Persecuted for their faith

Pakistan: Gunman kills Christian youth

Persecuted for their faith: On February 5, Sunil Masih and three other Christian youth were standing in a market of Punjab’s Gujranwala District when six men arrived on motorcycles. One of the men shouted, “Kill all the Christians.” At that point, a different man, Zaman Butt, opened fire, killing a 14-year-old boy named Sunil. During the attack, another Christian youth was grazed with a bullet. The assailants then fled the scene. Sunil was rushed to a local hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.

Apparently, the altercation began days prior when Zaman Butt, along with a group of intoxicated individuals, arrived at the local Christian colony and attempted to kidnap a boy named Sharoon. While this targeted victim was able to fend off his attackers, he was badly beaten.

The perpetrators are reportedly members of a pedophile criminal gang known for targeting followers of Jesus. According to a local pastor, the gang is well known to police, but their criminal activities have often been ignored. “Their vile depredations target the weak Christian community because authorities ignore our pleas for help,” Pastor Asif lamented.

While a police report has been filed, and the identities of those involved in the incident are known, at last report, the perpetrators were still at large.

Vietnam: Christian sentenced for leading prayer meetings

Nay Y Blang is a member of the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ – a religious group that is not officially recognized by the Vietnamese Communist Party. In May 2023, the Christian leader was arrested and charged with taking advantage of “democratic freedom to infringe upon the interests of the state,” as well as “the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.” These accusations arose from the prayer meetings he had been holding in his home.

During the trial, at which there was no defence lawyer present, Nay admitted to hosting the prayer meetings. Yet, he did not agree with the accusatory claims that the gatherings were subversive towards the government. Pastor Aga, who started the church and now lives in the United States, insists that the organization is strictly religious. However, at the end of the trial on January 26, Nay was sentenced to 54 months in prison.

This is not the first time that Nay has been convicted for his Christian activities. In April 2005, he was sentenced to more than five years in prison for allegedly “undermining the unity policy.” In September 2022, the believer was also fined for “abusing democratic freedoms and belief freedoms.”

While registered religious groups in Vietnam face restrictions, members of unregistered groups (such as those who attend Nay’s church) encounter frequent harassment, abuse and criminal charges. The persecution of unregistered churches is particularly severe in rural areas and for members of ethnic minorities.

China: Christians arrested for leading children in worship

According to an anonymous prayer letter received by ChinaAid, three Christians were arrested and detained on January 18 because they had led children from their church in singing hymns and prayer. The next day, police raided the homes of the three detained church members, who have been identified as Dai Chuanli, Wang Dandan and Ma Jiahui. Each of these believers was given a 15-day administrative detention.

This is the third time since September 2023 that members of the Fuyang Maizhong Reformed Church have been detained for their worship activities. Other believers from the church continue to face frequent harassment from community officials, who have pried open the doors of their homes and pressured landlords to evict Christian residents.

Administrative detentions are commonly used as a way of harassing and intimidating believers without having to lay charges against the individuals.

Türkiye: Gunmen attack worship service

On the morning of January 28, two gunmen entered the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul, Türkiye. Wearing masks, the men walked into the church, shot into the air, and then killed one person. Security footage shows the gun apparently jamming just before the men left.

The victim has been identified as Tuncer Murat Cihan, a Muslim man who had been attending services for the past several weeks. The priest described him as “a good person.” It is uncertain if he was specifically targeted by the attackers.

Authorities quickly detained two men: one from Tajikistan and the other from Russia. They are known to be affiliated with ISIS, a militant Islamic group that has since claimed responsibility for the attack. The perpetrators of the incident appear to have acted in response to a call from ISIS leaders to target Jews and Christians.

In response to the attack, church leaders in Türkiye are advising Christians to not succumb to fear. Ali Kalkandeen, who serves as president for the Association of Protestant Churches in Türkiye, reminded Turkish believers that “God has not given us a spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7). He further encouraged them by saying: “Satan will never stop attacking Christians. Do not let this become a stumbling block in our relationship with God.”                          – vomcanada.com