Latest News

TURKEY: A Turkish Court Pushes to Close Malatya Murder Case 02/03/10 | MALATYA, Turkey, February 24 (Compass Direct News) – On Friday (Feb. 19) judges eager to wrap up the trial over the murder of three Christians here rejected plaintiff appeals to investigate the suspected masterminds behind the stabbing deaths. ... Full Story

IRAQ: Ove 300 Christian Families Leave Mosul 02/03/10 | Father Emanuel Youkhana reports to Open Doors that; following to the recent outbreak of violence against Christians in Mosul, over 300 families have left the violent city, and “the numbers are expected to increase,” he adds. An Open Doors worker in Iraq says: “This number of over 300 families that left Mosul is very well possible, the Assyrian church is represented in most of the villages on the Nineveh plain, so they have a good overview.” ... Full Story

EGYPT: Another Copt Killed as Alleged Shooters Plead Not Guilty 23/02/10 | ISTANBUL, February 16 (Compass Direct News) – Three men accused of killing six Coptic worshipers and a security guard pleaded not guilty on Saturday (Feb. 13) as the Coptic community mourned the loss of yet another victim of apparent anti-Christian violence. The three men allegedly sprayed a crowd with gunfire after a Christmas service in Nag Hammadi on Jan. 6. ... Full Story

TURKEY: European Court Rules Against Religion ID 16/02/10 | ISTANBUL, February 5 (Compass Direct News) – A European court on Tuesday (Feb. 2) ordered Turkey to remove the religious affiliation section from citizens’ identification cards, calling the practice a violation of human rights. ... Full Story

MOROCCO: Christian house raided by great number of officials 11/02/10 | In the early afternoon of Thursday 4 February, Moroccan authorities raided a Christian home in Amizmiz with an overwhelming number of officials. They arrested 18 Moroccans and an American visitor and interrogated them for 14 hours ... Full Story

INDIA: Finally Allows EU to Visit Orissa – But No Fact-Finding 04/02/10 | NEW DELHI, January 29 (Compass Direct News) – Weary of international scrutiny of troubled Kandhamal district in Orissa state, officials yesterday finally allowed delegates from the European Union (EU) to visit affected areas – as long as they do no fact-finding. ... Full Story

PAKISTAN: Violent Death of Girl as Spurs Push for Justice 04/02/10 | LAHORE, Pakistan, January 28 (Compass Direct News) – A daring protest and a high-profile funeral here on Monday (Jan. 25) for a 12-year-old Christian girl who died from torture and malnourishment has cast a rare spotlight on abuse of the Christian poor in Pakistan. ... Full Story

ERITREA: Christian Woman Dies in Solitary Confinement 28/01/10 | Open Doors (OD) learned this week that another Christian died while serving time in one of Eritrea’s harsh detention centres. On Sunday, January 24, Hana Hagos Asgedom (41) became the eleventh known Christian to pay with her life for insisting to continue practicing her faith. ... Full Story

BHUTAN: Despite Democracy, Christians Remain Underground 28/01/10 | THIMPHU, Bhutan, January 25 (Compass Direct News) – In this distant and isolated nation in the eastern Himalayas, known as the “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” almost everything looks uniformly Buddhist. There are no visible signs of Christians’, but they do exist. Christians, whose only official identity falls in the “others” category in the census, are estimated to range in number between 3,000 and 6,000. They live out their Christian lives underground – no church buildings, Christian cemeteries or Christian bookstores are yet allowed. ... Full Story

PAKISTAN: Two Christians Critically Wounded At Wedding 20/01/10 | TOBA TEK SINGH, Pakistan, January 14 (Compass Direct News) – Two Pakistani Christians who were shot at a wedding on Dec. 26 for refusing to convert to Islam are still receiving treatment at a hospital intensive care unit, but doctors are hopeful that they will recover. ... Full Story

EYGPT: Shooting At Coptic Christians 19/01/10 | LOS ANGELES, January 7 (Compass Direct News) – In spite of threats of violence from Muslims in an area of Egypt wracked by sectarian violence, police declined to increase security for a Coptic Christmas Eve service on Jan. 6, and six Christians were shot to death after leaving the church. ... Full Story

Indonesia: Imprisoned Christian Teacher Released 14/01/10 | After serving one year in jail, Wilhelmina Holle, 49, regained her freedom on December 10, 2009. “When I was going out, all I did was cry and thank God for my release,” she said. Holle, a Christian elementary school teacher, was falsely accused of defaming Islam while giving private lessons to her students on November 10, 2008. ... Full Story

IRAN: arrests Christian Converts over Christmas Season 14/01/10 | ISTANBUL, January 6 (Compass Direct News) – A wave of arrests hit Iranian house churches during the Christmas season, leaving at least five Christian converts in detention across northern Iran, including the mother of an ailing 10-year-old girl. ... Full Story

TURKEY: Threats to Kill Priest over Swiss Minaret Decision 17/12/09 | ISTANBUL, December 15 (Compass Direct News) – In response to a Swiss vote banning the construction of new mosque minarets, a group of Muslims this month went into a church building in eastern Turkey and threatened to kill a priest unless he tore down its bell tower, according to an advocacy group. ... Full Story

PAKISTAN: Church Attacked Screening of ‘Jesus Film’ 17/12/09 | SARGODHA, Pakistan, December 14 (Compass Direct News) – Some 50 Muslim villagers armed with clubs and axes attacked a showing of the “Jesus Film” near this city in Punjab Province on Wednesday night (Dec. 9), injuring three part-time evangelists and four Christians in attendance. Two of the evangelists were said to be seriously injured ... Full Story

CHINA: Five More Christian Leaders Sentanced 10/12/09 | December 3 (Compass Direct News) – Bypassing the court system, China arbitrarily sentenced five more leaders of the Fushan Church in Linfen City, Shanxi Province, on Monday (Nov. 30), this time to re-education labor camps for two years, according to China Aid Association (CAA). ... Full Story

TURKEY: More than Half Oppose Non-Muslim Religious Meetings 10/12/09 | ISTANBUL, December 4 (Compass Direct News) – More than half the population of Muslim-majority Turkey opposes members of other religions holding meetings or publishing materials to explain their faith, according to a recently issued survey. ... Full Story

CHINA: Long Term Ministry Partnership Enables Open Doors to reach Many Church Leaders 03/12/09 | MNL Ministries [name changed for security reasons] has been a ministry partner of Open Doors since 1998. Its objective is to assist the church in China by training her church leaders and equipping them to train others. ... Full Story

SWITZERLAND: New Minarets Will Be Forbidden 03/12/09 | Swiss citizens approved a new law which will forbid the building of new minarets all over the Swiss territory. The result, with 57% of positive votes, came as a surprise, which means that many people were ashamed to say openly that they intended to approve it. ... Full Story