News

Media ‘wrong’ to ignore Christians’ plight in Central African Republic

  January 3, 2014 Central African Republic Anti-balaka, Chad, Islamic extremism, Michel Djotodia, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Seleka, Sharia, Sudan

Unicef says that violence has ‘sunk to a vicious new low’ after reported beheadings of children.World Watch Monitor The vulnerability of Christians in the Central African Republic (CAR) is being overlooked, even as international media wrongly focus on the ‘interfaith’ element of the conflict, says Open Doors International. The charity . . . Read More

Baghdad Christmas bombings kill 37

  December 30, 2013 Iraq Christmas

Central African Republic Christians petition for President’s removal

  December 24, 2013 Central African Republic African Union, Anti-balaka, Bangui, Michel Djotodia, Seleka

Michel Djotodia, President of the Central African Republic.Crispin for World Watch Monitor One person has been killed and around 40 wounded after African Union (AU) troops reportedly fired at a group of Christian protestors in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). The Christians had gathered near the . . . Read More

Christmas excitement marred by insecurity for Pakistani Christians after deadly year of attacks

  December 23, 2013 Pakistan All Saints Church, Blasphemy, Joseph Colony, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Taliban

Memorials for the victims of the bomb attacks at All Saints Church in Peshawar.Kamran Chaudhry for World Watch Monitor   The decorations have been put up, carol services have begun and small celebrations are being planned, but the festive spirit is marred by anxiousness and insecurity among Pakistan’s small Christian . . . Read More

Chinese Christians’ lawyers attacked in presence of foreign TV crew

  December 20, 2013 China Henan, Nanle, Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Zhang Shaojie

Lawyers took shelter in a nearby office, using furniture to barricade the door from the mob outside.China Aid Association   An attack on lawyers hired to defend 17 detained Christians in central China, shown around the world on Sky TV, has drawn attention to a case which may not be . . . Read More

Prince Charles criticises ‘organised persecution’ of Middle East Christians

  December 18, 2013 Copts, Egypt, Islamic extremism, London, Middle East, Prince Charles, Sadad, Syria

Left to Right: Prince Charles, Abba Seraphim and Bishop Angaelos at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre.Coptic Orthodox Church UK   The Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne, has added his voice to those calling for an end to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. After a . . . Read More

Iraqi Archbishop calls on West to ‘open eyes’ to Christians’ Middle East exodus

  December 18, 2013 Iraq Islamic extremism, Louis Raphael I Sako, Middle East, Syria

Louis Raphael I Sako.Lee Stranahan / Flickr / Creative Commons   The Archbishop of Baghdad, Louis Raphael I Sako, has called on the West to help put an end to the “mortal exodus” of Christians from the Middle East. Sako, who is also Patriarch of Babylon, told a conference in . . . Read More

Turkey blacklists foreign evangelist without explanation

  December 17, 2013 Turkey Bibles, David Byle, Jerry Mattix

A Canadian-American street evangelist left Istanbul on Saturday (Dec. 14) after Turkey’s Ministry of Interior repeatedly denied him a residence permit with no explanation. David Byle, Chairman of the Bible Correspondence Course (BCC), has opened a court case against Turkey’s Ministry of Interior in an effort to remove his name . . . Read More

Pakistani Christian on blasphemy charge speaks out from jail

  December 16, 2013 Pakistan Adnan Prince, Blasphemy, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Lahore, Lashkar-e-Taiba

A Christian held in a Pakistani prison has told World Watch Monitor about the events surrounding his arrest and current detention. In October 26-year-old Adnan Prince (also known as Adnan Masih) was accused by a work colleague of insulting Islam, the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad. A conviction of blasphemy . . . Read More

Egyptian convert arrested for ‘inciting sectarian strife’

  December 13, 2013 Egypt Apostasy, Mohammed Hegazy

An Egyptian Christian has been arrested, purportedly for his work with a US-based Arabic language Christian satellite television channel which is shown in Egypt, as well as across the Middle East, North Africa, America and Canada. Bishoy Armeya was the first Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity who then sought official . . . Read More