Turkey: Church Vandalized, Pastor Threatened
Assailants on Turkey’s Black Sea coast vandalized a Protestant church this weekend, days after nationalists from the region murdered a well-known Armenian journalist.
Christian
Uzbekistan: Secret Police Arrest Andijan Pastor
Uzbek secret police arrested a Protestant pastor from his church in Andijan last weekend, seven months after a regional prosecutor had accused him of committing high treason.
Vietnam “Severely Tortures” Christian Degar Montagnard Prisoners, Families Say
Family members and friends expressed concerns Saturday, January 27, about the treatment of predominantly Christian Degar Montagnard prisoners in Vietnam some of whom have allegedly been severely tortured and forced to eat rice mixed with broken glass.
China Security Forces Raid Church, Release Christian Leaders
Chinese security forces arrested church leaders while raiding a house church in Anhui Province during a worship service, and confiscated Christian literature and equipment, a Christian rights group said Saturday, January 27.
Somalia Capital Rocked By Violence After Church Attack
Christians in Somalia remained on edge Friday, January 26, after a church attack and fresh reports that five people were killed in clashes in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
11 Tribal Girls Killed In India As Hostel Collapses
Christian officials on Saturday, January 27, urged the Hindu-led government of India’s Gujarat state to end what they regard as the persecution of Christian aid workers after at least 11 impoverished Tribal girls died when the their residential school collapsed.
Uzbekistan Secret Police Detains Protestant Pastor
Uzbekistan’s secret police detained Protestant Pastor Dmitry Shestakov at his church in the city of Andijan last weekend, after a regional prosecutor had accused him of “committing high treason,” a Christian news agency reported Thursday, January 25.
Pakistan Detains Christian Woman For “Insulting” Islam
A Christian married mother with six children remained detained in a Pakistani jail Thursday, January 25, and could face the death penalty for allegedly insulting Islam, her supporters told BosNewsLife.
India State Militants Threaten Christian Orphanage; Counsellors Arrested
A Christian orphanage and a Christian drug rehabilitation center in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh have come under pressure to close down, shortly after a controversial anti-conversion law came into force, human rights investigators said Thursday, January 25.
Muslim Gunman Attacks Somali House Church, Injuring Leader
A Muslim gunman opened fire on a Somali house church where Christians were worshipping on January 2, seriously injuring the church leader.
Pakistan: Court Overturns Life Sentence for Christian
A Pakistani court last week acquitted a Christian “blasphemy†prisoner on grounds that the convict was mentally unstable, while another Christian facing the same accusation was released on bail.
Eritrea Security Forces Detain Dozens of Christians, “Burn” Bibles
Security forces have detained dozens of devoted Christians, including government workers, in the East African nation of Eritrea, a Christian news agency reported Tuesday, January 23.
Gospel For Asia Missionaries Beaten, Arrested at Indian Festival
Gospel for Asia (GFA) native missionaries–including a state leader–have been driven away, beaten and even arrested by police at the site of the Ardh Kumbh, a massive festival during which millions of Hindu pilgrims bathe in the confluence of two sacred rivers at the north Indian town of Allahabad.
Ethiopia Christian Killed, Houses Burned, Investigators Say
Groups of Ethiopian Christians were reportedly still hiding in churches Thursday, January 18, after one believer was killed, Christian homes burned and several believers were threatened with execution for converting from Islam.
Sudan Christians Fear New Attacks As Bombings Continue
Sudan’s embattled Christian minority attended church services Sunday, January, 21, as the predominantly Muslim nation plunged further into renewed civil war, despite a peace agreement brokered by US Governor Bill Richardson and others this month.
Pastor Shot Dead In Sri Lanka
Tensions remained high in the Sri Lankan city of Jaffna Wednesday, January 17, after a pastor was shot dead by government security forces, triggering fears of more ethnic and religious clashes in the volatile region, local Christians and investigators said.
China Security Forces Raid Christian Gathering
At least nine Christians remained in police custody in China’s Henan province on Monday, January 15, more than a week after Chinese security forces raided a Christian gathering, fellow believers said.
India: Hindu Extremists Beat Four Pastors
Seven youths beat Pastor Robert Kennedy of Bangalore in Karnataka state on Sunday (January 7), after asking him to “pray for a sick friend.†The pastor required 16 stitches to his head and back after the assault.
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia: Death and danger in the Horn of Africa
Tensions are rising across the Horn of Africa – there is death and danger. Irredentist Somali Islamists have declared jihad against Ethiopia. Christians are being attacked and murdered by Muslims in Ethiopia. Eritrea, which is accused of arming the Somali Islamists, is exploiting an opportunity and has breached the 2000 cease-fire agreement by moving troops into the Eritrea-Ethiopia border buffer zone. Two Protestant Christians were recently tortured to death in Eritrea. The savagery of persecution appears to be escalating in proportion to regional tensions — and it could be about to get much worse.
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.