Tag: Christian Persicution

Jordan Church Attack Survivor Says Her Cousin Died before Her Eyes

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flag of jordan hanging on exterior wall of a building

When gunmen opened fire on a church in Jordan, Sahar al-Halsa hid behind a pillar as she heard the shooting and people screamed in panic during a funeral service for her cousin’s daughter. When she rushed ‌outside in the chaos, she said she spotted the assailants and another cousin ​lying on the ground wounded. “I went to him and said: ‘Assem, Assem, my darling, answer me’,” she said. She said he opened his eyes to look ⁠at her, but then “he was gone.” Friday’s attack on the Greek Orthodox place of worship ​in Karak governorate, about 120 km (75 miles) southwest of the capital Amman, prompted King Abdullah, a ⁠US partner in the fight against Islamist militant groups, to order security forces to respond with an “iron fist” to what authorities described as extremist terrorism.

PRIEST SENDS MESSAGE OF LOVE AND PEACE Nine people died in the shooting that witnesses ‌said lasted for several minutes. The funeral services were held on Sunday. Forty people ​were wounded in ‌the rare attack on minority Christians. Speaking from her home, from where the red dome of St George’s church is visible, al-Halsa concluded ‌that God must have saved her. “My life starts now, because I was going to die,” she said, speaking beside her husband Ziad al-Halsa. A statue of Jesus on a cross ⁠was displayed on a shelf. Authorities have said ‌they are still searching for ⁠the attackers, adding it was too early to determine whether they had links to known groups inside or outside Jordan.

There ⁠has ⁠been no immediate claim of responsibility. Ziad said he ran the short distance to the church after he heard the gunfire, describing ‌the overwhelming sense of relief when he realized Sahar, who he described as “the love of his life,” was safe. “To my cousins, may God have mercy on them,” he said. Such attacks are highly ‌unusual in ​Jordan, a relatively stable state in ‌the Middle East, though authorities there say they have foiled several Islamist plots in recent years. Speaking ahead of the funerals, priest Yuhanna Hamati said: “Our message from ​this church, from this place where this horrific crime was committed, is a message of love, peace, and reassurance. A message that we send to the whole world.”

Source: UPDATE 1-Jordan Church Attack Survivor Says Her Cousin Died before Her Eyes | Newsmax.com

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

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Burmese Military Occupying Two Churches in Kachin State

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According to civil society sources, militias associated with the Burmese military dictatorship operating in Kachin state are using church grounds for military purposes. The U.S.-based Burma Research Institute (BRI) verified reports of a militia graduation ceremony at Nant Mun Baptist Church in Mohnyin Township.  A building of St. Joseph’s Catholic church was also being used as a militia headquarters, and militia troops ransacked another building in the same complex. The Kachin ethnic community is made up mostly of Christians, and Kachin State stands out in Myanmar for its unusually strong Christian demography. 

The Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) conducted the ceremony in September. Sources familiar with the situation told BRI that militia members danced and drank alcohol inside the sanctuary during the event.  The incident is part of a broader pattern of military occupation and mistreatment of Christian religious sites in Kachin State, where fighting has displaced much of the local population.  According to UCA News, joint forces of the SNA and Burma’s military have occupied both Nant Mun Baptist Church and the compound of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. The SNA has also used the Baptist church as a military training site; sources report that six batches of recruits have trained there. The SNA, which represents the predominantly Buddhist Shanni ethnic group, is aligned with the military junta and has fought against other ethnic armed organizations, including the Kachin Independence Army.

Joint military-SNA forces advanced into Nantmun in late 2024, forcing hundreds of Christian households to flee. Residents now report that only about 80 Kachin Christian households remain in the town, many unable to relocate because of financial constraints and restrictions on movement.  Kachin Christian leaders in the United States have condemned the occupation of the church and urged the Trump administration to respond.  “I extend my prayers and solidarity to Nant Mun Baptist Church and the Kachin Baptist Convention. I also condemn, in the strongest terms, the Burmese military’s ongoing and severe violations of religious freedom in Burma,” said Zo Tum Hmung, president and CEO of BRI.  Rev. Dr. La Seng Labya, president of the Kachin American Baptist Association, urged the Trump administration to protect Christians in Burma.

Rev. Lakang Dau Qae, general secretary of Kachin Baptist Churches USA, called on the White House to redesignate Burma as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), the U.S. government’s designation for governments responsible for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.  The church desecration comes amid other reported restrictions on Kachin Christians. On June 9, Burma’s military-controlled Supreme Court issued an order revoking the licenses of three Baptist pastors to solemnize Christian marriages.   Christian leaders have faced personal persecution for speaking out against the junta. Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson, former head of the Kachin Baptist Convention, met with President Donald Trump at the White House in July 2019 to discuss the persecution of Christians in Burma. He was later arrested and sentenced by a military-regime court to six years in prison, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). He has since been released. 

Burma was designated a CPC from 1999 through 2023 because of severe religious freedom violations but has not been redesignated since. In its 2026 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department restore the designation.  A CPC designation could provide a basis for further U.S. diplomatic and economic measures against the military regime, including targeted sanctions and restrictions on assistance.  For Kachin Christians displaced from their homes and unable to return, the occupation of their churches represents another blow to communities already struggling to preserve their religious life amid years of conflict. Their leaders are now asking Washington to respond not only to the desecration of a sanctuary but also to the wider pattern of persecution that continues to threaten religious freedom in Burma. 

Source: Burmese Military Occupying Two Churches in Kachin State – International Christian Concern

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.
Romans 2:12

Hunted for Following Jesus

In some communities, Muslims who leave Islam to follow Christ face rejection, threats, violence, and even death because of their faith. For Muslim-background believers, choosing to follow Jesus can…

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Hunted for Following Jesus

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In some communities, Muslims who leave Islam to follow Christ face rejection, threats, violence, and even death because of their faith. For Muslim-background believers, choosing to follow Jesus can place their lives at serious risk. This is what happened to Mugambo Ismail, a Muslim-background believer in Bundibugyo, Western Uganda, who survived a violent attack after choosing to follow Jesus Christ.  On Sept. 22, Ismail narrowly escaped death after a group of Muslim men seized him. “They tied me up and ordered me to deny Jesus,” Ismail said. “When I saw them holding swords, ready to slaughter me, I knew I was about to die.” 

Ismail said the incident occurred at around 8:30 p.m. as he returned home from evening prayers. He said the assault was a planned operation involving individuals associated with a local mosque.  “I was carrying a Bible; they tore it into pieces,” he said. “They held me tight, took me to a cocoa plantation, tied my hands, and told me to deny Jesus, or else I will die. They were holding swords, wanting to slaughter me alive. I knew that my life was finished. They were shouting, ‘Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!’ I pushed one of them and started running helplessly.”  With his hands restrained, he ran for his life, screaming desperately for help until his cries eventually attracted the attention of neighboring Christians, who intervened and rescued him from the attackers.  Increased Threats Rev. Job Thema, the overseer of Berea Pentecostal Church, has expressed grave concern over the reported threats facing Christian converts in the region.  

He indicated that the growing number of Muslims embracing Christianity has created heightened tensions, with converts reportedly becoming targets of intimidation and violence.  “Every convert is now in danger,” Rev. Thema said. “We are bringing people to Jesus Christ, but some of them are facing threats simply because they have chosen to follow him. There are plans to terminate the lives of those who have accepted Christ, and this is deeply worrying.”  After the attack, Ismail reportedly took refuge in another village. He remains concerned for his safety and fears that those responsible for the attack may attempt to locate him again.  “I cannot go back home,” he said. “These people are still looking for me. I survived because Christians came to rescue me, but I do not know what will happen if they find me again.” 

Source: Hunted for Following Jesus – International Christian Concern

To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Proverbs 21:3

Great Value and Trader Joe Fruit Recall

October 02, 2026. Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., San Carlos, Chile expands its previously initiated recalls on July 3, 2026 and September 3,2026 recall of frozen organic IQF blueberries and berry…

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Christian’s Death Sentence Upheld in Pakistan

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In 2018, two Christian brothers were sentenced to death over allegations of blasphemy. After about a decade of fighting for their freedom, one brother was acquitted by Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Oct. 7. The other brother, however, is still on death row.  According to Section 295-C of the country’s penal code in Section 295-C, blasphemy against Muhammad is a crime punishable by death: “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.” 

Qaisar Ayub, 49, had run a website that spoke out against Islam. He said he had stopped publishing in 2009, but another individual continued running the account under his name. The content caused conflicts between Qaisar and his coworkers, leading to the blasphemy allegations and eventually to charges.  Qaisar was arrested and sentenced to death in 2018. His brother, Amoon Ayub, 46, was given the same sentence for his alleged involvement in his brother’s affairs.  Seeking Mercy CLAAS, an organization that supports victims of religious persecution, has represented their case since the beginning, fighting to appeal before a higher court. “Because of threats from hardliners, lower courts pass their responsibility to the higher court, and then it takes years to prove the accused innocent,” CLAAS-UK director Nasir Saeed said at the time. 

They appealed to the Lahore High Court in 2022, and the court upheld their sentence. Since last year, they have been appearing before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Earlier this month, the court upheld Ayub’s conviction but found insufficient evidence to continue punishing his brother.  He has been acquitted, but Qaisar’s wife and three children still hold their breath and pray for his release. CLAA-UK said the ruling is “deeply distressing” and it will continue to support him for as long as it takes.  “We welcome the acquittal of Amoon Ayub after so many years of imprisonment, but our relief is overshadowed by the devastating news that his brother Qaiser continues to face the death penalty,” Saeed said. “No family should have to live for so many years under the shadow of a possible execution.” 

Source: Christian’s Death Sentence Upheld in Pakistan – International Christian Concern

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8

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Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate her contacts…

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24 South Korean Christians Arrested at Nepalese Bible College

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Nepalese Police have arrested 24 South Korean Christians after complaints were lodged against them for “illegal religious teaching, training, and promotion.” Sources in Nepal and South Korea state that the Koreans were arrested at a gathering at the Nepal New Covenant College (NNCC) in Morang District on Oct. 9. NNCC Principal Sarad KC told UCA News that “the visitors were interacting with believers inside a local bible college and not preaching or sharing the gospel in public with the intention of proselytization. The arrest raises fears over targeted hostility towards Christians by the state.”

The NNCC has been teaching theological courses for Nepalese Christians since 2013.  A Negative Trend This incident is yet another example of the growing hostilities toward active Christianity in Nepal. Nepal is more than 80% Hindu and has a relatively small yet fast-growing Christian population of about 1.5 million people (5% of the total population).   Unlike Christians in the neighboring state of India, believers in Nepal have, until recently, been more protected from state-sanctioned discrimination and violence. However, the tide is turning as the persecution that Indian Christians have known for some time slowly bleeds across the border. Several reports have suggested that proximity to India is not the only reason for this shift.

Some evidence suggests that funds have been sent directly from the pro-Hindu nationalists who control India into Nepal, resulting in increased violence toward religious minorities. Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists have seen their sacred buildings, holy ceremonies, and specific individuals targeted by the Hindu majority.  Additionally, there have been increasing reports of South Korean Christians and missionaries being arrested, detained, and discriminated against in Nepal, Russia, and other nations. 

Source: 24 South Korean Christians Arrested at Nepalese Bible College – International Christian Concern

But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Mark 13:11

For God so Loved the World

“God loved you enough to send His Son, Jesus loved you enough to give His life, and through faith, you are offered a hope this world can never…

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2 Timothy 3:12 

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted Paul was reminding Timothy that following Christ does not guarantee an easy life. When we…

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John 15:18–20

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own;…

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Galatians 1:6-10

“When truth becomes negotiable, faith becomes vulnerable so know the Gospel, stand on God’s Word, and seek His approval above the world’s applause.” “I am astonished that you…

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