Persecution

The eviction of a Christian congregation from a private villa used for worship gatherings for the past seven years has some observers speculating whether Kuwait's Islamist politicians are beginning to actively target non-Muslim groups.

An American contractor for the U.S. Army in Kuwait, also a Christian, contacted The Christian Post in mid-April, saying that The Lighthouse Church (TLC) he attends was having difficulty renewing its lease. The man, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, said the lease was then suddenly terminated without explanation.

A villa church tied to the TLC congregation was later told by the landlord it had to pay an exorbitant fine each month to use a facility it had been renting, according to the Christian contractor. Church leaders reportedly decided not to argue and moved out. more >>

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has remained for supporters a shining example of a faith-filled Christian standing firm in the face of persecution. According to Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), Nadarkhani exemplifies a true Christian who is willing to sacrifice everything in this life on earth for his faith.

Nadarkhani, a married father of two, was arrested in Oct. 2009 for protesting the mandatory teaching of Islam at his children's schools. He was then charged with apostasy and attempting to evangelize Muslims, charges for which an execution order was issued in Feb. 2012. He currently remains in Iranian prison awaiting further news on his execution order. Sekulow and the nonprofit ACLJ have been closely monitoring the evangelical pastor's case.

The Iranian courts have asked Nadarkhani to recant his Christian faith in exchange for freedom numerous times. Each time, he has refused. more >>

Around 100 people held a rally last week at the Eritrean Embassy in London to mark the 10th anniversary of the government's crackdown on Christians and religious people in the small African country often compared to North Korea for its repressive regime.

The government of Eritrea grants religious freedom to only a handful of faith groups – the Roman Catholic Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church (which is not recognized by the Orthodox papacy), the Evangelical Lutheran Church and Sunni Islam. All other faith groups are illegal, and as many as 2,000–3,000 Protestant Christians in the country have reportedly been jailed for their beliefs.

Every church in Eritrea not belonging to these specific faiths has been closed down, despite activists and concerned citizens calling on the international community to put pressure on the government and call for the release of all prisoners of conscience. more >>

An Islamist website is offering a $100,000 reward for anyone who kills Iranian hip-hop star Shahin Najafi over a song that it says offended people within the Islamic Republic and was irreverent to a Shi'ite imam.

The website, Shia-Onlin.ir, said the rapper should die for the song posted on YouTube, that "grossly insulted" Ali al-Hadi al-Naqi, one of the 12 imams highly revered by Shi'ite Muslims, according to Reuters.

Najafi, who is apparently living in Germany, said his song does not put the negative spotlight on al-Naqi, nor was it created to put down Islam. more >>

Believers all over the world can now join each other online and exchange prayer requests with the new Stand Up And Pray Facebook application created by Christian entertainment company EGT.

"Stand Up And Pray.com helps family and friends cover one another in prayer," said the company in a press release. "This Facebook application allows users to post prayer requests, ask friends to keep them in prayer, and give encouraging comments to their friends who posted requests."

The creators of Stand Up And Pray wanted to encourage those engaged in social media to pray by providing them with an application where their requests would not go unheard. more >>

No matter their religion, few lawyers would take on the responsibility of legally defending Christians in Iran, a country that is majority Muslim, with a confusing legal system that treads a fine line between courthouse law and faith-based Shariah law.

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah is one of the few daring human rights attorneys in Iran. Out of the top human rights attorneys in the country, including those who have founded the Center for the Defense of Human Rights, Dadkhah is one of the few who has managed to stay in the country and out of jail.

Aside from defending numerous political prisoners throughout the years, Dadkhah has also committed himself to defending those who are religiously persecuted, including Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, whose high-profile case has attracted worldwide attention. more >>