10.28.2023

Please pray for Pastor Keshav Acharya in Nepal

Pray today for Pastor Keshav Acharya in Nepal, who is in prison for proselytising (converting or attempting to convert another person).

Church planters work as “sheep among wolves” in Holy Land

Israel begins ground strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is preparing for a ground incursion but won’t specify how or when it will occur.

25 years of the International Religious Freedom Act and why it matters

The International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) turns 25 today.

Christian Doctor Slain in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Motive of attack unclear.

KYRGYZSTAN: Six-month jail term for questioning official religious policy

For the second time, a court in the northern Chuy Region has convicted
Protestant Aytbek Tynaliyev of "inciting religious enmity" for social media
posts where he shared his faith and questioned the authorities' religious
policy.

USCIRF Condemns Nicaragua’s Expulsion of Arbitrarily Detained Priests  

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the Nicaraguan government’s expulsion of ten arbitrarily detained Catholic clergymen featured in USCIRF’s Frank R. Wolf Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List: Jaime Iván Montesinos Sauceda, Fernando Zamora Silva, Osman José Amador Guillén, Eugenio Rodríguez Benavides, Julio Ricardo Norori, Iván Centeno, Cristóbal Gadea, Álvaro Toledo, Ramón Esteban Angulo Reyes, and Yesner Cipriano Pineda Meneses. 

Nigerians in Plateau State Seek Justice for Massacre Six Years Ago

Six years after a massacre of 29 Christians in a small community in Plateau State, Nigeria, residents are still waiting for justice.

Palestine: At Least 19 Christians Killed in Gaza Church Strike

An explosion Thursday night at St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City destroyed the church’s assembly hall, injuring and killing dozens of people inside.  

ADF Kills Three in Uganda After Foiled Church Bombing Attempt

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed two foreign nationals and a Ugandan in Kasese District, western Uganda on Tuesday, October 17, according to reports. 

Viral Video: Residents Clash Over Church Worship in Indonesia

A recent video of residents’ actions to stop church congregation worship activities went viral on social media

Christian Co-ed Kidnapped, Forced to Convert in Nigeria

University aiding in forcible Islamization, watchdog group says.

Indonesia: Islamisation Advanced and Spreading

On Friday 6 October a large crowd of fundamentalist Muslims took to the streets in Parepare, South Sulawesi, to protest the decision of the district representative council to grant permission for a Christian school. 

USCIRF News Digest - October 24, 2023

OCCUPIED UKRAINE: Detained, fined, ordered "deported"

On 22 September, Telmanovo District Court in Russian-occupied Donetsk
Region found two priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine guilty of
violating Russian law on missionary activity. 

The impact of war in Israel: “It’s affecting every part of our society.”

Israel’s pending ground offensive into Gaza and growing tensions with other neighboring countries all point to potentially long-term conflict in the region.

Christian Couple Accused of Blasphemy Win Bail in Pakistan

Police show undue haste in filing case, attorney says.

Freed American missionary pilot back in US; case ongoing in Mozambique

Nearly one year after his wrongful arrest in Mozambique, American missionary pilot Ryan Koher is finally back in the United States along with his wife, Annabel, and their two young sons.