Order Issued to Close Church Building in Algeria

Order Issued to Close Church Building in Algeria

TIZI-OUZOU, Algeria (Morning Star News) – An order to close a church building in the city of Oran, Algeria was issued last fall but was not conveyed to the pastor until last weekend, sources said. Pastor Rachid Seighir did not receive the Nov. 10, 2019 closure order until Saturday (Jan. 11), he said. “This official document was […]

Chinese Christians Facing ‘Unprecedented Levels of Persecution,’ Says New World Watch Report

Chinese Christians Facing ‘Unprecedented Levels of Persecution,’ Says New World Watch Report

A watchdog organization that releases a report each year on the global persecution of Christians highlighted the “dramatic increase of persecution against Christians” in China in analyzing its new World Watch List, and lamented that if the Chinese government continues to escalate its mistreatment of Christians, it may become the “single largest violator of human […]

Large-Scale Killings, Kidnappings Hit Christians in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Large-Scale Killings, Kidnappings Hit Christians in Kaduna State, Nigeria

JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – More than 200 Muslim Fulani herdsmen have attacked predominantly Christian villages in southern Kaduna state, Nigeria since Jan. 6, killing at least 35 people and kidnapping 58 others, including a mother and her 6-month-old baby, sources said. Armed with AK-47s, the herdsmen on motorcycles rampaged through 10 predominantly Christian villages in […]

Chinese Police Hunt for and Persecute Buyers of Religious Books

Chinese Police Hunt for and Persecute Buyers of Religious Books

(Bitter Winter) — As reported by ChinaAid, on September 1, 2019, the owner of Wheat Bookstore, an online Christian bookseller, was taken into custody for selling religious publications from Taiwan, the United States, and other countries that were not approved by the state. Following the arrest, a nationwide investigation was launched to track down the people […]

Three Christian Teachers Killed in Northeast Kenya

Three Christian Teachers Killed in Northeast Kenya

(Morning Star News) – Somali Al Shabaab rebels killed three Christian teachers in northeast Kenya at about 2:30 a.m. on Monday (Jan. 13), sources said. “One of the attackers said, ‘We cannot allow infidels to teach our children,’ and there and then fired at three teachers as I managed to escape through the window,” a […]

Pastor’s Son Begins Jail Sentence in Iran’s Notorious Evin Prison for ‘Acting Against National Security’

Pastor’s Son Begins Jail Sentence in Iran’s Notorious Evin Prison for ‘Acting Against National Security’

(Barnabas Fund) — Pastor’s son Ramiel Bet Tamraz was summoned to Iran’s Evin Prison, notorious for its harsh conditions, on 7 January to begin a jail sentence for “acting against national security.” The 35-year-old was given a four-month sentence, although the one month he has already spent in detention will be deducted from the time […]

Deported Asylum Seekers Risk Torture, Death Because of Their Faith in Jesus Christ

Deported Asylum Seekers Risk Torture, Death Because of Their Faith in Jesus Christ

(Evangelical Focus) — Countries that reject asylum seekers who risk persecution because of their Christian faith are harming their own system of values, the leader of the German Evangelical Alliance said. In an interview with German newspaper Tagespost, Reinhardt Schink spoke out against the tragedy of Christian refugees and migrants that are sent back to […]

India’s Supreme Court to Consider Ending Decades of Discrimination Against Low Caste Christians

India’s Supreme Court to Consider Ending Decades of Discrimination Against Low Caste Christians

(International Christian Concern) – On Wednesday, January 8, the Supreme Court of India agreed to examine a petition that called for Dalit and other low caste Christians to receive the same government benefits and protection given to their Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh counterparts. According to a 1950 executive order, Muslims and Christians from low caste […]