At least 17 of the more than 100 Christians arrested for their faith in a crackdown in Iran last summer received prison sentences of between three months and five years, or fines and floggings, by the end of 2023, advocacy group Article 18 reported.
The Christmas narratives echo through the ages with as much relevance as they had in the first century. Still we we struggle with despots, injustices, uncertainties, and lack of real peace. Yet we can have confidence that the good news of great joy for all people is real, available now, and coming in fullness.
Bethlehem remains a symbol of hope, resilience, and God’s enduring promise. The Palestinian Christian community are reflecting Jesus' light to those around them: comforting the hurting, loving the broken, and proclaiming peace where there is strife; so that the light that shone from the manger in their city, Bethlehem, will continue to shine through them to the world.
Let us all remember our Syrian brothers and sisters in faith this Christmas. Pray with them in solidarity, that their hope will be strengthened as they endure immense challenges.
Lilly Nassar, a mother of three in Bethlehem, Palestine, has had her career as a Holy Land tour operator ruptured by pandemic and war. Undeterred, she is studying for a new career and finding new ways to share her love for her precious homeland.
The past year has seen a marked rise in persecution incidents in parts of Latin America, most notably Nicaragua, which some Christian leaders in the region have been following with growing concern. Under the authoritarian leadership of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, an increasing number of Catholic clergy has been subject to various forms of discrimination and persecution, including being exiled from the country.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday (Feb. 13) reprimanded the Punjab Province government over its progress report on anti-Christian attacks in Jaranwala, terming it “worthy of being thrown into the dustbin.”
Among the estimated 2,000 displaced Sudanese who are converts from Islam is a mother of seven children whose husband beat her upon learning of her Christian faith, sources said.
A 72-year-old Christian in Pakistan was arrested and charged with blasphemy on Saturday (Feb. 10) based on a false accusation filed in retaliation over a property dispute, sources said.
Muslim villagers in eastern Uganda on Jan. 30 beat a Christian unconscious upon seeing him prepare a site for an evangelistic event, and they later set his house ablaze, sources said.
Chinese families are coming under pressure to keep the Christian faith from their children. Chinese partners of Release International, an organisation supporting persecuted Christians worldwide, said that schoolchildren are being made to declare whether they are Christians. Those who state that they are must then sign a declaration promising to renounce Christianity.
The Christmas narratives echo through the ages with as much relevance as they had in the first century. Still we we struggle with despots, injustices, uncertainties, and lack of real peace. Yet we can have confidence that the good news of great joy for all people is real, available now, and coming in fullness.
