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Discrimination

• Day of Prayer for Peace

  

  The nation of Myanmar, also referred to as Burma, has dominated the news in recent days, following a recent military coup. On February 1st, the military seized control just as a new session of parliament was set to open. Thousands of citizens have risen up in protest, but the military has reacted with extreme force, resulting in the deaths of many civilians. In the midst of the fierce oppression, and at the risk of their lives, the people of Myanmar are continuing in the outcry for a return to democracy.

• Christians Expelled and Homes Destroyed

  

  Evangelical Christians in the San Cristóbal municipality of Chiapas State have faced opposition from other villagers for several years. In May 2016, 84 homes in the area were looted and partially destroyed, forcibly displacing 350 evangelicals. A year ago, these believers were prevented from constructing a church building and again forced to leave. In the latest incident, the homes of five Christian families in the community of Mitzitón were destroyed on January 10th, and 30 people were expelled.

• Increasing Pressure from Hindu Nationalists

  

  For many years, the Hindu Nationalist organization RSS has been an influential factor in Indian politics, particularly within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). One of the goals of the RSS is to change India from a secular democracy to a nation governed by Hindu polity. One way this is being achieved is through the passing of anti-conversion laws to prevent people from converting from Hinduism.

• Teachers Forced to Deny Religious Beliefs

   

  

  Authorities in Wenzhou City have recently mandated that all teachers must sign a "Public Pledge Form." The document forbids educators from professing any religious beliefs and also demands that they agree not to engage in any practice or propagation of religion. Along with these enforced requirements, they must also support Marxist socialist principles.

• Registration Applications Denied

  

  Although religious communities in Uzbekistan would like to obtain official permission (to exist), as required by the state, all their applications have been blocked. Protestant churches, Shia Muslim communities, along with groups of other minority religious affiliation, have not only had their registrations denied, but now they are being subjected to subsequent fines, torture and other punishments.

• Church Leadership Assembly Forced to Cancel

  

  Vietnam's largest evangelical church group has called off its assembly to elect new leaders after the Vietnamese government denied permission to hold the meeting. The Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South) announced on November 25th that the gathering scheduled for early February was being postponed. That same day, the government's Bureau of Religious Affairs released a statement urging the ECVN(S) to observe Article 34 of the Law on Belief and Religion in order to hold the assembly.

• Churches Closed by Pandemic Remain Unopened

   

  

  As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world, places of worship in many nations have been closed to prevent the spread of the virus. While all places of worship and entertainment were initially closed in Algeria since March, governing officials decided to gradually reopen various religious centres as of August, beginning with large mosques consisting of over a thousand worshippers.

• Opposition From Many Fronts

  

  Sources in China have indicated that the persecution facing Christians at this time may be the worst since the radical actions of the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong. Crosses are being torn down around the country and the central government has insisted on obtaining control of churches. A policy of Sinicization has been instituted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in its attempts to eliminate what is perceived as foreign influence and make everything fit under its concept of Chinese culture and beliefs.

• Christians Forced to Flee Their Homes

  

  Local authorities in the Laotian province of Salavan chased seven Christians from their homes, forcing them to live within makeshift huts in the woods, all because these believers refused to renounce their faith. The Christians were members of two families from the village of Pasing-Kang. Since their eviction on October 10th, relatives have attempted to take them food and clothing, but village leaders have forbidden the provision of any assistance. The family members are concerned that they may also be thrown out of their homes if they provide help.

• Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy

  

  In 2013, Asif Pervaiz was working in a garment factory where he was reportedly pressured by his supervisor, Muhammad Saeed Khokher (also referred to as Saeed Ahmed Khokher), to convert from Christianity to Islam. After Asif sent text messages resisting the supervisor's demands, the father of four was accused of blasphemy and taken into custody where he has since been awaiting trial for seven years.