Tag: Churches

UAE an ‘oasis of freedom’ for foreign Christians

September 12, 2018 United Arab Emirates Arabian Peninsula, Churches, Dubai, Religious freedom, United Arab Emirates

Dubai has a number of thriving churches. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

For foreign Christians, the United Arab Emirates is an “oasis of freedom” compared to other countries in the Middle East, says a member of a thriving Dubai church. Mack Stiles is part of the United Christian Church of Dubai (UCCD), which in the last eight years has grown from one . . . Read More

Closed churches force Copts to hold funerals in the streets

September 12, 2018 Egypt Asyut, Churches, Copts, Egypt, Islamic extremism, Minya

Coptic Christians in various parts of Egypt have been left with no choice but to hold funeral services in the streets because of the closure of their churches. Coptic news site Watani reported on a street funeral last week in the village of Dimshau Hashim, in Minya governorate, where the . . . Read More

China: More church closures as Party tightens rules for its religious members

August 31, 2018 China Beijing, China, Churches, Communism, House churches, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Protestants, Sinicisation, Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Xi Jinping

One of China’s largest “house churches” in Beijing has been threatened with closure by the government following its refusal of a request to install cameras in the church building, reports Reuters. Zion Church received a letter from the city authorities in April, asking it to install 24 closed-circuit video cameras . . . Read More

Egypt: Mob attacks prevent Coptic church’s recognition for ‘security’ reasons

August 31, 2018 Egypt Churches, Copts, Egypt, Islamic extremism, Minya

Following demonstrations and several attacks on their church, Copts in Ezbet Sultan Pasha village, are back worshipping in the small house where they used to meet. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A Coptic community in Egypt’s Minya governorate, whose church was closed in July following protests by local Muslims, continues to be a target of mob attacks and hostility. The only Coptic church in Ezbet Sultan Pasha village, 250km south of Cairo, where about 20 per cent of the population is . . . Read More

‘Iraq without Christians is like a garden without a rose’

August 31, 2018 Iraq Chaldeans, Churches, Iraq, Islamic State, Qaraqosh, Syriacs

Four years ago this month, the northern Iraqi city of Qaraqosh, or Baghdeda in the Syriac language, was invaded by the Islamic State group, forcing most of its population to flee for their lives. Prior to IS’s invasion, 50,000 Christians resided in Qaraqosh, 97 per cent of the population. October . . . Read More

Egypt: Muslim mobs force closure of 8 Coptic churches seeking ‘official’ recognition

August 29, 2018 Egypt Churches, Copts, Egypt, Islamic extremism, Luxor, Upper Egypt

The Copts in El-Zeniqa are no longer able to meet in their church following an attack by Muslim villagers. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A Coptic diocese in Upper Egypt last week saw its eighth church closed following attacks by Muslim villagers protesting against the church being legally recognised. Across Egypt, there are thousands of buildings informally acknowledged as churches. Exactly two years ago, the government introduced a new common law granting church buildings the . . . Read More

Korean reunification would not resemble German experience, says theologian

August 21, 2018 Churches, Germany, North Korea, South Korea

A fence at Imjingak park, on the South Korean side, that separates the country from its northern neighbour. It's filled with ribbons with prayers and wishes for North Korea and reunification written on them. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

The reunification of North and South Korea would not be similar to that of East and West Germany, according to a German theologian. “The division between North and South Korea is already of much longer duration than the German division, and it goes much deeper. In the beginning there was . . . Read More

US imposes sanctions on Myanmar for ‘widespread human rights abuses’

August 20, 2018 Myanmar Churches, Human rights, Kachin, Ma Ba Tha, Minorities, Myanmar, Rakhine, Rohingya, Sanctions, Shan, USA

Since fighting flared up in Kachin state in April thousands of people have fled their homes and, like these women, found refuge in temporary shelters at church compounds in Kachin's capital Myitkyina.(Photo: YE AUNG THU/AFP/Getty Images)

The US government announced on Friday that it had imposed sanctions on Myanmar for “widespread human rights abuses” against Christians, Rohingya Muslims and other ethnic minorities, reports The New York Times. According to the Treasury Department the abuses against Rohingya Muslims in southwestern Rakhine state, forcing more than 700,000 to seek . . . Read More

Chinese church closures, demolitions continue

August 17, 2018 China China, Churches, Jinan, Shandong, Sinicisation, Three-Self Patriotic Movement

Remainders of the Catholic church in Qianwang, Licheng district, after it was razed to the ground.. (Photo: still from video)

More than 20 churches have been closed this year in China’s north-western city of Xining and to prevent further closures the government should quickly approve applications of churches that want to become state-approved, says Wang Ruiqin, associate secretary-general of the state-aligned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and China Christian Council (CCC). . . . Read More

Mexican pastor survives assassination attempt

August 16, 2018 Mexico Chihuahua, Churches, Juarez, Latin America, Mexico, Organised crime

A Mexican pastor who survived an assassination attempt in the notorious border city of Juarez in June says he was targeted because his church’s work is seen to negatively impact upon the efforts of drug cartels. A hitman entered the pastor’s home on 12 June, making him kneel down on . . . Read More

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