09.03.2022

UN Releases Long-Awaited Report on Xinjiang, Must Now Act to Stop Uyghur Genocide

This Wednesday, after years of delay and on the final day of High Commissioner Bachelet’s tenure in office, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released the long-awaited UN report on the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Uzbekistan 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following report:

USCIRF Welcomes Xinjiang Report Released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the long-awaited release by the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) of its assessment of the human rights situation in the Xinjiang region of China.

BELARUS: Closing "one of the last remaining opportunities to seek justice"

If Parliament approves a draft Law, individuals will be stripped of the
possibility to complain to the UN Human Rights Committee about violations
of their rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights. 

Christians targeted for forced marriages in Nigeria

It’s a story many Nigerian girls and women are all too familiar with.

Laos believers lose homes due to their faith

In the landlocked, Southeast Asian country of Laos, Christians risk much to follow Jesus.

Lethal persecution on the rise in Nigeria

Violent persecution is casting a bloody shadow across Nigeria, and Christians and other religious minorities are suffering brutal consequences. 

How to protect Christ-seekers in Iran

Few would call Iran a safe place to pursue Christianity.

Christian Youth Corps Member Killed in Adamawa State, Nigeria

A Christian posted in Yola, northeast Nigeria, as part of his youth service corps duty was killed on Aug. 26 in what was suspected as a targeted attack, sources said.

ICC Helps Cover Medical Costs for Gunshot Victim in Nigeria

On August 28, 2021, radicalized Islamic Fulani militants killed Christian Melody Peter’s husband and two children, one of whom was pregnant, in an attack on Kpachudu village in northern Nigeria.

How President Biden Reneged on His Promise to Minorities in Saudi Arabia

Just days before U.S. President Biden embarked on his widely disputed diplomacy trip to Saudi Arabia in July, the President reiterated the United States’ commitment to ensuring that foreign governments would be held accountable for their serious human rights abuses. 

Indian Government Denies Persecution of Christians

Last Tuesday, the Indian government denied any persecution of Christians in the country despite dozens of reports proving otherwise. 

August Update incl. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Nicaragua, Pakistan

* BURKINA FASO [RLPB 656 (3 Aug)], where terrorism continues to escalate, particularly in the north and east, where Islamic terrorists have infested vast regions. 

USCIRF News Digest - August 30, 2022

Two More Christians Accused of Blasphemy Receive Bail

Those accused on spurious grounds spend years in jail.

This Week At ChinaAid: Arrests, Beatings & Police Abuse Against Christians

ChinaAid's media team reported on a prayer request letter from Xi'an Church of Abundance detailing horrific persecution from local police against church members. 

USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom Reforms to Egypt’s Educational Curriculum 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report titled “Assessing Religious Freedom in Egyptian Curriculum Reform.”

USCIRF Calls for Justice on Fifth Anniversary of Genocidal Campaign Against the Rohingya 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today marked the fifth anniversary of the Burmese military’s genocidal campaign against the predominantly Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine State by calling for accountability of the military junta, known as the Tatmadaw, and for an end to its brutal coup.

Christian Woman Killed at Church Site in Central Nigeria

Suspected Fulani shoot her as she cleans building for Sunday service.

Please pray for Christian victims of hate speech in Egypt and elsewhere in today's world

Our words are powerful – the Bible reminds us of this more than once. 

China 'Liquidates' House Church as Part of Crackdown

Pastors and other workers arrested.

Supreme Court of Pakistan Grants Bail in Blasphemy Case

Justice expresses concern over abuses of law.

Editorial: “We Have No Food”

This was the report of a church leader in the impoverished Christian-majority region of Matabeleland, Zimbabwe.

Islamists Behead Two Christians in Northern Mozambique

Islamist militants beheaded two Christian men during an attack on a minibus in northern Mozambique.

Myanmar Military Shell Kills Christian Father and Daughter

A shell fired by the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) killed a 13-year-old girl and her father at a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Demoso township, Kayah State, on Sunday, July 31.

Five Iranian Christians Lose Appeals Against Sentencing for Involvement in “House Churches”

An Iranian pastor and four Christian converts from Islam have lost their appeals against jail terms and fines imposed because of their involvement in “house churches.”

Iranian Christian Couple Held Following Summons to Prison

Iranian authorities have detained a Christian couple at Evin Prison, Tehran.

Indian Christians Challenge Karnataka Anti-Conversion Law

Indian Christians have launched a formal challenge against the anti-conversion law in Karnataka.

At Least Three Churches Raided in China, Multiple Leaders Arrested

Two Christians Suffered Heart Attacks during Raid

16-year-old Christian Girl Kidnapped and Forcibly Converted to Islam

Child-grooming is becoming more prevalent in Nigeria due to the government’s refusal to protect Christian girls. 

Human Rights Reporter Arrested in Nigeria

Luka Binniyat, a Nigerian Christian human rights reporter, has been arrested for writing an article criticizing the Nigerian government for not stepping up to protect Christian communities.

Christians Make Up 90% of Islamabad’s Sanitation Workers; But That’s Not the Whole Story

A recent article brought attention to the fact that 90% of Islamabad’s street cleaners are Christian.

Burma (Myanmar): Divine Intervention Needed

Before the military coup of February 2021, Chin State in western Burma was relatively peaceful, primarily because the Tatmadaw (Burma Army) had no interests in the mountainous, sparsely populated, resource-poor region. 

USCIRF News Digest - August 23, 2022

USCIRF Releases New Report Highlighting Religious Freedom in Afghanistan

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

21Wilberforce news and IRF items of interest

Why Defend the Persecuted?

Christian Parents in Pakistan Denied Custody of Kidnapped Girl

Separately, 14-year-old Nayab Gill escapes captors, sources say.

Pakistan: Christians continue to face blasphemy convictions and violent attacks

While Pakistan celebrates 75 years of independence, the Christian minority continues to face discrimination, harassment and violence because of their faith.

Hearing: Religious Freedom in Afghanistan: One Year Since the Taliban Takeover

Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual hearing that will examine Afghanistan’s freedom of religion or belief under the Taliban’s rule since its takeover of the country in August 2021.

Believers persevere amid Sri Lanka struggles

Sri Lanka is in talks with the International Monetary Fund about a bailout package. IMF officials expect to visit the South Asian nation later this month.

Terrorists Kill Christian Lawyer, Kidnap Nuns in Nigeria

ISWAP threatens to marry Christian abducted in train attack.