of Jamuna Mansion, one of the largest brothels in Mumbai, made the accusations.
Tajikistan: Baptist Missionary Killed While Praying
Authorities have launched an investigation into the killing of a Baptist pastor and missionary in the northern Tajik town of Isfara, a region known for its devotion to Islam,
American Missionary Dies in Nairobi After Being Ambushed by Bandits
Stan Westrom, a former US Marine who became a missionary in East Africa, has died in a Nairobi hospital where he had been taken after being ambushed by bandits last Sunday (January 4).