US Missionaries Trapped in Violence-Torn Haiti
Two U.S. missionaries remained trapped in Haiti on Friday, some two weeks after a gang uprising began seeking the ouster of the troubled Caribbean nation’s prime minister.
Christian Persecution
Nicaragua: Female Prisoners Assaulted By Jail Staff For Praying Aloud
emale prisoners at a jail in Nicaragua have been brutalized by staff after praying out loud, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Ruled by a dictatorial communist regime that is hostile to Christians, Nicaragua ranks 30TH on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Pakistan: Christian Parents Worry Abducted 10-Year-Old Daughter May Be Sex-Trafficked
The Christian parents of a 10-year-old girl in Pakistan are concerned she may fall into the hands of sex traffickers after being abducted by a Muslim man known for kidnapping children to forcibly convert them to Islam, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Muslim-majority Pakistan ranks seventh on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Pakistan: Young Christian Man Imprisoned For Alleged Blasphemy, “Christ Will Not Forsake Him”
An 18-year-old Christian man in Pakistan is in prison awaiting trial after a former classmate accused him of insulting Islam by saying he did not believe in Allah and questioning the right of Muslim men to have four wives, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. With notoriously harsh blasphemy laws, Islamic-majority Pakistan ranks seven on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Pakistan: Rights Advocates Demand Safeguards Against Blasphemy Law Abuses
Alarmed at the number of people charged and incarcerated for blasphemy in Pakistan, rights advocates are demanding legislative charges to protect against blatant Islamic extremist abuse of blasphemy laws to persecute not only those of minority faiths but Muslims as well, Christian Daily reports.
Haiti: Churchgoers Increasingly Targeted For Abduction By Gangs, “We Must Bear Our Cross And Follow Christ”
As Haiti continues to struggle under the brutal grip of lawless gangs who have now succeeded in pressuring President Ariel Henry to resign, a Catholic archbishop is warning that churchgoers in the small Caribbean state are being abducted at an alarming rate, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
India: Assam State Lawmakers Seek To Ban Christian Prayer For Healing
In an effort to curb evangelism, Hindu lawmakers in India’s Assam state have passed a law criminalizing “magical” prayer for healing, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Slaughter of Christians Continue in Nigeria
The slaughter of Christians in Nigeria at the hands of Islamic jihadists is ongoing with impunity, and on Feb. 28, two more Christians were murdered and dozens kidnapped in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Islamic terrorists have murdered some 60,000 Nigerian Christians since jihadism took hold in the country in 2009.
Christian Women/Girls Increasingly Subject To Forced Marriage In Oppressive Countries, Report
A new report by the Open Doors Christian persecution watchdog shows that Christian women in countries ruled by oppressive regimes are being increasingly subjected to forced marriage, the Christian Daily reports. The report reveals that Christian women face the threat of forced marriage in 84% of the countries ranked on the Open Doors World Watch List of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Vietnam: Government Designates As “terrorists” Two Rights Groups Which Support Christian Montagnard Community
Vietnam’s ruling Communist party has designated as terrorist organizations two human rights groups which support the country’s largely Christian Montagnard minority indigenous community, Premier Christian News (PCN) reports.
Gunmen Kidnap Hundreds Of Children In Nigeria
Parents were praying and hoping their children were alive Friday after gunmen kidnapped more than 200 school pupils in northwestern Nigeria in the biggest mass abduction from a school in a decade.
UK Police Will Pay Damages To Street Evangelist After Trying To Censor His speech
A British police force has agreed to pay damages in settlement of a lawsuit filed by a street preacher whom they ordered to stop making public statements that cast religions other than Christianity in a negative light, CBN News reports.
Pakistan: Court Acquits Two Christians Accused Of Blasphemy Leading To Jaranwala Riot
A court in Faisalabad, Pakistan has acquitted the two Christian men who were falsely accused of committing blasphemy offenses that led to major riot in Jaranwala on Aug.16 last year, Morning Star News reports.
Indonesia Christians Doubt Government’s Ability To Tackle Anti-Christian Groups
Devoted Indonesian Christians say they remain concerned about churches being targeted by Islamists despite government pledges to improve the situation for minority faiths in the world’s largest Muslim nation.
Iran: New Report Highlights “Faceless” Persecuted Christians
A new report by the Article 18 persecution watchdog draws attention to the plight of “faceless” Christians facing intense government persecution in Iran.
Indonesia: Minister Of Religion Helps Churches Obtain Permits
In a piece of welcome news for historically persecuted Christians in Indonesia, Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has requested the Directorate General to ascertain whether regional Indonesian churches have been unjustly refused building permits and to facilitate the establishment of places of worship, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Christianity is legal in Indonesia, but the Muslim-majority country has consistently blocked the establishment of churches and impeded believers’ right to express their faith.
170 Villagers ‘Executed’ In Burkina Faso Amid Church and Mosque Attacks
Some 170 people have been “executed” in three villages in northern Burkina Faso on February 25, the same day that dozens were killed in church and mosque attacks, authorities said Sunday.
Gospel Is Advancing In Africa’s Sahel Region Despite Extremely Hostile Conditions
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is advancing in some of the most hostile, devastated countries in the world, with recent reports of Muslims coming to faith in Christ in Eritrea, Nigeria, and Sudan in Africa’s Sahel region, Christian Daily reports.
Hope For Christian On Deathrow In Pakistan After Court Ruling, Attorney Says
An attorney in Pakistan has expressed hope for a young Christian man on death row for “blasphemy” against Islam after a court acquitted him in a case related to the same alleged incident.
Nepal: Pastor Sentenced To Jail Term For Evangelizing, “I Am Here Serving The Lord”
A pastor in Nepal is seeking to be given a fine instead of the one-year prison sentence he has received for proselytizing, despite being ordered by the Nepalese Supreme Court to begin his jail sentence pending appeal, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.