What happens when Hindus crash a wedding?

 Nine Christian pastors were arrested and jailed on false charges of conversion activities in Azamgarh, in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.  

The pastors and a recently married Christian couple were arrested by police at a wedding reception. Radical Hindu nationalists pressured the police to act against the Christians. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the pastors under the state’s draconian anti-conversion law.  

Witnesses told International Christian Concern (ICC) that the pastor of an Assemblies of God Church hosted a wedding reception at his house for his daughter and son-in-law. During the reception, police raided the home and confiscated Bibles and other Christian items, alleging that the gathering was a conversion program. The host pastor explained that it was purely a wedding reception for his daughter, but police ignored his pleas and arrested the Christian pastors and the newly wedded couple.  

“These days are very challenging days in our state,” a Christian leader from Uttar Pradesh told ICC. “More than 200 churches were shut down in the last few months, and 52 pastors and Christians are reeling in the prisons across the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is challenging for Christians to gather for worship … today’s incident of nine pastors that were sent to jail tell the bigger story of how Christians cannot gather for any purpose whatsoever.”   

Another Christian leader told ICC, “Christians are living under the fear of being targeted and attacked for no reason, and police just need a complaint for them to act and send them to jail under the anti-conversion law.” 

The United Christian Forum (UCF) recently released a report detailing the exponential growth of Christian persecution in recent years. The report said that violence against Indian Christians is at an all-time high. This year saw the highest spike in incidents across India. Uttar Pradesh was the most egregious, with 149 attacks against Christians. 

“India’s anti-conversion laws are not a means to protect religious freedom, but rather a mechanism for the government to oppress and punish religious minorities,” said ICC President Jeff King. “Our Indian brothers and sisters are facing increased levels of persecution since the adoption of these laws. India claims to be the world’s largest democracy, yet shamelessly violates human rights. We pray for the continued resilience of the Indian Church and for the injustice to come to an end.”  

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Terrorist group kills three in DRC

 Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorists killed three people, including a one-month-old baby, early morning on Nov. 9. The Islamic militia looted and burned a hospital along with several other shops and lit several vehicles on fire.   

“We were woken up in the middle of the night by gunshots rending the air and people screaming,” a resident said. “We did not hesitate. We left the house and hid in the bushes, hoping they would not find us. The attack went on for almost an hour as the rebels ransacked shops and the health center here. And setting them on fire. They also burnt down vehicles.”   

Civilians of Kabasha, a vibrant trading center, woke up to count the damage caused by the ADF.  

“We remained in prayer after learning that an attack was happening, and we hoped that God would prevent them from continuing with their evil mission,” said a local pastor in Kabasha. “In the morning, we assessed the damage caused and rescued anyone who needed medical care. Smoke was still coming out of the houses, shops, and vehicles, but we could not salvage anything.”   

He continued, “Three people were found dead, and several others were missing. A doctor and two guards at the health center are still missing. We suspect that all these missing people have been abducted.”  

The Kabasha attack comes 20 days after Maboya, a center located 13 kilometers away, was attacked similarly, leaving a Catholic nun and nurse dead. At the same time, the Congolese army has been fighting back the M23 fighters who have occupied the Rutshuru territory in North Kivu.    

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

School in Myanmar hit in airstrikes by the army

 A Baptist seminary in northern Myanmar was attacked by the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) on Thursday, injuring four men in the dormitory. 

The Tatmadaw launched three attacks on the Theological Seminary in Kutkai, Shan State. The school was founded by the Kachin Baptist Convention. There was no active fighting between junta forces and local ethnic armed groups at the time. 

The victims were hit by shrapnel and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Those injured were Myitung Doi La, 24;  Ndau Awng San, 27; Nhkum Sut Ring Awng, 21; and  Sumlut Brang San, 22. 

A Facebook video shared by Marip La Hkwang, an ethnic Kachin Christian, showed damage caused by the shelling. Visible holes and dents could be seen on the windows, walls, and student clothing. Another video showed an injured student being escorted out for medical treatment.  

One local resident said that this kind of attack by the military threatens the Christian Bible School and entire Kachin nation. 

"They (Military Council) hate our Kachin people so much,” he told 72 Media. “This is why we are being targeted and attacked. This looks like a planned shooting. My heart hurts so much. Since this happened, we Kachin people must be careful.” 

“The attack against this Kachin Bible school was certainly not an accident,” said Gina Goh, International Christian Concern’s regional manager for Southeast Asia. “Instead, the Tatmadaw deliberately targeted a Christian facility knowing how important the faith is to Kachin people. This despicable junta regime should not be tolerated any further by the international community and needs to be removed at once.” 

The attack comes after an Oct. 30 shelling that partially destroyed a Baptist church and hall in Momauk township, Kachin State. The Tatmadaw also attacked concert goers during the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)’s anniversary celebration on Oct. 23, killing at least 80 and injuring hundreds.  

Ethnic Kachin in Myanmar has a Christian-majority, where more than 90 percent of the people adhere to the Christian faith. They also have one of the most robust militaries among the ethnic armed organizations in Myanmar, making them a constant target of the Tatmadaw.  

Ever since the junta mounted a coup d’état in February 2021, the brutal military regime has continued a reign of terror against civilians with indiscriminatory shelling and burning of villages, schools, and religious buildings. More than 2,400 people have been killed and over 16,000 people have been jailed and tortured by the Tatmadaw. 


For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.