Persecuted Christians

“Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones”  Jeremiah 50:17 The continuous and relentless attacks led by Boko Haram and Fulani militants have pushed Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region to the brink. Responsible for hundreds of attacks and deaths every year,...
Read More About Nigeria’s Scattered Flock: Manasa Family »

09/28/2019 India (International Christian Concern)  – On September 8, Hindu extremists and Indian authorities jailed church leaders and their families after hardline Hindus disrupted a worship service, beat individuals, and live-streamed the events on Facebook. The assailants, from the youth militant group Bajrang Dal, led the attack in Domchanch villa of Koderma District in Jharkhand...
Read More About Hindu Radicals Live-Stream Assault on Christians »

09/12/2019 Washington D.C.  (International Christian Concern)  –  A question mark follows Lina wherever she goes. She doesn’t know who kidnapped her husband the first time. She doesn’t know who threatened to kill her son. Her husband’s second disappearance remains a mystery. She doesn’t recognize the man stalking her. But there is one thing she does know—life is...
Read More About Lingering Questions Follow an Escape from Syria »

While only a boy growing up in a Muslim family in Morocco, Yassine started having recurring dreams of a bright, bright light and a voice coming from the light saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” “This was definitely not a normal dream to me because I had never heard this phrase before. I had no idea it was from the Bible,” Yassine told Ride Nature, an action sports mission...
Read More About Bright light appeared to Muslim boy in dreams, said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ »

08/30/2019 Washington, D.C.  (International Christian Concern) – “ Oppression [exists] in different layers for Christian girls in Pakistan. They are suffering on the bases of gender, religion, and class. It has been [documented] that young Christian girls face higher levels of sexual harassment and are persecuted for their Christian faith,”  Nabila Feroz Bhatti, a human...
Read More About Series of Sexual Assaults Highlights the Vulnerability of Pakistani Christian Women and Girls »

08/22/2019 Washington D.C.  (International Christian Concern)  –  Social media is often present during the best of times — and the worst of times. In Egypt, where only 40% of its nearly 100 million population have access to social media, the situation is flammable. The Arab Spring showed how social media can unite a nation in disposing an oppressive government. Other times,...
Read More About Egyptian Christians Held to a Higher Standard »

God is using miraculous healing to bring people to Christian faith in India, praise the Lord! We read many instances of Jesus healing in the Gospels, and He is still blessing people in the same way. Here are three stories from India of miraculous healings that led to faith in Christ.  It’s amazing that Raman, Raj and Meeta* have become believers – but for them, and millions of...
Read More About THREE STORIES OF MIRACULOUS HEALING IN INDIA »

Rohan* has dedicated his life to Christian ministry. He ran a church in India with a congregation of 30 families. One night, his church was burned down. Thanks to your support, he was able to rebuild. But that wasn’t the most miraculous part. Rohan was born in a Christian family, and his father was a priest. He grew up aware of the antagonism that Christians could face in India. But,...
Read More About ROHAN: COULD YOU FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO BURNED DOWN YOUR CHURCH? »

“This is the biggest shock of our lives as Christians. Never in our wildest imagination did we think this would happen.” Up until recently Pastor Daniel Sawadogo was living peacefully in Dablo, Burkina Faso. But that peace has been shattered. On 12 May 2019, gunmen stormed a church service in Dablo, killing six Christians including the priest. They burned down the church, shops, health...
Read More About SUFFERING IN THE SAHEL - CHRISTIANS INCREASINGLY PERSECUTED IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA »

Maruc* is a church leader in India and one of our partners involved in teaching Indian Christians how to deal with persecution. He lives in a context where many in authority hold extreme views and want the country to be exclusively Hindu.  UNDER THREAT Because of his Christian faith and his role as a church leader, Maruc has often been threatened by Hindu extremists. “Someone...
Read More About GOD WILL GIVE US STRENGTH TO PLAY OUR PART »

Nepal’s Christians are in need of your prayers and support in the face of increased persecution over recent weeks and months. This persecution is largely at the hands of Hindu extremist groups aiming to turn Nepal into a Hindu state again. These groups have close ties with Hindutva groups in neighbouring India. In addition, the government of Nepal is limiting freedom of religion and in 2017...
Read More About NEPAL: PERSECUTION IS INCREASING – BUT SO IS FAITH »

A pastor visiting the underground Chinese church surprised his hosts by telling them he would not pray for them to become more like American Christians. At the end of a three-day training conference, one of the Chinese Christians said, “You guys can gather like this any time you want in America. Could you pray that one day we’ll be just like you?” “I will not do that,” the pastor...
Read More About Visiting U.S. pastor prayed Chinese church will not become like American church »

Violence towards the faithful does not seem to originate in laws or declarations of the supreme leaders, but zealous Party officials, worried about the growth of Christian communities. The testimony of a Henan priest.   Zhumadian (AsiaNews) -  Crosses destroyed and torn down; religious inscriptions covered or eliminated; blackmailing poor families with subsidies on...
Read More About Henan, chronicles of daily persecution: crosses and religious signs destroyed, blackmail and bans »

Maizah* is a courageous Christian from Libya, whose search for God began when she was very young. When she was eight years old, she asked her mother, "Where is God? What does He look like?" "It’s not good to ask this," her mother replied. "God has no form." ‘THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE’ Years later, Maizah had a profound spiritual experience – one she couldn’t explain...
Read More About FOUND BY GOD IN LIBYA: MAIZAH'S STORY »

At least ten more Christians have been killed as a spate of attacks on churches continues in northern Burkina Faso. The ten, who died in two attacks on 12 and 13 May, include another Catholic priest, Siméon Yampa. On Monday, 13 May, a procession of four Catholics was attacked while they returned a statue of Mary to their church in Singa, 25kms from Kongoussi, reported  Fides . The...
Read More About Burkina Faso: 5 leaders killed in 3 months as Islamists continue to target churches »

Fight or flight? What’s your natural response when you face opposition? If your faith came under fire, would you stand your ground?  For Muslih*, a secret believer in Algeria, following Jesus is a daily battle, but retreating is not an option. "When you are in a war, when you run, you turn your back on the enemy and they shoot you," he says. "We’re in a battle and it’s better to...
Read More About NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER: LIVING COURAGEOUSLY FOR JESUS IN ALGERIA »

Aizah faced extreme violence and rejection from her family when she gave her life to Jesus. As a woman, she was doubly vulnerable to persecution. Yet today Aizah has overcome all this to become an inspiring leader in her own right, providing protection, support and encouragement to other women like her. Aizah made a dangerous decision when she gave her life to Christ. Scared that her...
Read More About AIZAH’S STORY: “WHEN I BECAME A CHRISTIAN, DAD THREATENED TO KILL ME” »

German language Welche Triebkräfte sind für die Verfolgung verantwortlich? Islamische Unterdrückung: Obwohl die Verfassung Indonesiens Religionsfreiheit gewährt, gelten in verschiedenen Regionen und Territorien Indonesiens verschiedene islamische Gesetzesergänzungen, inklusive der Scharia in der Provinz Aceh. Extremistische Gruppen haben mehr und mehr Einfluss gewonnen, indem sie...
Read More About CHRISTENVERFOLGUNG IN INDONESIEN »

Shalet Javet testified to  Lahore High Court against her captor. She is ready "to do it again and again until he is jailed". The 15 year old was used as a sex slave. "It is not true that I converted to Islam by my own choice," she says bravely.   Islamabad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Shalet Javed, the 15-year-old Christian girl kidnapped, sold and given in marriage to a...
Read More About Christian girl kidnapped, raped and forcibly converted is freed »

04/04/2019 Indonesia  (International Christian Concern) – Slamet Sumiarto, a Catholic artist and his family, became the latest victim of religious intolerance in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta region. According to Asia News, the artist recently moved his family to Karet, a village in Pleret sub-district (Bantul Regency), but the local chief and residents unwelcomed their presence and...
Read More About Indonesian Catholic Family Expelled from Muslim Community »

German language Anzahl verbaler Angriffe laut kirchlicher Untersuchung deutlich gestiegen (Open Doors, Kelkheim) – Die gesellschaftliche Stimmung in der Türkei richtet sich immer stärker gegen evangelische Christen. Das ist das Ergebnis einer Untersuchung der türkischen „Vereinigung Protestantischer Kirchen“. Ein Grund dafür ist der vielbeachtete Prozess gegen den amerikanischen...
Read More About TÜRKEI: ZUNEHMEND CHRISTENFEINDLICHES KLIMA »

Educational authorities in the Chinese district of Lishan have initiated a push to eliminate religious belief in Kindergarten, requiring students to sign a statement saying they will “advocate science, promote atheism, and oppose theism.” The commitment also requires the pupils to pledge they will not view religious websites or engage in religious forums online, according to a report by...
Read More About China: Kindergartenkidsforced to sign atheist declaration »

U.S. President Barack Obama visited Kenya and Ethiopia 24-28 July, partly to discuss regional security. In Kenya especially, Christians have been targeted by the violent al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab. In the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on 28 July, making an American president’s first speech to the African Union, Obama said “Many of these groups claim the banner of religion, but...
Read More About A convert’s story »

An Ethiopian police officer was arrested, dismissed and forced to move to another part of the country after he told colleagues about his Christian faith The 25-year-old man, who grew up in Ethiopia’s eastern Somali region as a member of the nearly 100 percent Muslim Somali tribe, became a Christian two years ago. World Watch Monitor is using the pseudonym Adane to identify the man,...
Read More About Ethiopia: Ethnic Somali Christian police man forced to relocate after talking about his faith »

Growing up in North Korea, Seojun’s* focus was on survival. As well as his schooling, he had to work the land and sell herbs to try to make ends meet. He recalls roaming the countryside for vegetables, seeking food on the mountainside, often going hungry. That feeling of hunger - and the anxiety of possible starvation - haunted his early years. "I had a very difficult time," he...
Read More About SEOJUN* FROM NORTH KOREA: 'GOD IS WORKING NOW THROUGH YOUR PRAYER AND SUPPORT' »