Annual report cites nations for religious-freedom abuses

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Abuses of religious freedom worsened last year in China and the Sudan, according to the second annual report of a government commission set up to monitor religious persecution abroad.

Turkish Court Releases Jailed Christian in Southeast

ISTANBUL, July 5 (Compass) — An Assyrian Christian arrested a month ago for taking home videos in an ancient churchyard in Turkey’s heavily militarized Southeast was ordered released today by Diyarbakir’s State Security Court.

Bhutan represses Christians as Day of Prayer approaches

Believing for Bhutan
A Bhutanese man gives his grandson attention during a festival. It is illegal to hold Christian services and authorities have been cracking down on Christians. Pray that God will protect local churches. Pray that believers would also find favor in the eyes of the government to overturn this decision.

Christian woman recalls horror of forced conversion to Islam

On the Indonesian island of Ambon, hundreds of Christian men and women — young and old, even infants and pregnant women — have been forced to convert to Islam and circumcised under threat of death. As Muslim jihad warriors press their efforts to kill or convert all Christians in Indonesia, many Christians are forced to choose between their faith and their lives. Photo by Warren Johnson

Brunei Christians Suffer For Government ‘Cult’ Fears

Details emerging from recent detentions and interrogations of Christians in Brunei point to a growing government concern that the growth of “cults” in this predominately-Muslim nation could lead to political and religious instability.

Facing Persecution in Khartoum

KHARTOUM, Sudan (Compass) — Every Friday, during the Muslim holy day, a special group of Christians meet in a house.

Kidnappers Demand Hefty Ransom for Colombian Pastor

March 25 was a special Sunday for the 18,000 evangelical Christians who attend the Bethesda Missionary Center church in Bogota, Colombia. It marked the fortieth day of captivity for their pastor, Jorge Enrique Gomez, kidnapped on Valentine’s Day by a band of heavily armed men.

Martyrdom of Liu Haitao Confirmed in China

On October 16, 2000, twenty-one-year-old Liu Haitao from Henan province in central China died as the result of severe police beatings. Although the immediate cause of his death was a kidney ailment that flared up after police mistreatment and a harsh imprisonment, there is no question his death was the result of his witness for Christ, which makes him a martyr for the faith. Local Christians in the area plan to observe October 16 as a memorial day to the life of the young Christian.

Minority Christians “Punished” In Vietnam

Evangelical Christians blamed for the unrest in Vietnam’s Central Highlands in early February have been abducted, tortured and prevented from worshipping together by security police, according to reports from the region.

Police Arrest Two Christians in Azerbaijan

Two Christians were sent to jail yesterday for seven days on charges of “disobeying the police” in the town of Ismailly, 120 miles west of the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.

Worthy Christian News