Four women arrested in Nepal for “attempting to forcefully convert people to Christianity”
World Watch Monitor Four Christian women were arrested earlier this week in Nepal on suspicion of attempting to convert people to Christianity by force, Asia News reports. The women – two of whom are Japanese – were accused by residents of proselytising door-to-door. They were followed and filmed, and the footage was passed on to police, […]
Violence against Christians in India continues in run-up to 2019 elections
World Watch Monitor Hindu nationalists vandalised two Christian places of worship in the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam in the last two weeks, reports AsiaNews. On 29th September a statue of Saint John Bosco, also known as Don Bosco, was desecrated in the city of Tezpur, Assam, northeast India. So far it is not […]
Nepal’s criminalisation of conversion a ‘direct infringement’ of religious freedom
World Watch Monitor The clause in Nepal’s constitution that prohibits religious conversions was added to “protect Hinduism at the expense of other religions”, says advocacy group CSW, on the third anniversary of the amended constitution. As World Watch Monitor reported, Nepal’s Christian minority feared that the so-called “anti-conversion” measure, which came into force in August, would be […]
EU should “put people of the world” first in quest for religious freedom – report
World Watch Monitor Members of the European Parliament have called for the EU to “put the people of the world before our financial and political interests”, in a report about religious freedom. The Annual Report on Freedom of Religion or Belief 2017, presented by the EP Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and Religious […]
In India, Kandhamal Christians still waiting for justice one decade after massacre
World Watch Monitor Ten years after the worst case of anti-Christian violence in India’s history, the local community continues to struggle, with reparations from the government slow in coming and seven reportedly innocent Christians still in prison. Nearly 100 Christians were killed, 300 churches and 6,000 Christian homes were damaged, and 55,000 people were made […]
Nepali law criminalising “hurting of religious feelings” comes into force
World Watch Monitor A law criminalising religious conversions and the hurting of religious feelings comes into force in Nepal on Friday, a year after the bill was passed. As World Watch Monitor reported last year, Nepal’s Christian minority fears the new law will be abused by those seeking to settle scores – as has happened frequently […]
Indian PM speaks out against “menace” of mob attacks for first time
World Watch Monitor India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has for the first time condemned violence against minorities, saying that everyone has a duty to fight the “menace” of mob lynchings. But his critics say that, after four years in power at the head of a Hindu nationalist government, the comments have come too late. Attacks on […]
“Total impunity” in India, as Muslims and Christians “bear brunt of ruling ideology”
World Watch Monitor Frequent reports of violent attacks against India’s religious minorities show the “total impunity” enjoyed by their Hindu nationalist attackers, says one civil rights activist. In one recent attack, a pastor, his wife and their congregation were attacked at their ‘house church’ in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state on Sunday, 8th July, advocacy […]
Indian state’s ‘anti-conversion law’ to be repealed
World Watch Monitor Christian groups have welcomed a surprise announcement by a nationalist chief minister of a state in north-east India that he will ensure that a law preventing conversions from one faith to another is repealed. Pema Khandu, a Buddhist who heads the nationalist BJP-led state government in Arunachal Pradesh, told an audience of […]
Indian pastor beaten up, then detained, after 11 Hindus convert to Christianity
World Watch Monitor An Indian pastor was beaten up by Hindu nationalists, then arrested by police on 18th June for allegedly forcing some local families in Muzaffarnagar, a city in Uttar Pradesh state, to convert to Christianity, reports The Times of India. Dipender Prakash was reportedly attacked by members of Bajrang Dal, a militant Hindu nationalist […]