News

Ethiopian state considers restricting ‘Christian activity’ to church buildings

  April 24, 2017 Ethiopia Amhara, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Islamic extremism, Tigray

Ethiopia’s northern Tigray State is considering adopting a new law that would restrict Christian activities to within official church compounds, rendering illegal the activities of smaller churches that do not own their own buildings and gather in houses. The law, if passed, would most affect Christians from outside the Ethiopian . . . Read More

Nigeria: bishop blames government after 12 killed in Easter rampage

  April 20, 2017 Easter, Fulani herdsmen, Kafanchan, Middle Belt

At least 12 worshippers were killed and many more were injured when suspected Fulani herdsmen opened fire on Easter Saturday (15 April) in a village in the Christian-dominated south of Nigeria’s Kaduna state. The local Catholic bishop, Joseph Danlami Bagobiri of Kafanchan, accused the local governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, of complicity . . . Read More

Coptic boy, 16, ‘murdered by Islamic extremists seeking to scare Christians’

  April 20, 2017 Egypt Copts, El-Arish, Islamic State, Minya, Palm Sunday, Sinai, Upper Egypt

An Egyptian Christian boy murdered on Holy Thursday (13 April) was killed by Islamic extremists hoping to further intimidate Christians in the run up to Easter, say his family. Allam Bashay Gabriel found his 16-year-old son, Gamal, with his throat slit and lying in a pool of blood, in Qai . . . Read More

Who speaks for Islam in Pakistan – and where does that leave non-Muslims?

  April 19, 2017 Pakistan Asia Bibi, Barelvi, Blasphemy, Deobandi, Islamic extremism, Mumtaz Qadri, Pakistan Muslim League, Salmaan Taseer, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Taliban

Last week, a Muslim student was killed by a mob after posting allegedly “blasphemous” content on social media. His murder was the latest in a long line of religiously motivated attacks in Pakistan, many of which were inspired by the country’s strict blasphemy laws. Below, World Watch Monitor takes a look at . . . Read More

Indonesia’s Christian governor Ahok fails in re-election bid, as ‘blasphemy’ trial continues

  April 19, 2017 Indonesia Ahok, Blasphemy, Islamic extremism, Jakarta

Preliminary results suggest that Jakarta’s Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as “Ahok”), has failed in his re-election bid, as his trial for “blasphemy” goes on. Ahok is accused of insulting a Qur’anic verse during a campaign speech. Hard-line Islamist groups have rallied large crowds against him in recent . . . Read More

Indian Christians protest at Good Friday launch of ‘Digital India Day’

  April 19, 2017 India Arunachal Pradesh, Digital India Day, Good Governance Day, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Narendra Modi

Ignoring protests from Christians, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched Digital India Day on 14 April – Good Friday – as part of his government’s campaign to promote widespread use of electronic products and services. India’s Christians said they felt marginalised by the move because it fell on an . . . Read More

Easter for Egypt’s Copts: mourning loved ones amid tight security

  April 18, 2017 Egypt Alexandria, Beheira, Cairo, Copts, Kom El-Loufy, Tanta

Christians in Egypt celebrated Easter amid tight security and in a sombre mood. While worshippers gathered in both Alexandria and Tanta, in the churches that were attacked last Sunday, authorities made a number of arrests in connection with other possible planned attacks. However, violence continued in Kom El-Loufy, in the . . . Read More

Pakistan prevents another Easter attack on its Christians

  April 18, 2017 Pakistan Easter, Islamic State, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Lahore, Peshawar, Taliban, Youhanabad

Pakistan’s security forces say they prevented a “major” terror attack on Christians in Lahore over the Easter weekend. The city of Lahore, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was the scene of a deadly suicide bomb attack on Easter Day last year, when 75 people were killed and 340 injured. A splinter . . . Read More

Preacher to the FARC reflects on defeat of Colombia’s peace deal

  April 13, 2017 Colombia FARC, Russ Stendal

For more than 50 years, Colombia had been at war with itself. In October 2016, after four years of peace talks brokered by Cuba, the Colombian government and the rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, brought a peace proposal to Colombia’s voters. Then, Colombia’s divided voters . . . Read More

Churches feeding hundreds of Dunkirk camp homeless after fire

  April 13, 2017 Calais, Converts, Dunkirk, France, Grande-Synthe, La Linière, Migrants, Refugees

Churches are helping to feed hundreds of migrants displaced by the razing of a migrant camp in northern France on Monday night (10 April). The local mayor’s office asked pastors Robert Desprès and Lydie Granger, leaders of churches in Dunkirk and St-Omer, to fund and distribute emergency meals for around . . . Read More