Tags

Discrimination

• Stricter Controls for Social Media Interactions

  

  Starting on December 15th, Chinese Internet users can be held liable for merely "liking" a social media post that the government considers harmful or illegal. The new rules are part of the recently imposed guidelines published by the Cyberspace Administration of China, mandating that all service providers carefully monitor comments and reactions – both digitally and through "speech review teams." Any so-called "bad information" is to be reported to the Internet Information Department.

• Christians Expelled from Tribal Village

  

  On December 4th, a group consisting of 13 Christian families were expelled from their home village in rural Chhattisgarh because they refused to deny their faith. The families, comprising a total of 66 individuals, were summoned to a village council meeting in the town of Mungwal. The villagers opposing these families tried to pressure them to deny their faith in Jesus Christ, mandating that they return to their former tribal religion.

• Local Governments Impede Church Buildings

  

  Local officials have denied a group of Indonesian Christians the right to build a place of worship, even though the believers own the land. This situation has been taking place in a small city, which has approximately 10,000 Christians, that's located near the capital of Jakarta.

• Outdoor Worship Service Banned and Pastors Fined

  

  On September 15th, the Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on renewed threats against the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus (read more). The church building was sealed by governing authorities in February 2021, and since then its members have met weekly in the facility's parking lot.

• Civil Suits Used in Religious Opposition

  

  As a recent spate of civil suits have been launched against religious groups in Kazakhstan, some human rights experts are suspecting that state officials may be instigating the legal action, or at least providing support. If accurate, this would be a new way for the Kazakhstan government to take action against the religious minority groups they oppose.

• Christian Women Released on Bail

  

  On August 18th, VOMC posted a Persecution & Prayer Alert containing a report about six Christian women in Uttar Pradesh, India, who were arrested for allegedly participating in forcible conversion activities. The allegations and resulting detainment took place after these women had gathered for a birthday party, where they prayed before they cut the cake. (See this page for more details.)

• Pastor Fined for Conducting Baptisms

  

  In October 2021, the Living Faith Church in Gomel, Belarus, was in need of a place to perform baptisms. Without the necessary facilities, the registered congregation gathered at a local river to hold the service. However, the law states that no religious activities are permitted to take place outside the approved facilities without prior authorization from the state. At the time, Pastor Dmitry Podlobko received an official warning, along with a fine.

• 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.

• Oppression of Iraqi Believers

  

  A recent report from the American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East highlights the desperate circumstances facing many Iraqi Christians – both those residing in their country as well as those living as refugees. Over the past two decades, 80 percent of the nation's Christians, which amounts to over one million people, have left the country and chosen not to return.

• Mob Violence Erupts After Official Approval of Church

  

  In 2016, a government committee was established in Egypt to work through more than 3,700 applications for the legalization of previously unlicenced church buildings. While the process has been slow, since that time almost 2,000 church buildings have been legally approved. (For more details, see this previously posted report.)