Tags

defamation

• Sisters Accused of Blasphemy

  

  On August 6th, Mohammad Haider claimed that he saw a Christian woman named Sonia Masih putting trash into a bag and then disposing of it. The Muslim man said that when he looked inside the trash bag, it contained ruined pages of the Quran. The next day, Mohammad went to Sonia's home to further investigate the situation, taking two other community members with him. He alleged that Sonia's sister, Saima, had made some inappropriate religious comments to them during the visit, leading the Muslim men to contend that the two Christian sisters committed blasphemy.

• Pastor Faces Threats of Arrest

  

  According to recent reports, pressure appears to be mounting against Rahymjan Borjakov, a 44-year-old pastor who leads an unregistered church in Turkmenistan. While nothing definite has been announced, sources indicate that the Christian leader's arrest may be imminent amid repeated threats from the authorities.

• Couple's Christian Marriage Considered Legally Adulterous

  

  A married Christian couple in Sudan are currently on trial and, if convicted, could face 100 lashes, along with expulsion from the area. Hamouda and Nada were charged with adultery after a court ruled that their marriage was not valid. A hearing on their case is scheduled for May 12th. (For more details leading up to the current trial, see this story.) The Christian couple has been facing increasing pressure and threats, in particular from Nada's brother, who initiated the original charges against them.

• Blasphemy Charges for Alleged Facebook Post

  

  Fansan Shahid, a 54-year-old Christian from Gujranwala in Punjab Province, is in federal custody with charges predicated on a blasphemous comment he allegedly made in a Facebook post during 2019. Fansan was arrested just after midnight on March 16th when more than a dozen police officers stormed into his house and began beating him before taking him into custody.

• Pastor Beaten Over Conversion Allegations

  

  On the morning of February 25th, Pastor Kelom Kalyan Tet was returning from visiting a friend when he was accosted on a street in South Delhi by a mob. Accusing the pastor of illegal conversion activities, they began to beat him. The assailants took his bag, which contained his phone, papers and Bible, and tied him to a road divider at a busy intersection. They continued to abuse him, beating him and tearing his clothes while forcing him to chant "Jai Shri Ram," a Hindu slogan of devotion.

• Two Christians Charged with Blasphemy

  

  Two Christian men were reading the Bible aloud at a public park in Lahore, Pakistan, on February 13th when they were confronted by opposing Muslims. According to reports, Haroon Ayub Masih and his friend Salamat Mansha Masih were approached by Haroon Ahmad and his friends, who told the evangelical believers to stop what they were doing. Haroon Ayub and Salamat then offered them a Christian book titled, Water of Life.

• Nurse Beaten After Blasphemy Allegation

  

  A Christian nurse, known for her Gospel singing, has been charged with blasphemy against Islam. Tabitha Nazir Gill was accused by a co-worker on January 28th after a dispute.

  The head nurse at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital had issued orders that nurses were not to receive any cash from patients. When one of the nurses was seen collecting money, Tabitha reminded her of the policy; at which time, Tabitha encountered an attack and then was accused of inciting violence, along with blasphemy. Video footage has been released showing Tabitha being beaten, tied up, and locked in a room until police arrived.

• Mary Mohammadi Faces New Arrest

  

  Fatemeh (Mary) Mohammadi is a Christian blogger who has openly expressed her concerns over the human rights abuses in Iran. She was previously imprisoned for being a member of a house church. In April 2020, she received a suspended sentence, plus ten lashes for "disturbing public order" (see this report).

• Call to Expel All Christians

  

  A video from a Muslim cleric has gone viral in Pakistan, promoting hatred towards Christians and demanding that all of them be thrown out of the country. Referring to the followers of Jesus as "the worst infidels of the universe," the cleric speaking in the video declares that "Christians have no right to live in this Islamic country."

• Accused as Criminals for Bible Distribution

  

  When missionaries first arrived in Korea in the late 19th century, they discovered that the Gospel message had already preceded them. Koreans who had been assisting with Bible translation in China consequently came to faith in Christ. By smuggling portions of the New Testament into their homeland, they were also able to lead others to Christ. The resulting believers came to be known as "Bible Christians."