Tag: Converts

Dubai: free to worship, but not convert

July 14, 2015 United Arab Emirates Catholics, Censorship, Converts, Dubai, Islamic extremism, United Arab Emirates

In Dubai Christians are free to worship but must not try to convert anyone, reports the BBC. Churches cannot display crosses, and those who preach publicly or try to persuade Muslims to convert can expect jail and deportation. The UAE, of which Dubai is a part, has crippling restrictions on . . . Read More

Egyptian convert still in jail having served his time

June 22, 2015 Egypt Apostasy, Converts, Egypt, Human rights, Islamic extremism, Mohammed Hegazy

Having spent most of his adult life either harassed, in hiding, or in jail, former Muslim now Christian Mohamed Hegazy can expect more of the same. Hegazy, who has been in prison since December 2, 2013, is known to be the first Egyptian to openly seek a change from Muslim . . . Read More

Iran pastor Fathi’s appeal fails, against extra year in prison and 74 lashes

June 2, 2015 Iran Ayatollah Khamenei, Christmas, Church of Iran, Converts, Ebrahim Firouzi, Evin Prison, Farshid Fathi, Hassan Rouhani, Minorities, Prisons, Tehran

An Iranian pastor serving a six-year prison term has failed in his appeal against a further sentence of 74 lashes and an additional year in jail – for the alleged possession in his cell of two litres of alcohol. This latest news about Farshid Fathi was first reported by Iran-focused . . . Read More

Iran jails another 18 converts

May 22, 2015 Iran Ahmed Shaheed, Converts, Hassan Rouhani, House churches, Human rights, Iran

Another 18 Iranian converts to Christianity have been jailed during the past two months for “evangelism and establishing house churches”, reports Mohabat News. Between them, their sentences amount to 23 years and nine months in jail. Mansour Borji, spokesman for rights group Article 18, told Mohabat News that, although the . . . Read More

‘Token’ arrests frustrate Indian bishop

March 25, 2015 India BJP, Converts, Hindu Dharma Sena, Hindu nationalism, India, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Narendra Modi

An Indian bishop has accused police of ‘tokenism’ after they swiftly released on bail six suspects allegedly caught on camera vandalising a cathedral in central India on March 20. “Such kind of tokenism from police [will] not help bring in confidence among beleaguered Christians,” said Bishop Gerald Almeida. The men were . . . Read More

Kachin rebels snub Myanmar ceasefire deal after women’s murders

February 13, 2015 Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, Baptists, Converts, Kachin, Karen, Marriage, Minorities, Myanmar, Panglong, Rape, Shan, Women

What most people know about Myanmar is that Aung San Suu Kyi has been prevented from becoming its leader, despite her overwhelming popularity. That may finally change in elections later this year. Myanmar is made up of eight major ethnic groups, who all hoped for autonomy after gaining independence after . . . Read More

Indian bureaucrat convert to challenge preaching ban

February 3, 2015 India Bangalore, Chennai, Converts, Ghar Wapsi, Hindu Munnani, Hindu nationalism, India, Proselytism, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand

Chellakani Umashankar, an elite Indian bureaucrat in southern Tamil Nadu state, has decided to challenge the order by the government of southern Tamil Nadu state that asked him to stop preaching and cancel his evangelical conventions. “This is nonsense. I am going to challenge it in the court” 51-year-old Umashankar, . . . Read More

Christmas arrests in Iran: 11 still detained

January 15, 2015 Iran Apostasy, Armenians, Assyrians, Christmas, Converts, Evin Prison, Human rights, Iran, Minorities, Religious freedom, UK, Victor Bet-Tamraz, Zoroastrians

As the US Secretary of State meets his Iranian counterpart in a bid to revive stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, human rights experts are keen that issues of freedom of religion are not overlooked. This week, the UK Foreign Office has said that it’s raised its concern with the . . . Read More

2014: A year of rising hostility toward Christians

January 7, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Asia, Boko Haram, Buddhist nationalism, Central African Republic, China, Communism, Converts, East Africa, Fulani herdsmen, Hindu nationalism, India, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Latin America, Malaysia, Mexico, Middle Belt, Middle East, Narendra Modi, Nigeria, North Korea, Religious freedom, Sri Lanka, Sub-Saharan Africa, Syria

While the world’s eyes were riveted to Syria and Iraq in 2014, life for Christians worsened even more profoundly in Africa, according to an annual report on religious freedom. The situation deteriorated most rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa, in countries where Islamic extremism is the main source of pressure upon Christians, . . . Read More

We meant what we said

December 30, 2014 India Bihar, Converts, Dalits, Hindu nationalism, India

Between 30 and 40 recent Indian converts to Christianity have signed their names to a petition to re-affirm their decision and to seek police protection from intimidation by fundamentalist Hindu groups that want to bring the Dalits back to Hinduism. The petition claims that several nationalist groups have been intruding . . . Read More

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