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Another Colombian pastor killed, leaving the church ‘terrified’

February 14, 2019 Colombia Antioquia, Caucasia, Colombia, FARC

Churches like this one in Cordoba, neighbouring Antioquia, are a threat to armed groups as their message discourages young people to join them. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A Colombian pastor was killed as he left his church last week in the northwest of the country, in a region that has been plagued by violence from armed groups, local sources told World Watch Monitor. Pastor Leider Molina, 24, had just finished preaching in his church in Caucasia, Antioquia . . . Read More

Malaysia: Exactly 2 years since Raymond Koh’s abduction, his wife asks PM to intervene

February 13, 2019 Malaysia Human rights, Joshua Hilmy, Kidnapping, Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia, Raymond Koh

Pastor Raymond Koh who was last seen in February 2017. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Two years since the disappearance of Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh in broad daylight, his family has asked the country’s Prime Minister to order a new investigation into his kidnapping. “It has already been two years and until now there’s no result [of the inquiry]. We are at our wits’ end. . . . Read More

‘Situation for India’s religious minorities is at tipping point’ – report

February 12, 2019 India Anti-conversion law, BJP, Chhattisgarh, Hindutva, India, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Minorities, Narendra Modi, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh

The report shows that since Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, the number of violent acts against India's religious minorities have increased (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A report by a religious freedom watchdog shows a dramatic increase in the number of attacks on Christians and Muslims in India in the last four years and “the situation … is at a tipping point”. The number of reported incidents in the first three months of 2018 was greater . . . Read More

Ethiopia: Ethnic Somali Christian police man forced to relocate after talking about his faith

February 7, 2019 Ethiopia Ethiopia, Human rights, IDPs, Oromia, Religious freedom, Somali Region

A Christian police officer in Ethiopia's eastern Somali region was advised to return to Islam but refused, claiming a constitutional right to religious freedom. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

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 . . . Read More

Pakistani top court rejects review, setting Christian woman Asia Bibi free

January 29, 2019 Pakistan Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Pakistan, Shahzad Masih, Shama Bibi

Asia Bibi with Punjab Governor, Salmaan Taseer, who was assassinated for supporting her case. (Photo: Office of the Governor of Punjab)

After nine years in prison for blasphemy, the Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi is free to go after the Supreme Court today, 29 January, upheld her acquittal from the death penalty conviction for blasphemy. The panel considering a review of last year’s verdict by the Supreme Court – which had acquitted her based . . . Read More

Wife beaten so badly she can’t walk, he’s deep in debt: Pakistani Christian freed after 3 year ‘blasphemy’ trial

January 29, 2019 Pakistan Blasphemy, Kasur, Pakistan, Punjab

Pervaiz Masih, freed after 3yr trial for 'blasphemy' for lack of evidence, with Aneeqa Maria of The Voice Society

In what might be a first-ever, a Pakistani lower court in mid-January acquitted a Christian of blasphemy after a three year trial – for lack of evidence against him. However, before his arrest on the false charge, Pervaiz Masih’s wife was brutally tortured by the police as they sought to . . . Read More

Philippines: Authorities say church bombing not connected to Mindanao referendum

January 28, 2019 Philippines Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro, Catholics, Islamic State, Jolo, Marawi, Mindanao, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Philippines

Philippine soldiers and investigators are probing the centre of the Catholic cathedral in Jolo where the first bomb went off during mass on Sunday morning, killing at least 20 people. (Photo: Getty)

In one of the deadliest attacks in the southern Philippines in years, a bomb blast at a church killed at least 20 people and injured 112 on Sunday morning, 27 January. Among the dead are five soldiers who came to the rescue after the first bomb went off inside the . . . Read More

Indonesian Christian ex-governor Ahok released

January 25, 2019 Indonesia Ahok, Blasphemy, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Jakarta

Jakarta’s former governor, known widely and simply as “Ahok”, walked out of prison today, 24 January, after serving nearly two years for blasphemy. He was granted early release, four months ahead of schedule, for good behavior. Outside prison in West-Java he was greeted by his eldest son and Nicholas and . . . Read More

From China to sub-Saharan Africa, Christians experience high levels of persecution in 73 countries

January 16, 2019 Global News -- No Particular Country Buddhist nationalism, China, Colombia, Copts, Egypt, Hindu nationalism, India, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Libya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, Vietnam, World Watch List

In its latest annual survey of 150 countries monitoring how difficult it is to live as a Christian, out today, the overall trend in the 2019 World Watch List is that almost half (73) showed extreme, very high or high levels of persecution. A year earlier, it was 58 countries. . . . Read More

Gender-based violence used in persecution of global Christian community

January 16, 2019 Global News -- No Particular Country Afghanistan, Libya, North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia, Women

GETTY: Pakistani women protest against twin suicide bombings in Lahore, March 2015

In the five worst of the 2019 World Watch List’s 50 most difficult places to be a Christian (North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya and Pakistan), vulnerabilities which are linked to men and women’s social status create space for harsh religious persecution, report the List’s analysts at Open Doors International. . . . Read More

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