Mob Destroys Church in South Sulawesi, Indonesia
SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA (ANS) — A mob has destroyed a church in the predominantly Muslim city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, according to a report from The Barnabas Fund.
Christian Persecution – Asia
U.S. Missionary Hostage Killed in Philippine Rescue Attempt
AUSTIN, Texas, June 7 (Compass) — Kidnapped American missionary Martin Burnham was killed today in a Philippine military raid to rescue him, his wife, Gracia, and a Filipina nurse, New Tribes Mission (NTM) has confirmed.
Vietnam: Christians Denied Right to Exist
Christians in Vietnam are virtually being denied the right to exist, according to a visit there by a representative of a Washington, DC, based ministry recently.
Vietnam: Hmong Believers in Crucible of Persecution
Reports out of Vietnam indicate that tribal believers, especially among the Hmong, are being cruelly pressured by the government to give up their faith and return to animism.
Vietnam: 14 Tribal Pastors Sent to Undisclosed Prison
A confidential contact told Christian Aid Monday that 14 Vietnamese pastors were arrested in that country’s Central Highlands in the last two weeks. The exact location of these pastors is not certain.
Gospel for Asia Worker Murdered in Kashmir
Carrollton, TX—June 17, 2002— Risking his own safety to help fleeing refugees at the Pakistan/India border, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary trainee in Kashmir was found murdered earlier this month. The Indian-born student was training for pioneer evangelism ministry at a GFA Bible school located five kilometers from the Pakistan border. GFA leaders in India believe that Muslim extremists are responsible for his death.
Hmong Christians File Persecution Complaint with Vietnam Government
HANOI, VIETNAM(ANS) — A group of Hmong Christians living in the highlands of Vietnam have filed a complaint about violent incidents that they say took place amongst this tribal group last year.
Indonesia: Christians Outraged Over Arrest of Their Leader
Christians in Indonesia are outraged over the arrest of one of their leaders, Renaldy Damanik, General Secretary of the Christian Synod in Central Sulawesi and a hard-working, long-time peace advocate.
Indonesian Christians Face Tough Decision
Indonesian Christians are learning the hard way what it means to “forsake all and follow Christ.”
Christian Aid’s contact in Indonesia said Sunday that Christians in some villages that have been taken over by Laskar Jihad militant Muslims are being offered the opportunity to leave their villages, but on one condition: They must relinquish all right to their homes, businesses and properties, and never return to their villages again.
Indonesia: Terrorism Explodes; Ambon Christians Appeal to U.N.
Christians in the Maluku provincial capital of Ambon are appealing to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to send peacekeeping forces in the wake of recent terrorist attacks.
International Church Attakecked in Pakistan
ISTANBUL, March 18 (Compass) — Unidentified terrorists hurled grenades into a Protestant worship service in the diplomatic quarter of Pakistan’s capital city yesterday, killing five worshippers and wounding another 40 members of the congregation.
Islamabad Hospital Discharges Last Church Blast Victim
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, June 5 (Compass) — Dr. Christy Munir was discharged from an Islamabad hospital yesterday, 10 weeks after a deadly church attack in Pakistan’s capital city almost took his life.
Karachi Gunmen Murder Pakistani Welfare Workers
ISTANBUL, September 25 (Compass) — Armed gunmen attacked a Pakistani Christian welfare organization in Karachi this morning, then escaped after killing seven Christians and leaving an eighth critically injured.
Laos: Persecuted Believers Persevere
Christians in Laos still suffer from strict oppression of religious activity, according to recent reports, while at least one brother’s Christian work is being tolerated.
Laskar Jihad likely culprits in Indonesian bus bombing; Central Sulaweisi pastor martyred
Sources of the The Voice of the Martyrs in Indonesia say members of the militant Islamic group Laskar Jihad are likely responsible for a bus bomb blast near Poso on Wednesday. VOM has learned more details about the attack that killed at least four people and injured 17 others.
No Positive Change For Vietnam’s Protestants
HO CHI MINH CITY (Compass) — In April, 26 years after the communist takeover of Vietnam, authorities granted legal status to Protestants of the southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN). Optimists felt this might signal a change in the oppressive religious policy that has long marked Vietnamese communism, especially with the rise of “moderate” Nong Duc Manh to general secretary of the Communist Party.
Activist Christian Pastor Arrested in Vietnam
HO CHI MINH CITY, August 21 (Compass) — A pastor and lawyer who has been regularly harassed for exposing religious liberty abuses in Vietnam was arrested on August 17 along with his wife and another man in the capital city of this Southeast Asian country.
Vietnamese Christians Triumph Over Oppressive Persecution
Christians in Vietnam face oppressive, often brutal, persecution from authorities. Despite official measures to kill Christianity, the church of Jesus Christ continues to grow.
American Missionaries Turn One Year in Captivity
ZAMBOANGA CITY, PHILIPPINES (ANS) — The American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham turns one year old today under the captive of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), a terrorist group operating in the Southern Philippines and believed to have links to the Al Qa’ida network in Afghanistan.
Ayub Masish Flees Pakistan
SANTA ANA, CA (ANS) — Christian prisoner Ayub Masih fled his native Pakistan and arrived in an undisclosed country in the West on Wednesday after being imprisoned for six years on blasphemy charges. Despite being acquitted and released on August 15 by Pakistan’s Supreme Court, Masih’s life remains under constant threat from Muslim extremists.