Veteran Missionary in India Ordered to Leave Kashmir
As the campaign for elections to India’s parliament reached its heights, Indian officials ordered a Christian missionary to leave the country.
India
Bhutanese House Churches Raided After Easter Services
Three house churches in Sarpang district of southern Bhutan were visited by police on the night of April 11 following their Easter Sunday services. According to a respected Christian leader in Bhutan, the church members were warned to discontinue meeting together for worship. The raids seem to confirm a growing crackdown against Christian activity in Bhutan.
ACLJ Not Deterred by Entry of Planned Parenthood into Lawsuit Against Kmart Involving Abortion Prod
(Cincinnati, OH) — The American Center for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm, said today it is disappointed with a decision that’s likely to delay the trial date in a lawsuit against Kmart on behalf of a pharmacist who was fired for refusing to dispense abortion producing drugs. The trial date of November 5th is likely to be postponed due to a decision by the federal court to permit Planned Parenthood to intervene in the case in support of Kmart.
ACLU suit, federal judge force county to remove Ten Commandments in Indiana
WASHINGTON (BP)–Threatened by fines, residents of a small town in Indiana say they were forced to remove a monument displaying the Ten Commandments from the lawn of the local courthouse after a federal judge ruled on behalf of the state’s civil liberties union.
Indian Government Denies Constitutional Rights to Dalit Christians
NEW DELHI, December 30 (Compass) — The government of India has rejected a demand that social benefits be extended to Dalit Christians and Muslims, compounding the problems faced by the most downtrodden social class in India.
India’s Christian Leaders Brace for Anti-Caste Rally
NEW DELHI, October 26 (Compass) — Christian leaders planning to attend a large anti-caste system “conversion” rally in New Delhi on November 4 are bracing for a Hindu extremist backlash.
Christian to be Deported from Saudi Arabia After Months in Prison
Indian Christian, Prabhu Isaac, is due to be deported from Jiddah tonight after spending more than six months in Saudi prisons in connection with his Christian faith.
Christians Secretly Forced to Re-Convert to Hinduism in India
BANGALORE, India (Compass) — The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Organization, VHP) is secretly conducting large-scale conversion drives in India’s Marxist-ruled state of West Bengal. More than 16 tribal Christians were forced to re-convert to Hinduism on April 22 at a purification ceremony in Chopra village in the Malda district about 300 kilometers from Calcutta, NGO sources said. Ten other animist tribals were also converted to Hinduism in the village.
Last Two Christian Prisoners Deported From Saudi Arabia
ISTANBUL, April 1 (Compass) — An Ethiopian and Filipino Christian jailed since last summer in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah were released and deported to their home countries over Easter weekend.
Christian Converts Forced to Return to Hinduism in India
BANGALORE, India (Compass) — Nineteen villagers who recently embraced Christianity have been forced to re-convert to Hinduism in the Korua village of Kendrapada district in India’s Orissa state after undergoing sustained social ostracism from their fellow villagers. They are also facing prosecution by the district administration for violating provisions of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA).
Christians Secretly Forced to Re-Convert to Hinduism in India
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Organization, VHP) is secretly conducting large-scale conversion drives in India’s Marxist-ruled state of West Bengal. More than 16 tribal Christians were forced to re-convert to Hinduism on April 22 at a purification ceremony in Chopra village in the Malda district about 300 kilometers from Calcutta, NGO sources said. Ten other animist tribals were also converted to Hinduism in the village.
Last Two Christians Prisoners Deported from Saudi Arabia
An Ethiopian and Filipino Christian jailed since last summer in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah were released and deported to their home countries over Easter weekend.
Church in India Facing Increasing Threats, Ministry Leader Says
Most Christians understand the threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism around the world, but few are aware of a virulent strain of Hindu radicalism targeting believers in India.
Saudis Move Christian Prisoners to Deportation Center
Saudi Arabian authorities transferred the last five of 14 foreign Christians from their Jeddah prison cell to a deportation center yesterday, according to nine other Christian prisoners already moved there on December 22 and 23.
Foreign Christians Still Locked Up in Jeddah
More than a dozen foreign Christians remain jailed in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, where local authorities have for months ignored inquiries and notes of protest from consulates requesting diplomatic access to their imprisoned citizens.
Crackdown on Christians Intensifies on Osama Bin Laden’s Home Country of Saudi Arabia
A further six Christian men have been arrested in the coastal city of Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, as the crackdown on believers in the city escalates, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
Jeddah Police Holding 13 Foreign Christians in Custody
At least 13 foreign Christians have been arrested since mid July in Jeddah, where Saudi Arabia’s religious police are apparently trying to track down Saudi nationals thought to have contact with expatriate house churches in the city.
Wave of attacks mounting against Christians in India
NEW DELHI, India (BP)–Another day, another bombing.
That’s the impression being created, at least, by a mounting wave of attacks on Christians and churches in India.
Bible school vandalized in India
Vandals recently broke into the office of a Bible school in India, tied up the schools’ cook, and destroyed the office.
The vandals seem to have thoroughly planned their attack. The school is housed in two buildings, and both buildings were ransacked at the same time. About thirty-five people live at the training center.
Prayer Urged for India’s Dalits
Dr. Joseph D’Souza, president of the All India Christian Council, is calling for urgent prayer for India’s millions of dalits, since over a million of them are getting ready to change their religion.