General

CAR: Pope Francis calls for unity between Catholics and Protestants

December 2, 2015 Central African Republic Bangui, Catherine Samba-Panza, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Nicolas Guérékoyamé-Gbangou, Oumar Kobine Layama, PK5, Pope Francis, Seleka

Pope Francis has completed his two-day visit to the Central African Republic, the final stop of his first African tour, which also took him to Kenya and Uganda. Among the three countries visited by the Pope, his stop in CAR was by far the most challenging and attracted lots of . . . Read More

Ethnic cleansing of Christians in central Nigeria too?

November 29, 2015 Nigeria Fulani herdsmen, Genocide, Kwara, Middle Belt, Taraba

The aftermath of a suicide bombing in Kano State, northern Nigeria.World Watch Monitor Everyone has heard of the violent atrocities committed by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, but Taraba State, in what’s called the Middle Belt of the country, is also the scene of severe violence: Hausa-Fulani Muslim herdsmen . . . Read More

Special Report: Violence Against Women

November 26, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Pope Francis, Rape, Seleka, Trauma, Women

Pope Francis’ first pontifical trip to Africa concludes with a visit to the Central African Republic, where wholesale deadly violence against Christians in 2013 was largely characterised by attacks that singled out women. The first day of his trip to the continent, which beings in Kenya, is also the 17th . . . Read More

Pope in Africa says conflict ‘feeds on fear, mistrust and despair’

November 26, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country African Union, Al-Mourabitoun, Al-Shabaab, Bamako, Central African Republic, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Kampala, Kenya, Nairobi, Nicolas Guérékoyamé-Gbangou, Oumar Kobine Layama, PK5, Pope Francis, Uganda, Westgate

For his first trip to Africa, Pope Francis is visiting Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic (CAR), from 25-30 November. The three countries all have predominantly Christian populations – Kenya about 80%, Uganda 85% and CAR 76% – with about 10% or so Muslim in each of them. But . . . Read More

Vulnerability of women exploited to jeopardise Christian communities

November 25, 2015 Boko Haram, Hilary Clinton, International Criminal Court, Women

“You know, the suffering of women knows no limits.” These were the parting words last week of a long-time Egyptian co-worker as we said good-bye after several days of working with women leaders of an empowerment program based on Christian teaching. “Why? Why do women suffer so?” I could have asked . . . Read More

Boko Haram ‘more deadly terror group’ in 2014 than IS

November 20, 2015 Adamawa, Bauchi, Boko Haram, Cameroon, Chad, Denmark, Education, Gombe, Hamas, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Israel, Kano, Lake Chad, London, Maiduguri, Middle East, Muhammadu Buhari, Niger, Nigeria, Paris, Quran, Terrorism, UN

Boko Haram was the world’s deadliest terror group in 2014, ahead of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, according to a report released on 18 Nov. by the Institute of Economics & Peace. It was responsible for 6,664 deaths in 2014, more than any other terrorist group in the world, according to the Global . . . Read More

‘You come here and take our jobs,’ Lebanese tell refugees

November 19, 2015 Lebanon Beirut, Lebanon, Refugees, Syria, Turkey, UN

World Watch Monitor has an occasional diary from a church leader still in Aleppo, the Syrian city that is now a key battleground between rebels and President Assad’s forces. Recently, however, pastor Samuel* visited Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon to meet some of that country’s one million Syrian refugees. This is his edited . . . Read More

Egyptian Copt’s ‘faked Facebook blasphemy’ acquittal delayed

November 17, 2015 Egypt Blasphemy, Copts, Sohag

Bishoy Garas has always maintained his Facebook profile was hackedWorld Watch Monitor An Egyptian Christian, jailed for 38 months on unsubstantiated charges, has had his expected acquittal delayed again to February next year, his lawyer said. Bishoy Garas was sentenced to six years in prison from September 2012 for offending . . . Read More

Forces rally to defend Christian Syrian town from IS

November 16, 2015 Syria Assyrians, Homs, Islamic State, Qaryatain, Sadad, Syria

Efforts are being rallied to save one of the last remaining centres of indigenous Christian presence in the Levant against a renewed jihadi attack. Militants of the theologically-based “Islamic State” have come within 3 kilometres of the Syriac Orthodox town of Sadad in western Syria, the Assyrian International News Agency . . . Read More

Myanmar’s Christians cautiously hopeful

November 12, 2015 Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, Buddhist nationalism, Chin, Elections, Kachin, Ma Ba Tha, Myitkyina

In Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy , has won a landslide victory in the first freely-contested election in 25 years, winning the needed two-thirds of the vote to enable it to nominate the country’s new President. Even though she herself is barred from that role, Suu Kyi has . . . Read More

Catching Our Eye