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Indonesian musician faces jail for anti-Ahok hate speech

Indonesia , ,
Ahmad Dhani Prasetyo (Photo: Twitter, @AHMADDHANIPRAST )
An Indonesian rock musician faces a two-year prison sentence for allegedly committing hate speech against Jakarta’s Christian former governor during his bid for re-election in 2017, reports the Catholic news agency UCAN. Ahmad Dhani Prasetyo stands accused of spreading hate speech on Twitter, targeting former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known . . . Read More

China: Christian students under pressure to give up their faith

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Group of Chinese students on Tiananmen Square, in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
Municipal authorities in a city in China’s northern Hebei province have been given directions on how to handle students and teachers who express their religious beliefs, reports religious-liberty magazine Bitter Winter. Foreign teachers and students are not allowed to preach or promote religion, and local students are prohibited from speaking . . . Read More

Malaysia arrests four Finnish nationals for distributing Christian literature

Malaysia , , ,
Conversion to Christianity in Muslim-majority Malaysia is against the law in almost all states, as is evangelism among Malay Muslims. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
Four Finnish nationals were arrested by police in Malaysia on Tuesday, 20 November, for allegedly distributing Christian pamphlets, reports AsiaNews. The four, two men and two women aged between 27 and 60, were arrested in their hotel on Langkawi Island, a well-known tourist destination, on charges of “disturbing religious harmony”. . . . Read More

West ‘failing to convert words of concern into action’ against ultra-nationalism

Global News -- No Particular Country , , , , , , , , , ,
West ‘failing to convert words of concern into action’ against ultra-nationalism
“Ultra-nationalism” promoted by governments and non-state bodies has triggered a rise in hatred against minorities, according to a new report by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Countries where such hatred is on the rise include “key parts of the world” such as China, India, Pakistan and . . . Read More

Indonesia: Christian politician accused of blasphemy for opposing Sharia-based bylaws

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Twitter @grace_nat
A young Christian politician has been accused of blasphemy in Indonesia after criticising Sharia-based bylaws, Catholic news agency UCAN reports. Grace Natalie, 36, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), was reported to police by a conservative Muslim organisation after delivering her speech at her party’s gathering in Tangerang, near . . . Read More

Egypt: Man accused of IS allegiance sentenced to death for killing Coptic doctor

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The Supreme Court in Egypt's capital Cairo. (Photo: Rachid H via Flickr; CC 2.0)
An Egyptian court sentenced a man to death last Saturday, 17 November, for the killing of an 80-year-old Christian doctor in Cairo in September last year, reports The Associated Press. The 40-year-old assailant, whose identity remains undisclosed, entered the doctor’s office in the Egyptian capital pretending to be a patient, . . . Read More

Young Ethiopian Christians ‘bribed’ to convert to Islam, says charity

Ethiopia , , , , ,
Ethiopia Orthodox Church
Young Ethiopian Christians are bribed with jobs and education prospects if they convert to Islam, according to the UK-based charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). A Christian religious leader who wished to remain anonymous told ACN that Christians who are poor were especially targeted. “The [Muslim employers] are . . . Read More