Persecution of Christians Worldwide

Babette Francis - ON LINE Opinion, 18 December 2012

While we in Australia are looking forward to celebrating Christmas and the holidays, we should spare a thought for the Christians who are suffering persecution in so many countries. Even in democracies such as the US and Canada, Christians can be fined or lose their jobs for imaginary "hate" crimes, i.e. speaking about the health risks of some homosexual practices or declining to provide services for homosexual "marriages".

It is persecution in developing countries that is most distressing to me because Christians there rarely have the financial resources to seek legal redress. Below some news items from the weekly email I receive from Christians in Crisis:

Iran: Two of the seven members of the Church of Iran arrested in Shiraz have been temporarily released on bail.

Indonesia: Church building set ablaze - Unidentified attackers torched a church building in Poso in a series of renewed violence against the local Christian community.

Egypt: A call to pray for an end to the abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of Coptic girls by Islamist Salafis.

Kasakhstan continues its attempt to make exercising the freedom of religion or belief dependent on state permission.

China: Secret Police Suspected in Attack on Church Pastor in Beijing.

Kenya: Pastor Killed in Church Blast in Garissa, several others injured in attack by suspected Islamic extremists.

Tanzania: Several Christians in Tanzania were struggling to find a place to worship Sunday, November 4, after Islamic militants attacked Christians, torched at least three churches and damaged other Christian properties in the country's largest city.