Syrian Christians Confront Growing Hostilities
At least hundreds of thousands of Syrian Christians face growing anti-Christian hostilities in war-ravaged Syria and neighboring Lebanon, aid workers said Friday.
Muslim
Iran House Church Couple Facing Prison
Iranian Christians requested prayers Wednesday for Homayoun Zhaveh, 62, and his wife Sara Ahmadi, 42, as they were due to be summoned to prison for house church activities, Worthy News learned.
Saudi Arabia Prosecutes Christian Convert
A former Muslim who converted to Christianity in Saudi Arabia faces two court cases and threats of violence against him and his family, trial observers say.
Israel Pursuing Four More Peace Deals, Bibi Says
Israel is pursuing four more peace deals with countries in the region and elsewhere, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
‘Uganda Christians Raped Over Imam’s Wife’s Conversion’
The leader of a mosque in western Uganda reportedly ordered men to rape three female relatives of a church pastor because the imam’s wife converted from Islam to Christianity.
Kosovo Opens Embassy In Jerusalem
Kosovo has become the first Muslim-majority nation to open an embassy in Israel’s capital Jerusalem.
Pope Prays For Iraq’s Persecuted Christians
Pope Francis has visited Iraq to reassure the nation’s dwindling Christian community of his prayers after years of Islamic attacks and persecution.
Indonesia appoints evangelical Christian as national police chief
Indonesia has appointed an evangelical Christian as its new national police chief, thwarting opposition from Islamic groups in the predominantly Muslim country, the Christian Post reports. Commissioner General Listyo Sigit Prabowo was sworn in on January 27. and is the first Christian to hold this post in 50 years.
Middle East In Biblical City of Ur, Pope Urges Inter-Religious Tolerance, Fraternity
Pope Francis has addressed an interfaith gathering of Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups in Ur, said to be the birthplace of Abraham, the common patriarch for Jews, Christians and Muslims. He drove home the need for respect and unity, and he used the opportunity to condemn violent religious extremism.
Algeria Jails Pastor and Assistant For Evangelism
Algerian Christians have urged prayers for a pastor and his assistant who were jailed and fined for evangelizing in Algeria, an Islamic nation, Worthy News learned.
‘6,500 Migrant Workers Die In Qatar For World Cup’
More than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have reportedly died in Qatar since it won the right to host soccer’s 2022 World Cup, fueling calls to boycott the event.
Dutch parliament: China’s treatment of Uighurs is “Genocide”
Holland’s parliament passed a non-binding motion Thursday stating that China’s treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority amounts to genocide, Reuters reports. Although Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party voted against the resolution, Holland’s parliament is the second after Canada’s to pass such a motion.
Armenia’s Political Tensions Escalate; Protestors Storm Government Building
Armenia’s political tensions escalated Monday, with protestors storming a government building in Yerevan, the capital, and opponents demonstrated nearby.
Pakistan’s Christian Widows and Children Facing Starvation
Hundreds of Pakistani Christian widows and their children rely on monthly food parcels in impoverished Pakistan amid Christian persecution and an ongoing coronavirus pandemic, aid workers told Worthy News Sunday.
Pakistani Christians Face Death Penalty For Blasphemy
Two Christians could face execution in Pakistan after being summoned by police for evangelizing among Muslims, Christians confirmed.
India: Hindu nationalists attack separate church gatherings on same day; pastor arrested
Two Christian congregations in central India were attacked on the same day by around 100 radical Hindu nationalists who stormed each of their worship gatherings on February 7, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. While there are no reports of the attackers being arrested, the pastor of one of the churches attacked was arrested and detained before being released on bail.
Canada lawmakers: China is committing “Genocide” against Uighur Muslims
Canada’s House of Commons has passed a non-binding motion declaring that China is committing “Genocide” in its treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority community in Xinjiang, DW reports. The motion was introduced by opposition conservative lawmakers on Monday and passed by 266-0 votes; Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau abstained, as did his cabinet.
Sudan Authorities Threaten To Kill Christian Leader After Church Attack
Sudanese authorities detained, mistreated, and threatened to kill a Christian leader who wants to rebuild a church destroyed in an arson attack, Worthy News learned late Monday.
Pakistan: Persecution against Christians included murder and forced marriage in second half of 2020
Murder and forced marriage are included in at least 38 documented incidents of persecution against Pakistan’s Christian population in the second half of 2020, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Thousands Flee Islamist Attacks In Mozambique (Worthy News In-depth)
Hundreds of thousands of people, including Christians, have fled ongoing deadly Islamist attacks shaking parts of Mozambique, and many face starvation, Christian aid workers, told Worthy News.