Who is Nasir El-Rufai?

Human rights watchdog group International Christian Concern (ICC) released a report earlier today profiling Nigerian Governor Nasir El-Rufai and analyzing his years-long pattern of punishing Christian communities in Kaduna State. While militant groups contribute to religious persecution in Nigeria, No Protest Allowed highlights another major source of persecution in Nigeria—the government. 

Since taking office as Governor of Kaduna State in May 2015, El-Rufai has repeatedly endangered Christian communities by ordering them into strict lockdowns. These lockdown orders—which trap villagers in their homes—prevent villagers from organizing early warning systems and make militant attacks even more deadly as villagers no longer have the warning they need to flee impending attacks. 

Despite international condemnation of these lockdown orders, El-Rufai has continued to punish Christians using this technique. In 2020, he locked down a Christian-majority agricultural area for over two months during planting season. Militants, taking advantage of his lockdown orders, killed over 100 Christian villagers during that time. 

In addition to chronicling several of these lockdowns, No Protest Allowed exposes El-Rufai’s immense wealth and his family’s extensive international travel including to London, Paris, New York, Dubai, and the Caribbean. 

Dubbed the “reformist governor” by the Economist, El-Rufai’s carefully-groomed image as a man of the people began to crumble as ICC researchers combed through the El-Rufai family’s social media presence. While El-Rufai has loudly publicized his decision to enroll some of his children in Kaduna’s public school system, ICC researchers found that he quietly sent at least one of his children to a private school in Canada where annual tuition is about $44,000 USD per year. Another social media post showed his family drinking sparkling apple juice infused with 24kt gold flakes at the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai. 

Nigeria goes to great effort to cast itself as a beleaguered nation struggling valiantly against sectarian violence. Secular democracy, the narrative goes, is the guiding principle governing Nigeria—any deviation from that is the fault of malicious nonstate actors intending to spoil what they cannot control. 

Nigeria does suffer from sectarian violence—it is estimated that Boko Haram is responsible for over 35,000 deaths and that Fulani militants have killed from 20,000-50,000 in the last decade or so—but the idea that the government is an impartial player doing its best to promote justice and freedom for all is simply wrong. 

A self-proclaimed admirer of China’s Den Xiaoping, El-Rufai recently resurrected a military-era rule regulating pastors and their sermons. The regulations are striking similar to Chinese regulations and do not bode well for the future of religious freedom in Kaduna. 

“El-Rufai’s actions endanger thousands and help to illustrate the deeply problematic nature of government persecution in Nigeria,” said Jay Church, the report’s author and ICC’s Advocacy Manager for Africa. “ICC hopes that the international community takes note of El-Rufai’s consistent pattern of persecution in Kaduna State and responds accordingly. We call on the U.S. and others to sanction El-Rufai for his egregious violations of human rights and hope to see those sanctions come about in the near future.” 

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

 

Azerbaijan looks to recreate 1915 genocide

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that November 8, 2021, Azerbaijani troops opened gunfire on a group of Armenian utility workers repairing water pipes near the city of Shushi, which was captured during the Turkish-Azeri war last year against Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh). The incident occurred on the same day that Azeri President Ilham Aliyev was in Shushi alongside Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to mark the one-year anniversary of the invasion’s ceasefire.

It occurred near the Lachin-Stepanakert Road, the only transit option connecting Karabakh’s Armenian Christian community with the outside world. The road was temporarily closed following the incident. Most of Nagorno-Karabakh’s land was lost during the war, and now residents are surrounded by Turkish-Azeri forces. This is the second citizen killed since last year’s ceasefire, with the first being murdered in front of Russian peacekeepers this past October.

“The recorded incident is another proof of the anti-Armenian, genocidal and fascist behavior of the Azerbaijani side towards the Armenian people, about which we have stated many times since the signing of the trilateral statement,” said Gegham Stepanyan, Artsakh’s Human Rights Ombudsman.

“Today, at around 3:00 p.m., near the city of Shushi, the Azerbaijani side fired at Armenian civilians working on water pipes in the area. One civilian killed, three wounded,” said local journalist Anush Ghavalyan. “This is how Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev brings peace to the region—by killing civilians of Nagorno-Karabakh. No people, no conflict.”

Speaking about the recent escalation of Turkish-Azeri aggression towards Artsakh’s Armenian Christian residents, a Stepanakert local shared simply, “This is hell… we don’t know what will happen.”

The deceased is 22-years old. The wounded civilians are 43, 41, and 31 years old.

The incident comes just days after the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released a factsheet reiterating its recommendations for State Department CPC and SWL designations. Both Turkey and Azerbaijan were named on the factsheet as recommendations for the Special Watch List (SWL).

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “The escalation of violence toward Armenian civilians living in Nagorno-Karabakh is very alarming. These incidents give further evidence of how Azerbaijan has embraced Turkey in such a way that both countries are emboldened and empowered to commit genocidal atrocities towards Armenian Christians. They intend to intimidate those who remain living in Karabakh, suffocating them with forced isolation from the outside world. Turkey and Azerbaijan have made it clear in their rhetoric that their actions are viewed as a continuation of the 1915 genocide against Christians. The ceasefire may have been established a year ago, but the cleansing activities of the invasion continue to this very day.”

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

Joga, Lakhma, Magda, and Sukka are crazy

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Christian community in India’s Chhattisgarh state was brutally attacked by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists over the weekend. The attack left nine Christians seriously injured, including three who are currently hospitalized in critical condition.

On Saturday, November 6, a mob of 50 radical Hindu nationalists attacked 14 Christian homes in Metapal village, located in the Dantewada district. Local Christians report that the mob was led by four men named Joga, Lakhma, Magda, and Sukka. The mob went from house to house, attacking Christians to make Metapal a “Christian-free” village.

Wielding fists, wooden clubs, and other objects, the extremists beat the Christians of Metapal, including women and children. The attack left nine Christians seriously injured with broken bones, dislocated joints, and head injuries.

“Santu, a teenage boy, was carried by four people to the hospital like a dead body,” Pastor Susheel Kumar, a survivor of the attack, told ICC. “He suffered multiple fractures to his legs and hand.”

Following the attack, Mogadi Madkami, Santu Madkami, and Hidma Podiyami were taken to Dantewada District Hospital where they remain in critical condition. Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR no. 22/2021) against 15 members of the mob; however, no arrests have been made to date.

“There has been intense opposition in the village against people practicing Christianity,” Pastor Kumar explained. “These Christians have been threatened a number of times in the past. Last year, three families fled the village after they were attacked by the right-wing groups. They have never returned to the village.”

“This is not an isolated incident,” another Christian leader, who requested anonymity, told ICC. “Christians across the state are facing intense pressure from the religious militant groups. Christians are not free to exercise their faith on par with Hindus. We want the government to treat us fairly and without bias.”

Across India, attacks on Christians and their places of worship are being reported in greater number and severity. Recently, a report authored by the United Christian Forum documented over 300 attacks on Christians taking place in just the first nine months of 2021. Without significant intervention by government authorities, it is likely that 2021 will be the worst year on record for Christian persecution in India.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are very concerned by the attack on the Christian community of Metapal. Violent attempts to make communities ‘Christian-free’ must be stopped and punished if religious freedom is to mean anything in India. Unfortunately, this attack is merely a symptom of a larger problem in India. Religious intolerance and religiously motivated violence have become so normalized in India that we are hearing reports of multiple incidents every week. Strict action must be taken against the perpetrators of this attack and stern statements must be made by India’s leaders to dispel the notion that a community could or should be cleansed of a particular religious community.”

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

 

Nepal is out here arresting nuns

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that two elderly nuns in Nepal were arrested in September for allegedly violating the country’s controversial anti-conversion law. Despite more than a month passing since their arrest, the nuns remain in detention awaiting trial.

On September 14, Sister Gemma Lucia Kim and Sister Martha Park were arrested and charged with proselytizing and conversion activities. The nuns run a facility called the Happy Home for poor slum children in Pokhara, located 200 kilometers from Kathmandu. This facility provides housing, food, education, medical services, and professional trainings to approximately 120 children.

The nuns were kept in police custody until September 27 when they were moved to a district prison. Local church leaders have filed for the nuns to be released on bail, but hearings on this application have been delayed due to Hindu holidays.

Bishop Paul Simick, Apostolic Vicar of Nepal, believes that the allegations against the nuns are baseless and unjust.

“The two have been dedicating themselves totally to the poor for so many years,” Bishop Simick said in a statement to Aid to the Church in Need. “This act reveals not only bigotry on the part of those who accused the Sisters, but also ignorance of the needs of the poor.”

“The Catholic community sees this event as an attack on minority communities with an intent to criminalize missionary activities,” Bishop Simick continued. “The Sisters’ initiatives, such as social services, education and medical care are seen as a bait for conversion.”

Proselytization is considered a criminal offense in Nepal. The process of criminalizing religious conversion began in 2015 when Nepal adopted a new constitution. Under Article 26 (3) of the new constitution, “No person shall behave, act or make others act to disturb public law and order situation or convert a person of one religion to another or disturb the religion of other people…such an act shall be punished by law.”

In August 2018, the Nepalese government enacted this controversial portion of the new constitution when it was added to the country’s criminal codes. Under these new laws, an individual found guilty of even encouraging religious conversions can be fined up to 50,000 Rupees and placed in prison for up to five years.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply concerned by the arrests of Sister Kim and Sister Park. These Sisters have been arrested simply because of their religious identity and their heart for the poor in Nepal. The arrests also bring into question the future of religious freedom in Nepal. Since the new constitution was adopted in 2015, Nepalese Christians have been concerned that Article 26 and its enacting laws would be used to target their community. Today, Nepalese Christians again have seen their fears realized. Nepal’s sweeping anti-conversion law must be repealed if religious freedom is truly a right to be enjoyed by the country’s citizens.”

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

You mean that the Chinese arrested Zhumin?

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October 25, the authorities in China’s Wenzhou seized Bishop Shao Zhumin ahead of the month of the dead. He was officially detained to go on a forced “vacation,” a measure employed by the government to “educate” dissidents and religious clergy who fail to submit to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s control. 

According to Asia News, sources on the ground relay that the bishop was officially taken away a few days before November, where many masses are celebrated for the dead, accompanied by meetings, rosaries, and prayers.

At this time every year, Catholics in Wenzhou march to the cemetery where Msgr. James Lin Xili, the first local bishop recognized by the Vatican, rests. In past years, authorities have blocked the entrance to Wenzhou's cemetery with iron barriers to prevent Catholics from gathering; this time, they directly took Bishop Shao away.

This was not the first time Bishop Shao disappeared from his parish. He has been repeatedly detained in the last few years, with the longest being seven-month. The authorities often put him under “thought transformation” process which lasts from 10 to 15 days, brainwashing him to join the state-vetted “official” Catholic Church. He never gives in. 

His disappearance took place after the news of Vatican being pressured by China to sever ties with Taiwan was revealed and before President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican in late October.

Despite the signing of a Sino-Vatican deal on bishop appointment in 2018, religious freedom for Chinese Catholics has not improved. Priests and nuns not loyal to the CCP have been harassed, monitored, and detained; crosses and religious symbols have been removed from churches; impoverished Catholics were forced to renounce their faith in exchange of welfare benefits.

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “The Vatican should stop believing the promises made by CCP and see to it that the deceitful authoritarian regime is not to be partnered with. The decades-long persecution of Chinese Catholics has not and will not stop simply because the Holy See and China have signed a provisional agreement on bishop appointment. Bishop Shao’s latest detention is living proof of that.  It is time for Pope Francis to re-examine the Vatican’s approach with China and boldly speak out for the persecuted Chinese Christians.” 
  

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

Life Lesson: Do not move to Libya

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that since September 30, 2021, at least 17 Egyptian Coptic Christians have gone missing in Libya. They were living in an Egyptian neighborhood in Tripoli; it is unknown who took them and why. Some friends and family believe they were detained by the authorities, while others believe they were taken by an armed group. Regardless, they hold a common fear that these individuals were targeted because of their Christian faith and that they may face a deadly fate reminiscent of the 2015 beheading of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya by ISIS.

An Egyptian lawyer whose friend is missing shared, “Even now there [is] no confirmed news. (My friend) Emad Nasr and the other Copts traveled to Libya three months ago. They headed to the United Arab Emirates and then to Libya, because there are no direct airlines to Libya. The Copts had visas for Libya (labor visas), but they failed to get work opportunities and the costs of renewing the visas are high. So the police of Libya detained them from September 30 until now.”

“The Copts were staying in the Gargash District in Tripoli. In this residency, they were surrounded by so many persons of other countries like India and Bangladesh. So the action of detaining 17 Copts only is such a mysterious action! We are fearing of repeating an incident like the one who did by ISIS. We are contacting the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to intervene in the situation,” he continued.

The brother of one of the missing Copts said, “It is unknown if they were detained by the Libyan authorities or were kidnapped by unknown parties… they lived in the Gargash neighborhood, in which dozens of Egyptians live. We learned from one of the residents there that a number of Egyptians were kidnapped in this neighborhood without knowing their fate."

According to local press, the names of the missing are: Emad Nasr, Assem Abo Gobrial, George Nasser Riad, Maris Malak Matias, Wael Samir Shawky, Hani Zaki Shaker Allah, Haitham Nazeer Malak, Gerges Nazi Malak, Thabet Gad Hanna, Bakhit Malak Matias, Adly Assad Ataya, Mikhaeil Nazir Malak, Roman Masoud Fahim, Karim Abu al-Ghait, Emad Nasri Qaldi, Daniel Saber Lamei, and Ezekiel Saber Lamei.

October 20 marked the 10-year anniversary of the death of Libya’s former strongman, Moammar Gadhafi. A decade of instability and violence has left Libya a country shattered by competing armed groups, terrorists, militias, as well as competing governments.

Nevertheless, before the rise of ISIS in 2014, Libya was a common destination for Egypt’s Coptic Christian community. Egypt’s Christian community was faced with a choice: experience marginalization that left Christians deeply impoverished inside their home country or seek work opportunities in Libya at great personal risk. The 2015 beheading of Coptic Christians in Libya stopped many from traveling there for work. But Egypt’s continued marginalization of Christians continues to force them to consider alternatives, including high-risk countries such as Libya.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “This is a frightening time for Egyptian Christians, regardless of whether their family or friends are among those missing. The memory of ISIS marching Coptic Christians down a Libyan beach to their deaths runs deep; it was an event that was traumatic for all of Egypt’s Christians, an event that held serious implications for everyone. We urge the relevant authorities to do everything possible to investigate the cause of this latest disappearance, to bring these men home alive, and the perpetrators to justice.”

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

Man killed in Armenia while gardening

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October 9, Azeri snipers killed a 55-year-old Artsakh civilian while he was accompanied by Russian peacekeepers in the city of Martakert. According to reports, the civilian was reluctantly working in a pomegranate garden, but was afraid because of previous Azeri sniper fire which targeted him. His return to work was encouraged and he was accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. However, the sniper resumed his activities, fatally striking the civilian in the chest.

The Republic of Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office said, “According to preliminary information, the driver initially avoided driving agricultural machinery, but one of the peacekeepers offered to sit with him in person in the cabin as an additional guarantee of safety. According to eyewitnesses, they made several turns in that way.”

They continued, “On the same day, a criminal case was initiated on the fact, according to Article 103, Part 2, Clause 14 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (murder committed on the grounds of national, racial or religious hatred or religious fanaticism). An investigation is underway.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh said in a statement that they “strongly condemn(s) such aggressive behavior and provocative actions of Azerbaijan aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear among the peaceful population of the Republic of Artsakh and emigration of Armenians from the country.”

“This and all the previous incidents, which resulted in casualties among civilians or damage to their property, are manifestations of Azerbaijan’s coordinated anti-Armenian policy and another proof that the Azerbaijani authorities’ peaceful calls on the people of Artsakh and claims for peaceful coexistence are nothing but an attempt to mislead the civilized world and weaken the vigilance of the Armenian parties,” continued the statement.

A humanitarian report released by ICC in June 2021 warned, “International, third-party access is a crucial ongoing need, in large part because the conflict continues despite the November 9th ceasefire statement. International recognition of the religious freedom components of this war is an immediate necessity. Peacekeepers are not police. They inherently cannot and are not those responsible for responding to kidnappings, shootings into Artsakh from conquered territories, and other types of criminal activity. These activities remain ongoing. Artsakh’s residents remain under threat to their physical integrity, which has created an absence of safety and stabilization that ensures that the consequences of the war are ongoing.”

The sniper who murdered the civilian in the Martakert incident has been transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office of Russia. Reports of targeted and indiscriminate shootings by Azerbaijan from the conquered territories into Artsakh are a frequent occurrence.

Late September through early December marks the one-year anniversary period of the 2020 invasion of Azerbaijan into Artsakh, a majority Armenian Christian area. The invasion occurred with the support of Turkey and was conducted in a manner which mirrored the 1915 Turkish genocide against Armenian Christians (see ICC’s report: The Anatomy of Genocide: Karabakh’s Forty-Four Day War).

The ongoing threats, intimidation, and harassment of Artsakh’s citizens by Azerbaijan constitute serious religious freedom violations, as well as multiple human rights abuses.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said “Azerbaijan’s provocations against Artsakh’s Armenian Christian residents continue despite the ceasefire statement. The targeted murder of a citizen, who was in the presence of peacekeepers, shows just how emboldened Azerbaijan is that they can commit serious atrocities without any consequence. Azerbaijan has come to this position with Turkey’s support and encouragement. The combined pan-Turkic, Grey Wolf ideology driving Turkey and Azerbaijan’s activities towards Artsakh constitute serious religious violations and show a genocidal intent to eliminate its Armenian Christian presence.”

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

Village 2A: The hotbed of sharia law in Pakistan

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that two Christians in Pakistan were gunned down by a mob of Muslims following a property dispute that turned religious. Local human rights defenders claim that the deadly attack was the result of unchecked religious intolerance against minorities in Pakistan.

On October 8, Yaqoob Masih and his brother, Haroon Masih, were shot and killed by a mob of enraged Muslims in Village #2A, located in the Okara District. According to local witnesses, the attack on Yaqoob and Haroon was a result of a property dispute that turned religious between Christians and Muslims.

“A Muslim family had religious hatred against us and other Christians living in the village,” Indriyas Masih, an eyewitness and survivor of the attack, told ICC. “They never like the development of Christians in the village and therefore opposed us in getting a contract for a piece of land for cultivation.”

According to Indriyas, local Muslims were annoyed that the Christians applied to lease six acres of land for cultivation. After several months of arguments, local authorities settled the matter and awarded the lease of the land to the Christians.

“On the incident day, five of us went to the agricultural fields for irrigation work when a mob of over two dozen armed men attacked,” Indriyas continued. “The attack resulted in the killing of Yaqoob and Haroon.”

Indriyas identified nine members of the armed mob and shared that they shouted anti-Christian slogans as they opened fire on the five Christians. Local police registered a First Information Report (FIR #363/21) against the attackers and local Christians are hoping the culprits will be brought to justice.

“The Christians are treated as slaves bounded to Muslims,” Asif Muniwar, a local human rights defender, explained. “Christians enjoy no rights, no dignity, and no protection in this country. The overall system of society is based on religious hatred against Christians and other minorities.”

“The government must take practical steps to provide security for Christians and ensure justice for the Okara victims and their families,” Muniwar continued.

In Pakistan, disputes between Muslim and Christian communities often turn violent due to religious intolerance and widespread discrimination against religious minorities. In many cases, false accusations of blasphemy are utilized against Pakistani Christians to settle persecution scores or incite incidents of religious hatred. In the past, false blasphemy accusations have sparked mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.

For Pakistan’s Christians, who make up only 1.6% of the country’s population, their treatment as second-class citizens often means that they are unable to obtain justice following instances of religiously motivated violence.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply saddened by the murder of Yaqoob and his brother Haroon. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. We are also troubled by yet another incident of deadly violence motivated by the widespread intolerance that exists against Christians in Pakistan. Pakistan must do more to combat the extremism and intolerance that motivates anti-Christian incidents like this. No one should be treated as a second-class citizen simply because of the faith they profess. In Pakistan, however, the faith you profess drastically affects how you are treated by society.”

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

New Year's Resolution for the Taliban: More Sharia Law

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a member of the Taliban’s interim government and chief enforcer of the group’s strict interpretation of Sharia law, has said that the executions and other brutal punishments will be carried out as a part of the group’s rule in Afghanistan. This announcement has struck fear into the hearts of Afghan Christians who are concerned that they will be viewed as criminals by the Taliban due to their conversions to Christianity.

In an interview with The Associated Press (AP), Turabi dismissed international outrage over the brutality of the Taliban’s rule in the 1990s. As the Taliban’s Justice Minister and head of the Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, effectively the religious police, Turabi oversaw brutal punishments, such as executions and amputations, that took place in sports stadiums and mosques.

“Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi told the AP. “No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.”

“Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security,” Turabi continued, telling the AP that it had a deterrent effect. He went on to explain that the new government was still studying whether to carry out punishments in public.

On August 15, the Taliban entered Kabul in a lightning-fast victory over the former government’s forces. On September 7, the group formed an interim government filled with religious hardliners from the Taliban’s oppressive rule in the 1990s.

Turabi’s announcement that the Taliban intends to return to the group’s brutal and oppressive enforcement of Sharia law has many Afghan Christians bracing for persecution.

According to the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Sharia, Afghan Christians will be viewed as apostates due to their conversions from Islam to Christianity. As apostates, Afghan Christians will be subject to Sharia’s deadliest consequences, including execution.

Afghanistan’s Christian community, estimated to be between 8,000 and 12,000, is almost exclusively comprised of converts from Islam. It is this status as converts that makes Afghan Christians direct targets for persecution and likely to suffer under the Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are very concerned for the safety of Afghan Christians under the rule of the Taliban. Since forming their interim government, the Taliban have been showing us how they intend to rule Afghanistan. For Afghan Christians, and other marginalized communities, the Taliban’s brutal and oppressive rule will likely mean increased persecution. Afghan Christians are particularly vulnerable due to their backgrounds as converts. Under the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia, Afghan Christians will not be viewed as a religious minority. Instead, they will be treated like criminals if their identities are discovered. The international community must take action to protect and rescue this vulnerable community.”

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

Hindus beat up pastor in a police station in India

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Christian pastor in India’s Chhattisgarh state was attacked and beaten by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists while in a police station in Raipur. The attack has shocked the Christian community who now feel that their safety cannot be guaranteed even in the presence of India’s police.

On September 5, Pastor Ankush Bariayar was summoned to the Purani Basti Police Station in Raipur by the Station House Officer. According to local reports, Pastor Bariayar was falsely accused of engaging in illegal religious conversions by radical Hindu nationalists.

When Pastor Bariayar, accompanied by two other pastors, arrived at the police station, a mob of nearly 50 radical Hindu nationalists burst into the Station House Officer’s office and began to beat the pastor with shoes and fists.

“The entire thing happened as if it was well planned,” an eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, told ICC. “I think the police knew about the attack before it took place. It is sad that Christians are not safe even inside the police station.”

“They told me to my face that they would kill me,” Pastor Bariayar told ICC. “I thought I was safe, being with the police in their premises, but I was wrong. In the beginning, the police did not do anything to protect me from the attack. After they hit me with the shoe and punched me in my face, the police then tried to stop them from beating me.”

A First Information Report (FIR no. 0234) was filed against seven members of the mob that attacked Pastor Bariayar. At the time of writing, only two of the seven identified in the report have been arrested.

“Don’t we have the right to go to the police station and talk to the police?” Dr. Arun Pannalal, President of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, asked the media. “Why didn’t the police stop the attackers and protect Pastor Bariayar?”

“We have the right to choose any religion and propagate that religion,” Dr. Pannalal continued. “This is a fundamental right given by the constitution. The government must take the strictest action against the attackers who brazenly attacked the pastor. This needs to be taken to the highest level of law and order in the state.”

Radical Hindu nationalists across India continue to promote false narratives against Christians to justify religious intolerance and violence. The issue of illegal religious conversions is often used to vilify Christians and justify anti-Christian policies like anti-conversion laws.

In states where anti-conversion laws are enacted, including Chhattisgarh, they are widely abused. Radical Hindu nationalists falsely accuse Christians of forcefully converting individuals to Christianity to justify harassment and assault. Local police often overlook violence perpetrated against Christians due to false accusations of forced conversion.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply disturbed by this attack on Pastor Bariayar. The fact that it was allowed to happen in the police station in the presence of the Station House Officer indicates the impunity enjoyed by many radical Hindu nationalists. This is a symptom of a larger problem in India. Religious intolerance and religiously motivated violence have become so normalized that attacks on Christians in the presence of police, outside the station, have come to be expected. The only thing that has shocked Christians here is the location of the attack and not the attack itself. Strict action must be taken against the perpetrators of this attack and the police officers who have allowed this climate of impunity to exist.”

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

Example of sharia law in Egypt

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on August 26, 2021, a 17-year-old Christian woman was detained by Egyptian police as she was leaving a Cairo church. Upon the last communication with her, she was able to confirm her arrest. However, her current status and health condition remain unknown.

The young woman is a Christian convert from Islam, something which she had successfully kept secret from her family for a number of years, with only an atheist relative knowing. He advised her to leave Egypt for her own safety. She successfully applied to a university in Texas and was awarded the Presidential Scholarship, worth $22,000.00 per year, along with other smaller scholarships. She was working through the American Embassy in Cairo to plan her travel.

The reason for her arrest is unclear, but it occurred as she was leaving the church to visit the American Embassy. It is possible that her family discovered her plan to leave the country, and her conversion to Christianity, and called the police. Muslim converts are frequently threatened by their family members and detained by the Egyptian authorities, making their situation particularly perilous.

A partner shared with ICC, “They had taken everything from her, including any money she had. We had been in communication with her up until a few minutes before this. We waited and waited to hear from her, but there was no word. We did not know what to think or how to find her. Several hours later, we received messages from her on a phone borrowed from a fellow prisoner. We knew it was her because she said things only she would know. That is how we found out about her arrest.”

“That is the last we know of her. We are terribly concerned for her safety now and in the future. Any help is greatly appreciated,” continued the partner.

An individual connected with the case shared, “Her phone is still off. So we have no idea where she is or if she is safe. Since I tried to FaceTime her to see that she was actually the one we were communicating with, and that she was physically okay, her phone has been off. Egypt is a police and intelligence state that has special interests like the mafia and is characterized by false reports that are far from true, fabricating facts and fabricating accusations.”

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom said in the 2021 Report, “Egypt’s constitution identifies Islam as the state religion and the principles of Shari’a as the primary source of legislation. While Article 64 states that 'freedom of belief is absolute,' only Muslims, Christians, and Jews can practice their religion publicly and build places of worship.” Conversion from Islam to another religion is not tolerated.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “We are extremely worried for the welfare of this young woman, whose whole future stands ahead of her. An Egyptian prison is already a traumatic experience, particularly so for women and converts to Christianity. We urge the authorities to promptly release her so that she can step into that future which every human deserves a chance to pursue. A future full of opportunities to safely practice their faith in safety.”

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

Police continue house raids in China

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on August 22, the heavily persecuted house church, Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC), was once again violently raided by the local authorities in Chengdu, China. Twenty-eight members from a small group were taken away during a worship service.

According to a prayer request provided by ERCC, around 10:00 a.m. on August 22, as Preacher Dai Zhichao was leading Sunday service for the "Treading Water" small group at brother He Shan's home, police knocked on He’s door.

Once the service was finished around 11:00 a.m., the gathered Christians opened the door to a team of police officers. The police claimed that someone had reported the illegal gathering and demanded to enter to register everyone's personal information. Preacher Dai asked them to show proper documents, yet the police ignored him and forcibly entered the home. In the process, Dai was injured on his arm, as were other men who tried to help. Dai's cell phone was also confiscated.

Once they registered everyone's information, the police officers went outside, where church members continued to share a meal together as they always do. The calm was only temporary.

Around 2:00 p.m., police officers from Chenghua District Mengzhuiwang office descended on He's home and took away almost everyone present, including 18 adults and 10 children, including an infant who is not even one year old.

The names of the detained adults are as follows: Xiao Donghong, Jin Wen, Liu Xingfeng, Huang Wei, Zhang Haiyan, Xuan Bin, He Shan, Hao Guiru, Dai Zhi Chao and his wife Lu Lingzhi, Sang Ensui and his wife Lan Fali, Su Qiong and her husband Wang Song, Tang Peng and his wife Huang Yizhen, and Niu Chuang and his wife He Ye.

An ERCC member told ICC that many people were beaten by the police in detention. When the children were rowdy, the police officers threatened to hit them on their heads.

While most of them were returned to the police officers from their respective districts and later released, Preacher Dai and brother He were put under administrative detention for 14 days. Brother He also received a fine of 1,000 RMB ($154).

Ever since the December 2018 raid on ERCC, the church’s leaders and members continue to be harassed and repeatedly detained by the local authorities. Preacher Dai is one such case. He was once jailed for three months for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” during the 2018 raid. Last November, he was summoned by the police for his participation in an “illegal religious gathering.”

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “The latest raid against ERCC, though nothing novel, shows a worrying trend that house churches are frequently subjected to harassment like this in the name of ‘law enforcement,’ where legally flawed Revised Regulations on Religious Affairs have been employed by Beijing to crack down on house churches around the country. The Chinese Communist Party’s constant fear of unregistered churches is both pathetic and preposterous, as it underscores President Xi’s insecurity toward any critical mass. There is absolutely no regard for religious freedom.”

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

Turkey is capitalizing on the turmoil in the Middle East

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that since Kabul’s fall on August 15, 2021, Turkey has increased military expansionist activities across the Middle East in a way that is severely impacting religious minorities.

On August 17, the Turkish military carried out an air raid in Sinjar, Iraq, that deliberately struck a hospital. Official numbers have not yet been publicly reported, but local press states that dozens of staff members and civilians are dead. Turkey claims that its military activities in Iraq are justified as counter-terrorist operations against the PKK. However, this is not the first time that Turkey has targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure inside Iraq. The targeting of a hospital is particularly concerning, more so because the hospital is located in an area decimated by the ISIS genocide against Yazidis and Christians.

Between August 16 and 17, the Turkish military conducted bombardments through the Hasaka countryside that resulted in multiple injuries and casualties, including that of a young child. Dozens were displaced. Again, Turkey used the PKK to justify the targeting of civilians. The impacted areas had a strong Assyrian Christian presence before the Syrian Civil War, but most escaped because of persecution. However, Turkey’s escalation of military activities in this area does little to convince the displaced to recover their former lives.

Border skirmishes in Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh) have been ongoing since the 2020 war, but in the past few days there has been an escalation. The trilateral working group resumed its work on August 17. Though Turkey is not directly represented, it is widely understood that Azerbaijan is taking direction from Turkey, whose military assistance remains the primary contributor for past and ongoing Azeri aggression toward Armenian Christians.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev visited Artsakh on August 16, after saying to CNN Türk, “Azerbaijan started the war,” and that “Turkey's defense industry is developing rapidly and we will, of course, benefit from this. My dear brother [Turkish President] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's determined remarks in the early hours of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war played a very positive role.”

On August 16, two Armenians were killed when Azerbaijan tried to advance into new territory. On August 17, Azeri troops shot at Armenian firefighters responding to an intentionally set fire. The same day in a different location, another Armenian serviceman was wounded when Azeri troops initiated another border incident.  

On August 16, Pakistani President Alvi visited Turkey to attend the launching of the MILGEM-class corvette ship. While there, he recognized the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), making Pakistan and Azerbaijan the only two countries to have legitimized Turkey’s illegal occupation of North Cyprus. This area had a significant Greek Christian population before Turkey’s invasion, none of whom currently live there as a result of ethnic cleansing and religious genocide.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “Turkey has a unique skillset for taking tragic situations, like the Afghanistan crisis, and using them to leverage new positions of power across the region. In Iraq and Syria, knowing of the international distraction, they are showing an increased blatant disregard for human life. In Artsakh and North Cyprus, they are using the Afghanistan situation to leverage more territorial acquisitions. Each of these four countries holds in common the fact that minorities are the first targeted by Turkey. Just days before Kabul fell to the Taliban, President Erdogan said that Turkey and the Taliban are the same. Are we now beginning to see a picture of what he meant?”

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

Taliban is back in power again

 Everyone in the world except for the Biden Administration knew that as soon as the US troops were taken out of Afghanistan that the Taliban would quickly take over.  That is what happened over the weekend because if the Afghan people were not ready to fight for their land over the past 20 years, then they were never going to be ready to fight against the Taliban.

In this post from International Christian Concern, we learn about the fall of Kabul.

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 15, 2021, has sparked a wave of new religious freedom concerns across the Middle East. Numerous terrorist groups, many of which are supported by the Republic of Turkey, publicly commented that the Taliban’s conquest of Afghanistan’s capital inspires hope for their own regional ambitions. Since 2014 in particular, those regional ambitions have largely been defined by committing genocide against local religious minorities.

Many within the region are comparing the rapid fall of Kabul with the fall of Mosul to ISIS in 2014. Those terrorists involved in the fall of Mosul were quick to congratulate the Taliban. For example, Abu Maria al-Qahtani, a former Mosul policeman and former commander of Syria’s Jahbat al-Nusra, reportedly said, “The victory of the Taliban is a victory for the Muslims, a victory for the Sunnis, a victory for all the oppressed.”  

Many Iraqi Christians were quick to voice their own fears that, given this history and the current political climate, their own country is not far behind Afghanistan in terms of a major security crisis. For example, one Iraqi journalist tweeted, “If a similar takeover of state happens in Iraq, it won’t be ISIS. It’s the PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces), the IRGC-backed (Iranian-backed) groups in particular, that will run down the army and state security apparatus. They’re taking notes from the Taliban right now.”  

Meanwhile in Syria, several mosques in Afrin and Idlib celebrated the victory of the Taliban over Kabul by reportedly handing out sweets. Turkey was actively recruiting terrorists within Syria for deployment into Afghanistan by potentially integrating them into the country’s only defense contractor, SADAT. Recruitment tactics often use the language of targeting Christians. The success of the Taliban, coupled with the promise of employment legitimization, further gives the appearance of validating extremist activity inside Syria.  

Turkey’s use of mercenaries has effectively turned them into the main regional superpower, giving them significant influence within multiple countries. President Erdogan was actively conducting outreach to the Taliban, saying, “Turkey has nothing that contradicts their beliefs.” This past Wednesday, he invited the Taliban to Turkey, saying, “Our relevant institutions are working on it, including talks with the Taliban, and I may also receive the leader of the Taliban.”    

Turkey’s embrace and integration of terrorist organizations within its own platforms are directly tied to the worsening of religious freedom conditions within the region. Turkey’s MHP party, which has a political alliance with the ruling government and is connected to the extremist Grey Wolf movement, shared in a statement, “One hundred years of history, cultural and religious ties between Turkey and Afghanistan are the excuse and support for our presence in Kabul… Afghanistan is a Muslim country.”

This language mirrors similar rhetoric used by Turkish authorities to justify religious freedom violations across the Middle East. It is often paired with anti-refugee language. As the world’s largest receiver of refugees, many Christians fleeing persecution travel to Turkey. Turkey’s current anti-refugee language in response to the Afghan crisis further complicates the situation for Middle Eastern Christians needing relocation assistance. 

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The atmosphere throughout the Middle East region has changed with the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. The Middle East had just entered the recovery stages following the defeat of ISIS, an ideology predicated on the genocide of religious minorities. Now those same terrorists feel empowered by the Taliban’s resurrection and success in Kabul. When ISIS captured new territory, Middle Eastern governments largely condemned it. Now, particularly in the case of Turkey, we see similar activities openly legitimized. This is potentially a significant turning point for religious freedom across the Middle East. We are watching the Middle Eastern response closely and with great concern.”

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

Sharia law comes for the texts in Pakistan

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Christian woman in Pakistan has been arrested for allegedly violating the country’s notorious blasphemy laws after she received a text message on WhatsApp. Following the arrest, the Christian woman’s family fled into hiding due to death threats from religious extremists.

On July 29, Shagufta Rafiq was accused of committing blasphemy and arrested in an armed police raid on her home in Islamabad. Shagufta was charged under 295-A and 295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and could face life in prison if convicted.

“It was July 29 when dozens of policemen and members of law enforcement agencies forcibly entered our house,” Rafiq Masih, Shagufta’s husband, told ICC. “They harassed my family and took possession of our phones, laptops, and other valuables. The police were fully loaded with guns and ordered us not to move and keep our hands up. They arrested Shagufta, my two sons, and my daughter without any prior information or arrest warrants.”

According to Rafiq, Shagufta was arrested because she is a member of a WhatsApp group chat where someone shared an allegedly blasphemous post. Shagufta was accused of committing blasphemy against Islam despite not being the author of the post in question.

“Shagufta was unaware of the post, but has been accused of forwarding it,” Masih explained. “Shagufta has denied this allegation.”

Following the raid on the family home, Shagufta’s children were released from police custody. However, Shagufta was kept and charged with committing blasphemy.

“Due to threats, my family has moved to another city without any of our valuables or households,” Masih told ICC. “The fanatics in the neighborhood did not allow us to take anything from our house with us.”

In Pakistan, false accusations of blasphemy are widespread and often motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. Accusations are highly inflammatory and have the potential to spark mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.

Since Pakistan added Section 295-B and 295-C to the country’s blasphemy laws in 1987, the number of blasphemy accusations has skyrocketed. Between 1987 and 2017, 1,534 individuals in Pakistan were accused of blasphemy. Out of that 1,534, 829 accusations (54%) were made against religious minorities. With Christians only making up 1.6% of Pakistan’s total population, the 238 accusations (15.5%) made against Christians are highly disproportionate.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are very concerned by Shagufta’s arrest and the blasphemy allegation that has been leveled against her. No one should face the prospect of life imprisonment for simply receiving a text message on WhatsApp. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws must not be allowed to be misused in this case. Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minority communities in Pakistan.”

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

Why India will never become a superpower

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Hindu nationalist leaders in India held an anti-Christian rally in the Bastar District of Chhattisgarh state. At this rally, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perpetuated false narratives against Christians and advocated for acts of violence against the Christian community.  

According to local reports, the anti-Christian rally took place on Tuesday, August 3, and was held in Jagdalpur, the district capital. While the event was highly promoted and attended by prominent leaders of the BJP, less than 500 people attended the rally.

Speaking at the rally, Amit Sahu, President of the Chhattisgarh BJP, said, “Let us drag people from the church and stop conversions at any cost.” Sahu went on to challenge those gathered at the rally to make the Bastar District a “conversion free zone.”

Roop Singh Mandavi, another leader of the BJP, said, “We will frighten Christians who are involved in conversion work in the region. We will not allow the missionary work to be carried on in Bastar and will protect the Hindu religion by stopping the conversions.”

Many Christians in Chhattisgarh fear that the rally will trigger another wave of Christian persecution. Last month, ICC documented several incidents of persecution in the Sukma District of Chhattisgarh after the Superintendent of Police issued a circular ordering district police to monitor Christians and arrest those engaged in illegal conversion activities.

“We took a long breath after seeing the poor show in attendance,” a Christian leader from Chhattisgarh, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told ICC. “It was expected that 10,000 to 12,000 people would turn up for the rally. This was very concerning, but less than 500 people attended.”

“Though the rally was not successful in terms of numbers, the Hindutva activists will be more aggressive,” a pastor from Jagdalpur told ICC. “It is their plan to do reconversion programs, particularly in the villages and interior places. We won’t know about these incidents of persecution because of the remoteness of these areas. Only God can save His people.”  

“The state is already in tremendous turmoil and Christians and pastors are targeted for what they believe and practice,” the pastor continued. “This rally will add fuel to the fire. We need prayers and someone to stand with us.”

Radical Hindu nationalists across India continue to promote false narratives against Christians to justify religious intolerance and violence. The issue of forced religious conversions is often used to vilify Christians and justify anti-Christian policies like anti-conversion laws.

In states where similar anti-conversion laws are enacted, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, they are widely abused. Radical nationalists falsely accuse Christians of forcefully converting individuals to Christianity to justify harassment and assault. Local police often overlook violence perpetrated against Christians due to false accusations of forced conversion.

To date, no individual has been convicted of forced conversions in India. This is even though some of the anti-conversion laws have been in force since 1967.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of Christians in the Bastar District of Chhattisgarh. Rallies like the one held on August 3 and hateful statements made by nationalist leaders often act as the trigger point for surges in persecution. In Uttar Pradesh, a similar promotion of anti-Christian narratives led to a wave of persecution and arrests. In the past seven weeks, at least 14 incidents of persecution have taken place in Uttar Pradesh, leading to the arrests of at least 45 Christians on trumped up forced conversion charges. Action must be taken against events like this to ensure they do not evolve into new waves of persecution.”

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

Terrorism continues to be committed by the Fulani

 Have you ever wondered why so many people leave Nigeria even though Nigeria is the richest country in Africa?  The reason is Islamic terrorism.

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that in the early hours of August 2, 2021, seven predominantly Christian communities in Plateau and Southern Kaduna, Nigeria, were attacked by Fulani militants. Sources in the communities disclosed that the bodies of forty-three persons, including women and children, have so far been recovered in villages of, Zirshe, Isho, Chuweh,  Kangbro, Dundu, Hwrra /Mai-Yanga and Angwan Magaji and Kigam. Several injured are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals. More than a hundred homes were also destroyed during the attacks.

These latest attacks came barely twenty-four hours after the Irigwe Development Association released a Press Statement raising the alarm - “the terror being unleashed by Fulani Herdsmen on Rigwe people has continued unabated and without any sign of remorse or regret.”  The August 1 press statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Association, Davidson Malison, had it that on July 31, Fulani herdsmen’s militants launched attacks on Zanwra, Nche-Tahu, Rikwe-Rishe A &B, Ri-Dogo, Nchu-Nzhwa all under Kpatenwie (Jebbu-Miango) of Kpachudu Community in Miango District of Plateau State, setting homes ablaze. “The attacks which started around 7pm lasted for over four hours unhindered and undistracted,” according to the Press Statement, and seven persons were killed in this set of villages with unspecified number of injured persons.

A Pastor who is very familiar with the local communities attacked, Luka Ndohi, described the situation as “terrible.” He confirmed the attacks and further disclosed that a soldier also suffered gunshot wounds by the Fulani gunmen but could not tell whether the soldier survived. Assertions were that the number of the attackers seemed to have overwhelmed the few soldiers stationed in some of the communities though other views had it that the commander over those units, for whatever reasons, did not give orders to the soldiers to firmly engage the rampaging militants.

Responding to further enquiry on latest update on the attacks, the President of the Irigwe Development Association, Robert Ashi, lamented that corpses were being recovered from the bush, and not less than one hundred and two (102) houses across five villages have been burnt down while crops on farms measuring not less than twenty hectres have been destroyed. He described the situation as “catastrophic” and continued that “it is a form of genocide and I am yet to see the role of the Government in stopping it.  We are under siege!”

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Nathan Johnson, states, “these barbaric and devastating attacks must be stopped. The loss of so many lives with no support or aid from the government means that violent attackers are likely to continue their violence. The Nigerian government must figure out a way to stop these attacks quicker and then must severely pumish those who commit these atrocities.”

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

Arrested for travelling to Malaysia

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on July 28, five Christians from a house church in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province were arrested and detained for attending a Christian conference in Malaysia last year.

According to Preacher An Yankui from Xuncheng Reformed Church, one of their church members in Fenyang city named Zhang Ligong was detained on July 13 for his faith. After serving his 15-day administrative detention, he was released yesterday from the detention center. Two other church co-workers went to pick him up and were arrested on the spot.

In the meantime, the police arrested three other co-workers from their homes. The five of them all flew to Malaysia last year to attend the “KL2020 Gospel and Culture” Christian conference hosted by the prominent Chinese Indonesian pastor Stephen Tong.

From January 28 to 31, they heard from influential speakers such as Pastor Tim Keller and Pastor D.A. Carson, along with thousands of other participants. Yet, although they legally departed and returned to China with their passports, they are now being hit with trumped-up charges.

Preacher An Yankui sent out an urgent prayer request through Facebook yesterday, asking brothers and sisters to pay attention and pray for these arrested individuals. “May God never forsake His children and continue to grant mercy to His church on the path carrying the cross,” he stated.

At the time of writing, none of the family members have received a detention notice from the police. It is unclear how long they will be detained for.

Xuncheng Church has been heavily targeted in recent months, including constant harassment and the detention of a preacher and several members last November. One of the members, Zhao Weikai, was arrested on May 17. While he was initially accused of “committing religious fraud” and later released after 15 days of administrative detention, he was again arrested on July 7 and criminally detained for “allegedly possessing items that promote terrorism and extremism.” He can face up to three years of imprisonment.

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “Since the Revised Regulations on Religious Affairs took effect in February 2018, the Chinese government has added more laws seeking to curb religious activities that are not state-sanctioned. Beijing is paranoid about Chinese Christians’ interaction with Christians overseas. As a result, they are penalizing Christians to deter them from ‘receiving foreign influence.’ It is a shame that the Chinese government constantly manipulates laws to violate the religious freedom of its citizens.”

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

Uttar Pradesh is utterly wack!

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least 30 Christians in India’s Uttar Pradesh state have been falsely accused of engaging in forced religious conversions and arrested in the last month. This new wave of persecution was triggered in late June after two Muslim men were arrested and charged under the state’s new anti-conversion law.

Hindu nationalists, including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claimed that the two Muslim men were involved in the forceful conversion of more than 1,000 people. Using the incident as an opportunity for political gain, BJP politicians publicly lauded the arrests and warned against fraudulent conversions of Hindus to non-Hindu faiths.

Since then, ICC has documented at least 30 Christians in Uttar Pradesh being attacked by radical Hindu nationalists. In each of these incidents, perpetrators justified their attacks by falsely accusing their Christian victims of engaging in fraudulent conversions.

“This is a grave situation for Christians in the state,” a church leader, who requested anonymity, told ICC. “There is zero response from the Yogi administration, which empowers the attackers to do more.”

“The number of incidents and arrests in recent weeks shows increased persecution in Uttar Pradesh,” the church leader continued. “The attacks are mainly perpetrated by the hardcore Hindutva activists who enjoy the support of the politicians.” 

On June 27, Ram Keval and three other Christians were arrested as they attended a Sunday worship service in the Ambedkarnagar district. The four Christians spent 11 days in jail.

“We gathered with nearly 20 other people for Sunday worship,” Keval told ICC. “We were forcibly taken to the police station and later sent to jail for no crime.”

In a similar incident, Pastor Shiva Kumar and three other Christians were arrested by police on June 28 while attending a house dedication ceremony in Dhawrara. According to local reports, an unknown person called the police and claimed religious conversions were taking place at the ceremony.

Another nine Christians were arrested in two separate incidents on July 18. Sadhu Srinivas Gautham, one of the Christians arrested, reported that a mob of 25 radical Hindu nationalists stormed a prayer meeting he attended in Gangapur. The mob accused the Christians of illegally luring Hindus into converting to Christianity.

“They raged against me,” Gautham told ICC. “It was as if they wanted to kill me on the spot. However, police arrived and escorted us to the police station.”

“The police officer and officials from the district administration demonized us, saying we have deserted India’s traditional religion of Hinduism and have accepted a foreign religion,” Gautham continued. “They told us we should deny our Christian faith and go back to Hinduism.”

In states where similar anti-conversion laws are enacted, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, they are widely abused. Radical nationalists falsely accuse Christians of forcefully converting individuals to Christianity to justify harassment and assault. Local police often overlook violence perpetrated against Christians due to false accusations of forced conversion.

To date, no individual has been convicted of forced conversions in India. This is despite the fact that some of the anti-conversion laws have been in force since 1967.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply concerned by the surge in persecution being reported in Uttar Pradesh. In the last month alone, at least 30 Christians have been arrested after being falsely accused of violating the state’s anti-conversion law. Like we have seen in other states, Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion laws provides a legal cover for radical Hindu nationalists seeking to persecute Christians. If the government of Uttar Pradesh allows this to continue, radical Hindu nationalists will know they have absolute impunity to harass Christians and close down their places of worship.”

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