A petition challenging the Presidential (Scheduled Castes) Order, issued on August 10, 1950, is now pending in the Supreme Court. (Representative image of the Supreme Court in New Delhi)
10
August
70-year wait for Dalit Christians, Muslims on SC verdict over caste status
Five days before India celebrates her 73rd anniversary of Independence, Dalit Christians and Muslims will mark a grimmer anniversary of the date when the Presidential (Scheduled Castes) Order was issued on August 10, 1950.
17
July
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Targets Catholic Officials in Hong Kong with Phishing Campaign
A phishing campaign that targeted the leaders of the Hong Kong Catholic Church in May was recently traced to hackers employed by the Chinese government.
Pastor Munshi Devu Tado with wife Jaini, and one of their children in Gadchiroli District, Maharashtra, India. (Image credit: Morning Star News)
14
July
Pastor in India Murdered by Maoists
Maoists in the Maharashtra state of India killed a Christian church pastor, becoming the fourth Christian to die for their faith in the South Asian country in the last two months.
President Erdogan declared the building a mosque and said the first prayers would be held there within two weeks [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
14
July
Turkey to cover Hagia Sophia's Christian icons during prayers
Governing party's statement comes days after Ankara turned the iconic monument from a museum into a mosque.
08
July
The Truro Review
United Kingdom Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (FCO) Support for Persecuted Christians
30
June
New Law in Iran Threatens More Arrests of Christians, Rights Advocates Say
Legislation passed by parliament in Iran could make it easier to arrest and imprison Christians and other religious minorities, rights advocates said.
19
June
Hopes Wilt for Teaching Christianity in Schools in Sudan
Hopes that the transitional government in Sudan would bring back Christianity as a school subject alongside Islam wilted when officials omitted it from an academic schedule released last week.
Rahim Akhundov, 2016 c. Rahim Akhundov [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0]
18
June
AZERBAIJAN: Will fired parliamentary staffer be reinstated?
Former parliamentary staff member Rahim Akhundov, who says he was dismissed from his jobin December 2018 on the orders of the secret police because of his Christian faith, will take his suit for reinstatement to Azerbaijan's Supreme Court.
17
June
YouTube censors John Piper's audiobook, 'Coronavirus and Christ'
YouTube has censored the audiobook version of Reformed theologian John Piper's new book, Coronavirus and Christ, claiming it violated "community standards."
15
June
Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide?
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief has launched a new report into Nigeria. Members have been alarmed by the dramatic and escalating violence in Nigeria characterised as the farmer-herder conflict.
12
June
1,202 Defenseless Christians Hacked To Death By Jihadists In Six Months (Jan-June 2020)
A special report from Intersociety, Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria.
Pastor Acharya and his family (c) Morningstarnews.org
09
June
Nepalese police arrest pastor for preaching about COVID-19
In Nepal, praying in public could mean prison time. Recently, the police arrested a pastor for allegedly spreading misinformation about Corona virus and praying for his congregation in fear of the pandemic.
04
June
The Gospel According to Xi
Beijing considers publishing official translations of holy texts like the Bible. (requires a log in)
Left to right: Khalil Dehghanpour, Mohammed Vafadar, Kamal Naamanian, Hossein Kadivar.
02
June
Iranian House Church Leaders Summoned to Begin Five-Year Prison Sentences
Four Iranian Christian converts have been summoned to begin their five-year jail sentences for leading house-churches, for which they were convicted of “acting against national security.”
01
June
Nigerian Bishop Abducted by Gunmen, Christian Organization Urges Officials to Take Action
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is urging officials to take all necessary steps to see that its chairman of the Nasarawa State unit, Bishop Joseph Masin is safely released from his captors.
23
May
Ugandan Muslim Father Burns Christian Daughter
A young woman converts to Christianity during a business trip with her father, who upon hearing what happened attempted to burn her. The woman escapes, shielded by the man's sister.
18
May
620 Nigerian Christians Killed So Far This Year by Muslim Militants Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen
620 Nigerian Christians Killed So Far This Year by Muslim Militants Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen
17
May
Iranian Christian Converts Imprisoned
Four Iranian Christian converts who were arrested in February have been sent to Lakan Prison after they were unable to afford the bail ($30,000 each) established by Branch 10 of the Revolutionary Courts.
16
May
Pastor in Nepal charged with 'Outraging Religious Feelings' and 'Proselytizing'
A pastor arrested in Nepal in March on charges of giving false information for saying prayer could heal COVID-19 was released last month – and then immediately re-arrested on new charges, sources said.
Wang Yi (left) with his wife, Jiang Rong (right) (Photo: ChinaAid)
15
May
Church member advised to mind "regulations"
Authorities in Chengdu, Sichuan, introduced a state-approved pastor to house church Christian Liu Hongliang. Liu and his wife attend the often-persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church. Their pastor, Pastor Wang Yi, is in prison.
12
May
Muslim Gang Killed Christian Man Because He Kept 'Preaching the Gospel of Jesus' to Them
A kidnapped seminarian was murdered by a Nigerian gang leader earlier this year because he would not stop preaching the gospel to his Muslim captors, the gang leader says.
09
May
Christianity Inflicting 'Enormous Harm' on China, Warns Communist Party
A local government communications agency in China recently held a seminar to discuss with Communist Party members the "enormous harm" Christianity is to the atheist nation and identify ways to stunt its growth.
In the video, Xingguang Church attendees were seen as they attempted to block the entrance as police "officers confiscated phones and used brutal force against some Christian women as well
07
May
Violence erupts as Chinese officials raid Christian church, drag out members
Video footage from inside a Christian church in China shows officials raiding, violently dragging out members mid-service.
16
April
Christians continue to come under attack in Nigeria despite coronavirus
Several fatal attacks have taken place on Christian communities in Nigeria since the start of April even as the coronavirus spreads across the country.
29
January
China Bans Christian Funerals
Communist officials throughout China are using regulations that restrict religious freedom to also prohibit religious-themed funerals, even going so far as to arresting family members and stopping ceremonies mid-service.
