Pakistan Acquits Christian Accused of Blasphemy
Anwer Masih was acquitted in Lahore last month by a Judicial Magistrate’s Court, making him the first Pakistani Christian ever acquitted of blasphemy in Pakistan’s lower courts.
Christian Persecution – Asia
Vietnam’s Imprisoned Mennonites Appeal to People’s Supreme Court
Sources in Vietnam have informed Compass that the People’s Supreme Court in Ho Chi Minh City will hear the appeals of the Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang and evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach on February 2. This represents the final appeal option available to the defendants; however, the high court has virtually never reversed a lower court decision.
Christians Experience Tragedy, Miracles in Disaster
Stories are coming in to Christian Aid from missionaries in South Asia of how believers have been affected by-and in some cases miraculously spared from-the tsunami tragedy.
Gospel for Asia Responds to Deadly Tsunami
Gospel for Asia workers are rushing food, clothing, medical supplies-and the love of God-to millions of Asians still in deep shock from a disaster spawned by the most powerful earthquake in 40 years.
Indonesia Orders Tighter Security for Churches this Christmas
Police in Indonesia pledged today to provide tighter security for churches during Christmas and New Year celebrations, after one of their own was arrested in connection with the murder of a Christian village chief on the island of Sulawesi.
Christian School in India Censured for Distributing Bibles
A Hindu fundamentalist group has accused a Christian school in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, of forcibly distributing copies of the New Testament to students with intent to convert them.
Two Indonesian Churches Attacked, Three People Injured
Assailants simultaneously attacked two churches in the town of Palu, Central Sulawesi, during church services on Sunday night, injuring at least three people.
Indian Hindus Build Temple on Church Property
Hindu villagers have constructed a temple on the grounds of St. John’s Church of England in Jatni in the eastern state of Orissa, India, triggering a knotty battle over the rights of minority Christians.
Indonesian Pastor Kidnapped, Still Missing
Villagers on a small Indonesian island who recently joined a search for their missing pastor found only a red T-shirt with three bullet holes in it, lying on the beach near his home.
Buddhist Monks in Sri Lanka Threaten to ‘Fast Unto Death’
Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka have declared a “fast unto death” beginning December 12 if the government does not concede to a proposed constitutional amendment and the adoption of anti-conversion laws.
Churches Attacked in Sri Lanka While Extremists Aim to Make Buddhism the State Religion
The ‘Believers’ Church’ in the village of Kammalawa in Kuliyapitiya came under attack on December 2. At about 5pm more than 100 people arrived at the church in western Sri Lanka and told the pastor to stop holding worship services.
Vietnam Pressures Pastor’s Wife for Church Activity, Secret Tape Reveals
New evidence has come to light, in secretly recorded tapes obtained by Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom, of oppression of native Mennonite leaders in Vietnam.
Imprisoned Vietnamese Christian Hospitalized for ‘Mental Disease’
Le Thi Hong Lien, the sole woman among six Mennonite church workers sentenced to prison in Vietnam last Friday, is hospitalized with a “mental disease,” according to prison officials.
Indonesian Church Closing Sparks Public Debate
Members of a Protestant church in Indonesia are still waiting for resolution on an incident with Muslim neighbors, who attacked the church on October 24. The church was then closed down by authorities.
Harassment Continues in Vietnam on Eve of Mennonite Trial
Authorities in District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, came to the home of Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang and ordered his wife to appear at a neighborhood “review” meeting at 7 p.m.
Harsh Sentences for Vietnamese Mennonites
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City handed out harsh sentences to six Vietnamese Mennonite church workers in a four-hour trial which ended at noon today.
Pastor Damanik Released from Indonesian Prision
Rev. Rinaldy Damanik, imprisoned on what many believe were false charges, walked free today (Tuesday, November 9) – almost a year earlier than his original release date.
Indonesian Man Shot in Church
Around 9:30 p.m. on October 21, snipers shot and injured Hans Sanipi, 25, custodian of the Tabernakel Pentecostal Church in Poso, Central Sulawesi. Sanipi was speaking with several other people in front of the church when two men on a motorbike passed and shot randomly into the crowd.
News Sources State Christians Murdered in North Korea
A North Korean army general who become a Christian was, after he had begun to evangelize in his unit, shot dead by another senior army officer in 2003, Protestant sources have told Forum 18 News Service.
Early Release for Indonesian Pastor
On Saturday, September 25, Rev. Damanik — an Indonesian pastor imprisoned under what many believe were false charges — celebrated his 45th birthday.