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child

• At Least 37 Dead in Kaduna State

  

  Two recent attacks in Kaduna State show the extent of violence facing Nigerian Christians due to the terrorism of Fulani militia groups....

  On the evening of May 11th, Fulani gunmen laid siege to the village of Gonan Rogo in the Kajuru area. Entire households were wiped out as the militants went from house to house, killing those they found. In one home, Jonathan Yakubu was slaughtered, along with his wife and three young children. In another home, a mother and child were killed, but a three-month-old baby girl miraculous survived a bullet wound to her head. The baby is now in the care of her aunt. In all, 17 people were killed that night and six injured. Ages of the victims ranged from young children to the elderly.

• Children Beaten and Threatened

  

  Christians in the village of Malasamudra, Karnataka were gathered for worship in the early morning of January 19th when 20 Hindu militants from the village came up the steps and began taking photos and videos. Those gathering attempted to stop the intruders from taking pictures of the children but were pushed away. The militants then began to beat the children while restraining the adults. The mob finally left but only after issuing a warning: "If we hear that you stepped out of your homes and told anybody about this, we will set your homes on fire and burn you alive."

• Christian Orphanage Shut Down

  

  Authorities in China's Shanxi province forcibly removed all the children from a Christian-founded orphanage on August 26th and placed them in state care instead. The Bethany Home for Children with Disabilities was founded in 1997 and, over the years, has taken in and provided for more than 100 special needs children. Most of them were abandoned by their parents because of their disabilities.

• Confiscations and Arrests Include Children

  

  Security officers raided the Faith Missions Church in Eritrea's second largest city of Keren on June 23rd, confiscating property and arresting a number of those present -- including pregnant women and children. The church has been operating in the country since the early 1950s and seeking registration since 2002. However, the government has outlawed any religious practice not associated with either the Roman Catholic, Eritrean Orthodox or Evangelical Lutheran denominations, or Sunni Islam.

• Arrests of Inquiring Loved Ones

  

  Five relatives were taken into custody after gathering outside a police station to ask about their loved ones on February 15th.

  On December 9th, around 100 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church, located in the city of Chengdu, had been taken into custody (see this report). At last report, several were still imprisoned. Concerned about the condition of their detained loved ones, and wanting more information, family members gathered outside the police station with their small children.

• Minors Banned from Religious Activities

  

  As a "semi-autonomous state" under the control of mainland China, Tibet has maintained a unique place for being predominantly Buddhist. However, since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has adopted stricter controls over religious activities, all religions in Tibet have been affected. Most recently, controls have been enforced prohibiting children from participating in any religious activities.