News

Filipino Bishops: ‘Marawi war is not a religious conflict’

  July 11, 2017 Philippines Bangsamoro, Catholics, Manila, Marawi, Maute, Philippines, Teresito Suganob

The Catholic Bishops in the Philippines, at the end of their episcopal Conference in Manila on Monday (10 July), have called for an end to the crisis in the southern city of Marawi (Mindanao), which, they say, “is not a conflict of religion”. “We heard and read truly amazing stories . . . Read More

US hostage’s wife asks his African captors to contact her

  July 11, 2017 Niger Abalak, Jeff Woodke, Niger, Sahel

The wife of a pioneering American missionary abducted nine months ago in Africa’s Sahel region has put out a video pleading for his safe return. In the 2’26” video released today (11 July), Els Woodke expresses her despair and desire to be in touch with her husband’s kidnappers. Jeff Woodke, . . . Read More

Jailed Iranian Christian asks authorities: ‘Why do you hate me?’

  July 11, 2017 Iran Amin Afshar Naderi, Blasphemy, Converts, Evin Prison, Hadi Asgari, Iran, Kaviyan Fallah-Mohammadi, Tehran, Victor Bet-Tamraz

An Iranian convert to Christianity, sentenced last week to 15 years in jail, has written an open letter to the authorities, asking what he has done to “make you hate me this much” and declaring that he has decided to “terminate my life slowly” through a hunger strike. Amin Afshar-Naderi . . . Read More

Food aid starts to reach 5m Boko Haram victims, now at risk of famine

  July 10, 2017 Nigeria Abuja, Boko Haram, Cameroon, IDPs, Jos, Lagos, Migrants, Refugees

It’s been called the “greatest crisis on the African continent“. The UN’s World Food Programme in mid-June warned that hundreds of thousands of Nigerians could starve to death in the famine-threatened northeast due to lack of aid funds to feed them. It needs $172 million to help. Now the militants . . . Read More

Indians take to the streets in protest against religious violence

  July 7, 2017 India Assam, Bangalore, Beef, BJP, Dalits, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Narendra Modi

Thousands of people, including church groups and representatives of civil society, have gathered in cities across India over the past ten days to protest against mounting religious intolerance and to express solidarity with the victims of the violence, under the banner “Not in My Name”. The protests in Kolkata, Hyderabad, . . . Read More

Copts tired of ‘sacrificing willingly’ for Egypt’s unity

  July 7, 2017 Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Copts, El-Arish, Ismailia, Minya, Pope Tawadros II

The Coptic Orthodox Church held a memorial service on Monday (3 July), commemorating 40 days since the bus attack in Minya that killed 29 Copts on Ascension Day. Egypt’s Copts, who make up around 10 per cent of the population, have suffered countless deadly attacks this year and say they . . . Read More

Four more Copts killed in ‘most aggressive campaign in history of modern Egypt’

  July 7, 2017 Egypt Copts, Hosni Mubarak, Islamic State, Minya, Tala

Coptic Christians in Egypt are reeling from a fresh spate of murders, which they fear are part of a jihadist campaign against them. Three Coptic men were found dead in the space of eight days from the last week of June to the first week of July. A fourth was . . . Read More

Third Iranian convert given lengthy sentence alongside pastor

  July 7, 2017 Iran Amin Afshar Naderi, Evin Prison, Hadi Asgari, Iran, Kaviyan Fallah-Mohammadi, Ramil Bet-Tamraz, Victor Bet-Tamraz

More details have emerged about the sentencing of four Iranian Christians earlier this week. On Wednesday (5 July)*, World Watch Monitor reported that three Christians – a pastor and two converts to Christianity – had been given lengthy jail terms, but now it emerges that a fourth man, another convert, . . . Read More

Iran sentences four more Christians to 10 years in jail for ‘missionary activities’

  July 6, 2017 Iran Amin Afshar Naderi, Azerbaijan, Bahram Nasibov, Converts, Eldar Gurbanov, Hadi Asgari, Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh, Tehran, Victor Bet-Tamraz, Yusif Farhadov

One Iranian and three Azerbaijani Christians have been found guilty of “missionary activities” and “actions against national security” in Iran and sentenced to 10 years in prison. World Watch Monitor understands that the three Azerbaijanis – Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Bahram Nasibov – are unlikely to serve their sentences . . . Read More

Church leader seriously injured in Fulani attack in Nigeria’s Nasarawa state

  July 6, 2017 Nigeria Benue, ECWA, Fulani herdsmen, Joseph Kurah, Middle Belt, Nasarawa, West Africa

When Ibrahim Maisaje, a pastor of an ECWA (Evangelical Church Winning All) church in Panwasa Mada village, went to his farm with his family on 26 June, he was full of joy and expectation. It was mid-season, the crops had grown well and the harvest season was looking promising. But . . . Read More