Tags

child

• Christian Boy Beaten for Alleged Blasphemy

  

  A young Christian boy was recently badly beaten by his Muslim schoolteacher after he allegedly committed a blasphemous act in class. The incident, which took place in the Pakistani city of Khanewal, has raised concerns about the lack of religious tolerance and justice in the community.

• Teenager Safely Returns Home

  

  In October 2020, Arzoo Raja was abducted from her family home in Pakistan, forced to convert to Islam, and then married against her will to the perpetrator of the crime – all this occurring when she was only at the age of 13. Her concerned Christian parents took legal action against her abductor and, ultimately, the courts nullified the young teen's marriage because of her age. However, due to the coercion and pressure she continued to receive from her kidnapper and others, Arzoo initially did not want to return home. So, instead, she was placed in a shelter. While any access to the attacker was forbidden, visits with her family and others were permitted only when requested by Arzoo. Previously posted information on this case is available here.

• Pastor and Young Son Killed by Fulani Herdsmen

  

  Leviticus Makpa, 39, served as a pastor and church planter in Niger State, Nigeria. On May 21st, he sent a text message to an associate, Folashade Obidiya Obadan, stating that Fulani herdsmen had surrounded his house and mission compound. The next day, Folashade learned that Pastor Leviticus, along with his toddler son, Godsend, had both been tragically shot and killed. The pastor's wife and daughter managed to escape. A funeral for the two slain family members was held on May 23rd.

• Kidnapped Girl Returns to Family

  

  On Saturday, December 5th, 2020, police in Faisalabad, Pakistan, found 12-year-old Farah Shaheen chained in the home of Khizar Hayat. Five months earlier, Khizar had kidnapped her, taken her to the local mosque to be converted to Islam, and then forced her to marry him. According to police, the dark marks on her ankles indicated that she was chained for most of her time in captivity.

• Hope for Young Teen Forced into Marriage

  

  According to Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, the Sindh High Court has ordered that Arzoo Raja, a 13-year-old Christian girl, be recovered by police and moved into a shelter. This comes almost a month after she was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married against her will to a 44-year-old Muslim neighbour.

• Close Monitoring of Pastor's Wife and Son

  

  Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church is presently serving a nine-year prison sentence. He was arrested, along with his wife, in December 2018. While Pastor Wang's wife, Jiang Rong, was released on bail, the authorities have barred her from interacting with family, friends, and church members. She is being constantly monitored by security agents and essentially has no freedom of movement.

• Christians Killed in Church Attack

   

  

  At least 23 people were killed and 20 wounded when unidentified gunmen stormed an Anglican church in the village of Makol Cheui on July 27th. After killing the church's deacon, along with women and children who had sought refuge in the church compound, they vandalized the church, destroying worship instruments.

• Man Charged with Blasphemy

  

  A Christian man was beaten and charged with blasphemy on August 5th, following comments made on his Facebook account about the Islamic celebration of Lailat al Miraj. The celebration involves eating sacrificial meat. In response, Sohail Masih allegedly posted: "It is not possible that the blood of goats and bulls can wash away sins. The incident of Miraj is based on a lie." The post came to the attention of a mosque leader, who claimed that "Muslims were extremely hurt" by the comment.

• Pregnant Teen Confined to a Single Room

  

  In October 2019, 14-year-old Huma Younus was kidnapped from her home, forcibly converted to Islam, and then married to her kidnapper (read more). Since the abduction, her parents have been working on her behalf, seeking to annul the marriage, which by law is forbidden before the age of 18 without parental permission.

• At Least 37 Dead in Kaduna State

  

  Two recent attacks in Kaduna State show the extent of violence facing Nigerian Christians due to the terrorism of Fulani militia groups....

  On the evening of May 11th, Fulani gunmen laid siege to the village of Gonan Rogo in the Kajuru area. Entire households were wiped out as the militants went from house to house, killing those they found. In one home, Jonathan Yakubu was slaughtered, along with his wife and three young children. In another home, a mother and child were killed, but a three-month-old baby girl miraculous survived a bullet wound to her head. The baby is now in the care of her aunt. In all, 17 people were killed that night and six injured. Ages of the victims ranged from young children to the elderly.