Tags

Martyrdom

• Christian Teenager Dies After Acid Attack

  

  On August 11th, Nitish Kumar – a Christian teenager from northern India's Bihar state – was attacked with acid, leaving much of his body with severe burns. For more on the incident, view this report.

• Mob Kills Pastor Over Alleged Conversion

  

  Rev. Yohanna Shuaibu was the pastor of the New Life for All Nation Church in the Nigerian village of Masu, located in Kano State. He also served as the local chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria. After being attacked on September 22nd by an angry mob, described as "irate Muslim youths," the church leader succumbed to his injuries the following day.

• Pastor and Other Christians Killed

  

  On Saturday, September 11th, Rev. Silas Yakubu Ali left his home in the Zangon Kataf area of Kaduna, Nigeria, and set off for the town of Kafanchan, but was not heard from again. Early the next morning, a search party found his body, which was inflicted with bullet and machete wounds, less than a kilometre from his home.

• Attacks Perpetrated by Family and Neighbours

  

  Three recent incidents of violence against Christians in Uganda reveal the costs of following Christ. For believers in this African nation, opposition can come from many directions, even close family members, and may potentially result in serious injury or death.

• Pastor Killed for Sharing Faith

  

  In the village of Sangoi, which is located in northern India, Pastor Vinod Kumar had been sharing his faith for over two months with a man who was recently released from prison on bail. The Hindu man, Sonu Kashyap, had even been to the pastor's home for prayer. However, Sonu had rejected any call to faith in Christ.

• Pastor Killed for Reaching Out to Muslims

  

  Security officials have arrested an imam who confessed to killing a pastor on June 11th for sharing the Gospel with Muslims in Uganda. Bishop Francis Obo served as the senior pastor of Mpingire Pentecostal Revival Church Ministries International in the village of Odapako and was also responsible for overseeing the ministry of 17 churches in the area. He was killed after being approached by a group of Islamic militants as he was leaving a market with his wife, Christine.

• Christians on Blacklist

  

  More than 130 civilians in Burkina Faso were indiscriminately slaughtered during an overnight raid on Yagha village on June 4th. Although no particular group has claimed responsibility for this most recent attack, government officials believe the devastating invasion was the work of one of several Islamic jihadist groups operating in the area.

• Christian Murdered for Defending His Sister

  

  A Christian man was allegedly killed by a group of militant Muslims for defending his sister's honour. On May 23rd, Arif Masih was kidnapped, beaten, poisoned and abandoned on a street of Tariqabad village in Punjab.

• Pastor and Young Son Killed by Fulani Herdsmen

  

  Leviticus Makpa, 39, served as a pastor and church planter in Niger State, Nigeria. On May 21st, he sent a text message to an associate, Folashade Obidiya Obadan, stating that Fulani herdsmen had surrounded his house and mission compound. The next day, Folashade learned that Pastor Leviticus, along with his toddler son, Godsend, had both been tragically shot and killed. The pastor's wife and daughter managed to escape. A funeral for the two slain family members was held on May 23rd.

• Pastor Slain After Leading Muslims to Christ

  

  Pastor Thomas Chikooma served at an independent Pentecostal church in the village of Ngalwe, Uganda. He was invited by local Muslims to participate in an open-air religious debate in the larger community of Pallisa. After giving his defence of Christianity, he was privileged to lead 14 people to faith in Christ, including six who had been Muslims.

• Over 100 Killed by Islamic Militants

  

  Over a hundred people, largely Christians, have died in mass attacks launched by Islamic extremists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the beginning of 2021. On January 4th, an estimated 22 people had been killed in an overnight raid on the village of Mwenda. A week earlier, at least 42 were slain in two separate attacks within the same region. Then, on January 14th, approximately 46 people died at the hands of the militant Islamic group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

• Christmas Attacks Involved Executions

  

  Two separate attacks have led to kidnappings and at least twelve deaths in Nigeria over the Christmas season. In both cases, Islamic militant groups were responsible for the assaults.

  On Christmas Eve, at least seven people were killed when Boko Haram militants raided a mostly Christian village in Borno State. The terrorist fighters rode into the village of Pemi on trucks and motorcycles, shooting indiscriminately. Several homes were burned, along with a medical dispensary and a church building. At least seven villagers died, and as many as seven were reportedly abducted, including the pastor of the Evangelical Church of the Brethren.

• Christians Targeted in Village Raids

  

  At least 30 Christians have been killed in a string of attacks on villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo between November 20th and December 3rd. Along with these deaths, ten women and girls were raped and fifteen were abducted. An Islamist rebel group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), is believed to be responsible.

• Christian Family Killed in Terrorist Attack

  

  The Indonesian police and military have launched a hunt for the Islamic terrorist group responsible for killing four Christians of a single family and setting fire to homes in Central Sulawesi. This is the third attack within the past three months that was committed by members of a small group, known as the East Indonesia Mujahidin, who have pledged allegiance to ISIS.

• Christian Radio Preacher Murdered

   

  

  David Omara was the pastor of Christian Church Center and a well-known radio preacher in northern Uganda. During his radio broadcast on October 31st, he contrasted Christianity to Islam. After finishing the broadcast at about 9 p.m., Pastor David received a phone call from a listener who expressed appreciation for his message and invited him to meet with some friends. Unaware of the danger that awaited him, Pastor David went to the meeting location, along with his son Simon Okut.

• Ongoing Atrocities in Kaduna State

  

  Christians residing in Nigeria's Kaduna State have faced a series of attacks by gunmen in recent weeks, resulting in numerous deaths, in addition to kidnappings. While the exact numbers vary, the victims include children, youth and adults.

• Christian Refuses to Turn Over Christian School

  

  Radwan Muhammad is a Kurdish teacher and headmaster for a Christian school in the city of Afrin in northern Syria. He was ordered by the Sham Legion (Faylaq al-Sham) -- a coalition of Sunni Muslim groups -- to turn over the school building for an Islamic school. According to local sources, Radwan told them, "I will hand you the building in one case only: if Jesus Christ comes to earth again."

• Christians Killed in Church Attack

   

  

  At least 23 people were killed and 20 wounded when unidentified gunmen stormed an Anglican church in the village of Makol Cheui on July 27th. After killing the church's deacon, along with women and children who had sought refuge in the church compound, they vandalized the church, destroying worship instruments.

• 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."

• Men Assassinated as Warning to Christians

  

  A Nigerian terrorist group released a video on July 22nd showing five men lined up for execution. The group included three humanitarian aid workers who disappeared last month, along with a security guard and a state employee.