General

Dozens of ‘noisy’ churches silenced in Cameroon

September 3, 2013 Cameroon Bamenda, Cameroon, Catholics, Churches, Nigeria, Pentecostals, Proselytism, Protestants, Yaoundé

The government of Cameroon has ordered the closure of dozens of churches in an attempt to put an end to what it considers to be anarchy among some Christian organisations. The measure, which authorities began to impose on August 23, targets Pentecostal churches, which are not officially recognised. The minister . . . Read More

40 Pakistani Christian families face hunger after Gojra elopement dispute

September 2, 2013 Pakistan Blasphemy, Gojra

Last month was the fourth anniversary of one of the worst outbreaks of violence against Pakistan’s minority Christian community in the country’s recent past. In August 2009, seven Christians were burned to death in Gojra, while more than 100 houses were looted, ransacked and then set on fire. Four years . . . Read More

North Korea rescinds invitation to U.S. envoy

August 30, 2013 North Korea Kenneth Bae, Pyongyang, USA

North Korea has rescinded its invitation to a special U.S. envoy who had planned to visit Pyongyang with hopes of bringing jailed American Kenneth Bae home. “We are surprised and disappointed” at the decision, according to a statement released Friday by U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf. “We have sought . . . Read More

Viewpoint: A troubling call from Syria

August 29, 2013 Syria Assyrians, Bashar al-Assad, Lebanon, Syria, Tabqa

Nuri Kino is a Sweden-based independent investigative reporter, filmmaker, author, Middle East and human-rights analyst. His report, titled ‘The Camp‘, which examined the construction of a massive refugee camp for Syrian Christians inside Turkey, appeared on May 5 at World Watch Monitor. Aug. 26 Early this morning I received a phone . . . Read More

Court case hangs over Indonesian pastor

August 26, 2013 Indonesia HKBP Filadelfia

An Indonesian pastor remains in a tortured psychological state as a legal case against him lingers on. Palti Panjaitan, who runs the HKBP Filadelfia church in the village of Jejalen Jaya, east of Bekasi, was accused by an Islamic leader of assaulting him on Christmas Eve of last year. The . . . Read More

Italian priest still unaccounted for in Syria

August 22, 2013 Syria Aleppo, Bashar al-Assad, Boulos Yazigi, Islamic State, Kidnapping, Paolo Dall’Oglio, Raqqa, Syria, Yohanna Ibrahim

Conflicting reports are emerging about the whereabouts and welfare of an Italian Jesuit priest who went missing almost one month ago. Reuters reported on July 29 that Fr. Paolo Dall’Oglio had been abducted by Islamists with links to Al-Qaeda in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, but the Vatican would . . . Read More

Rimsha accused goes free

August 21, 2013 Pakistan Blasphemy, Islamabad, Pakistan Ulema Council, Rimsha Masih

The Muslim cleric suspected of framing Pakistani Christian girl Rimsha Masih has been acquitted. The district court found there was insufficient evidence to convict Imam Khalid Jadoon Chishti, who was suspected of planting the burnt pages of some Islamic texts into the teenager’s bag. Rights activist Basharat Khokhar, left; Mizrak . . . Read More

What caused Syria’s civil war?

August 16, 2013 Syria Bashar al-Assad, Civil War, Hezbollah, Sunni

Throughout its history, ancient and modern, Syria has played host to ethnic and religious minorities living together very much in harmony. Syria, in the original sense of what is now known as “Greater Syria”, encompassed much of the Levant – today’s states of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, plus a . . . Read More

Churches across Egypt attacked

August 14, 2013 Egypt Copts, Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood

World Watch Monitor is curating news coverage of the anti-Christian violence that swept Egypt on Aug. 14 after the military used force to break up camps of protesters who have been demanding the reinstatement of former president Mohamed Morsi. Scores of the protesters were killed, leading to violence in cities across the country. The protesters . . . Read More

In Egypt, Christian anxieties mount as Islamist hostility increases

August 13, 2013 Egypt Bishop Angaelos, Copts, Luxor, Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood, Pope Tawadros II

A burned truck is part of the damage caused Aug. 3 by a 4,000-person anti-Christian mob in Bani Ahmed, Egypt.World Watch Monitor Mass no longer is being celebrated at The Church of St. Mary. Police officers guard the entrance. Throughout the Egyptian town of Eastern Bani Ahmed south of . . . Read More

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