Attackers Critically Injure Turkish Christian
A Turkish convert to Christianity who was severely beaten for distributing New Testaments last week in his hometown of Orhangazi in northwestern Turkey has slipped into a coma in critical condition.
Month: October 2003
More than 150,000 People See the “Jesus” Film in Russian City
Total attendance at showings of the Jesus Film in St. Petersburg, Russia, amount to 150,000 people, according to a Russia interpreter who works with American missionaries in this city known as “The Venice of the North.”
India: Meteor Foils Persecution Attack
Severe persecution against church planting ministry in India’s Orissa State was interrupted with a sign from heaven when a meteor crashed to earth near the Bay of Bengal.
Evangelical Pastor Assassinated in Chiapas, Mexico
An evangelical Christian pastor was assassinated last Friday near the town of San Juan Chamula in Mexico’s troubled southern state of Chiapas, while on his way to a prayer service.
Christian Pastor, Lay Leaders Jailed for Subversion in Colombia
Attorneys of the Association of Christian Lawyers in Colombia have assumed the defense of a pastor and several church lay leaders arrested by security forces near the city of Sincelejo and accused of terrorism.
Egypt Arrests 22 Muslim Converts to Christianity
U.S. Copts Association received several phone calls from the families and friends of over 20 Egyptian Muslim converts to Christianity who have been detained by the Egyptian police since October 20th.
Chinese Christian Xiao’s wife notified of charges; Liu investigation ongoing
Mrs. Gou Qinghui, wife of imprisoned house-church Christian Xiao Bi-guang, finally received official notification of her husband’s arrest at 5 p.m. today. Chinese law states that the families of arrested persons will be notified within 24 hours of arrest; Xiao was arrested September 26.
One Chinese Christian released, two others face serious charges
Mrs. Ding Guizhen, a house church Christian in Henan Province, China, was released last Saturday after 15 days of so-called Administrative Detention.
Iraq’s Revival: Christians Risk Their Lives for Church
Iraqi Christians who have become targets of attacks by Muslim extremists and bandits are risking their lives to attend church services, ASSIST News Service (ANS) has established.
Gospel for Asia Broadcaster under House Arrest
Dhoniam, one of Gospel for Asia’s radio producers, is under house arrest—along with his young family—and not allowed to contact anyone unless they deny their faith in Christ. This has greatly affected the production of GFA’s radio broadcast in the Marwari language, which reaches a potential listening audience of 13 million people in India and Nepal.
Christian Village Suffers Midnight Attack in Indonesia
Indonesian Christians who have lived in the village of Old Beteleme (Bethlehem), Central Sulawesi, since being displaced by a three-year wave of religious violence suffered a night-time attack Friday that left two people dead, six missing and 38 houses destroyed.
Arrested Chinese believers located; families still not notified
The location where two Chinese house-church Christians are being held has been revealed by a Voice of the Martyrs source within the Chinese government.
Eight Aid Workers Free at Last
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) — In what was seen as an answer to the prayers of thousands of Christians around the world, eight Christian aid workers detained in Afghanistan arrived safely in neighboring Pakistan, Thursday November 15, after more 100 days in captivity.
The Taliban’s 2001 Calendar of Religious Intolerance
JANUARY
Taliban leader Mohammed Omar declares on Radio Shariat that any Afghan caught professing Christianity or Judaism would be executed, and that any non-Muslim found “trying to win converts” would also be killed.
Taliban Arrest 35 More Afghans In Alleged Missionary Probe
ISTANBUL, September 10 (Compass) — Taliban authorities arrested 35 more Afghan aid workers over the weekend, bringing the total to more than 50 Afghans jailed by the strict Islamist regime since early August on suspicion of aiding covert Christian missionary work.
Afghanistan’s Regime Denies Prisoners Exchange
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (ANS) — The Foreign Minister of Afghanistan’s Islamic Taliban regime denied Thursday, September 6, that his hard-line movement was considering a prisoner swap with the United States to free eight detained Western Christian relief workers. Reports from the region said that relatives of blind Egyptian militant Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, currently serving a life term in the United States for terrorism, proposed the prison exchange.
Foreign Aid Workers May Still Face Executions; Afghan Christians Pressured to Give Up Christ
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (ANS) — Afghanistan’s Islamic Taliban regime threatened Wednesday, September 5, to execute eight foreign Christian relief workers, as Western diplomats and relatives desperately tried to meet them.
Workers With Christian Organizations Leave Afghanistan as Crack Down Against Christians Intensifies
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (ANS) — More than 50 foreign staff members of the US based Christian aid organizations International Assistance Mission (IAM) and Serve began leaving Afghanistan Saturday, September 1, after the Islamic Taliban regime closed their offices Friday.
Parents See Detained Aid Workers In Afghanistan; Foreigners Could be Released, but Afghans may be Ex
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (ANS)– Parents of two American women have seen their daughters for the first time since they and 22 other aid workers were arrested August 5th on charges of spreading Christianity in Islamic Afghanistan. The Bakhtar News Agency (BNA) described the visit as an “emotional reunion” between the mother of Dana Curry, and the father of the other woman, Heather Mercy.
Workers Christian Aid Agency Face Execution in Afghanistan As Islamic rulers launch crack-down again
KABUL/BUDAPEST (ANS)– There were new fears Thursday that 16 Afghan and eight foreign workers of the German based Christian relief agency Shelter Now International (SNI) may be executed, as the country’s Islamic rulers prepared to arrest more Christians, including children.