Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that churches in Sudan have been targeted by warring factions, the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces. The SAF destroyed the largest church in a major city in November, while RSF members burned the Evangelical Church in another city in January. A reverend stated that the building was destroyed but the community remains intact. Additionally, a priest of a Coptic Church fled to Egypt after his son was shot and he was threatened with death if he did not convert to Islam. CSW urges international support for a UN fact-finding mission to investigate these human rights violations.
A Chinese citizen journalist was released from prison after serving a four-year sentence for reporting on the pandemic, according to CSW. In Mexico, over 150 Protestant Christians were forcibly displaced from villages in a northern state due to religious persecution. Meanwhile, in Egypt, mobs attacked church construction sites in a central province. In India, hundreds of Muslim families were evicted from a northeastern region. Additionally, Nigeria reduced the sentence of a prominent humanist leader from 24 years to five years following an appeal court ruling.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that Tanzania’s 2025 election was characterized by fraud and violent repression. The organization states that religious leaders, journalists, and opposition figures were targeted by the government to silence critics. President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s main opponents were barred from running, with one imprisoned for treason. On election day, Gen Z protesters demonstrated against corruption, prompting extreme state violence and secret burials. CSW founder Mervyn urges the international community to reject the flawed results. Regional bodies like SADC and the African Union also criticized the process, noting that citizens could not freely express their democratic will.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that sharing personal narratives has helped expose religious freedom violations across Latin America. A team leader describes documenting testimonies from Protestant Christians in remote areas of several countries. The article cites the case of a teenager displaced from one region, whose story contributed to diplomatic engagement. It also details another woman’s experience in a different area, where local authorities cut off essential services to Protestant families, causing severe health issues. CSW states these accounts aim to influence officials and uphold religious liberty in the region.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that Myanmar’s military junta has intensified persecution of Christian minorities since the February 2021 coup. The group states that the Tatmadaw conducts brutal airstrikes in ethnic regions and forces churches to alter religious practices, such as moving Christmas celebrations in a northern region. Additionally, clergy are being unlawfully conscripted, as seen in the arrest of a pastor in another ethnic state. According to the outlet, the military also closes and repurposes places of worship. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimates over 7,500 deaths since the takeover.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide organized a vigil outside a foreign embassy in a major European city to demand the release of church leaders detained without trial for two decades. The group also highlighted the ongoing captivity of a young girl held by terrorists in a West African nation since 2018. A local branch held a protest in a northern city and hosted an online prayer meeting for her and other abducted girls from various regions. The organization emphasized its commitment to advocating for prisoners of conscience and victims of terrorism in both East African and West African countries. (Source: CSW)
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports on global religious persecution. In Nigeria, a humanist leader was released after serving over four years for blasphemy. In India, a mob attacked Christians in a northern state, leaving three severely injured, while police took no action against the attackers. In China, a pastor received a nine-month sentence for organizing an illegal gathering. In Vietnam, another pastor faces up to 20 years in prison for alleged anti-state propaganda. The outlet highlights ongoing restrictions on religious freedom and travel bans for religious leaders in these regions. (Source: CSW)
A press officer for Christian Solidarity Worldwide reflected on how a local church service in the UK reminded her of religious persecution in a specific country. She noted that a shipping container used for storage resembled detention facilities where Christians have been imprisoned. Since 2002, this nation has banned religious groups outside four recognized denominations, detaining thousands without trial. The organization plans to protest outside the embassy in the capital to mark the anniversary of the crackdown. CSW urges supporters to stand in solidarity with persecuted believers who face severe mistreatment for their faith. (Source: CSW)
Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that anti-conversion laws in India are increasingly used to target religious minorities. In a state in northern India, two believers were convicted for distributing Bibles and promoting education, receiving a five-year sentence before bail. Meanwhile, a mob disrupted a church service in another region, attacking worshippers. The organization warns that these laws, enforced in multiple states, serve as tools of oppression rather than protection of religious freedom. CSW highlights concerns about youth radicalization by extremist groups and calls for an end to the weaponization of legislation against Christians and Muslims across the country.
In Elwak, Kenya, near the Somalia border, David Nzyima was severely injured by a bomb in 2024 while seeking daily construction work. The attack left him unable to walk or provide for his family, forcing his wife to struggle for two years to support them. According to International Christian Concern, a livelihood project later provided David with a motorcycle for transport services and cows for farming. This assistance allowed him to regain his ability to earn an income and restore dignity to his household, marking a shift from mere survival to rebuilding their future in the violence-affected region.
Jerusalem police arrested a 36-year-old man on Wednesday for attacking a Catholic nun on Tuesday afternoon near the Old City. The victim, a researcher at the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, suffered facial injuries after being pushed and kicked by the suspect on Mount Zion. Police stated the assault was racially motivated and announced plans to extend the suspect's detention. The incident drew sharp criticism from the Dominican director Olivier Poquillon and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which condemned the act as contrary to Israel's values of respect and religious freedom.
Benedictine Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel of the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem warned KIRCHE IN NOT that the Holy Land risks becoming a 'Christian Disneyland' devoid of local families. He stated that Christians comprise less than two percent of the population and face severe economic and social pressures. The community includes Palestinian Catholics, Hebrew-speaking Israelis, and over 100,000 migrant workers living in difficult conditions. Schnabel highlighted that the collapse of tourism since 2019 threatens livelihoods, while rising extremism and a lack of belonging drive residents away. He urged for housing and jobs to ensure a future for the indigenous Christian presence in the region.
Translated from DeutschAlso reported by 1 other outlet
Two Islamic clerics in a northern Nigerian state have issued calls to kill a local pastor over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad. One cleric posted a video offering a substantial reward for the pastor's beheading. Another religious leader stated that the pastor uploaded videos targeting Islam and warned that Muslims might take action if legal measures fail. A Christian association condemned the incitement, urging security agencies to arrest those responsible. This incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding blasphemy laws in northern Nigeria, despite an ECOWAS court ruling against such provisions.
Alberto Capannini of Operation Dove reports that Kherson, Ukraine, is isolated after Russian drones mined the road to Mykolaiv. The peace volunteer states that Russian pilots are using civilians for target practice. Capannini remains in the city to support residents and deliver humanitarian aid. He emphasizes that his group stays to share the population's difficulties rather than abandoning them during the ongoing conflict.
A woman from a village in northeast Nigeria survived a Boko Haram attack that killed her father and left her permanently blind. The militant shot her in the head, believing she was dead, but she survived and received medical care. Despite the trauma, she states she has forgiven her attacker and prays for him daily. The outlet reports that Boko Haram has killed over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria over the past 14 years. She says she walks in the light of Jesus despite her physical darkness and inability to care for her children without support.
In western India, a mob attacked a pastor and destroyed his church and home in October 2025. Police arrested the pastor’s wife and eight other Christian women. The group has served the local tribal community for 15 years but faces opposition from the Bajrang Dal since 2014. The women were jailed for five days, while the pastor remains detained without bail. According to the Voice of the Martyrs, police also threatened non-Christian bystanders who supported the victims. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between Christians and Hindu militant groups in the region.
Over a week, at least 37 civilians were killed across multiple Nigerian states. The violence included farm ambushes, raids on traditional rulers' homes, and attacks on a pastor’s family in one northern region. Dozens more were abducted or reported missing. In response, the Nigerian military claimed to have eliminated over 50 suspected terrorists, primarily linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province, in a northeastern state. Three soldiers also died in an attack in another state attributed to Ansaru. The report underscores persistent insecurity despite military gains in the north-east.
An Egyptian man who converted from Islam to Christianity is on trial in a city in Egypt for charges including insulting Islam and forming an unlawful group. According to Coptic Solidarity, he faces allegations related to his faith and efforts to change his religious ID. The convert is detained at a prison in the region, where reports indicate he has been subjected to physical abuse, including suspension in a crucifixion position. He was deported from Russia in 2024 despite UN refugee status. The case highlights ongoing restrictions on religious conversion in Egypt.
Authorities arrested 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen after he attempted to attack attendees at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC. Allen, a California resident, carried firearms and knives to the Washington Hilton hotel. In writings sent to family, he claimed his actions were motivated by Christian faith to defend the oppressed, though President Trump stated the suspect hated Christians. One law enforcement officer was wounded but survived. Allen faces charges including attempted assassination. The incident marks the second such attempt at the hotel, following the 1981 attack on Ronald Reagan.
Read more →
SermonWave writes its own short summaries and links to the original reporting. Every story belongs to the outlet that reported it. About World News · Our sources · RSS feed
