Year: 2018

Pakistan Christian escapes death for ‘clearly fabricated’ blasphemy

March 22, 2018 Pakistan Blasphemy, Gujranwala, Pakistan, Punjab

A Pakistani Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy nearly two years ago has been acquitted. The case against him – brought by a police officer whose protection he sought against two blackmailers – was “clearly fabricated”, his lawyer said after the 13 March acquittal. Anjum Sandhu, from the north-eastern city . . . Read More

Algeria closes fourth church in four months

March 22, 2018 Algeria Algeria, Oran, Protestant Church of Algeria

Another church has been closed down in northern Algeria, as pressure against Christians intensifies in the Maghreb country. The village church in Azaghar, near the town of Akbou, was forced to stop all activities on 2 March. The church had been running for over five years. Two weeks earlier, on 18 . . . Read More

Ethiopian Protestant loses appeal against prison sentence for ‘causing outrage to religious peace and feeling’

March 22, 2018 Ethiopia Arba Minch, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Mahibere Kidusan, Protestants

The Holy Saviour Orthodox Church in Addis Ababa. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

An Ethiopian court has turned down the appeal of an Evangelical Christian sentenced to seven months in prison for “causing outrage to religious peace and feeling”. In its verdict, published on 19 March, the court upheld an earlier sentence given by a judge in the southern city of Arba Minch . . . Read More

Coptic teacher charged with contempt of religion for questions about Muhammad

March 22, 2018 Egypt Beni Suef, Blasphemy, Children, Copts, Education, Egypt, Islamic extremism, Prophet Muhammad

A Coptic teacher at an Egyptian state school has been charged with contempt of religion after including wordplays in a set of questions about Islam’s prophet, Muhammad. Magdy Farag Samir, 49, a teacher of social studies at Barot Preparatory School for Girls in Beni Suef Governorate, asked his students: “Where . . . Read More

Turkey: date set for trial of US pastor Andrew Brunson

March 21, 2018 Turkey Andrew Brunson, Coup, Fethullah Gülen, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey

A photo of the Rev. Andrew Brunson during his time in prison. Photo courtesy of World Witness

Imprisoned US pastor Andrew Brunson is set to stand trial before a Turkish criminal court on 16 April on espionage- and terrorism-related charges that could jail him for up to 35 years. Seventeen months after the pastor’s arrest in the port city of Izmir, a formal indictment accepted by the . . . Read More

Fresh move to prosecute IS for genocide

March 21, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country David Cameron, Europe, France, Genocide, International Criminal Court, Iraq, Islamic State, Kuwait, Lord Alton, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Syria, UK, UN, USA

Destroyed market in the town of Bartella, 15km east of Mosul, which was liberated from IS by Iraqi forces in October 2016. (Photo World Watch Monitor)

Campaigners have welcomed a bill designed to facilitate the prosecution of Islamic State jihadists for genocide against Christians, Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq and Syria. Complaining that efforts to encourage the British government to accuse IS of genocide had received “nothing but rebuttals and refusals”, Lord Alton, a Catholic, . . . Read More

Easter banner torn down from Pakistan church

March 20, 2018 Pakistan Burewala, Christmas, Churches, Easter, Pakistan, Punjab

Armed violence broke out in eastern Pakistan on Sunday, 18 March, over an Easter banner hung outside a church. The incident took place in a Christian colony in Burewala, Punjab province. Police intervened and arrested three Muslim suspects, while seven injured Christians were taken to a local hospital. The church’s . . . Read More

North Korean explains growing up under Kim dynasty, and how his perception of Christianity changed

March 20, 2018 North Korea Bibles, Children, China, Communism, Crosses, Education, Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-Un, Missionaries, North Korea, Pyongyang, USA

Every year, for the birthdays of North Korea’s Kim dynasty founder, Kim Il-sung, and his son and successor, Kim Jong-il, John Choi* would receive a large pack of sweets from his parents. So would all his primary-school peers. However, before unpacking his present, John was told to follow the ritual . . . Read More

5 years on, what has Pope Francis done for religious freedom?

March 19, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country Al-Azhar, Asia Bibi, Boko Haram, Egypt, Havana, Human rights, Iraq, Latin America, Minorities, Myanmar, Patriarch Bartholomew I, Patriarch Kirill, Pope Francis, Religious freedom, Syria, Turkey

Pope Francis greets people during his inauguration on 19 March 2013. (Photo: Getty Images)

Pope Francis, the son of Italian migrants, appeared on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica five years ago to be introduced as the first Latin American pontiff. Below, World Watch Monitor looks at a few of the highlights of his tenure so far, and his impact on freedom of religion . . . Read More

Copt soldier’s family say he didn’t commit suicide, he was killed

March 19, 2018 Egypt Asyut, Conscripts, Copts, Egypt, Giza, Upper Egypt

A young Egyptian Copt reported to have committed suicide in his army unit last week was in fact killed by his commanding officer, his family say. Matthew Samir Habib, 22, was pronounced dead at his Al-Ahram Palace Club unit in Giza, just south of Cairo, last Wednesday morning (14 March). His . . . Read More

Catching Our Eye