Christian Converts in Iran Face Risk of Harsh Punishment Over Faith Activities

Christian Converts in Iran Face Risk of Harsh Punishment Over Faith Activities

Several Iranian Christians sentenced for their faith have been imprisoned in recent days, with additional believers facing harsh penalties, according to Article 18, an organization that monitors religious freedom violations in Iran. The group reported that two Christian converts were taken into custody on Dec. 16 and Dec. 20, while another Christian woman was ordered to begin serving a lengthy prison sentence just days before Christmas.
  • Sudan Drone Attack Kills 11 Christians Traveling to Christmas Service
    A drone attack attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces on Christmas Day left at least 11 Christians dead as they traveled to attend holiday services in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, local sources reported. An area Christian lawyer said the victims were among a group walking toward the Episcopal Church of Sudan in the Julud area.
  • ‘God Has Not Forgotten Venezuela’: Evangelical Leaders Call for Prayer After U.S. Operation
    President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces carried out what he described as a decisive military operation in Venezuela early Saturday, an action that administration sources said followed months of strategic pressure on the socialist government. According to Trump, the operation involved targeted explosions and the deployment of aircraft in Caracas and ended with the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown out of the country.

Syria Foils Islamic State Plot Targeting Churches on New Year’s Eve

Syrian authorities say they disrupted an Islamic State plan to carry out coordinated attacks against churches and public gatherings during New Year’s Eve celebrations, prompting heightened security measures around houses of worship. The Interior Ministry said intelligence indicated that Islamic State militants were preparing “suicide operations and attacks targeting New Year’s celebrations in a number of governorates,
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  • Pakistani Court Acquits Christian Accused of Blasphemy After Facebook Bible Post

    A Pakistani court acquitted a Christian man of blasphemy charges in September, but the decision was kept private for weeks out of fear for his safety, according to his legal counsel. Sargodha Magistrate Syed Faizan-e-Rasool cleared 47-year-old Haroon Shahzad on Sept. 27 after the original complainant, Muhammad Imran Ladhar, withdrew the accusation he filed on June 30, 2023, attorney Aneeqa Maria confirmed. 

  • York St John University Allows Controversial LGBTQ Nativity Play

    York St John University is facing criticism from Christian students and observers after permitting a controversial Nativity-themed stage production that some allege discriminates against Christianity under the banner of artistic expression. The production, titled “A Gay in a Manger,” was developed by the university’s LGBTQ network and reimagines the Nativity story with overtly sexualized and politicized elements.

  • Advocates Warn of Possible ‘Christmas Massacre’ Against Nigerian Christians

    A religious freedom advocate is sounding the alarm over what he describes as credible intelligence pointing to a possible new wave of mass violence against Christians in Nigeria around Christmas, warning that the scale could rival or exceed previous atrocities. The warning was issued during an Emergency Summit on Crimes Against Christians held at the U.S. Capitol last Tuesday.

  • Five Men Arrested in Germany Over Alleged Islamist Plot Targeting Christmas Market

    Authorities in Germany have detained five men accused of preparing an Islamist-inspired vehicle assault on a Christmas market in the country’s south, a plot officials say was intended to cause mass casualties. According to the BBC, the suspects — three Moroccan nationals, an Egyptian citizen, and a Syrian man — were taken into custody on Friday for allegedly conspiring to drive a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in the Dingolfing-Landau region of Bavaria.

  • As Britons Leave Christianity, Many Turn to Paganism and Spiritualism: Study

    A recent study suggests that a significant share of people in the United Kingdom who depart from Christianity are choosing  paganism or other forms of spiritualism rather than converting to any of the world’s major religions. According to the data, 44% of participants reported that they had left Christianity, compared to 17% who said they had recently become Christians. Another 39% said they had adopted atheism or agnosticism.

  • Christians Across India Unite in Delhi to Condemn Escalating Violence and Persecution

    Around 2,000 Christians from across India gathered in New Delhi to protest what they describe as rising, sustained and systematic violence against their minority community. Representing more than 200 denominations, civil society organizations and legal advocacy groups, the participants assembled on Nov. 29 under the banner of the National Christian Convention, reaffirming their commitment to the Indian Constitution and calling for unity, justice and hope.

  • 8 Colombian Christian Leaders Executed by Armed Men; Authorities Charge FARC Dissident

    Newly uncovered video footage appears to show eight Christian leaders being transported by armed men along a Colombian river shortly before they were executed and buried in a mass grave. The footage was recovered from the mobile phone of an alleged dissident of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who is now facing charges related to the killings.

  • Canadian Lawmakers Move to Remove Religious Protections from Hate Speech Laws

    Canadian lawmakers appear poised to eliminate longstanding religious protections from the nation’s hate speech statutes. A shift that critics warn could expose Christians to prosecution for expressing biblical views on marriage, sexuality, and other faith-based beliefs.
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