Displaying items by tag: Persecution

Hinduism is slowly growing as people search for life’s answers in religion. Of the 140,000 Protestant missionaries across the nations, only 2% serve Hindu people. However, Hindus from all castes are slowly coming to Jesus after hearing Bible stories; in fact an entire village turned to Christ after hearing His Word preached in their language! Ministry to Hindus is challenging due to the variety of beliefs, practices, and subcultures. Pray for people of all castes to follow Christ. Pray for Hindus to abandon their thousands of gods to follow the one true God, and for God’s real and present power to expose the myth of karma. Pray also for those who have left Hinduism for Christ, because that choice often means persecution, even death. New believers are considered threats to Hindu society and are relentlessly pursued or shunned by their community. Fortunately new house churches welcome these new believers into their midst.

President Putin’s Faustian bargain with the Orthodox Church has allowed persecution to increase in Russia. Evgeniy, a Ukrainian believer, was imprisoned twice by pro-Russian separatists while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid. The first time was for fifteen days. ‘Then they found a Bible in my car and said I was an American spy. If you are a Christian or a spy it’s the same! They told me I should be killed! During my second time in prison, it was a miracle. On the third day we somehow escaped. It was like the book of Acts when an angel opened the doors of the prison cell,’ he told Mercy Projects. ‘Today, I am grateful that God continues to use me in this ministry. We can laugh now, but it was very dangerous and very serious then.’

Two Christian brothers have been sentenced to death for blasphemy. Qaisar and Amoon Ayub have been held in jail since their arrest in 2014, allegedly for posting ‘disrespectful material’ on their website. A legal aid centre, CLAAS-UK, which represents the brothers, has said it plans to appeal the sentence, taking it to the Lahore High Court. CLAAS-UK stated on its website, ‘In this case the trial judge did not apply his judicious mind and convicted the accused in a very casual manner’. The story dates back to 2011 when Qaisar, following a quarrel at his office, started to receive death threats, and the brothers had to flee the country. They were arrested on charges of blasphemy on their return four years later. For their full story, click the ‘More’ button; also see

The Bishop of Southwark was one of fifteen bishops who visited the Holy Land for ‘2019 Holy Land Coordination’. A communiqué issued by this group said: ‘We have seen how there are Israeli citizens from many different backgrounds who coexist and work together for the common good of our society. Christians there make a vital contribution, especially through schools, hospitals, involvement in public life, and attempting to build bridges between different faiths. Yet it is clear that they also face profound difficulties across all aspects of their lives. Along with Palestinian Arab citizens and migrants, many Christians are systematically discriminated against and marginalised. Those we met expressed particular concern about the Nation State Law that was recently passed. They warn that this creates a constitutional and legal basis for discrimination against minorities, undermining the ideals of equality, justice and democracy. We stand with Israel’s Christians and all those challenging discrimination, in support of their call to protect the country’s pluralism.’

Figures for the persecution of Christians have shown a 'shocking increase', by 13.9% according to Open Doors World Watch List 2019. Asia has a sharp rise. China rose 16 places to number 27, with new laws to control all expressions of religion. Some church leaders say it is the worst since the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976. India, the world's largest democracy, is now number 10 on the list. Hindu extremists act with impunity, violently attacking Christians and churches and non-Hindu religious minorities. Rising nationalism is leading to persecution in Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal, where national identity is tied to religion and those from minority faiths are considered outcasts. Persecution in North Korea has been worse than any other country for the last 18 years. In the north and middle of Nigeria, 3,700 Christians were killed for their faith - almost twice as many as the previous year.

The risks journalists take when reporting on corruption continue. Ahmed Hussein-Suale, an undercover journalist working on an investigation with the BBC about corruption in Ghana’s football leagues, was shot and killed after a politician called for retribution against him. In Turkey, journalist Pelin Ünker was found guilty of ‘defamation and insult’ and sentenced to thirteen months in jail for her work on the Paradise Papers investigation into offshore tax havens. Turkey has the world’s worst record for jailing journalists - 68 in prison at the end of 2018, all of them facing charges of crimes against the state. Journalists play a vital role in exposing the corrupt and their methods; but they face threats, violence, arrest, and death as a result. Since 2017, over 190 journalists have been incarcerated worldwide for reporting on corruption. See also

Uganda’s constitution provides for religious freedom, including conversion from one faith to another. Muslims make up 12% of Uganda’s population. Recently, Muslims in eastern Uganda sent a Christian mother to hospital with injuries for praying in Jesus’s name, and tore down a church building nearby. Both the woman and the church’s pastor fear that their lives are in danger. Deborah Gimbo was attacked while praying by herself in her home. She also prays three evenings a week in her home with two Christian women. The assailants said, ‘Today we warn you that you should avoid noisy prayers and the use of Issa [Jesus] in your prayers.’ A local imam told the assailants, ‘People who pray in Jesus’ name should be fought and pressured until they only worship Allah, or are killed’. Pastor Simon Mustafa Waseke, a former Muslim, had his church destroyed by villagers. The assailants threatened to kill him if he stays in the area.

In 2016, the EU parliament called for a permanent special envoy for freedom of religion and belief (FoRB), after the genocide of Christians, Yazidis and religious minorities by IS. One was appointed but his mandate was temporary; he was deprived of financial and human resources, and not fully integrated into the EU foreign strategy and policy. Consequently, the situation for minorities has deteriorated. 200 million Christians suffered brutal forms of persecution in 2018. 350 million Christians experienced discrimination. A proposal about this was put to the European parliament on 15 January; it was adopted, but further details are not yet known. It is hoped that a mandate will be fully integrated into EU foreign policies, with adequate financial and human resources to give real protection of FoRB.

In Vietnam, Christian persecution comes from local and national governments plus tribal culture. Communist laws disadvantage the Christian minority and their implementation at the grassroots level leads to persecution from local officials. Roman Catholics are seen as suspect for their ties to foreign powers. Ethnic group leaders see Christians as traitors to the tribal culture and identity, and villagers often work with them to persecute believers. The Montagnards, Protestant Christians, are viewed with particular suspicion by officials. On 1 January 2018 a new law on belief and religion came into effect, but Christian leaders agree that little has changed. Its potentially positive provisions are being unevenly applied, and completely ignored in remote areas where ethnic minorities continue under heavy persecution. These are anxious times for believers. See https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/vietnam/

In Beijing, police have detained dozens of churchgoers and leaders of Early Rain Church in Chengdu, one of China's most prominent Protestant ‘house’ churches, in the latest government action against unregistered religious groups. Members of the church have been unable to contact pastor Wang Yi, the church's founder, or his wife, and church groups on the instant messaging platform WeChat have also been blocked. China's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but since President Xi Jinping took office six years ago, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party. The law requires that all places of worship register and submit to government oversight, but some churches have declined to register, for various reasons.