International Christian Response

Severe hardships afflict Christians in Islamist insurgency's takeover. By the Editor
July 30, 2014 (Morning Star News) – Less than a week after Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) described the Islamist takeover of Mosul, Iraq as genocide and challenged the West to counteract it, Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, published a trenchant piece on the Fox News website asserting that ISIS, the Sunni Muslim insurgent group calling itself the Islamic State, presents a dangerous threat to the region.

Only a handful of Christian families too ill to flee remain in Mosul. The religious cleansing of the city where Christianity flourished for nearly 2,000 years is a human catastrophe the U.S. government can no longer ignore, Shea says. Since overrunning the city on June 10, the Islamic extremist insurgency – some 10,000 strong in the caliphate it seeks to establish in Syria and Iraq – has demanded that Christians convert to Islam, pay the jizya tax as non-Muslims or be killed. [READ MORE]

Catholic church targeted in Kano. By Our Nigeria Correspondent
JOS, Nigeria, July 29, 2014 (Morning Star News) – A bomb attack in the northern Nigerian city of Kano on Sunday (July 27) killed four Christians and a soldier, sources said.

The bomb was hurled over a fence of St. Charles Catholic Church as parishioners were leaving a worship service, they said; Islamic extremists from the Boko Haram terrorist group were suspected. [READ MORE]

Nightmare for Christian mother sentenced to die for 'apostasy' ends. By Our Sudan Correspondent
JUBA, South Sudan, July 24, 2014 (Morning Star News) – After blocking her departure on a spurious charge of forged travel documents, Sudan today allowed a Christian mother sentenced to die over a false allegation of leaving Islam to leave the country, her attorney said.

Having given birth to her second child while shackled to prison chains just two months ago, Meriam Yahia Ibrahim arrived in Italy today and met with Pope Francis after U.S. and Italian efforts to free her.

“The government decided to drop charges against her yesterday, July 23,” attorney Thabit al Zubair told Morning Star News. “They have left Sudan and they are now in Italy.” [READ MORE]

Christian organizations demand revocation By Our New Delhi Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 21, 2014 (Morning Star News) – Church leaders in India have asked national and Chhattisgarh state officials to reverse a ban on non-Hindu religious activity that more than 50 villages have reportedly adopted.

The head of the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) wrote to Union and Chhattisgarh officials on July 10 that the bans in the Bastar District villages, including some that include a prohibition against non-Hindus entering the hamlets, could lead to large-scale persecution of Christians and other minority communities. [READ MORE]