Report: ‘16,000 Christians Killed In Nigeria’ In Four Years
Over 16,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in the last four years, more than any other religious group, according to new data obtained by Worthy News.
Christian Persecution
Uzbekistan Threatens Church Demolition In Crackdown
Members of a thriving Baptist church in western Uzbekistan say local authorities have begun demolishing their worship facility as part of a broader crackdown on devoted Christians.
Pakistan Christian Girl Forced To Marry and Convert; Two Boys Held For ‘Blasphemy’
There was concern Thursday about three Christian youngsters in Pakistan, including a 12-year-old girl who was forced to marry and convert to Islam while two 18-year-old brothers were charged with blasphemy, several sources said.
Nicaragua: Ortega Regime to Begin Taxing Church Tithes and Offerings in Ongoing Crackdown
As predicted by Christian rights groups, Nicaragua’s authoritarian government is set to begin taxing tithes and offerings collected by churches in an effort to tighten its control over religious institutions, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Uganda: Evangelist Murdered for Leading Muslims to Christ, “We Are Coming for Your Life”
Yowabu Sebakaki, a Ugandan evangelist who led Muslims to Christ and discipled them, was brutally murdered for the Gospel by Islamic extremists in eastern Uganda earlier this month, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Christianity is legal in Uganda, but evangelists and Muslim converts are vulnerable to violent attacks and murder by Islamic extremist elements in the country.
Christians Pray As Indonesia Descents Into Chaos Over Election Reforms
Christians in Indonesia appealed for prayers Tuesday as security forces crushed nationwide protests against attempts by parliamentary allies of outgoing President Joko Widodo to change regional election legislation in their favor.
Mexico Sees Protests Against the Violation of Religious Freedom for Protestant Community
Mexico last week saw demonstrations against the violation of religious freedoms as protestors gathered in Mexico City and the city of Oaxaca to show their anger about how authorities have subjected a Protestant minority community to discrimination, violence, and arbitrary detention, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.
Indonesian Pentecostal Leader and Pastor Lumenta Dies At 72 (Worthy News In-Depth)
Pastor Johannis ‘John’ Hus Lumenta, the restless, dedicated secretary-general of Indonesia’s main Pentecostal denomination Gereja Pantekosta di Indonesia’ (GPdI), has died, Christians confirmed to Worthy News early Sunday.
Pakistan: Just 12 Jaranwala Rioters Facing Trial After Hundreds Arrested
One year after the devastating Islamic riot against Christians in Jaranwala, Pakistan in August last year, just 12 of the more than 300 people arrested are facing trials, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Islamic-majority Pakistan ranks 7 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Egypt: Imprisoned Christian Activist Launches Hunger Strike in Protest at Maltreatment
Prominent Yemeni Christian activist Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo has started a hunger strike from prison in Egypt in protest at how the Egyptian government has treated him, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
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.
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.
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.
Nicaragua: Six Christian Women Imprisoned for Their Faith
Nicaragua’s communist dictatorship imprisoned six Christian women on account of their faith in the last year, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Ruled by President Daniel Ortega, who has intensified the persecution of believers, Nicaragua ranks 30 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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.
Afghanistan: The Church Is In a “Precarious” Position on Third Anniversary of Taliban Takeover
The Islamic extremist Taliban have been in power in Afghanistan for three years (since the US withdrawal in August 2021), and the Afghan church is in a “precarious” position, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Iran Denies Jailed Christian Woman Psychological Care
A young woman who has been jailed in Iran after abandoning Islam and turning to faith in Christ has been denied requested psychological care despite suffering mental difficulties linked to her treatment in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, Christians say.