Tags

Destruction

• Another Church Ordered to Remove Crosses

  

  For more than 30 years, crosses were allowed to be displayed by Christian churches throughout China. However, as of 2014, the situation began to reverse. Beginning in Zhejiang Province, over 1,000 crosses were forcibly removed from Christian buildings over a three-year period. The enforcement of that campaign then spread to other provinces.

• Alleged War Crimes Against Christians

  

  Five Christians, who have been victims of persecution as a result of Myanmar's military dictatorship, recently filed a war crimes complaint in a Philippines court. Although these believers were originally from Chin state, they have emigrated to Australia, Britain, Canada and India. The alleged victims argue that a 2009 Philippine law obligates the country to prosecute war crimes committed elsewhere under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

• New Laws Tighten Grip on Churches

  

  The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has released new religious restrictions which took effect on September 1st, bringing added concerns in a country already experiencing increased repressive measures. The new rules require religious venues to submit to the leadership of the CCP and its plans for the "sinicization" of religion.

• Mass Violence After Blasphemy Accusations

  

  On August 16th, thousands of people stormed a Christian colony in Jaranwala, a town located in the Faisalabad district of Punjab. Angered by allegations of blasphemy, and spurred on by urgent announcements that had been broadcasted over mosque loudspeakers, the incited mob either damaged or utterly destroyed up to 26 church buildings and as many as 400 homes. Thankfully, there were no reports of casualties following this recent attack. Please take the time to view the informative video alert that VOMC released the next day, which includes footage of the actual attacks.

• New Life Church Building Destroyed
  

  In 2002, the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus, purchased a cowshed on the outskirts of the city in order to convert the building into a suitable place of worship for the congregation of 600 members. Since that time, the government's religious affairs department has opposed their use of the building. For more than 18 years, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has been following the plight of this church, calling for prayer as the believers continually sought to find ways to meet for services in the face of opposition.

• Church Service Stormed by Mob

  

  Police have increased security around The Voice of Jesus Church in Khokhar, Pakistan, after a mob of approximately 40 men disrupted an evening service on April 16th. Thankfully, the injuries perpetrated by the mob were minimal. Even so, the church's gates and windows were damaged during the incident, and three bullet holes were left in the outer wall of the building.

• Homes Demolished for the Second Time

  

  For the second time within the past five months, the homes belonging to a group of believers in Laos were demolished by angry villagers. The village is located in an area of the country considered a "hot spot" for persecution because of the increasing number of Christians.

• Mob Violently Protests Alleged Conversion Activities

  

  Hundreds of villagers converged on a Catholic church in the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on January 2nd. Spurred on by accusations of alleged religious conversions, the crowd entered the church building armed with wooden sticks and iron rods. Significant damage was done to the church and presbytery. Several police officers, including the district superintendent, were injured when they attempted to intervene.

• Believers Caught Between Fighting Rebels

  

  For many years, the people of the Central African Republic have endured civil war as rebel groups fought against the ruling government. To further complicate the situation, two major factions in the conflict are the predominantly Muslim Séléka group and a primarily Christian group known as the anti-balaka militias. Both of these rival groups are strongly influenced by animism and ongoing tribal conflicts, but the troubles include tensions between Islam and Christianity.

• Structure Used for Underground Church Demolished

  

  The meeting place of an underground Catholic church in Youtong, Hebei Province, was demolished by authorities on June 27th. According to Dong Baolu, the bishop of the church, the raid took place while he was in the hospital for a medical checkup. The timing of the government-sanctioned action was arranged by concerned church members to keep Bishop Dong from being arrested.

• Four Churches Encounter Harassment

  

  Since the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine came under the control of Russian-backed separatists in 2014, Christians in the area have faced severe restrictions from military leaders. Today, as the Russian invasion takes further control of eastern Ukraine, it is expected that similar religious constraints will expand to all areas of Russian occupation. For more information on the persecution experienced by Christians residing in eastern Ukraine, go to our list of reports.

• Inaction Against Accused Police Officer

  

  On February 5th, the thatched-roof building where Christians in Kistaram, Chhattisgarh, used to gather for worship had been burned to the ground. Investigations suggest that an opposing local police officer named Bhavesh Shinde was responsible for the crime. (To review information provided in our initial report on the attack, go to our country report.)

• Court Orders Partial Destruction

  

  A court in the Sudanese city of Khartoum Bahri has ordered the partial demolition of the Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church, effectively blocking the only entry point to the building. The church has faced several court challenges in the past. In 2013, the government imposed a committee upon the church, which then sold part of its land to investors. That committee was later ruled illegal by the court. Since that time, however, various buildings were destroyed and church members have subsequently been arrested and fined for protesting the illegal sales of their properties (read more).

• Boarding School Attacked by Jihadists

  

  For several years, Burkina Faso has faced civil unrest, particularly due to al-Qaeda and Islamic State factions. Dissatisfaction over the government's lack of response to the jihadist crisis has led to mounting tensions which ultimately brought about a military coup on January 23rd.

• Church Buildings Destroyed by Militants

  

  In two separate incidents that took place on February 5th, church buildings in India were destroyed by those opposed to Christian ministry. One of the demolished churches was a Catholic place of prayer and hospitality that is located near the city of Mangalore, Karnataka; the other was a Protestant place of worship in the village of Kistaram, Chhattisgarh. For previous reports addressing the persecution of Christians in India, go to our country report.

• Cross Removed During Church Opening

  

  The Church of the Nazarene is the only place of worship in Tibba Sultanpur, a large town located in Pakistan's Punjab province. Initially, the members of this church had been meeting in homes, but when the congregation increased in size to about 80 members, there was the need to accommodate the growth by constructing a building for corporate worship. According to Pastor Yaqoob, neighbours had been informed of the building plans in advance. Since there was no opposition to the church's plans of construction, they proceeded to erect the brick building in July.

• Church Faces Ongoing Oppression

  

  For several weeks, a small church in Suandrapara, a village of southeastern Bangladesh, has been facing threats from militant Buddhists who were attempting to coerce the Christians to return to Buddhism, even though many of the churchgoers had converted several years before. As a result of the oppression, most of the 50 members of the Bangladesh Tribal Baptist Church have been forced to stay away from their homes for fear of attack.

• Christian Leader Beaten for Protesting Church Burning

  

  The ninth church building within the past two years was set ablaze in Sudan on January 3rd, 2021. In the weeks leading up to the recent arson attack, hate messages against the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) in the rural Tambul area of Al Jazirah state were circulating on social media, calling for action against Christians. Pastor Jubrial Tutu describes the incident as direct persecution. According to Rev. Kuwa Shamal, head of the SCOC, the attackers "targeted the church because they do not want to see any sign of the cross in the area."

• Congregants Evicted After Nearly 20-Year Struggle

  

  In 2002, the New Life Church purchased a cowshed on the outskirts of Minsk, Belarus, for use as a church building. All government agencies approved the change of use, except for officials of the religious affairs department who repeatedly blocked the process. Harassment from this department has continued for several years.

• Five Church Buildings Burned

  

  Five church buildings were destroyed by fire in the town of Otamba, Kisii County, between January 21st and 26th, causing great concern among the residents of the community. While ten people were arrested shortly afterwards, the motive behind the attacks is unknown at this point.