The Persecution Times » Archive
Sri Lanka Curfews Called ‘Direct Attack’ on Christians
SRI LANKA (ANS) — The latest restrictions on the people of Sri Lanka’s freedom has been called a “direct attack” on Christians’ ability to hold prayer meetings. “We are desperately praying for peace in our country,” wrote Lal Vanderwall, head of Gospel for Asia’s ministry in Sri Lanka. “The country’s situation is going from bad to worse.” On May 6, several GFA Bible college students were returning from a school break when railway officials openly harassed and humiliated them. The students can no longer share the Gospel publicly because of frequent similar incidents. Sri Lanka’s unstable political situation has also affected much of daily life. Inflation is a big problem, and Lal says the cost of living is going up “day by day.” Now, the police are restricting citizens’ abilities to move around. “Even if … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christian, Gospel for Asia, Persecution, Sri Lanka
Hindu radicals attacked Bible school students in Karnataka
By James Varghese Special to ASSIST News Service KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) — Fifteen Indian Bible college students were beaten up by Hindu radicals on Saturday, May 24, according to www.persecution.in, the website of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). Their story said that on Saturday, around fifteen students from Timothy Theological College, Bellary, Karnataka and the college, lecturer, Dr. Issac Namadevu, were beaten up at Sathyanarayanapettai in Bellary district of Karnataka state in India. The site reported that the incident took place at around 12.30 pm as a group of 20 members belonging to Hindu radical groups, namely Hindu Jagarna Vedike (Hindu Enlightenment Group) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) barged into the rented building of the church-cum-bible college and attacked the students of the school. The site also reported that a lecturer … Read entire article »
Filed under: Assist News Service, Christian, HIndu, India, Persecution
Algerian Court Pressures Woman to Renounce Christianity
Compass Direct News reports that An Algerian public prosecutor has demanded a three-year sentence for a convert to Christianity in western Algeria for practicing her faith “without license.” Habiba Kouider, 35, was plucked off an inter-city bus outside of her home town of Tiaret on March 29 when police found several Bibles and books on Christianity in her hand bag. Held for 24 hours and interrogated by police regarding her conversion, Kouider was eventually brought before a state prosecutor. “You reinstate Islam and I will [drop the case]; if you persist in sin you will undergo the lightning of justice,” the prosecutor told her, according to French daily Le Figaro. Algerian daily el Watan reported on Wednesday (May 21) that Kouider “refused to give up her new faith under the pressure,” prompting the prosecutor … Read entire article »
Filed under: Algeria, Christian, Muslim, Persecution
Pakistani Christian man flees home after blasphemy accusation
By Sheraz Khurram Khan Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan ATTOCK, PAKISTAN (ANS) — A Pakistani Christian armament factory worker has fled his home after his Muslim co-workers accused him of blasphemy. Nazim, a Christian resident of the area told ANS that Danish, 25 was very much upset as the Muslim co-workers had been targeting his Christian faith for last several days. “Danish kept it to himself. His Muslim co-workers accused him of committing blasphemy when he asked them to stop criticizing his religion”, Nazim told ANS. As the word of his alleged blasphemy spread out, hundreds of Muslim factory workers gathered in the factory but Danish managed to escape as the managing director of the factory calmed down the charged workers, he said. Jagdeesh Kumar, 22, a Hindu, was beaten to death by … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christian, Compass Direct, Muslim, Pakistan, Persecution
Christian School Teacher Attacked by Hindu Radicals in India
By James Varghese Special to ASSIST News Service ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) — A vacation Bible school was recently attacked by radical Hindu activists. According to a news report carried by Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) on their website www.persecution.in, the May 16 attack was carried out by these groups; Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks (RSS, National Volunteer Servants) and Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP, an Indian political party. The attack occurred at a village called Krishnadasanapalli,Chittoor District, in Andhra Pradesh. According to the story on www.persecution.in, the Andhra Pradesh BJP State Secretary Jaya Pratap led a group of 20 RSS/BJP activists to the vacation Bible school being conducted by a Christian woman. It was also reported the radicals took police officers with them and filed a case against the teacher. In addition, they verbally abused her and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christian, Compass Direct, HIndu, India, Persecution
