08.24.2024

Pakistan: Judge Allows Three Christian Children to Return Home After Islamic Employer Held Them Captive

 A judge in Punjab Province, Pakistan has allowed three young Christian sisters to return to their parents after their employers held them captive and tried to forcibly convert them to Islam, Morning Star News reports.

‘Russia Destroys Hundreds Of Churches, Religious Buildings in Ukraine’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia turned hundreds of churches and other religious sites into rubble since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Whereabouts of Abducted Pastor and 13-Year-Old Daughter Are Not Known Despite Ransom Payment

The fate of a Protestant pastor and his 13-year-old daughter who were abducted in Gusau, northwestern Nigeria last month is not known, despite a ransom having been paid for their release, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.

Russian churches offer help and hope to newly displaced crowds

Russia claims progress in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Print Bibles still hold an essential role in China

In today’s increasingly digital age, there’s still nothing like having a Bible you can hold in your hands. 

Vietnam: 11 Christians missing from police custody

Last month, friends and family of 11 Christians raised the alarm after losing contact with their loved ones in police custody. Some of them have been incarcerated for over a decade. 

Christian Slain with Swords by Muslim Extremists in Uganda

Evangelist worked in heavily Islamic areas.

Supreme Court of Pakistan Bows to Islamist Threats

Religious freedom takes a hard blow, sources say.

China blocks pastor’s return to US

It’s been nearly six months since Pastor John Cao walked out of prison after serving his seven-year term in China, and he’s still not free.

Nicaragua: Government Shuts Down Hundreds of Evangelical NGOs

In a move seen as punishment for not aligning with Nicaragua’s authoritarian communist regime, Nicaraguan authorities have revoked the legal status of hundreds of evangelical NGOs and transferred their assets to the state, CBN News reports.

India: Uttar Pradesh Police Arrested Over 1,600 People on Anti-Conversion Charges in Last Four Years

In the last four years, authorities in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state arrested 1,682, people under an extreme anti-conversion law designed to suppress non-Hindu religious freedom, the International Christian Concern (ICC) advocacy organization reports.

UKRAINE: Real threats, but freedom of religion or belief concerns

Russia's war against Ukraine, and especially its full-scale invasion of
Ukraine launched in February 2022, has strengthened the Ukrainian state's
interference into religious affairs.

Bangladesh unrest impacts A3

Expats and businessmen have begun to return to Bangladesh, but there is still no guarantee of business as usual.

Turkmenistan Pastor Facing Threats, Arrest

Pressure is mounting on Rahymjan Borjakov, a 44-year-old pastor who faces imminent arrest for leading an unregistered church in Turkmenistan, Christians tell Worthy News.

Christian Parents Regain Custody of Three Girls in Pakistan

In rare case, judge allows children to talk with parents.

Middle East Christians Prepare for a Possible New Conflict

As religious tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate and Israel’s war with Hamas rages on, Christians caught in the middle are preparing for another potential conflict.

Indonesian Officials Clash over Change in Church Building Permits

After Indonesian Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas told a group of church leaders earlier this month that it would soon be easier for churches and other minority religious groups to obtain building permits, another government official is 

ARMENIA: Conscientious objector begins two-year jail term

Police arrived this morning, 20 August, at the home in Yerevan of
21-year-old Baptist conscientious objector Davit Nazaretyan. They arrested
him and took him initially to Nubarashen Prison in southern Yerevan.

Malaysia: Koh report could reveal whereabouts of missing pastor

Under court order, the Malaysian government is expected to release a classified report this week with information about the 2017 forced disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh.

Is AI a friend of Christian missions?

Is AI a friend or foe of Christian missions? 

Six Women Detained or Imprisoned in Nicaragua's Crackdown on Christians

During the last year, six Christian women have been imprisoned in Nicaragua for their religious activities.

Fate of Pastor, Daughter Kidnapped in Nigeria Unknown

Captors receive ransom payment but demand another.

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing - Navigating Challenges and Opportunities for Religious Freedom in Pakistan

Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual hearing on religious freedom conditions in Pakistan and policy options for the U.S. government.

Ignored by authorities, Nigerian Christians suffer on

Persecution of Christians in Nigeria has been on the rise for more than fourteen years. 

Pakistani girls suffer wave of kidnappings

There is a grim, sobering reality that Christians in Pakistan know all too well: the loss of their daughters to kidnapping and what amounts to sex slavery. 

Attacked Pakistani Christian Widow Detained For Blasphemy

Christians in Pakistan’s Punjab province remained concerned Sunday after a Muslim mob reportedly tried to kill a Christian mother of two accused of blasphemy while also targeting her sister.

Nigeria: Following in the Footsteps of the Fallen

Six years ago, the Fulani extremist violence that had terrorized much of Nigeria’s Kaduna state reached the Wayit family, leaving Josiah Micah Wayit and his five younger siblings without their beloved parents.

Pakistan Marks First Anniversary of Destructive Jaranwala Riots

A year ago Friday, mobs of angry Muslims attacked several Christian communities in Jaranwala, Punjab, Pakistan, burning 26 churches and the homes of more than 200 Christian families.

Islamic Rebels Kill More than 30 Christians in Eastern DRC

The remains of more than 30 people were found on July 24 following yet another brutal attack on a Christian community by Islamic extremist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Eastern Congo.

Afghan Christians Isolated as Taliban Celebrates Three Years in Power

The Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of its takeover of Afghanistan on Wednesday with a military parade at Bagram Airfield, once the largest U.S. military base in the country.

Rape as a Form of Persecution

Rape as a form of Christian persecution is a grave human rights violation and an egregious act of violence used to intimidate, degrade, and destroy communities. 

One Year Later, Jaranwala, Pakistan Still Reeling from Attacks

Christians in the area lose jobs, business.

Another Discriminatory Anti-Conversion Law Proposed in India

In an affidavit filed earlier this month before India’s Supreme Court, the northwestern state of Rajasthan indicated that it planned to introduce curbs on so-called forced conversions.

Chinese Officials Propose Harsher Restrictions for Christians

In late June, Chinese authorities discussed placing major new restrictions on Christians and religion in general. The discussions, which occurred during two meetings, highlight how the Communist government is increasingly pressuring China’s vibrant underground church.

Christian Father, 29, Gunned Down by Muslims in Pakistan

Catholic was sole provider for family with four children.

Hindu Extremist Attack Shuts Down Church’s Services in India

Police inaction contributes to closure.