Sudan: Bashir Steps Down as Leading Policial Party’s Head
President Omar al-Bashir has stepped aside as the leader of the country’s leading political party in response to public protest. His 30-year reign has been fraught with human rights violations, including warrants for his arrest by the International Criminal Court for the genocide of the Darfur people.
India: New Wave of Persecution in Tamil, Nadu
Churches in Tamil Nadu, India that had never experienced opposition now find Hindu extremists forcing them out of their places of worship.
Nigeria: Fulani Militants Attack Kaduna Community, 32 Killed
32 Christians were killed in Southern Kaduna, Nigeria. The attack is believed to have been conducted by Fulani militants as a reprisal for a previous attack on the Adara community in Kaduna.
Pakistan: Christian Teen Abducted and Forcefully Converted to Islam
According to a local Christian right organization, a Christian teenager was abducted and forcefully converted to Islam last month. The abductors are now using Pakistan’s legal system to keep the abducted Christian girl who they claim has embraced Islam.
Turkey: Children Bear Witness to Educational Discrimination
Turkey was once the setting for most of the New Testament, but today its culture dictates that Islam is at the core of one’s Turkish identity. Few Christians live there, but those who do find it increasingly difficult to live and share their faith. Obstacles stem from a mixture of Islamism and nationalism visible in Turkey’s schools.
India: Advocacy Group Documents 57% Increase in Attacks on Christians in 2019
Cases of hate and violence against Christians in India increased 57 percent the first two months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission.
Syria: Militants Attack Christian City of Mhardeh – Again
The Syrian Christian city of Mhardeh is once again under attack, this time from the Jaysh al-Izza faction of the Free Syrian Army. The attack severely damaged a thermal power plant, which had an estimated 15 missiles fired at it, leaving thousands in the city without power.
India: Christian Leader Speaks Out Against Rising Number of Lynching Incidents
The Archbishop of Bhopal, Leo Cornelio, has recently spoken out against the increasing number of mob lynching incidents affecting religious minorities in India.
Sudan: NGO Report Shows Continued Discrimination and Violations in Sudan
The Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, an NGO based in the UK, released a report after speaking with victims and leaders in the Darfur and Nuba Mountain areas of Sudan, surmising that the people of the regions have been devastated by continued attacks on their communities by the government.
Algeria: France Opens Investigation into Country’s Persecution of Christians
The French Parliament has officially opened an inquiry into the persecution of Christians in Algeria. The inquiry specifically points to Algeria’s closure of churches and legal proceedings held against Christian leaders.
Ethiopia: Islamists Attack 10 Church Buildings
Christians in a town in southern Ethiopia were stunned when local Muslims attacked 10 church buildings, destroying one and burning the property inside all the structures.
Nigeria: Suspected Fulani Militants Kill 16 in Benue State Community
During an attack on the Agatu community of Ebete, 16 people were killed and many others were injured by gunmen believed to be Fulani Militants. The attack took place at about 1 a.m. on Wednesday, February 20, when the community woke to gunfire and burning buildings.
Vietnam: Hmong Refugees Living in Fear: Part 2
Driven to a foreign land and struggling to make enough wages to survive, Hmong Christians living in refugee camps are often arrested as illegal immigrants and sent to detention centers. ICC has been providing job training (sewing and language training) for the persecuted Christian women.
Vietnam: Hmong Refugees Living in Fear: Part 1
Communist Vietnam is threatened by the influx and spread of Christianity in the northern region, so for the past several decades, Hmong Christian converts have been intimidated, arrested, fined, beaten, forced to renounce their faith, and had their property confiscated.
India: Christian in Odisha State Found Beheaded
A Christian man in India’s Odisha state, formally known as Orissa, was found beheaded earlier this month. According to Persecution Relief, a local ministry in India, this Christian was brutally murdered because of his conversion to Christianity.