Tags

2019-12-05

• Fourteen Killed in Church Attack

  

  Fourteen church members, including five boys, were shot to death on December 1st. The attack happened in the small town of Hantoukoura in eastern Burkina Faso. The church had gathered together for worship when gunmen entered, ordering all the men and boys out of the building. They were forced to the ground, had their heads covered, and then killed one at a time.

• Evangelical Church Not Allowed

  

  Authorities in the town of Debarq (also spelled Debark) have told an evangelical fellowship group that they are no longer permitted to meet. The town, which consists of 25,000 citizens, is considered holy by members of the dominant Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and religious leaders have put on pressure to prevent any other religious group from being established. Another church was burned in 2008 and, over time, most evangelical believers have moved to the city of Gondar, located about 80 kilometres to the south.

• Five Released from Prison

   

  

  In 2008, the Indian state of Odisha (formerly known as Orissa) erupted in religious violence after the assassination of a popular Hindu swami. Though Maoist rebels claimed responsibility, blame was quickly placed on Christians in the area. In the days and weeks that followed, hundreds of Christians were massacred and thousands displaced due to mob violence. Over the years, the Voice of the Martyrs Canada has been providing support for many children whose parents were killed in the attacks.