(Morning Star News) – A Christian in Chiapas state, Mexico was summarily jailed for three days the evening of Jan. 7 for refusing to deny his faith and contribute to Traditionalist Catholic festivals, according to an advocacy group. Local authorities who practice the Traditionalist Catholic blend of indigenous pagan and Roman Catholic rituals also threatened […]
Christian Jailed in Chiapas, Mexico Told to Leave Area in Exchange for Freedom
Temporarily released due to illness, his wife serves time in his place.
February 1, 2017 By -
Crack-Down on Christians in Nepal Hits Snag as Eight Are Acquitted
Court drops proselytism case against grief counselors.
December 7, 2016 By -
(Morning Star News) – A court in Nepal yesterday acquitted eight Christians accused of attempting to convert children by means of a comic book, according to advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). The seven men and one woman were arrested in Charikot, Dolakha District in June as part of a crack-down on Christian activities in […]
Pastor in China Upholds Faith after Nearly Year in Prison
Authorities strip another church leader of his position.
November 21, 2016 By -
(Morning Star News) – A pastor in southwestern China, jailed for nearly a year on fabricated charges and suffering a liver disease, focuses on trusting God in a letter of encouragement to his wife, according to China Aid. Authorities took pastor Li Guozhi, better known as Yang Hua, into custody after a raid on his […]
Woman in China Killed after Demolition Crew Buries Her and Husband Alive
Couple tried to stop bulldozer from destroying church building.
April 19, 2016 By -
(Morning Star News) – A government-backed demolition team in Henan Province, China last week buried a Christian couple alive as they tried to protect their church building, killing the wife, according to China Aid. Ding Cuimei and her husband, Li Jiangong, on Thursday (April 14) stepped in front of a bulldozer the demolition company had […]
Human Rights Attorney Zhang Kai Freed from ‘Black Jail’ in China
Conditions of release unclear.
March 23, 2016 By -
(Morning Star News) – China Aid has confirmed with relatives of Zhang Kai that the human rights attorney was released on Wednesday (March 23) after his arrest in August 2015 for defending churches. Zhang wrote on social media that he returned to his home in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China, on Wednesday, the […]
Christian Convert from Islam Slain in Bangladesh
Islamic State claims responsibility.
March 23, 2016 By -
(Morning Star News) – The Islamic State (IS) today claimed its members were responsible for hacking to death a Christian in Bangladesh who had left Islam, while Bangladeshi police said the claim was “bogus.” At least two unidentified assailants on Tuesday (March 22) killed Hossain Ali, 68, who converted to Christianity in 1999, as he […]
China Cracks Down on Official Church Leaders, Religious Rights Attorneys
Christians suffer harsh sentences, coerced ‘confessions.’
March 18, 2016 By -
(Morning Star News) – China’s crack-down on state-approved churches continued last month with a harsh sentence given to a pastor of an official church in Zhejiang Province after he criticized authorities’ demolition of church crosses. Pastor Bao Guohua of Holy Love Christian Church in Jinhua received a sentence of 14 years in prison, and his […]
Morning Star News’ Top 10 Persecution Stories of 2015
Islamic violence accelerates in countries not known for religious conflict.
January 8, 2016 By -
(Morning Star News) – Islamic extremist violence in countries not known for religious tensions, majority-Christian Kenya and Uganda, topped Morning Star News’ stories in 2015. While the Islamic State terrorized Christians in Syria, Iraq and Libya, and Muslim Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria killed innocent civilians in the shadow of Boko Haram, in northeast Kenya Al […]
China Detains Christian Attorney, Activist Fighting Harassment of Churches
Officials seek to silence, neutralize advocates for freedom of religion/speech.
November 18, 2015 By -
(Morning Star News) – A Christian activist writing against harassment of churches in China’s Zhejiang Province was temporarily detained and threatened this month, and an attorney representing some of the fellowships remains missing. The detentions are the latest signs of a government crackdown on at least 230 human rights lawyers and activists since July. China’s […]
The Problem of Islam and the Islamic State
An atheist and an Anglican offer bold solutions.
November 12, 2015 By -
(Morning Star News) – Two remarkable pieces about Islamist violence were published last week in mainstream media – one answering the ambivalence thoughtful people feel on what to do about the Islamic State, and the other answering perplexity on what to do about Islam. They are remarkable first because, unconcerned about political correctness, they strongly […]