(SRN NEWS)-( ) Another attack on Christians in India. International Christian Concern reports that a band of 70 people beat up a pair of pastors who were walking home through a forest near Odisha. A local Christian leader tells ICC “This incident is not an isolated case but part of a disturbing pattern of violence against […]
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RELIGION HEADLINES TUE 8-19-25
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(SRN NEWS)-( ) Another attack on Christians in India. International Christian Concern reports that a band of 70 people beat up a pair of pastors who were walking home through a forest near Odisha. A local Christian leader tells ICC “This incident is not an isolated case but part of a disturbing pattern of violence against Christian minorities, reflecting a growing climate of intolerance in the country.” Ever since 2014, when a Hindu Nationalist party came to power, attacks on believers have been increasing and critics say the government is turning a blind eye to the problem — both at the federal and the local level.
( ) Some good news from Pakistan. The courts there have ruled that a Muslim man cannot have custody of a Christian girl that he kidnapped and forced to marry him. International Christian Concern reports that “In Pakistan, many underage girls are coerced into converting to Islam and subjected to sexual assault under the guise of Islamic marriages. These victims are then pressured to provide false statements supporting their kidnappers.” In many cases the national courts ignore the plight of Christians, who make up a small minority of the population. Christian girls and women are a frequent target of Muslim men throughout the Middle East.
( ) Being a Christian in Somalia can cost you your life, but ministries based in the West are doing what they can to sustain secret believers. International Christian Concern is increasing its connection with such people in Somalia, reporting that underground church leaders in Mogadishu “confirm the existence of more than 1,500 hidden believers, many of whom are converts from Islam. Conversion is viewed as an act of betrayal by both militant groups and local communities, forcing believers to abandon their homes, families, and identities.” ICC has established a network of safe houses for Christians in Somalia.
( ) Things are getting worse for Afghanistan’s tiny community of Christians. According to a report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the government’s new Islamic morality law is making it hard for believers to go about their daily lives. The law is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that freedom of religious belief is a fundamental right and includes expressing one’s faith in public. The USCIRF is recommending that the State Department designate Afghanistan as a Country of Particular Concern, for its ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom violations.