Tag: Christian Persecution

Christian Persecution September 25-October 2 2026

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Security personnel stand outside a historic stone church

Recent reporting (roughly September 25–October 2, 2026) on Christian persecution centers on continued lethal violence in Nigeria, house-church detentions in China, and related pressures elsewhere.

Nigeria

Attacks attributed to Fulani militants continued in Plateau State’s Barkin Ladi area and nearby communities. Around September 19–20, gunmen killed a Baptist pastor (Samuel Nandi) and others while they were traveling to church; at least nine people died in related incidents that weekend, according to local reports and Christian monitoring groups. Further killings followed through late September, including ambushes of travelers, night attacks on villages, and shootings near a Christian academy and mining sites. Local accounts and advocacy outlets put the September death toll in Plateau alone above 50 in some summaries, with mass burials reported.

A mid-to-late September report from the U.S.-based group Equipping the Persecuted (drawing on field reports through September 8) counted 4,216 Christians killed in Nigeria from January 1 to September 8, 2026—an average of about 16.8 per day, or one roughly every 86 minutes—along with more than 5 million displaced and over 600 Christian communities destroyed or emptied. The group has urged the UN to treat the pattern as genocide and said a weekend terror alert via its Truth Nigeria network helped limit casualties in one recent assault that still left dozens dead. An earlier independent tally by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) reported thousands of Christians killed and abducted in the first eight months of 2026, concentrated in the Middle Belt. The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs was reported to have affirmed accounts of the recent Plateau attacks and restated concern for affected communities.

Separately, Nigeria’s Senate advanced legislation that would expand oversight of organizations receiving foreign funding, which monitors say could hinder churches and groups documenting the violence.

Nigeria (Southern Kaduna, separate from Plateau)

Truth Nigeria reported that between September 13 and 21, Fulani militias abducted at least 34 Christians in Chikun and Kajuru areas (including a mass seizure of 26 in one forest incident), killed at least one man, and imposed “harvest taxes” of roughly ₦1–2 million per village before Christian farmers could enter their own fields.

China

On September 29, police in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, detained preacher An Yankui of the unregistered Taiyuan Xuncheng Reformed Church on suspicion of “organizing illegal religious activities.” ChinaAid and Chinese rights reports said he was taken from his home; subsequent accounts indicated a 15-day administrative detention. The church operates outside the state-sanctioned Three-Self system and has faced prior raids and detentions.

Coverage also continued around Pastor Ezra Jin (of Beijing’s Zion Church), released after roughly 266 days in custody. He has publicly called for the release of remaining detained church leaders and described ongoing pressure on unregistered congregations alongside expectations of growth under restriction.

Beijing Jiaquan Church: Pastor Zhou Zixun (also known as Cui Xianfeng) and seven coworkers remain in criminal detention on suspicion of “fraud,” according to a September 29 account from his wife relayed by ChinaAid. Police disrupted preparations for the church’s 20th anniversary on September 4; about 50 members were processed and most released, while eight people stayed in detention. The congregation is an unregistered urban house-church network.

Guangzhou: After three Christians from Guangfu Church distributed fans printed with Gospel messages near a school on September 16, police questioned them, accused them of illegal proselytizing, and the church was forced out of its rented meeting space (reported September 30 by ChinaAid).

Anhui (mid-September, still circulating): Officials raided a house-church site in Jinzhai County, confiscated phones, and ordered young believers not to sing hymns containing “Jesus,” “God,” or “Lord,” directing them toward songs praising the Communist Party.

India and other locations

In Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district, more than 40 churches announced that worship would be restricted to Christians only, citing security concerns after sustained local pressures (reported around September 28 by International Christian Concern).

Other items in the same window include worsening conditions reported for a small Christian subset of the Rohingya (roughly 1,500 people), circulating accounts of a Baptist pastor killed by Myanmar military personnel in Chin State, and a September church raid in Azerbaijan in which police detained dozens of members of a Protestant congregation. On the policy side, World Relief criticized the U.S. FY2027 refugee ceiling for continuing to limit admissions of people fleeing religious persecution, noting that FY2026 saw no resettlements of persecuted Christians from the countries of highest concern tracked by Open Doors.

Figures on killings and displacement come primarily from Christian advocacy and local monitoring networks rather than official government tallies; Nigerian authorities have often framed Middle Belt violence in terms of farmer-herder conflict, banditry, or criminality, while the groups cited above emphasize religious targeting alongside ethnic and land factors.

Myanmar

Reverend Dal Thawn Tuang, 49, assistant pastor of Lamzang Baptist Church in Chin State (22 years of service), was shot three times and killed on September 14 while returning from ministry in a neighboring village. Barnabas Aid, the Burma Research Institute, and local Baptist sources attribute the shooting to the military (Tatmadaw). His funeral was held September 16. Advocates note it follows the June killing of another Chin State Baptist pastor, Reverend William, and a fellow Christian after detention without trial. A resistance group claimed the shooters may have been escaped military prisoners; other accounts treat the wounds as deliberate.

Algeria

Special police raided a Christian gathering at a humanitarian shelter on September 4 and arrested 12 believers for an unauthorized non-Muslim religious service; Bibles were seized. The case drew fresh coverage in the September 19–21 window.

Pakistan

Two Christian men arrested in August on blasphemy allegations—Amir Masih (Gujranwala area) and Samuel Arif, 26 (Lahore)—remained in detention as of mid-to-late September reports. One charge can carry the death penalty. A separate September case involved the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old Christian woman in Rawalpindi by a Muslim neighbor.

Sri Lanka

Courts sentenced 15 men to more than 200 years each for roles in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed at least 267 people at churches and hotels (sentencing reported around September 29).

Iran

UN experts publicly demanded an explanation for the confiscation of the country’s oldest Protestant church and the eviction of its congregation (coverage mid-to-late September).

Source: (2) Grok / X

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:16

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Police in Algeria Arrest 12 Christians during Worship

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Special force police in Algeria raided a worship service at a humanitarian shelter on Sept. 4, arresting all 12 Christians present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized, non-Muslim religious service, sources said. The House of Refuge shelter in L’Ayaida, 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Oran, serves as a haven and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families. It housed a worship hall before authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, but Christians have continued to meet for church services in one of the separate apartments on the shelter premises.

The premises have been under surveillance for some time, sources said. After law enforcement officers raided the site with a search warrant, the 12 detained Christians were transferred to the Bethioua police station about 40 kilometers from Oran. During the operation, police seized all Christian literature, mobile phones and identity cards of those present, said the sources, unidentified for security reasons. The women were released to be questioned the following morning, while the men were held until late at night, some until 3 a.m. Christians fear the detainees could be charged under Ordinance 06-03 governing non-Muslim worship in Algeria, which heavily criminalizes collective worship outside the officially approved state framework or any action deemed to “shake the faith of a Muslim.” 

The restrictive law exposes them to heavy fines and substantial prison sentences. Punishment under the 2006 law can range from two to five years in prison and fines of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars ($3,745 to $7,490). It requires non-Muslim worship buildings to be licensed, but all applications to do so have remained unattended. The arrested Christians were not yet brought before a prosecutor, who would then quickly take them to court for judgment. Christian support group Open Doors has reported that nearly all of the 47 official churches affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) have received administrative closure orders or have been sealed by the authorities. More than 50 Christians have been prosecuted for their faith in recent years, according to the organization. The Sept. 4 raid was part of a long-standing pattern of judicial harassment against Christians in Algeria, particularly in the Oran Region. In 2021, authorities convicted Pastor Rachid Seighir and Nouh Hamimi and closed their bookstore.

Also notable were the harsh five-year prison sentence handed down to Hamid Soudad, imprisoned for January 2021 to July 23 as part of a five-year sentence for “insulting Islam” related to Facebook caricature, before he was ultimately pardoned in 2023. EPA Vice-President Youcef Ourahmane was sentenced on appeal in May 2024 to one year in prison simply for organizing a spiritual retreat; originally he had been sentenced to two years and a fine. Pastor Ourahmane is the founder of the Timothee School and the L’Ayeida refuge center. These cases and significant events all attest to the persistence of a policy aimed at criminalizing the Christian faith and its structures within the country. According to Christians in the Béjaïa, Tizi Ouzou, and Bouira regions, authorities in the past month have been seeking to permanently resolve the “church issue” in Algeria. To this end, special envoys were appointed and sent across the country to meet with various leaders who were not affiliated with the EPA. Their mission was to identify and approach congregants, urging them to join a new Christian association project intended to replace the EPA.

This maneuver aims to orchestrate a reorganization under strict state control, paving the way for the potential reopening of places of worship subject to conditions rigorously imposed by the government. The number of Christians in Algeria is estimated at about 150,000 people, 0.3 percent of the total population of 48 million, according to Open Doors. There are 8,000 Catholics, while Methodists, Anglicans and Mennonites are made up mostly of foreigners, including diplomats. Algeria ranked 20th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

Source: Police in Algeria Arrest 12 Christians during Worship – Morningstar News

Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
Romans 14:3

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Police in Algeria Arrest 12 Christians during Worship

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Special force police in Algeria raided a worship service at a humanitarian shelter on Sept. 4, arresting all 12 Christians present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized, non-Muslim religious service, sources said. The House of Refuge shelter in L’Ayaida, 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Oran, serves as a haven and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families. It housed a worship hall before authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, but Christians have continued to meet for church services in one of the separate apartments on the shelter premises.

The premises have been under surveillance for some time, sources said. After law enforcement officers raided the site with a search warrant, the 12 detained Christians were transferred to the Bethioua police station about 40 kilometers from Oran. During the operation, police seized all Christian literature, mobile phones and identity cards of those present, said the sources, unidentified for security reasons. The women were released to be questioned the following morning, while the men were held until late at night, some until 3 a.m. Christians fear the detainees could be charged under Ordinance 06-03 governing non-Muslim worship in Algeria, which heavily criminalizes collective worship outside the officially approved state framework or any action deemed to “shake the faith of a Muslim.” 

The restrictive law exposes them to heavy fines and substantial prison sentences. Punishment under the 2006 law can range from two to five years in prison and fines of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars ($3,745 to $7,490). It requires non-Muslim worship buildings to be licensed, but all applications to do so have remained unattended. The arrested Christians were not yet brought before a prosecutor, who would then quickly take them to court for judgment. Christian support group Open Doors has reported that nearly all of the 47 official churches affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) have received administrative closure orders or have been sealed by the authorities.

More than 50 Christians have been prosecuted for their faith in recent years, according to the organization. The Sept. 4 raid was part of a long-standing pattern of judicial harassment against Christians in Algeria, particularly in the Oran Region. In 2021, authorities convicted Pastor Rachid Seighir and Nouh Hamimi and closed their bookstore. Also notable were the harsh five-year prison sentence handed down to Hamid Soudad, imprisoned for January 2021 to July 23 as part of a five-year sentence for “insulting Islam” related to Facebook caricature, before he was ultimately pardoned in 2023.

EPA Vice-President Youcef Ourahmane was sentenced on appeal in May 2024 to one year in prison simply for organizing a spiritual retreat; originally he had been sentenced to two years and a fine. Pastor Ourahmane is the founder of the Timothee School and the L’Ayeida refuge center. These cases and significant events all attest to the persistence of a policy aimed at criminalizing the Christian faith and its structures within the country. According to Christians in the Béjaïa, Tizi Ouzou, and Bouira regions, authorities in the past month have been seeking to permanently resolve the “church issue” in Algeria. To this end, special envoys were appointed and sent across the country to meet with various leaders who were not affiliated with the EPA.

Their mission was to identify and approach congregants, urging them to join a new Christian association project intended to replace the EPA. This maneuver aims to orchestrate a reorganization under strict state control, paving the way for the potential reopening of places of worship subject to conditions rigorously imposed by the government. The number of Christians in Algeria is estimated at about 150,000 people, 0.3 percent of the total population of 48 million, according to Open Doors.

There are 8,000 Catholics, while Methodists, Anglicans and Mennonites are made up mostly of foreigners, including diplomats. Algeria ranked 20th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

Source: Police in Algeria Arrest 12 Christians during Worship – Morningstar News

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.
Colossians 3:12

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Muslim Shoots Christian Woman to Death in Pakistan

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A married, 21-year-old Christian woman was shot dead inside her home in Rawalpindi last week by a Muslim neighbor whose advances she had rejected, reflecting an attitude among many Pakistan Muslims that crimes against Christians will go unpunished, sources said. Saba Mehboob, who separated from her husband a year ago, was shot in the forehead at about 9 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 3), after the alleged assailant, Adnan Butt, entered the house in Dhoke Ratta locality with a pistol, according to her brother, Joshua Mehboob. The suspect then abducted her teenage stepbrother and pressured him to falsely confess to the killing, according to the victim’s family.

Joshua Mehboob, a member of a local Full Gospel Assemblies church, said Butt accused his sister of dishonoring him before shooting her in front of her 16-year-old stepbrother, Anoosh. “According to Anoosh, he and his paternal uncles, Michael and Nomi, were in a room when Butt suddenly entered with Saba, loudly abusing her,” Mehboob said. “He pointed his pistol at Michael and Nomi and ordered them to leave. He then slapped Saba repeatedly while shouting that she had dishonored him and been disloyal to him.” Butt then shot Saba in the forehead, killing her instantly, Mehboob said. Butt subsequently forced Anoosh outside at gunpoint, where another man was waiting on a motorcycle, according to Mehboob. The two men allegedly took the teenager to the home of Butt’s brother-in-law, where several other people were present.

Mehboob said the men threatened to kill Anoosh if he told police that Butt had killed his sister and pressured the adolescent to confess to the murder. “Anoosh was kept in their custody until about 5 p.m. on Sept. 4,” Mehboob said. “Meanwhile, Butt also threatened Anoosh’s father and other family members with death if they registered a case against him.” He said Anoosh was released after his father and uncles agreed not to file a police complaint. After his release, Anoosh went with relatives to the district headquarters hospital to receive his sister’s body, Mehboob said. Police arrived there to record his statement and, after hearing his account, asked him to become the complainant in the case, he said.

Police subsequently took Anoosh and his father into protective custody, according to Mehboob. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, but Butt later obtained pre-arrest bail from a court, he said. Mehboob alleged that Butt had been harassing and threatening Saba Mehboob for some time. He said she twice had slapped him after he blocked her way in a market. “I think Saba’s rejection fueled his anger, leading him to murder her,” he said. Saba Mehboob’s killing prompted a protest in Dhoke Ratta, where Christian and Muslim residents reportedly called for Butt’s arrest. Rawalpindi-based journalist Tariq Chaman said members of Saba Mehboob’s family and local residents alleged that police were pressuring Anoosh to accept responsibility for his sister’s death. “Police have denied the allegations and said the teenage boy is being kept in custody for his protection,” Chaman said.

“His father has also been kept with him because the boy is a minor.” The family and local elders are demanding the release of Anoosh and his father and calling for the investigation to be transferred from Dhoke Ratta police station to a senior police officer, Chaman said. His sources indicated that additional circumstances surrounding the case could emerge as the investigation progresses and potentially affect the direction of the murder inquiry. “Local sources have claimed that Butt and his family have criminal histories, and it’s possible that the victim’s family may succumb to their pressure at some stage,” Chaman said. Human rights advocates have long raised concerns about the vulnerability of religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly in cases involving sexual violence, forced conversion and allegations of blasphemy.

Rights groups have also documented cases in which victims or their families face intimidation and pressure to settle disputes outside the formal justice system. Mehboob told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that his sister was one of five children born to his mother from her first marriage to Mehboob Masih. After Masih died several years ago, their mother remarried Yaqoob Masih and had five more children with him, including Anoosh. Saba Mehboob married Zeeshan Mehmood about six years ago, but she separated from him more than a year ago because of his severe drug addiction and moved back to live with their mother in Dhoke Ratta with her two daughters, Joshua Mehboob said.

Open Doors, a Christian organization that monitors persecution, ranked Pakistan eighth in its 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the greatest difficulty. The organization cited systemic discrimination, mob violence, forced conversion and weaknesses in law enforcement among the factors contributing to risks faced by Christians in Pakistan.

Source: Muslim Shoots Christian Woman to Death in Pakistan – Morningstar News

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:2

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Christian Teen Beaten for Protecting Women in Pakistan

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A 17-year-old Christian man named Ikhlaq Masih was severely beaten by a mob in Nasrat Colony, a town in Ajnianwala, Sheikhupura, Pakistan, where many Christians reside.  Masih works making pizzas at a restaurant, while his father, Saleem, works at a brick kiln and his mother, Zakriya, is a homemaker. The modest family has limited financial resources and is now facing the heavy burden of medical expenses and basic living costs.  Locals report that an influential local man’s son, Ali Shah, along with his friends, made a habit of coming to Nasrat Colony every Sunday to harass, mock, and follow local girls as families walked to church.

On Sunday, Aug. 16, Masih saw the gang harassing a girl and confronted them, asking why they kept coming to their neighborhood to trouble women.  An argument broke out. The gang hurled religious slurs, calling Masih a “chura,” a derogatory term used against Christians in Pakistan, and asked how he dared to stand up to them. Shah and his group left the scene temporarily, but waited for Masih to leave the village later that day.  The Ambush When Masih was alone, Shah and his gang returned armed with pistols, iron rods, and motorcycle chains. They attacked him while shouting verbal abuse and repeating religious slurs. Bystanders alerted Masih’s parents, who rushed to the scene and pleaded with the attackers to stop. By the time they arrived, Masih was unconscious. 

Masih was rushed to the hospital and later referred to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital due to the severity of his condition. An official medical certificate was issued confirming severe injuries across multiple parts of his body.  Although a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against the perpetrators, the family fears the suspects may receive bail due to their local influence. Shah and those with him have reportedly threatened to kill Masih if the family pursues legal action.  The local Christian community is praying for justice and calling on law enforcement to ensure the perpetrators are punished, warning that releasing the suspects could put Masih’s life in further danger. 

Source: Christian Teen Beaten for Protecting Women in Pakistan – International Christian Concern

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. John 15:18

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Global persecution report raises concerns about erosion of religious freedom in the West

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Wooden cross on cracked dry ground with sun rays shining through dark clouds

International Christian Concern (ICC) has released its 2026 Global Persecution Index (GPI), a report that details the plight of persecuted Christians around the globe. The report looks at over 20 countries, most of which are in Africa or Asia, and shines a spotlight on three world leaders, although it also includes a section on “hindrances to religious freedom in the West”. In terms of the West, the GPI raises a number of high profile cases concerning freedom of religion and speech, notably the conviction of Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen under hate speech laws.

It also expresses concerns about abortion clinic buffer zone laws and convictions relating to silent prayer, as well as cases of teachers being fired over their Christian beliefs.  Highlighted in the report are a number of cases in the UK, including that of Dr Bernard Randall who was dismissed by a Christian school after telling pupils they did not need to agree with LGBT ideology, and the case of Dr Aaron Edwards, who lost his job as a Methodist college for posting a tweet that supported the biblical view of marriage.  The report expresses particular concern that “growing Islamization in Europe encroaches on Christianity and other faiths”.

“While Christians in Western nations don’t experience the same horrific persecution that believers in other hot spots face, religious freedom in corners of the West is eroding,” the report says. On a worldwide level, the GPI states that religious freedom is under “mounting pressure”. Governments hostile to Christianity are increasingly clamping down on believers not only within their borders, but externally. The report also states that “Western technologies and markets”  are sometimes used to enable or sustain persecution. China in particular was singled out for repressing its religious minorities overseas, with members of house churches, Uyghur Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners all being targeted – apparently with the help of Silicon Valley hardware and software, which ICC says is being used for surveillance.

Looking at Nigeria, the deadliest country for Christians, the GPI states that while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not create the sectarian violence that plagues parts of the country, he stands accused of “deepening” the rift between Christian and Muslim when “he abandoned the longstanding tradition of presidential candidates choosing a running mate from a different faith”. Since coming to power two years ago, it is estimated by Amnesty International that over 10,200 people have been killed in sectarian or bandit attacks in Nigeria.

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was also placed under the spotlight by the GPI. Modi, the report argues, “has overseen a sharp rise in Hindu nationalism and a corresponding decline in religious freedom across India.” While not as deadly as Nigeria, the GPI states that in India in the year ending 1 July 2026 there were 94 attacks on Christian homes or business, 42 religious buildings destroyed, and 1,134 Christians forced to flee their homes. Moving to the Americas, the GPI took Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua to task.

Although in office since 2007, a real downturn in the situation there started in 2018 when the security services violently put down protests. “Since then,” the GPI states, “Ortega has expelled Catholic charities, confiscated church property, shut down faith-based universities, and stripped citizenship from prominent priests and bishops.” ICC President Shawn Wright said of this year’s report, “This year’s Global Persecution Index is a sobering reminder that millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ continue to pay a high price for their faith.

“Behind every statistic is a real person: someone who has chosen faithfulness to Jesus over safety, comfort, or even life itself. Our hope is that this report not only informs decision-makers and stakeholders, but moves readers to act with urgency, conviction, and compassion.”

Source: Global persecution report raises concerns about erosion of religious freedom in the West – Christian Today

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose.
Psalm 20:4

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Christian and pro-life groups reject Amnesty report branding them ‘anti-rights’

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Christian and pro-life groups have rejected a report by Amnesty International accusing them of being “anti-rights”.   The report, titled “A growing threat: the anti-rights movement in the UK”, was widely condemned in the days following its publication. It has been “temporarily” withdrawn while Amnesty carries out an internal review, the organisation said in response to the backlash.

It drew anger over the inclusion of an extensive list of civil society organisations that supposedly “form part of a wider anti-rights ecosystem – a network of groups that work on different issues but share similar goals and often support each other’s efforts to roll back human rights protections”, specifically the rights of women and LGBT+ people. 

The report claimed that “anti-rights” organisations are “fostering moral panic”, and “often create or amplify fears about minority and marginalised groups”. The organisations were assigned to a specific category “based on their main characteristic or specialism” but these categories are “not watertight”, the report says. 

“For example, the Christian Institute is classified as an ultra-conservative Christian policy and advocacy organisation, however, their focus encompasses abortion, trans rights, education as well as other issues,” the report reads. The Christian Institute was one of dozens of Christian organisations to be blacklisted by Amnesty.

Others included the Evangelical Alliance, Christian Concern, the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, the Christian Medical Fellowship, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), Christians in Parliament, CARE (Christian Action, Research and Education), Premier, the Centre for Bio–Ethical Reform (CBR UK), the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF UK), and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association UK. 

Other organisations included crisis pregnancy centres (CPCs), a support service for female victims of sexual violence founded by JK Rowling, and gender critical organisations campaigning to protect single-sex spaces for women and girls.  Of crisis pregnancy centres, the report said, “They are established by anti-abortion organisations and seek to discourage women and pregnant people from accessing abortion care.

“Many present themselves as providers of impartial information and support. However, they are not affiliated with the NHS, are not subject to a specific regulatory framework, and have the objective of discouraging abortion.”  The report called on the Charity Commission to review the charitable status of the listed organisations and said that the NHS should not signpost patients to crisis pregnancy centres.

Christian and pro-life organisations have rejected Amnesty’s characterisation of them as “anti-rights”.  Peter Lynas, UK director of the Evangelical Alliance, said: “If standing up for religious freedom, women and the rights of the unborn puts you on Amnesty’s naughty list, then we are happy to be there.”

He added, “It’s sad to watch Amnesty abandon rights in favour of the latest ideologies.” CARE’s Director of Communications and Engagement, James Mildred, said: “Our vision at CARE is to see politics renewed and lives transformed. “We engage in politics for the sake of some of the most vulnerable in society, believing that every life, from conception, has equal dignity, worth and value.

“From championing age checks to improve online safety, to advocating for better human trafficking laws, stronger palliative care, a fairer tax system to help low-income families, help from those impacted by gambling related harms, laws to protect pre-born babies and their mums.

“It is sad to see an organisation that claims to champion human rights spend valuable time and effort on this sort of report.” Others expressed sadness that Amnesty has drifted from its roots – the organisation was founded in 1961 by Peter Benenson, a devout Catholic, to campaign on behalf of prisoners of conscience, including those imprisoned for their religious or political beliefs. 

Ciarán Kelly, Director of The Christian Institute, said: “Amnesty has fallen a long way from its origins defending prisoners of conscience. Now it has a pick ‘n’ mix approach to human rights.   “Tragically, this doesn’t include the right to life for babies in the womb, the rights of women being exploited through prostitution, or the rights of freedom of conscience and speech.”

Pro-life advocate Fleur Elizabeth Meston said: “It is rather sad to see Amnesty International, founded by a devout Christian to defend prisoners of conscience, now branding people with the ‘wrong’ consciences as ‘anti-rights’. “Its founder, Peter Benenson, built Amnesty around freedom of thought, conscience, religion and expression.

Today, Amnesty treats disagreement on abortion and sex-based rights, and even belief in Christian teachings, as though they were a threat to humanity. “Saying biological sex matters is not anti-rights. Campaigning to protect unborn children is not anti-rights. In fact, those of us who hold these beliefs just want human rights for women and babies too. “Amnesty can waste its time creating these reports, rather than helping those in real danger around the world, but smearing lawful, mainstream organisations as ‘anti-rights’ is completely unworthy of its founding mission.”

Michael Robinson, executive director of SPUC, said the report “conflates faith with being anti-choice and bizarrely part of some large Machiavellian conspiracy”. He said Benenson, having been motivated by his faith to set up Amnesty, would be “shocked” by the report.

“I am sure he would also be alarmed at branding groups which champion single sex spaces, religious liberty, the rights of the unborn, and defend the rights of disabled people at the end of life, as anti-right in this way,” he said.  He continued: “It is a shame that Amnesty, which claims to champion human rights, remains silent on so many issues, such as Christians being arrested for silent prayer if they are deemed to be standing in an abortion centre buffer zone.  “But should we be surprised? Amnesty has long since abandoned any pretence of defending the ultimate human right – the right to life. 

“In recent years, Christians have faced growing hostility and, as a former Archbishop of Canterbury said, being forced out of the ‘public square’. And ideologically captured campaign groups pick and choose which rights they think are important and worth defending.

It is so sad that they never appear to be those of Christians.” Christian pro-life group CBR UK said it was “remarkable” it had been labelled an “anti-rights” group.  “We are standing for the right to life of babies in the womb and for the right of their mothers – and society as a whole – to know the facts about the humanity of the unborn child and the reality of abortion,” it said.  “Meanwhile, Amnesty International campaigns for babies to be killed by abortion throughout the whole nine months of pregnancy – a far cry from its original mission.” 

Other organisations singled out in the report were the Core Issues Trust and the International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC), which support therapy for those with unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria. The report accused the IFTCC of promoting “conversion practices”, something it denies, and said it should face increased scrutiny.  IFTCC founder Dr Mike Davidson said, “A genuinely rights-based society should protect freedom in both directions.

“It should protect those who seek identity-affirming care, and it should equally protect those who voluntarily seek other lawful forms of therapeutic or pastoral support.  “Human rights should safeguard individual conscience and choice, not privilege one contested ideology while excluding all others.” 

Christians were not the only ones denouncing the report.  JK Rowling said it suggests “Amnesty believes certain kinds of humans don’t deserve rights”.  For Women Scotland (FWS), which won the Supreme Court ruling establishing a biological definition of sex under the Equality Act, accused Amnesty of defaming women’s organisations. 

“FWS is only ‘anti-rights’ if you don’t consider women to be entitled to any rights in law or public life. It’s a sad state of affairs that Amnesty has sunk so low as to defame prominent women’s organisations, including a rape crisis centre and support networks for abused wives and children,” it said.  

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton told The Scotsman: “It is astonishing that Amnesty International has chosen to brand organizations defending women’s rights and supporting female survivors of sexual violence as ‘anti-rights’.”

Murdo Fraser MSP said he was “appalled and disgusted” by the report and had written to Amnesty to demand “an urgent explanation and apology”.  “I fully intend to raise this matter with the Charity Commission. You should be ashamed,” he said.  A spokesperson for Amnesty said, “We have temporarily removed this briefing while it undergoes an internal review.  “Amnesty International UK remains committed to researching and campaigning on human rights issues, including our vital work defending trans rights.”

Source: Christian and pro-life groups reject Amnesty report branding them ‘anti-rights’ – Christian Today

Amnesty International UK expresses ‘regret’ over report that branded Christian groups ‘anti-rights’

Amnesty International UK has expressed “regret” over the publication of a report that labelled dozens of Christian, pro-life and gender critical organisations as “anti-rights”. 

The report was hastily removed from Amnesty’s website last week after it triggered a huge backlash, with JK Rowling and John Cleese among the high profile figures denouncing it. 

At the time, Amnesty said the report had been temporarily withdrawn so that an internal review could be carried out. 

In a further statement addressing the furore on Monday, Amnesty International UK said the report had not gone through the proper internal checks before being published on its website. 

“We regret that this briefing was uploaded to our website without going through the established internal review processes that are in place to ensure consistency, accuracy and alignment with Amnesty International UK’s positions,” a spokesperson said. 

“Its use of language does not reflect the position of Amnesty International UK which is why it was promptly removed.

“We remain committed to defending human rights, including both the rights of women and the rights of trans people.

“Human rights protections are strongest when they apply equally to everyone, and no community should be singled out for unfair treatment or denied their dignity and rights.”

The report had claimed that the UK faced a “growing threat” from an “anti-rights movement” which it alleged was “fostering moral panic” and working to “roll back human rights protections”, especially for women and LGBT+ people. 

The report called on the Charity Commission to review the charitable status of an extensive list of organisations that supposedly formed this “anti-rights movement”. 

Numerous Christian and pro-life groups were listed, including The Christian Institute, the Evangelical Alliance UK, the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, Christian Concern, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), and CARE – all of which are socially conservative. 

They rejected being labelled “anti-rights” and expressed regret over Amnesty’s drift from its roots, having been founded by a devout Christian to be a voice for religious and political prisoners of conscience. 

Ciarán Kelly, Director of The Christian Institute, said: “Amnesty has fallen a long way from its origins defending prisoners of conscience. Now it has a pick ‘n’ mix approach to human rights.  

“Tragically, this doesn’t include the right to life for babies in the womb, the rights of women being exploited through prostitution, or the rights of freedom of conscience and speech.”

Many of the organisations on the report’s blacklist were pro-life and crisis pregnancy centres. 

Pro-life advocate Fleur Elizabeth Meston said: “It is rather sad to see Amnesty International, founded by a devout Christian to defend prisoners of conscience, now branding people with the ‘wrong’ consciences as ‘anti-rights’.

“Its founder, Peter Benenson, built Amnesty around freedom of thought, conscience, religion and expression. Today, Amnesty treats disagreement on abortion and sex-based rights, and even belief in Christian teachings, as though they were a threat to humanity.

“Saying biological sex matters is not anti-rights. Campaigning to protect unborn children is not anti-rights. In fact, those of us who hold these beliefs just want human rights for women and babies too.

“Amnesty can waste its time creating these reports, rather than helping those in real danger around the world, but smearing lawful, mainstream organisations as ‘anti-rights’ is completely unworthy of its founding mission.”

Amnesty faced particularly strong criticism for including on the list Beira’s Place, a service for female victims of sexual assault that was founded by JK Rowling. 

Also accused of being “anti-rights” was For Women Scotland, which secured the landmark Supreme Court ruling declaring that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. It was among the groups demanding an apology. 

Source: Amnesty International UK expresses ‘regret’ over report that branded Christian groups ‘anti-rights’- Christian Today

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

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Change to law for faith-based schools gives rise to religious freedom

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Brass balance scale holding a book labeled Faith on one side and a book labeled Law on the other.

Australia are under increasing threat after the release of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) highly anticipated report on faith-based schools on Thursday. The subject of widespread public commentary in the weeks leading up to its release, the report included the ALRC’s expected recommendation to the Federal Government that the Sex Discrimination Act be amended to remove exemptions for faith-based schools from laws making it illegal to expel or fire LGBTI+ students and staff based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. While LGBTQI+ groups have urged the government to implement the ALRC’s recommendations, the report has been condemned by faith groups as another example of the erosion of religious freedoms. A coalition of more than twenty Christian, Muslim, and Jewish organisations sent a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese late last week urging him to reject the report’s recommendations, writing that removing the exemptions would “prevent the overwhelming majority of faith-based schools from preferring persons who share and authentically live out their faith” and potentially “extinguish their distinct and authentic character”.

The Australian Christian Schools Alliance (AACS) called the report “a direct attack on faith and freedom of belief in Australia” and warned that adopting the recommendations would mean that “Christian education as we know it will cease to exist”. Labelling it “a line in the sand moment not just for Christian schools, but for all people of faith and for the principle of religious freedom across Australia”, AACS Executive Officer Vanessa Chen said, “If these ALRC recommendations are adopted, it means the government can tell Christian schools who we can employ, what we can believe and teach.” “It sets a scary precedent, and the question Australians need to ask is ‘who’s next’? Will they dictate to any other religious group or organisation what they can believe?” Saying that the issue was not about discrimination, Ms Chen said it was about the right of parents to choose a school that was aligned with their values and beliefs. Polling released by the AACS in the fortnight leading up to the report’s release showed that an overwhelming majority of Australians think schools should be able to employ teachers and other staff who support the clearly stated values and values of the institution, with a Compass Polling survey of 1,713 adults finding that 80% of respondents believed that schools should be able to hire and fire teachers based on their religious belief and behaviour.

However, the Federal Government is under growing pressure from lobby groups to fulfil its pre-election promise to remove the exemptions and implement a separate religious discrimination bill. The issue of religious freedom has also increasingly become a hot-button topic in the culture wars after the previous Coalition government failed to pass proposed legislation that would have enshrined protections for religious belief and expression. Concerns have only been exacerbated by recent moves to pass new laws around misinformation and hate speech that religious groups say threaten the place of faith in society. In an opinion piece published in The Australian, a major national newspaper, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, warned that the report was the latest sign that the ability of Australians to “gather, speak freely, pray together and undertake works of service for others” was being reduced “slice by slice”, and called political leaders to come together to protect religious freedoms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to defuse attacks from both sides of the debate, announcing that he would only proceed with any amendments to the Act if Labor received bipartisan support from the Federal Opposition. ”I think Australians don’t want to see the culture wars and the division out there. I want this to be an opportunity for unity going forward, and that’s why we’ve provided the legislation to the opposition,” Mr Albanese said.

However, both the Coalition and minor parties rejected trying to bypass normal procedures or debate over the laws. ”With the Greens and independents, there is a solid progressive majority in parliament to get this done now and it is a tragedy to watch Labor throw this chance away,” David Shoebridge, justice spokesman for the Australian Greens, said. “We can stop students being discriminated against because they are queer or trans.” Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said that the legislation would need to progress through parliament like any other legislation, including facing the scrutiny of a Senate committee if needed. ”Concerns have been raised by the Christian, Catholic, and Islamic schools and they should be addressed,” Miss Ley said.

Source: Change to law for faith-based schools gives rise to religious fre | ChristianToday Australia

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

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‘There is no longer a safe place to be a Christian in China’

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Weathered wooden cross wrapped with rusty barbed wire on ground

The Chinese government is increasingly cracking down on state-sanctioned churches as well as underground churches, leaving no “safe place” for Christians, according to International Christian Concern. A new report by ICC tracks persecution of Christians in China since July 2021 and records 32 cases of arrests and detainments, five raids on Christian schools, and 20 cases of the Sinicization of churches – where churches are forced to align their faith with the social and political messaging of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  The ICC said that exact numbers were likely to be far higher because of the challenges of receiving information from China. “The government’s scrutiny of Christians is part of a wider effort to Sinicize the country by coercing religious groups to submit to the communist CCP ideology,” the report said.  “The Religious Affairs Bureau and the CCP have one single goal regarding religion: to prevent religious influence from threatening their communist control.”

State-sanctioned churches are especially susceptible to the Chinese government’s Sinicization efforts. “All state-approved churches are required to raise the national flag, place regulations on worship, incorporate core socialist values into sermons, and maintain traditional Chinese culture,” the report said. The ICC report says that a new measure implemented by the Chinese government in June, called the ‘National Religious Organizations Common Initiative on Cultivating Frugality and Abstaining from Extravagance’, has allowed it to “tighten its grip” on major religions in China. “State-sanctioned churches today are increasingly at the mercy of laws and non-legislative regulations introduced by the government,” said ICC. “State-vetted churches have decided to follow the regulations, thereby pressuring unregistered churches to follow suit. “Three-Self churches are part of the legal framework the CCP uses to systemically curb Christianity. If a church is not registered as a state-sanctioned church, the church is violating the law and the CCP can step in at any time to shut down churches, prosecute individuals, and put enormous social pressure on attendees. “With the intensified crackdown against churches— both state-vetted and underground—there is no longer a safe place to be a Christian in China. Covid-19 has also had a lasting impact on religious liberty in China as the pandemic was used as a pretext to introduce more restrictions on religious activity.  “Restrictions on religious activity have spread as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While public and commercial places such as malls, markets, restaurants, and libraries were allowed to open, church activities were banned by the government. “One report revealed that the state used epidemic prevention as a pretext to prevent churches from gathering to celebrate Christmas in Shandong, Anhui, and Guangdong provinces,” the report said. Even meeting online has become difficult after the Chinese government announced in March that it was banning online religious activity.  Under the ban, Chinese churches and religious organizations must register with the state and receive permission to post religious content online. “The regulation was established to ensure all religious activity aligns with the Communist Party’s agenda,” ICC said. Data in the report has been drawn mostly from the ICC, ChinaAid, the Union of Catholic Asia News and Radio Free Asia. “ICC’s incident report continues to be a testament to China’s intensified crackdown against Chinese Christians and churches despite Beijing’s repeated claim that ‘respecting and protecting freedom of religious belief is the basic policy of the CCP and the Chinese government in dealing with religion’,” said Gina Goh, ICC’s regional manager for Southeast Asia.

“In every aspect of a Christian’s religious life, the CCP wants to interfere and insert its ideology, a control that is detrimental to China’s religious liberty.”  Jay Church, ICC’s advocacy manager for Southeast Asia and co-author of the report, said that the international community “must pay attention to China’s ongoing campaign against religion”. “There’s no excuse for continued inaction,” said Church. “The Chinese government does not allow religion except to the extent it can manipulate religion into a tool to increase the power of the CCP. “It is to be hoped that this report will serve to increase the volume on an issue that is too often quietly ignored in halls of power around the world.”

Source: ‘There is no longer a safe place to be a Christian in China’ – re | ChristianToday Australia

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
1 John 2:28

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Christian street preacher cleared of hate speech charges

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Pastor John Sherwood, the Christian street preacher arrested last year in West London for alleged homophobic hate speech, has been cleared in Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court. His colleague Peter Simpson confirmed his acquittal on April 7 to the Conservative Woman website. Mr Sherwood’s defence centred on his freedom “to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority” as set out in Article 10 of the 1998 Human Rights Act, Mr Simpson said. On April 23 2021 Metropolitan police officers arrested the pastor near Uxbridge tube station. He had been preaching on Genesis 1:27 and said that the family unit as ordained by God consisted of a father and a mother, not two fathers or two mothers. Some passers-by complained to the police that he was using homophobic hate speech.

The pastor, then 71, was arrested, held overnight at a police station and in September was charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which outlaws “threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress”. The nature of Mr Sherwood’s arrest, which was captured on video, was condemned as “brutal” by campaign group Christian Concern. At the trial almost a year later, “the public gallery was full with Christians showing their support for a man of God who is willing to stand up for the truths of Scripture,” Mr Simpson reported. Pastor Sherwood defied the convention in English courts since the Covid outbreak of defendants and witnesses not holding a holy book but instead reading out from a card the affirmation that they will speak the truth. He insisted on bringing his own Bible and the presiding judge allowed him to swear on that. “How appropriate to swear on the book which would form the basis of his defence,” Mr Simpson said.

Source: Christian street preacher cleared of hate speech charges | ChristianToday Australia

Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Proverbs 15:22

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Churches and clergy among targets in anti-Christian incidents across Europe

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Anti-Christian hate crimes remained elevated in Europe during the month of June, with arson attacks continuing to target Christian sites across the continent.  The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) documented 40 anti-Christian hate crimes last month, placing June second only to March (41 cases) for the number of recorded incidents in 2026. The incidents targeted churches, Christian institutions, clergy, religious symbols, converts to Christianity, and individual believers across Europe. According to the report, the cases included 12 arson-related attacks, nine acts of vandalism, eight occurrences of desecration, three incidents of physical violence, three thefts of religious objects, two threats, one case combining vandalism and violence, one incident of disruption to a worship service, and one attempted seizure of a religious site.

France recorded the highest number of incidents with 11, followed by Germany at eight, Italy at seven, Poland at four, and both Belgium and Spain at two.  Three incidents were reported in the UK and one in Switzerland, while additional cases were documented in the Netherlands and Estonia.  Among the incidents highlighted as “particularly serious” were the intentional torching of a liturgical book inside a church in La Chapelle-Caro, France, and an incident in which Catholic worshippers were disrupted while praying in Poissy by protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar” and anti-Christian slogans. The report drew attention to an online threat linked to ISIS calling for attacks on Pope Leo XIV and venues during his forthcoming visit to Spain, and expressed concern about a suspected arson attack that destroyed the former Convent of Mercy in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, as well as crosses being set alight during a music festival in Poland OIDAC said one of the clearest trends throughout June was the ongoing wave of arson attacks.

“June recorded 12 arson-related attacks, only one fewer than the exceptional peak of 13 recorded in May, making June the second-highest month for recorded arson during the first half of the year,” the report said. Vandalism remained widespread, with nine documented incidents – the highest monthly total since March – ranging from churches being deliberately flooded to objects being fired at church buildings and crosses being damaged or destroyed. The organisation said there was a pattern of repeated targeting.  Cowdenbeath Baptist Church in Scotland came under attack for the eighth time, while Hanau’s Holy Spirit Church in Germany was targeted for a second month in a row, and Belgium’s St Peter’s Church in Lommel was hit by another suspected arson. While churches remained the primary targets, OIDAC said June’s figures illustrated the risks faced by individual Christians. Among the three recorded assaults were violence against a Christian street preacher at Speakers’ Corner at London’s Hyde Park, an attack on a Catholic woman inside a cathedral in France, and the assault on a parish priest during a burglary at his presbytery in Levie, in Corsica. 

The report singled out threats against Belgian Catholic religion teacher Ahmed Yetrib, a convert from Islam, who said he had “never been so worried” after receiving threatening messages because of social media content explaining his conversion. OIDAC said such cases highlighted “the vulnerability of Christian converts from Islam, whose situation remains under-reported but raises significant concerns for religious freedom and security”.  Alongside the hate crimes included in its statistics, the organisation recorded dozens of additional incidents involving thefts, break-ins, fires and vandalism affecting churches where “an anti-Christian bias could not be clearly established” and which were therefore excluded from the official total. The report concluded that “anti-Christian hostility remained at a high level throughout Europe” during June.

“As in previous reporting periods, the figures presented reflect only incidents documented by OIDAC Europe at the time of publication and therefore cannot capture the full extent of anti-Christian hostility in Europe,” it said.  Official figures from the French Ministry of the Interior, cited in the report, documented 843 anti-Christian crimes in France last year – comprising 734 attacks on property and 109 attacks on individuals – representing a 9% increase on the previous year.  Attacks against individuals went up by 70%, including the killing of Iraqi Christian refugee Ashur Sarnaya, who was fatally stabbed in Lyon while livestreaming about his faith on TikTok. The June report follows OIDAC’s May findings, which recorded 37 anti-Christian hate crimes across Europe, including a record 13 arson-related attacks.

Source: Churches and clergy among targets in anti-Christian incidents across Europe – Christian Today

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:2

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Police arrest Christian victims after attack on Coptic church

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Egyptian police arrested four Christian men who had been assaulted by a mob during an attack on a Coptic place of worship in Egypt, and freed them two days later once they abandoned the complaint they lodged against those who beat them. The attack took place in the Upper Egyptian village of Tal Al-Quiblya in Minya Province on Wednesday, according to the United Kingdom-based religious freedom advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), citing the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). A crowd of Muslim residents, most of them women, children and teenagers, reportedly pelted the building with stones while chanting sectarian abuse. Several Christians suffered injuries. Witnesses on the ground say that the structure and the priest’s car had been damaged. Officers arrived rapidly and restored order, though only after taking the four Christian men into custody. Their release came on Friday, conditioned on the withdrawal of their complaint against the attackers. 

An unknown number of Muslim residents were also arrested. No permanent church had existed in the village for many years. Believers gathered for prayers and Sunday services in one another’s houses in rotation, an arrangement that left some unable to attend regularly because of the travel involved. They eventually converted a building among their homes into a place of worship, doing so with the awareness of security officials as well as their Muslim neighbors. The parish priest, Fr. Pavlos Kamal, warned security officials of incitement and harassment at earlier services, according to CSW, which said no preventive action followed before the violence erupted. CSW President Mervyn Thomas said his organization is deeply troubled by the newest assault on believers in the region and by the recurring reluctance of officers to intervene before crowds turned violent. “The fact that four victims of violence were detained and were only released upon withdrawing their complaint against their assailants is a lamentable indication of an abiding inequality before the law,” Thomas said. “We call on local and state authorities to ensure that justice is served, and urge the Egyptian government to increase efforts to crack down on those responsible for the dangerous rhetoric and hate speech that emboldens extremists and mob groups to attack Christians with impunity.”

Christians routinely face legal and social pressure in Egypt. Earlier this year, an Egyptian court dismissed a bid to designate Easter as a national holiday. Judges rejected the request on procedural grounds, ruling that the matter lay with the prime minister and not the courts, and left its substance unaddressed. Sunday counts as a normal workday in Egypt, so believers who take leave for Easter risk forfeiting wages and meeting hostility at their jobs. Pupils and students who skip lessons for the occasion can be penalized academically, according to religious freedom advocacy organization ADF International, which supported the bid. Last December, the Ministry of Labor allowed Christian employees in the private sector to take Easter leave, while excluding those on the public payroll. That same ruling handed Coptic Christians a larger allocation of paid days than it gave Evangelicals or Catholics. Christians constitute close to a tenth of Egypt’s population. The Coptic Church traces its origins to St. Mark’s ministry in Alexandria in the first century.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged that Egypt be added to the State Department’s Special Watch List, which marks states that have carried out or tolerated grave abuses of religious freedom. Prosecutors have used the country’s blasphemy statutes against people for voicing or defending their beliefs, imposing anything from fines to jail. In January, Augustinos Samaan, a Coptic Christian YouTuber and researcher, was sentenced to five years with hard labor over videos in which he defended his faith. Dozens of comparable prosecutions are before the courts.

Source: Police arrest Christian victims after attack on Coptic church – Christian Today

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

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Christian Persecution June 2 – May 28, 2026

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Shattered stained glass pieces scattered on stone floor under a broken stained glass window in an old church

Christian persecution published between May 28 and June 4, 2026. These come primarily from specialized monitoring organizations like International Christian Concern (ICC) and Global Christian Relief. No large-scale violent incidents (e.g., mass killings or church bombings) were reported in major outlets during this exact window, but several specific cases of arrests, physical attacks, restrictions, and official reports emerged. persecution.org

June 3, 2026 – France

Anti-Christian, Anti-Semitic Attacks Spike in France
A new report from France’s Interior Ministry documented a clear rise in reported abuse and attacks targeting both Jews and Christians, identifying them as the groups facing the largest number of such incidents in the covered period.persecution.org

June 2, 2026 – Multiple countries (ICC reports)

  • Vietnam (Central Highlands): Pastor Siu Yúi (68) and church member Siu Dok (40), both Montagnard Vietnamese Christians, were arrested in Gia Lai Central Province. Details on charges were not specified in the initial report. persecution.org
  • China: Three leaders from Maizhong Reformed Church—Pastor Zhang Sen, Pastor Chang Shun, and Elder Ma Tao—have been denied access to Bibles while imprisoned, highlighting ongoing restrictions on religious materials for Christian prisoners. persecution.org
  • Pakistan (Punjab): Alayan Johnson, a 22-year-old Christian auto-rickshaw driver, was shot by police after they mistakenly identified him as a suspect. Authorities are now reportedly pressuring him to drop any investigation into the incident. persecution.org
  • Sri Lanka (Southern region): On May 21 (reported June 2), a group of Buddhists threw stones at Zion Church while nearly 20 Christians were inside praying during evening services. No injuries were detailed in the initial account. persecution.org
  • Malaysia: Non-Muslim (including Christian) communities continue facing bureaucratic barriers to worship, such as sudden bans on using shoplots/commercial spaces for services due to land shortages and administrative rules. This is framed as part of a broader pattern affecting religious minorities. persecution.org

June 2 & May 28, 2026 – Nigeria (Global Christian Relief)

  • June 2: Christians in certain areas of Nigeria have been ordered not to pray together after dark, adding to existing pressures and restrictions on communal worship amid ongoing persecution in the region. globalchristianrelief.org
  • May 28: A reflective piece examined how Nigerian Christians practice biblical forgiveness amid extreme persecution, drawing on real experiences of violence and hardship faced by believers there. globalchristianrelief.org

These stories reflect the pattern of low-level but persistent pressures (arrests, physical intimidation, worship restrictions, and prison conditions) that monitoring groups track globally. Broader annual reports (such as Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026) continue to cite high overall levels of persecution in places like Nigeria, but no new aggregate statistics specific to this 7-day window were released. osvnews.com

For the latest developments, check dedicated sources like persecution.org or globalchristianrelief.org, as incidents are often reported quickly by on-the-ground networks.

Source: Grok / X

As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress.
Job 37:23

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3 Pastors Killed Returning from Peace Conference

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Three tribal church pastors from the Thadou Baptist Association (TBA) of India were killed, and four others were injured in an armed ambush on May 13 in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. Roughly 10 armed men used automatic weapons to shoot two vehicles carrying the church leaders as they returned from a peace and reconciliation conference in Churachandpur. The murders triggered a wave of retaliatory abductions and hostage-taking between rival armed groups across several districts, fracturing the already fragile atmosphere. The incident caused immediate panic and deep outrage across tribal communities statewide, sparking spontaneous protests and highway blockades.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) alleged the involvement of the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), specifically the Kamson faction, possibly in coordination with valley-based insurgent groups in the ambush and killings. Rev. Dr. Sitlhou was a prominent advocate for peace, having recently led a delegation to Nagaland to broker reconciliation between the Kuki and Tangkhul Naga communities. He was a notable bridge-builder working on dialogues between the two. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has condemned the incident and urged swift justice. Singh condemned the ambush as a “senseless act of violence” and promised full state resources to bring the perpetrators to justice. The chief ministers of Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram similarly expressed deep outrage.

Hostages Released Manipur’s conflict landscape involves three major ethnic groups: the Meiteis, the Nagas, and the Kuki-Zo communities. These groups largely live in separate geographical belts and pockets where each forms a local majority. The killing occurred amid persistent tensions between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities following the ethnic violence that broke out on May 3, 2023. “What began over issues of Scheduled Tribe status, land rights, forest governance, and demographic concerns has now expanded into a dangerous triangular confrontation involving Meiteis, Kuki-Zo, and Nagas,” John Dayal, a noted human rights activist, stated in media reports.

Following the pastors’ deaths, heavily armed factions — largely aligned with Kuki-Zo and Naga groups — began detaining civilians from opposing tribal factions in the Kangpokpi and Senapati districts. State officials reported that as many as 38 civilians, including women and other religious figures, were taken hostage by rival militias in retaliation and moved to undisclosed locations. The crisis sparked widespread fears of civil war. To prevent further deterioration, Manipur government officials, security forces, and church leaders initiated emergency negotiations.

Source: 3 Pastors Killed Returning from Peace Conference – International Christian Concern

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

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Chinese Communist Party Erasing Religion with Village Renaming Effort

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The 630 changes exhibit a greater campaign within China toward eliminating all religious belief, according to Reggie Littlejohn, founder and president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers. Catalina Scheider Galiñanes, June 25, 2024 – National Catholic Register The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has enacted a campaign of widespread renaming of villages across the Xinjiang province, in an attempt to remove references to religion or religious history. Human Rights Watch (HRW), along with Norwegian organization Uyghyr Hjelp (“Uyghur Help”), released research on Wednesday, June 18. It reveals a systematized effort to reframe the traditionally Islamic and Uyghur names into Communist references. By analyzing the National Bureau of Statistics of China, HRW uncovered that “the names of about 3,600 of the 25,000 villages in Xinjiang were changed” during the period of 2009 to 2023.

The report states, “About four-fifths of these changes appear mundane, such as number changes, or corrections to names previously written incorrectly. But the 630, about a fifth, involve changes of a religious, cultural, or historical nature.” These 630 changes exhibit a greater campaign within China toward eliminating all religious belief, according to Reggie Littlejohn, founder and president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, an international coalition devoted to exposing and opposing abortion, gendercide and sexual slavery in China. “China is one of the greatest persecutors in the world on the basis of religion, and that includes all religions,” Littlejohn told the Register. “So be it the Uyghurs, Protestants, Catholic, Falun Gong … Christians believe that God is No. 1 and not the Chinese Communist Party, but the Chinese Communist Party wants to be on top, in terms of people’s loyalty.”

Uyghurs, part of an ethnic minority within China, traditionally practice Islam and speak the Uyghur language. They are the victims of an intense detention and imprisonment campaign, centralized in Xinjiang. The U.S. State Department designated Uyghur internment camps as “crimes against humanity” and as a part of the CCP’s “genocide against the predominately Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.”

Source: Chinese Communist Party Erasing Religion with Village Renaming Effort – EWTN Great Britain

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
1 Peter 3:15

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Organ Harvesting in China

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You may think you know about the illegal world of organ harvesting, but there’s an even a darker side to this practice than merely procuring an organ on the black market. In China, two groups in particular, Uyghur Muslims as well as Falun Gong practitioners, are often targeted to be killed for their organs, especially young men and women in their late 20s. These two groups, in particular, are first shamed publicly for believing in God or in even having a spiritual life, for atheism is “god” in Communist China. The two group are then sent to prison camps, where they are blood-typed and categorized for various organ extractions. When a request comes in from a dying patient who is willing to pay top-dollar for an immediate organ match, even from patients in the United States, Chinese military doctors and staff are able to get the requested organ in as little as two weeks!

Why? Because they have already “found” the donors in a prison camp. When the donor is put on a military hospital operating table, he/she is anesthetized while the extraction is going on because getting the freshest organ possible is always preferred. Extracting an organ from a dead donor, even one who has just passed, can result in the organ being rejected by the recipient’s body, due to it beginning to deteriorate. Once the organ is removed, the donor is killed with an overdose, the organ is placed in the recipient’s body, and the corpse of the deceased is cremated. The money from the procedure is sent to help fund the Chinese military.

Source: Organ Harvesting in China – Terry Bowman Gilberg

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Matthew 24:44

Robin Williams as the American Flag

Robin Williams portrays the American flag in “I Love Liberty,” a two-hour television special created by Norman Lear and presented by People For the American Way. Source: (630) Robin…

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The Story of America: John Adams

The White House Salute to America 250 Task Force has partnered with Hillsdale College to provide a history series that tells the remarkable story of American Independence. It will…

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Biden admin ‘zealously’ probed ‘traditional’ Christians and kept tabs on priests: DOJ task force report

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The Biden administration “zealously” investigated, penalized, and engaged in “aggressive prosecutions” of Christians “with traditional biblical views” — ignoring their conscientious objections and even secretly keeping tabs on Catholic priests, a Department of Justice task force found. The DOJ-led Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias released 14 findings Thursday, confirming the 46th president’s officials “forc[ed] Christians with traditional biblical views to choose whether to live in accordance with their faith or risk violating federal law.”

In a 200-page report, the task force concluded: “The Biden Administration generally tolerated religious beliefs that were privately held but zealously pursued actions to limit Christians’ ability to act in accordance with their faith.”

Source: Biden admin ‘zealously’ probed ‘traditional’ Christians — and kept tabs on priests: DOJ task force report

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
Psalm 18:30

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Threats called in against Gateway Church part of “swatting” incident, police say

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Gateway Church in Prosper was evacuated Sunday after the Prosper Police Department said someone called in a threat. It was later determined to be a false call as part of a “swatting” incident. Officers said someone called the department and made threatening statements tied to the church. Prosper Police said it responded immediately, along with Prosper Fire Rescue and the McKinney Police Department, to secure the area and establish a perimeter near the building along East Prosper Trail. The department said the church was safely evacuated around 12:30 p.m. and that the building was searched. An investigation remains ongoing. Prosper Police said there is no active threat to the public.

In a later update shared on Facebook, the department said the search led them to conclude the threat was part of a “swatting” call, which is when false information is shared to get a large emergency response.  Residents were asked to avoid the area as the investigation continues. In a separate announcement, the Town of Prosper said the church was evacuated shortly after the 11 a.m. service began. Children were kept together and escorted to a back parking lot to be reunited with parents. The town said the building is closed, and that anyone who left items inside will need to get them later.

Source: Threats called in against Gateway Church part of “swatting” incident, police say – CBS Texas

You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:17-18

States That Allow Bible in the Classroom

Texas public schools will now require students to read Bible passages and stories as part of the latest conservative push to expand the role of religion in public education—a move bound to escalate wrangling over the separation of church and state…

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by Drink of Jesus

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Christian Persecution News Roundup: April 15–22, 2026

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News anchor presenting report on rising Christian persecution with world map and images

Coverage of Christian persecution this week focused on follow-up reporting from earlier Holy Week and Easter violence (late March/early April), alongside isolated new incidents and urgent advocacy calls. No single large-scale new massacre dominated global headlines during this exact window, but organizations like International Christian Concern (ICC) and Open Doors continued to highlight ongoing patterns of targeted killings, abductions, and forced conversions—particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Social media and advocacy outlets kept these stories circulating amid broader global attention on other crises. persecution.org +1

Nigeria: Follow-Up on Fulani Militia Attacks

  • ICC reported that Fulani militias continued killing Christians in the wake of Holy Week massacres. Since Palm Sunday (late March), more than 200 Nigerians were killed across Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, and Taraba states, with at least 157 confirmed Christians. Attacks targeted farming communities late at night, often involving gunfire and machetes. This week’s updates emphasized the relentless pattern, with local bishops and human rights groups describing it as unchecked impunity. persecution.org +1
  • Earlier Easter weekend incidents (April 5–6) in Benue, Kaduna, and Nasarawa states—where dozens of Christians were killed during or near church services—received renewed attention in advocacy briefings and media roundups. baptistpress.com +1

Pakistan: Abduction and Forced Conversion of Christian Teen

  • A fresh case surfaced of Muslims abducting and forcibly converting another Christian teenage girl, with local police reportedly remaining inactive. The incident, highlighted in reports and shared widely on X this week, fits a documented pattern of targeting Christian girls in Pakistan. @SpiritualOSINT

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Urgent Prayer for ADF Attacks

  • Open Doors issued an urgent call for prayer regarding Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) violence in Ituri Province and other areas. Reports from early April (including Maundy Thursday attacks killing dozens of Christians) continued to circulate, with accounts of bodies transported on motorbikes and severe mutilations. Over 80 killed and hundreds kidnapped in March–early April, with displacement affecting thousands of mostly Christian farmers. Coverage this week stressed the need for international attention. opendoorsus.org +1

Other Regional Mentions and Advocacy

  • India: Persecution Relief shared updates on legal relief for pastors and believers facing charges related to worship or alleged proselytizing (some cases from mid-April). Positive notes included bail granted to believers in Uttarakhand. facebook.com
  • Iran: Discussions highlighted the resilience of the underground church amid ongoing arrests and surveillance, with one Fox News segment noting that persecution has paradoxically fueled growth in house churches. instagram.com
  • Global Context: Open Doors and ICC references to the 2026 World Watch List (released earlier) were frequently cited, noting 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for faith-related reasons in the prior reporting period (3,490 in Nigeria alone) and over 388 million facing high/extreme persecution. No new full report dropped this week, but the data framed ongoing stories. christianitytoday.com +1

These developments reflect persistent, under-reported violence and legal pressures rather than isolated spikes. Advocacy groups continue to call for prayer, sanctions on enablers, and greater international scrutiny—especially in Nigeria. For primary sources and ways to support persecuted believers, check ICC, Open Doors, or Aid to the Church in Need. Stories evolve quickly; the situation in Nigeria and the DRC remains particularly fluid.

Source: Grok on X

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2

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Suspect in custody after reported shooting at Oakland County church, police say

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One person was taken into custody after a shooting was reported on Thursday at a church in Oakland County, Michigan. In a social post, MSP says the Detroit Regional Communication Center received a call about possible shots being fired in the area of Cloverdale and Woodside avenues in Royal Oak Township. Troopers responded to the area and found broken glass from the front door of the God’s Grace Missionary Baptist Church. MSP says there were no reported injuries. First Lt. Mike Shaw says a 23-year-old man from Detroit was arrested and is being pending a review from prosecutors. Shaw says a firearm that was believed to have been used was seized.

Source: Suspect in custody after reported shooting at Oakland County church, police say – CBS Detroit

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Psalm 46:10

Christian Persecution News Roundup: April 8–15, 2026

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News Room

Christian persecution remained a significant but underreported story this week, with fresh updates centered on the aftermath of Holy Week/Easter violence in Nigeria, escalating attacks in Ethiopia, and quiet resilience in Syria. Advocacy efforts also gained attention amid broader global statistics from Open Doors’ ongoing 2026 World Watch List reporting. Here are the key verified developments from the past seven days:

Nigeria: Easter Attacks Aftermath and Funerals

  • Central Nigeria saw continued fallout from coordinated Holy Week attacks. Christians held funerals this week for victims of violence that claimed at least 157 lives in rural communities across Benue and surrounding areas during and immediately after Easter. Gunmen targeted Christian villages in what advocacy groups describe as part of a pattern of Islamist militant and bandit violence. persecution.org +1
  • On Easter Sunday (April 5, with reports emerging April 8), gunmen attacked a church congregation in Kaduna state, killing at least seven and taking 31 hostages. The Nigerian army claimed to have freed the hostages in a gunfight, but local Christian leaders disputed the account, saying the gunmen fled and the full story remains unclear. Similar incidents have been linked to Islamist militants in the region. religionmediacentre.org.uk
  • These events prompted renewed calls from U.S. figures and local bishops highlighting government inaction, though Nigerian officials rejected claims of “Christian genocide.” religionmediacentre.org.uk

Ethiopia: Rising Violence in East Arsi Zone

  • Church leaders expressed deep concern over a series of deadly attacks on Christian communities in the East Arsi Zone (Oromia Region) spanning late February through early April. Reports published this week detailed targeted violence forcing families to flee, with Islamist militants implicated in multiple incidents. This fits a broader pattern of insecurity for believers in parts of East Africa. persecution.org

Syria: Churches Resume Quiet Worship After Attack

  • Syrian churches quietly resumed meetings this week following a recent violent attack on Christian communities. The low-profile gatherings underscore ongoing security risks and displacement pressures in the post-Assad era, where minorities remain exposed. persecution.org

Holy Land/Gaza: Sombre Easter Reflections

  • Palestinian Christians in Gaza and the West Bank continued to report restrictions on access to holy sites during Easter observances, along with settler violence in the West Bank (including attacks on Christian families). Al Jazeera coverage this week highlighted a “sombre” atmosphere amid broader conflict, with some families noting relatives killed in recent strikes. aljazeera.com +2

Advocacy and Broader Context

  • Bishop Robert Barron’s new book launch (April 14): Word on Fire released What Do Their Deaths Demand?: Christian Persecution Today, drawing on reports from Nigeria, Syria, China, and North Korea. Proceeds support Aid to the Church in Need’s work with persecuted believers, particularly in Nigeria. The book was sent to every U.S. Catholic bishop and member of Congress to raise awareness. wordonfire.org +1
  • Open Doors and International Christian Concern (ICC) continued referencing 2026 data showing over 388 million Christians facing high persecution globally, with sub-Saharan Africa (especially Nigeria) as the deadliest region. No new full weekly report dropped this week, but the Easter violence reinforced the trends. instagram.com

These stories reflect persistent patterns of violence in Africa, restrictions in conflict zones, and growing advocacy pushes. Coverage was strongest in specialized Christian outlets and regional media, with limited mainstream pickup outside faith-focused circles. Organizations like ICC, Open Doors, and Aid to the Church in Need are actively monitoring and responding. For the latest on any specific incident, refer to primary sources from these groups.

Source: Grok on X

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 18:15

What Europeans Discover in America: FIFA First Impressions

There’s something fascinating about watching videos of Europeans visiting America for the first time. Many are amazed by the sheer scale of everyday life, from massive stores like Walmart and Costco, where entire aisles seem to stretch forever, to the wide highways and endless parking lots. Visitors often express surprise at iconic yellow school buses,…

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Ford recalls more than 250,000 Focus models due to engine stall risk

Ford is recalling more than 250,000 vehicles that were incorrectly repaired under a previous recall meant to fix a problem that caused the engine to stall while driving, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. The recall includes 255,404 Ford Focus automobiles, model years 2012-2018. Ford said the canister purge valve may stick…

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Stellantis recalls more than 1 million Jeeps in U.S. that could catch fire even when turned off, feds say

Chrysler’s parent company, Stellantis, says it’s recalling almost 1.08 million Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators in the U.S. due to a potential fire hazard. The company notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recall. The model years involved are 2021 – 2025. Stellantis explained in a statement to CBS News that the Jeeps “may have…

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Target voluntarily recalling 2 types of baby wipes over contamination concerns

Target is voluntarily recalling two types of baby wipes due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with bacteria that may cause “serious and life-threatening infections,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The Minnesota-based company is recalling Up and Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes and Up and Up Fresh Cucumber Scented…

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Illinois leading U.S. in tornadoes with 140 so far in 2026

Thursday night’s tornado outbreak in the Chicago area continues a concerning trend of increasing tornado frequency in the Upper Midwest. With 140 tornadoes so far this year, Illinois leads the nation in tornado count for the third of the last four years. In a distant second place is Mississippi with 82 tornadoes this year, and…

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National Weather Service confirms multiple tornadoes with Streator, Merrillville among hardest hit areas

Residents across Illinois and Indiana are cleaning up from severe damage after destructive tornadoes and severe storms hit on Thursday night.  As of Friday evening, the National Weather Service has confirmed at least seven tornado touchdowns on June 11, including an EF-3 tornado in Kouts, Indiana, an EF-3 tornado in Streator, Illinois, an EF-2 tornado in Merrillville, Indiana,…

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Elon Musk becomes the world’s first trillionaire with SpaceX’s IPO

Elon Musk has become the first person to cross the trillionaire threshold, at least on paper, after SpaceX priced its blockbuster initial public offering at $135 a share and its stock soared in its stock market debut. Before the IPO, Musk was worth an estimated $813 billion, a fortune more than twice as large as the planet’s…

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San Francisco museum exhibit highlights lowrider culture, draws in car enthusiasts

Lowrider culture took center stage at San Francisco’s de Young Museum as community members gathered to celebrate the cultural movement’s contributions to the Bay Area alongside artist Rose B. Simpson’s ongoing exhibition, “LEXICON.” The event drew car enthusiasts from across the region, including Peruvian American lowrider owner John Ugaz, a member of the car club…

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Trump says U.S. killed Tren de Aragua leader in airstrike in Venezuela

The U.S. military has killed the alleged leader of Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua, President Trump announced Friday. The president said on Truth Social that U.S. Southern Command carried out a “swift and lethal kinetic strike” to “successfully execute” Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero. The mission was “closely coordinated” with the…

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Severe thunderstorm knocks down trees, power lines in Annapolis

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San Francisco Zoo welcomes first penguin chicks in three years

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Longleat keepers ‘excited’ to care for trio of maned wolves

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Tularemia detected in Northern Colorado after dead rabbit discovered in Berthoud

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New York Nuns Face Jail Over Free Cancer Hospice After Transgender Mandate Sparks Lawsuit

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For over a century, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne have operated a free cancer hospice in New York, caring for the terminally ill without government funding or insurance. But a new state law requiring long-term care facilities to comply with transgender ideology has put the sisters’ religious mission at risk, forcing them to sue the state to protect their right to operate according to Catholic teachings.

WHY IT MATTERS

This case highlights the growing tension between expanding LGBTQ rights and the ability of religious organizations to uphold their beliefs, especially when providing essential charitable services. It raises questions about the limits of state power to enforce ideological conformity, even on institutions that serve the most vulnerable populations at no cost to taxpayers.

THE DETAILS

New York’s 2024 LGBTQ Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights mandates that all nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the state treat residents according to self-declared gender identity, use preferred pronouns, and structure operations around transgender ideology – regardless of the religious convictions of the providers. Facilities that refuse face escalating fines, license revocation, court orders, and even jail time for ‘willful’ noncompliance. In March 2024, the New York Department of Health sent the Dominican Sisters a ‘Dear Administrator’ letter outlining the state’s demands. On April 6, 2026, the Dominican Sisters filed a federal lawsuit seeking protection for their religious freedom and ability to continue their charitable hospice ministry.

Source: New York Nuns Face Jail Over Free Cancer Hospice After Transgender Mandate Sparks Lawsuit – Hawthorne Today

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7

Christian Persecution News Roundup: March 25–April 1, 2026

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Newsroom reporting BREAKING NEWS: MAJOR EARTHQUAKE STRIKES with staff at computer monitors.

Christian persecution made headlines this Holy Week, with violent attacks in Nigeria dominating coverage alongside targeted incidents in South Asia and restrictions in the Holy Land. Advocacy groups like International Christian Concern (ICC), Open Doors, and Aid to the Church in Need highlighted ongoing patterns of violence, mob attacks, and surveillance. Here are the key verified developments from the past seven days:

Nigeria: Palm Sunday Massacre in Jos

  • Gunmen attacked the predominantly Christian community of Angwan Rukuba (Ungwan Rukuba) in Jos North, Plateau State, on Palm Sunday (March 29–30). Reports confirm at least 30–53 Christians killed in the assault, which targeted villagers near a market/church area; some accounts mention machetes and gunfire. This fits a pattern of repeated attacks on Christian farming communities. persecution.org +1
  • The incident is part of escalating violence in the region, with ICC and Open Doors noting it as one of the deadliest Holy Week events. A U.S. senator (Ted Cruz) publicly warned that Nigerian officials are enabling such persecution through inaction and Sharia policies, stating Washington has identified enablers and has sanction tools ready. punchng.com
  • Local bishops described Holy Week as “not history, it is reality” for Nigerian Christians amid ongoing killings, church attacks, and displacement. churchinneed.org

Nepal: Hindu Mob Attacks Christians

  • On March 23 (reported March 31), a Hindu mob in Rautahat district confronted three Christians sharing the gospel, dragged them to a police station, and accused them of proselytizing. The incident underscores rising hostility toward religious minorities in Nepal. persecution.org

Pakistan: Christian Man Dies After Alleged Torture

  • A 22-year-old Christian man was found dead at a farmhouse in Punjab on or around March 27. Reports allege torture; the case has fueled concerns over systemic mistreatment of Christians in the country. persecution.org

Jerusalem (Holy Land): Restrictions on Palm Sunday Worship

  • On March 30 (Palm Sunday), Israeli forces denied Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa entry to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, preventing him from celebrating Mass. The International Christian Justice and Peace (ICJP) condemned it as religious persecution and an affront to freedom at one of Christianity’s holiest sites. Similar tensions were noted in Gaza and Syria. icjpalestine.com

Iran: Ongoing Pressure on Converts

  • Open Doors reported continued arrests, surveillance, and “propaganda against national security” charges against Christian converts. At least 48 believers remain imprisoned, with digital monitoring intensifying amid regional conflicts. opendoorsus.org

Other Regional Notes

  • DRC (Ituri Province): Recent attacks by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed around 50 people and displaced over 31,600 in mid-March; news broke widely this week with calls for prayer. opendoorsuk.org
  • Broader context from Open Doors and ICC: Over 388 million Christians face high persecution globally (1 in 7), with sub-Saharan Africa seeing extreme violence. No new full World Watch List update this week, but Holy Week reports emphasized prayer for the persecuted church. thecommonsense.co.za

These stories reflect persistent patterns of violence (especially in Africa), mob intimidation (South Asia), and official restrictions. Advocacy organizations continue to call for international attention and support. For full details, refer to the primary reports from ICC, Open Doors, and local outlets. Developments can evolve quickly, particularly in Nigeria.

Source: Grok on X

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

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Muslim Severely Wounds Christian Wife during Worship in Uganda

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NAIROBI, Kenya The Muslim husband of a mother of six in eastern Uganda severely wounded her this month as she was worshipping at a Bible study after he learned that she had converted to Christianity, sources said. Hajati Kyakuwa Kamiyati, 45, remains in treatment for severe injuries at Bugiri Joint Clinic after the March 11 attack during the worship in Bugiri town, in the district of the same name. Kamiyati, who made the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca last year, came to faith in Christ two months after her return

Source: Muslim Severely Wounds Christian Wife during Worship in Uganda | Christian News Network

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
Romans 7:7

Christian Persecution June 2 – May 28, 2026

Christian persecution published between May 28 and June 4, 2026. These come primarily from specialized monitoring organizations like International Christian Concern (ICC) and Global Christian Relief. No large-scale violent incidents (e.g.,…

by Drink of Jesus

Canada’s House of Commons passes ‘anti-Christian’ bill that would criminalize quoting Bible

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The majority of Canadian MPs have voted to pass a Liberal bill that will allow the criminalization of religious expression and belief when quoting parts of the Bible, including about homosexuality and gender. Early Wednesday evening, MPs from the Liberal Party and the Bloc Québécois, in a 186–137 vote, passed Bill C-9, known as the “Combatting Hate Act.” Conservatives, NDP, and Green Party MPs voted against the bill in a rare form of unity among the usually opposing parties.

Source: Canada’s House of Commons passes ‘anti-Christian’ bill that would criminalize quoting Bible – LifeSite

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem.
Proverbs 18:11

Statues at 2 Queens Catholic churches vandalized. Here’s reaction from each parish.

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The statue of St. Francis of Assisi in front of St. Rita’s Roman Catholic Church still had traces of blue paint on it Wednesday after being defaced early Saturday morning. Police said an arrow was spray painted on the statue’s pedestal — coming from the word “pagan” painted on the sidewalk. 

Source: Statues at 2 Queens Catholic churches vandalized. Here’s reaction from each parish. – CBS New York

Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
Psalm 25:4

Recent News on Christian Persecution (March 18–25, 2026)

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News Room

Recent News on Christian Persecution (March 18–25, 2026)Reports from Open Doors, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), and other monitors this week highlighted acute violence in sub-Saharan Africa, spillover effects from regional conflicts in the Middle East, and ongoing restrictions in sensitive religious sites. While no single massive new global report emerged, specific incidents and briefings underscored the continued scale of anti-Christian violence and discrimination. opendoors.org.za +1

1. Mozambique – Major Extremist Attack on Napala Village

  • Open Doors’ daily prayer point for March 25 drew urgent attention to a four-day extremist assault on Napala village in Mozambique. At least 120 Christians were killed and two churches were completely destroyed. The attack fits a pattern of targeted violence against Christian communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where Open Doors notes rising extremism. Believers are requesting prayer for strength, restoration, and healing for survivors. opendoors.org.za

2. Nigeria – High-Level Briefing on Ongoing Crisis

  • On March 24, Cardus (a Canadian think tank) hosted a special briefing in Ottawa focused on the persistent persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Speakers detailed repeated violent attacks, abductions, assaults on clergy, and destruction of places of worship by various militant groups. The event emphasized the need for international awareness and policy responses amid what advocates describe as one of the world’s deadliest environments for believers. Complementary coverage noted U.S. congressional interest and calls for sanctions. cardus.ca +1

3. Lebanon – Attacks on Christian Areas Amid Broader Conflict

  • Aid to the Church in Need reported fresh incidents in Lebanon, including two hotel attacks in Beirut (one in a predominantly Christian neighborhood) and repeated strikes on Christian villages in the south. A priest, Fr. Pierre El-Raï, was killed in a missile strike (funeral held March 11, with ongoing discussion this week). Local Christians described the violence as indiscriminate yet devastating, emptying hundreds of villages and creating widespread displacement. One leader called the situation “not a just war; it is a defeat for us all,” highlighting the vulnerability of Christian communities caught in regional tensions. churchinneed.org

4. Jerusalem – Restrictions at the Holy Fire Miracle Viewed as Persecution

  • A March 19 report detailed ongoing limitations imposed by Israeli authorities on Orthodox Christians attending the annual Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Capacity has been sharply reduced since 2022, with only a fraction of pilgrims allowed inside while others are held behind barricades. Eyewitness accounts described aggressive policing, physical prevention of entry, and differential treatment compared to other groups, framing it as a form of targeted exclusion and harassment during one of Christianity’s most significant annual events. connectthecultures.com

Broader ContextAdvocacy organizations continue to note that roughly one in seven Christians worldwide faces high levels of persecution, with sub-Saharan Africa remaining a primary hotspot for violence. No major new arrests or policy shifts in countries like Iran or China were reported in the past seven days, but the above incidents illustrate both sudden outbreaks of lethal violence and subtler forms of restriction. Groups such as Open Doors and ACN are actively providing emergency aid, documentation, and prayer support in response.

Source: Grok on X

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Galatians 3:26-27

Riverside County beekeeper loses 80 hives, millions of bees in Verona Fire

A Riverside County beekeeper says that last week’s Verona Fire, which broke out near Hemet and burned hundreds of acres, caused him to lose 80 hives and millions of bees.  Brandon Teller, of BeeDoctor Bee Removal, says the loss could have a critical impact on the region’s farmers and shoppers. “As the beekeeper, that’s devastating…

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Dems cut ties with scandal-plagued Graham Platner, warn of ‘civil war’ in party

Top Democratic officials and lawmakers are breaking with Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner as his past blunders and online history stack up.  Platner’s ascendency to the top of the ticket in Vacationland broke with the Democratic establishment in Washington, D.C., and since Maine Gov. Janet Mills exited from the race, questions about whether he is the…

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Dog shoots woman with shotgun at Nebraska convenience store

Police responding to reports of a shotgun blast at a convenience store sounds like the opening of countless American crime movies, but when cops in Nebraska responded to a recent such call they found an unusual culprit: a dog. Local TV station KNOP News 2 reported that police in the town of Scottsbluff were called…

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3 Pastors Killed Returning from Peace Conference

Three tribal church pastors from the Thadou Baptist Association (TBA) of India were killed, and four others were injured in an armed ambush on May 13 in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. Roughly 10 armed men used automatic weapons to shoot two vehicles carrying the church leaders as they returned from a peace and reconciliation conference…

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Sea lion makes splash at Monterey Bay race as it joins canoe crew

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Video shows deer breaking into Minnesota Montessori school

School was not in session over the holiday weekend, but a four-legged friend still managed to pay a visit to a Zimmerman, Minnesota, Montessori school. The entire incident lasted less than 10 minutes, but left Prairie Hill Montessori with a shattered door and quite the story to tell. “We got a call, we were up…

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Small plane crashes at Sonoma Valley Airport; 3 injured

A small plane crashed at an airport in Sonoma County on Wednesday, injuring three people, authorities said. The crash happened at about 4:20 p.m. at the Sonoma Valley Airport, also known locally as the Schellville Airport, in Sonoma. The plane ended upside down with major damage inside a watery ditch adjacent to the runway. The…

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News From Chicago

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Breaking News from around Chicago

2 men shot and killed in Greater Grand Crossing

Around 11:20 a.m., Chicago police said a group of give men approached two other men in the 7800 block of South Calumet Avenue and fired shots.  Police said it is unclear how many people in the group fired shots.  A 37-year-old man was pronounced dead a the scene with a gunshot wound.  Police said a 44-year-old man was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

Source: 2 men shot and killed in Greater Grand Crossing – CBS Chicago

12 tornadoes were produced in Indiana, Illinois during severe storms in early March, weather service says

The National Weather Service confirmed on Tuesday that 12 tornadoes were produced across Illinois and northern Indiana during a series of severe storms earlier this month. The supercell produced 10 tornadoes in Illinois and two others in northern Indiana on March 10. The most powerful tornado was an EF-3 in Kankakee County. Updated information indicated that the tornado had 160 mph winds, with a width of 15 football fields, and the path length stretched over 35 miles, according to the NWS.

Source: 12 tornadoes were produced in Indiana, Illinois during severe storms in early March, weather service says – CBS Chicago

2 men stabbed during fight on CTA Red Line train on Chicago’s South Side

Chicago police said just before 1:30 a.m., two men were riding the train in the 200 block of W. 47th St when another man approached. Police said the men got into an argument when the other man took out a sharpt object and attacked both victim.  Both victims were stabbed in the neck and taken to the University of Chicago Hospital in fair conditon. 

Source: 2 men stabbed during fight on CTA Red Line train on Chicago’s South Side – CBS Chicago

Man, 67, killed in shooting on Chicago’s Near West Side

A 67-year-old man was killed Tuesday afternoon in a shooting on Chicago’s Near West Side.

The shooting transpired at Madison and Leavitt streets, about three blocks west of the United Center. Chicago police said that at about 12:49 p.m. the man was walking on the street when he was approached by two armed suspects who pulled out guns and opened fire.

Source: Man, 67, killed in shooting on Chicago’s Near West Side – CBS Chicago

Crash-and-grab burglars smash into Chicago’s Golden Apple restaurant while it’s open

Police said three burglars crashed a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee through the front of the restaurant, and then stole an ATM once they were inside. The burglars escaped with it in a waiting black sport-utility vehicle, police said.

Source: Crash-and-grab burglars smash into Chicago’s Golden Apple restaurant while it’s open – CBS Chicago

6 wounded, including 2 Illinois State University students, in Normal, Illinois shooting

Normal police said on social media that at 2:40 a.m., they were called for multiple shots fired in the 700 block of Franklin Avenue Officers found several people outside who had been shot. Police said all six victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, though they did not specify each victim’s condition. The victims included two juvenile boys, two men, and two women, police said. Illinois State University police said on social media that two of those injured were students at the university.

Source: 6 wounded, including 2 Illinois State University students, in Normal, Illinois shooting – CBS Chicago

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem.
Proverbs 18:11

Invasive pest found on Costco plants a threat to California Wine Country vineyards, officials warn

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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara resigns after internal probe into his conduct, mayor says

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has resigned following an internal investigation into his conduct, the mayor announced Tuesday evening.  In a press conference, Mayor Jacob Frey said Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell is the acting police chief effective immediately.  In a written reprimand to the police chief, Frey said an investigation into O’Hara’s behavior found…

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Memorial Day parades taking place across NYC this weekend

Memorial Day parades are taking place all across New York City’s five boroughs this weekend. Paradegoers may want to pack their umbrella before heading out, however. Inaugural NYC Memorial Day walk Five Borough Veterans will host its first Memorial Day Walk on Sunday, uniting veterans, military families and local community members.  The free walk begins…

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Group launches database of anti-Christian violations of religious

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An advocacy group defending Judeo-Christian values in Australia has launched a database to track infringements of Christians religious freedom

Source: Group launches database of anti-Christian violations of religious | World

A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.
Psalm 112:5

Cuba holds pastor’s 16-year-old son captive amid crackdown

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A 16-year-old boy whose father leads an independent Christian church in Cuba remains in state custody after security authorities detained him during a wave of unrest and arrests

Source: Cuba holds pastor’s 16-year-old son captive amid crackdown | World

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33