India: Pastor severely beaten by police
A pastor in southern India has been seriously injured by police officers who beat him up after accusing him of converting Hindus to Christianity, Open Doors USA reports.
Christian Persecution – Asia
India: Six Christian women arrested, imprisoned
Six Christian women in India’s Uttar Pradesh state were charged with forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity and were imprisoned on July 30, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. With the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party in power since 2014, India’s Christians have become increasingly vulnerable to harsh anti-conversion laws which are frequently abused by Hindu extremists looking to harass and imprison believers.
Vietnam Christians face severe persecution
Hmong Christians in the Nghe An province of Vietnam are suffering intense persecution as officials work to create “Christian-free zones,” Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Christians make up 8.5% of the population in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, where many identify with animism and with ethnic Vietnamese Folk religion.
Nepal: Pastor sentenced to a year in jail for alleged forced conversions
A pastor in Nepal has been sentenced by a court of appeals to a year in prison for allegedly forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. The population in Nepal is 81.3% Hindu, followed by 9% Buddhist, 4/4% Islamic, and 1.4 % Christian, according to Wikipedia.
Indonesia: Christian Pastor murdered in Papua province
A Christian pastor was among ten people murdered by separatist gunmen in Indonesia’s Papua province on July 16, the Christian Post (CP) reports. The West Papua National Liberation Army, or TPNPB, the military wing of Papua’s main separatist group, claimed responsibility for the killings.
Myanmar: Military junta has destroyed dozens of places of worship
Rights groups have reported that more than 132 places of worship, including dozens of churches, have been destroyed by Myanmar’s Tatmadaw army since it carried out a military coup and deposed the country’s democratically elected government in February 2021, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Pakistan: Christian sentenced to death for disrespecting Muhammad
A court in Pakistan on Monday sentenced Christian Ashfaq Masih to death for allegedly “disrespecting” the Islamic prophet Muhammad five years ago, the Print reports.
Vietnam: Christian families expelled from home village for their faith
Four families in northern Vietnam have been officially expelled from their village homes because they converted to Christianity, Christian Today reports.
Rights Groups Rank Afghanistan Number 1 in the world for Christian Persecution
International Christian persecution watchdog groups have ranked Afghanistan the number one most dangerous country in the world for believers since the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021, Christian Today reports.
Jailed Pakistani Christian Woman Urges Prayers
A jailed Christian woman has asked Christians to pray for her after spending a year in a Pakistani prison on what she views as trumped-up charges of blasphemy against Islam.
Pakistan: Christian man in prison for 4 years awaiting trial for blasphemy
A Christian man in Pakistan has been in prison for over four years after an Islamic extremist group accused him of insulting Muhammad in a Facebook post, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
India: Hindu nationalist police severely beat up pastor
Hindu nationalist police officers in India’s Uttar Pradesh state severely beat up a pastor after arresting him for singing a hymn on the roof of his home during a family devotional in April, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Myanmar Army Torches Christian Homes
Myanmar’s ruling military has destroyed hundreds of Christian homes in recent days while fighting perceived threats to its power base, Christian aid workers told Worthy News.
Pakistan Gives Christian Brothers Death Sentence Over Blasphemy Allegations
Christians in Pakistan are weighing their options after the Lahore High Court upheld the death sentence of two brothers, both Christians, for alleged “blasphemy” against Islam.
Authorities Close India Church Over Hindu Protests
Christians in eastern India are questioning the sealing of their church building after authorities ordered the believers to stop gathering for worship, a rights group said Thursday.
Pakistan Bails Mentally Challenged Christian After 3 Years In Jail
A mentally challenged Christian man has been released on bail after spending three years in a Pakistani jail on trumped-up charges of blasphemy against Islam, his lawyer told Worthy News late Tuesday.
Myanmar: Military junta continues systematic destruction of Christian homes
As Myanmar’s Tatmadaw military junta continues its deadly rampage against opponents and non-Buddhists, Christians in the country’s central regions are being terrorized as the army systematically destroys hundreds of their homes, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
India States Detain Pastors Over ‘Forced Conversions,’ Death
A pastor and his wife are among the first Christians to face prosecution under controversial anti-conversion legislation that has been introduced in India’s southwestern state of Karnataka, while another couple faces similar charges elsewhere in India. Pastor V. Kuriyachan, 62, and his wife Selenamma, 57, were detained for two weeks shortly after Karnataka’s governor signed the legislation on May 17, for allegedly converting Hindus to Christianity, police and Christians said.
India: Christians suffer arrest and imprisonment in Uttar Pradesh, ”Our lives are in danger”
At least 30 Christians were imprisoned on false charges in India’s Uttar Pradesh state last month, as Hindu nationalists continue to abuse the state’s harsh anti-conversion laws and accuse believers of forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Pakistan Christian Teenage Girl Rescued After Kidnapping
A Christian teenage girl who was kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man in Pakistan has returned home, Worthy News learned Saturday.