Tag: Christmas

Christmas celebrated despite fears of Boko Haram

December 30, 2014 Nigeria Boko Haram, Borno, Christmas, Maiduguri, Nigeria

According to Agenzia Fides, the streets of the capital city of Borno State, Maiduguri, in northern Nigeria were kept vehicle-free Dec. 25-28 in order to prevent suicide bombings by militant Islamist group Boko Haram. Pastor Gideon Obasogie, Director of Communications of the Diocese of Maiduguri, said despite the lack of security . . . Read More

Iran breaks up post-Christmas service

December 30, 2014 Iran Assyrians, Christmas, Evin Prison, Iran, Tehran, Victor Bet-Tamraz

Two Christians were jailed and several others questioned after Iranian officials interrupted a Dec. 26 post-Christmas service in Tehran, . “Tens” of plain-clothed security officers, who identified themselves as agents of he Revolutionary Court, entered the home of an Assyrian Christian and declared their worship service to be “Unauthorized and . . . Read More

Egypt increases security for Christmas

December 29, 2014 Egypt Alexandria, Christmas, Copts, Egypt

Special security plans have been developed to protect Coptic Christians during their upcoming Christmas celebration Jan. 7. According to Agenzia Fides, Egyptian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim assembled a meeting Dec. 28 to discuss security, and “the plan provides for the distribution of patrols in the vicinity of places of worship and . . . Read More

In Malaysia, Christmas decried as ‘ploy’ to lead Muslims astray

December 25, 2014 Malaysia 'Allah', Bibles, Borneo, Christmas, Converts, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hudud, Kuala Lumpur, Najib Razak, Selangor

A billboard in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, appeals to national unity in a February 2014 photo. Rising fundamentalist Islam put increased pressure on minorities in the country’s famously multicultural society during the year.Courtesy Open Doors International For Malaysian Christians, 2014 has been a year when they had to dig deep . . . Read More

Christmas 2014 ‘evokes not joy but fears’ for India’s Christians

December 18, 2014 India BJP, Christmas, Dharm Jagran Samiti, Good Governance Day, Hindutva, India, Maharashtra, Narendra Modi, RSS, Uttar Pradesh

Christmas is an occasion mostly associated with joy and celebration. But since the start of the holiday season, India’s minority religious groups of Christians and Muslims have been especially under pressure. The Indian Parliament has hardly functioned since the start of December because several opposition lawmakers have been protesting a . . . Read More

Christmas repurposed in India

December 15, 2014 India Christmas, Dharm Jagran Samiti, Good Governance Day, Hindu nationalism, India, RSS

In the lead up to Christmas, India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development has asked all schools to observe 25 December as ‘Good Governance Day.’ It is marked to celebrate the birthdays of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a former Prime Minister of India, and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, a Hindu nationalist, educationist . . . Read More

Christmas service a ‘worry’ in Islamist nations

December 9, 2014 Christmas, Islamic extremism, Middle East, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan

The Evening Standard has published an opinion piece by author Rupert Shortt, in which he argues that Christmas this year will be a time of worry for many Christians in countries ‘from Morocco to Pakistan’ in which Christians cannot worship without harassment. He goes onto argue that religion is not . . . Read More

Egypt’s President visits church

January 6, 2014 Egypt Cairo, Christmas, Copts, Egypt, Islamic extremism

Egypt’s President has attended Christmas celebrations at Cairo’s Orthodox Cathedral: reported to be the first time in history that the President has done so. The gesture of solidarity comes at a poignant time for Egypt’s 10% Christian minority, who last year experienced their worst violence, at the hands of lslamists, . . . Read More

Iranian converts arrested

December 30, 2013 Iran Behnam Irani, Christmas, Converts, Iran, Karaj, Tehran

Five Iranian converts to Christianity were arrested while celebrating Christmas together in Tehran, reports Mohabat News. Ahmad Bazyar, Fagheh Nasrollahi, Mastaneh Rastegari, Amir-Hossein Ne’matollahi and another man with the surname of Hosseini were arrested on Christmas Eve at Mr. Hosseini’s house and taken to an unknown location. Meanwhile Mohabat News . . . Read More

Baghdad Christmas bombings kill 37

December 30, 2013 Iraq Christmas

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