religious persecution
Muslims in fear as police crack down in India’s heartland
By Sheikh Saaliq — January 7, 2020
MEERUT, India (AP) — A crackdown on protests against a new citizenship law has been the harshest in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where Muslims comprise 20% of the population.
Who are Black Hebrew Israelites?
By Jack Jenkins — December 13, 2019
(RNS) — On Tuesday (Dec. 10), two men opened fire on a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, New Jersey, ultimately leaving four dead and three wounded in the shooting spree. One of the shooters had ties with the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, which includes organizations labeled as hate groups, in part due to some members voicing anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Pompeo’s ‘Christian leader’ speech goes only as far as Trump allows
By Eric Atcheson — October 16, 2019
(RNS) — It takes a strong sense of compartmentalization to square Christianity’s ethical demands for truth-telling, integrity and human rights with the Trump White House’s elastic relationship with the truth.
Trump aims to protect persecuted Christians, but some aren’t sure he’s helping
By Jack Jenkins — July 25, 2019
WASHINGTON (RNS) — An increasingly vocal band of advocates and experts says the Trump administration’s refugee policies are out of sync with its promises to protect religious minorities from persecution, especially Christians, Yazidis and other groups in the Middle East.
As religious freedom summit ends, State Department announces new alliance, sanctions
By Adelle M. Banks — July 18, 2019
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Many of the survivors of religious violence who spoke at the summit reminded attendees of those who remain persecuted for their faith across the world.
What Mike Pence got wrong at Liberty University
By Chuck Currie — May 16, 2019
(RNS) — There are people across the world and in the United States who face genuine discrimination for their faith. Pence trivialized their plight by suggesting that he is somehow a victim.
The Church of Almighty God members detail arrests in China, seek asylum
By Thomas Maresca — March 25, 2019
SEOUL (RNS) — Leaders of the Church of Almighty God, which has been labeled a cult by Chinese officials, say thousands of their fellow worshippers have been arrested over the past year. Some church members have fled to South Korea to seek asylum.
Putin disavows crackdown on Jehovah’s Witnesses, giving hope to detained
By Marc Bennetts — January 9, 2019
MOSCOW (RNS) — After the arrests of dozens of members of the group, the Russian president's comments seem to challenge a 2017 ruling by the country's Supreme Court marking the church as a terrorist organization.
Pakistani Christians face an uneasy Christmas in the wake of Asia Bibi’s release
By Bob Smietana — December 20, 2018
LAHORE, Pakistan (RNS) — The fallout from the release of Bibi — whose death sentence for blasphemy was rescinded this year — has left Pakistan's Christians wary of a backlash this Christmas.
Prince Charles calls for Middle East peace at service for persecuted Christians
By Catherine Pepinster — December 3, 2018
LONDON (RNS) — The plight of persecuted Christians is a cause that has become dear to the heir to the British throne.
Pastor talks of breakdown in Turkey, but also forgiveness
By Ben Finley — October 20, 2018
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — People the Brunsons had known testified against him, but Andrew Brunson said, 'It's not an option not to forgive; we are required to as Christians.'
As refugee admissions drop, fewer persecuted Christians admitted to US: World Relief
By Emily McFarlan Miller — October 18, 2018
(RNS) — The drop comes despite President Trump’s pledge during his first week in office that helping persecuted Christians overseas would be a priority for his administration.
Why evangelical Christians — and all of us — should stand up for the Uighurs
By Bob Roberts — September 10, 2018
(RNS) — Religious freedom isn’t just for your own faith. It’s for people of all faiths or it isn’t religious freedom at all.
A year later, fractured Rohingya community sees little hope
By Julhas Alam — August 24, 2018
KUTUPALONG, Bangladesh (AP) — One year later, despite months of discussions among Myanmar, Bangladesh, the United Nations and a string of aid agencies, there are few signs that the Rohingya can go home anytime soon.
Myanmar snubs Hague court’s intervention in Rohingya crisis
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 10, 2018
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — The government refuses to recognize the Rohingya as a legitimate native ethnic minority. Most Rohingya are denied citizenship and other rights.
