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.
Christian Persecution
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.
Azerbaijan: Believers Unhappy over State Committee’s “Illegal” Demands
In addition to their unhappiness over the very need for re-registration of religious organisations and the way the compulsory re-registration process has been run, believers of a variety of religious denominations have complained to Keston News Service over the demands made of them by the State Committee for Relations with Religious Organizations, which is handling the process.
Killing Fields Become Harvest Fields in Cambodia
A once-maligned Christian ministry native to Cambodia is experiencing open doors as it reports a rich harvest among Cambodians.
Indonesian Spice Islands Peace Plan In Danger Of Collapse Due To Violence Promoted By Islamist Extre
A series of violent attacks on both the Muslim and Christian communities is threatening to derail the peace process in Indonesia.
Church in India Facing Increasing Threats, Ministry Leader Says
Most Christians understand the threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism around the world, but few are aware of a virulent strain of Hindu radicalism targeting believers in India.
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.
Indonesian Christians Face Tough Decision
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.
Abductors Will Make Missionaries Human Shields
With the U.S. military assistance to the Philippine government to help rescue Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham from their abductors the Abu Sayyaf Group, an Islamic rebel leader told ASSIST News Service that the abductors will use the Christian missionaries as their human shields when a U.S.-Philippine military joint rescue operation commences.
Turkmenistan: Further Baptists Fines
Six members of a Baptist congregation in the town of Khazar (formerly Cheleken) were fined in mid-January for holding “illegal services”, Keston News Service has learned. The instruction to fine them came from the political police, the KNB (former KGB), the six were told. The Turkmen authorities routinely fine members of unregistered religious congregations for holding religious meetings, even if such meetings take place in private homes.
Persecution of Christians Intensifies in Former Soviet Union
There were fresh reports about persecution of Christians throughout the former Soviet Union Monday January 20, including the arrests of Pentecostal leaders and the banning of the world famous Jesus film in several regions.
Azerbaijan: Two-Week Prison for Pentecostal Leaders
Amid growing pressure on Protestant congregations, two leaders of the unregistered Pentecostal church Living Stones have been arrested and given fifteen-day prison terms, Protestant sources in the Azerbaijani capital Baku have told Keston News Service. The two – Yusuf Farkhadov and Kasym Kasymov – were detained in Sumgait, a town close to Baku, when police and National Security Ministry officers raided a prayer meeting last Friday (18 January) held in a private flat in the town’s 9th micro-district.
14 Churches Slated for Demolition in Northern Nigeria
Fourteen Churches in Zamfara State, in Northern Nigeria are now facing demolition threat by the state government, which claims that there are too many Christian worship centers in the state. Zamfara state, which spearheaded the adoption of Islamic law in northern Nigeria contrary to the country’s secular constitution, is predominantly Muslim, populated with less than a five percent Christian population.
Detained US Missionary Couple Cries Out for Help
An American missionary couple held hostage in the southern Philippines for eight months by the Muslim rebel group Abu Sayyaf has cried out for help, at a time of emotional and physical pain.
Chinese Christians Pay Ultimate Price
Soon after winning the right to host the 2008 Olympics, China is showing the world that being a non-registered Christian is a most dangerous sport.
Two Founders of South China Church on Death Row for Church Activities
Two founding members of the South China Church have been sentenced to death following a secret trial.
2 Christians killed, others tortured in Chinese government crackdown
Two Christians have been killed in the Chinese government’s crackdown on pastor Gong Shengliang and his South China Church in central Hubei Province, according to a letter from members of the underground church revealing graphic details and new information about the persecution.
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.
Refugee Camp Destroyer as Part of Ongoing Persecution of Ethnic Minorities in Burma
A refugee camp on the Thailand/Burma border has been overrun by troops sent by the Burmese military junta.
Chinese Church Member Martyred, No Word Yet on Trial of Hong Kong Businessman
Word has just been received out of China that authorities there recently martyred a member of the South China Church. Voice of the Martyrs sources have learned that the Public Security Bureau (PSB) informed family members of sister Zhong Ju Yu last summer that she was beaten to death while imprisoned in Hubei Province.