World in Brief

A pastor in India has been assaulted by Hindutva extremists after he was accused of “distributing blood” during a communion service. The attackers entered the building chanting during the service, and after the incident, accused him of giving women “addictive” red wine.

According to Open Doors, the attackers, who describe themselves as “cow protectors”, were not deterred when the pastor revealed that the communion utensils contained grape juice instead of wine. They also accused him of bribing people and engaging in coercion.

A man has been sentenced to one year in jail for burning a Qur’an in Villerbaune, France. Surveillance footage showed that he had stolen the book from Erreahna mosque before he set it on fire outside the building, according to Evangelical Focus.

The 27-year-old pleaded mental illness, having been diagnosed as a schizophrenic in the past. However, the local mayor condemned his actions as Islamophobic on social media, despite the absence of blasphemy laws in France.

The number of students studying theology in Germany has dropped by about a third in five years. Just fewer than 8,000 Protestant students were studying what used to be dubbed the “queen of the sciences” during the winter semester of 2023/24, representing a decline of 35%.

According to Evangelical Focus, the number of graduates dropped markedly, with just 262 Protestant students graduating in 2023, down by 138 from 2018. Those who commissioned the research have warned of resulting “problems in terms of replacing retired pastors and establishing new churches”.

Five Christian pastors, who are in prison on false charges of forced conversion, have been beaten in custody. They were arrested after Hindu extremists interrupted a church service by shouting and accusing the pastors of forcing people to convert to Christianity, reports Release International.

The police subsequently took around half of the church to a police station before charging the pastors, who, the next day, were beaten with wooden sticks after they removed their clothing for inspection and the guards found out they were Christians.

A Christian mother in Somalia has been held captive in a locked room with her infant daughter since early August. She had been subjected to similar treatment by her Muslim relatives before escaping and marrying a Christian man, but fell victim to the same fate again after being found by her relatives.

Morning Star News reports that the woman has been beaten by her relatives and told that she will not be allowed out until she renounces her faith. She has reported to her husband in a phone call that their daughter is becoming thin due to a lack of food.

A 16-year-old Christian girl is traumatised following her rescue from a Muslim man who had forcibly married and sexually assaulted her and forced her to engage in prostitution, causing major health problems. According to Morning Star News (MSN) she had been snatched by her 28-year-old captor in May.

The girl revealed to MSN that her captor had tried to woo her with gifts but became hostile when it was clear that she was not interested in him. Her parents did not feel able to help her due to fears of Muslim retaliation in their neighbourhood, but her freedom was finally secured through legal support.

A wave of attacks by Islamic extremists in the North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in the deaths of 52 Christians. The latest spate of brutality is believed to have been carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), also referred to as Islamic State, according to Open Doors.

Fear is growing in areas which have fallen victim to attacks, with thousands having fled their homes and now living in squalor elsewhere. Reports indicate that the ADF were exacting “revenge on civilians after suffering defeats by Congolese forces”.

A Christian in eastern Uganda has been killed after meeting a Muslim friend who had pretended he had secured a job for him. Mohammed Nagi, who was a father of five, had recently converted to Christianity from Islam and his church attendance had been discovered by Muslim relatives.

Morning Star News reports that despite his wife advising him not to meet his friend late at night, Nagi opted to do so out of fear that he would lose the job. His dead body was seen the next day by a neighbour.

Five South Sudanese Christians have been arrested in the East Nile District in North Khartoum, Sudan in what seems to be part of a continuing crackdown on the presence of foreigners in the country amidst its ongoing civil war. According to Morning Star News, local church leaders claim that the authorities interrupted a funeral prayer meeting to detain the men.

The five men have not yet been formally charged but are being held in Omdurman Prison. Reports indicate that the police are arresting other South Sudanese and Ethiopian people in the region.

Hostility towards Christians in Turkey is increasing, with a rise in hate crimes, state pressure and restrictions, according to a new report. The Human Rights Violation Report, carried out by the Association of Protestant Churches, also revealed that some churches have faced violent attacks, while foreigners have been refused entry into the country.

Premier Christian News reports that the general level of hate directed towards Christians in the nation has increased. Churches struggle to legally conduct public worship services, while prohibitions on Christian teaching mean it is more difficult for new leaders to be trained.

Luke Randall