Accusing those present of proselytism and forced conversions, the ultranationalists have begun to beat Kishore Kavalekar, a faithful, and Rev. Kalappa Chandrakanth Chavan, 27, under the eyes of his wife Vandana, 24, and 3 year old daughter.

After tearing the clothes of the pastor, the activists dragged him in front of the whole village. Finally, attackers tied him to a tree near a Hindu temple and called the Haliyal police. The police arrested Rev. Chandrakanth and Kishore, imprisoning them for 24 hours, leaving the RSS activists to roam free.

“Christians – adds Sajan George – are treated as second class citizens not only by the ultra-nationalist forces, but also the authorities. With the approach of Republic Day, it is time that the State ensures the Christian minority of its constitutional rights. “ Full Story

When the mother reapplied in July 2011 with her three daughters and a fourth daughter, who is widowed with a child, only the widowed daughter and child were accepted. The others are no longer permitted to correspond with the UNHCR office and are currently living in India as illegal immigrants.

Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “In 2011, at least two Christians in Afghanistan were imprisoned by the Karzai administration, another was brutally beheaded by the Taliban, and nearly all Afghan Christians lived in fear of persecution. There is no evidence to suggest that the situation for Christians is improving, but every indication that it is only getting worse. Deporting the Christian widow and her three daughters back to Afghanistan will lead to inevitable hardship, if not imprisonment or even death. We urge the UNHCR to immediately reopen and approve this family’s applications for asylum.”   Full Story

“Three weeks ago seven underground churches got exposed,” says Thomas Kim, executive director of Cornerstone Ministries, which is actively involved in serving the church in North Korea. “It’s been very difficult for the last month and I think it’s going to continue,” he says.

The North Korean leadership apparently fears the kind of insurrection that swept other communist regimes and is now sweeping the Middle East. “They are scared there will be an uprising,” Kim notes. “They are scared by the expansion of the Christian faith because Christians will die for their faith.”

“Now the regime is putting out many people to search for the underground church,” Kim notes. “There is a need to pray for protection.” Full Story

Sofia Osman, a 28-year-old Christian from Janale city in Somali’as Lower Shabelle region, had been taken into custody by Islamic extremist al Shabaab militants in November; the public whipping was meant to mark her release. She received 40 lashes on Dec. 22 while jeered by spectators.

“Osman was whipped 40 lashes at 3 p.m., but she didn’t tell what other humiliations she had suffered while in the hands of the militants,” an eyewitness, told Compass, adding that whipping left her bleeding. “I saw her faint. I thought she had died, but soon she regained consciousness and her family took her away.”

The whipping was administered in front of hundreds of spectators after Osman was released from her month-long custody in al Shabaab camps. Nursing her injuries at her family’s home, in the days after the punishment she would not talk to anyone and looked dazed, a source close in touch with the family said. She has since been relocated.

“Please pray for her quick recovery,” the source said. Full Story

Salma Emmanuel, 30, was freed on bail on Dec. 8. She and her husband were severely beaten for three days when they refused to confess, and she was taken to a hospital in critical condition on Nov. 7, the life of her unborn child also threatened.

The couple lost their life savings – gold ornaments of 100 grams – and both have lost their jobs as a result of the false charges and are depending on relatives to cover their living expenses, she said. “My husband goes out every day to find work but has been unsuccessful so far,” she said.

“This Christmas we didn’t have money to buy clothes for our children, and neither did we have any explanation to make them understand why we were so helpless. But we have witnessed the mercy of the Lord and have faith that this time shall pass, too.” The couple has three children – the oldest 12, the youngest 5. Full Story

Abdol-Rahman spoke about people who choose to become Christians in Iran’s traditional society with all the security conditions. “We couldn’t express our faith among other people or attend church freely. And because of the difficulties we faced about going to a church, I decided to devote my rental house to the Lord to be used as a house church.”

Participation in the house church attracted the attention of the security authorities who threatened and raided the house church and prevented them from worshiping. In addition, some of the house church leaders were also identified by the security authorities.

Abdol-Rahman, 29 is currently seeking asylum in the neighboring country of Turkey.

Full Story

Emmanuel said that upon reaching the police station, an inspector identified only as Nazia and two other policewomen started punching and kicking her and striking her with batons, demanding that she “confess her crime.”

“I begged them for mercy, pleading that I am five months pregnant, but they continued their merciless onslaught for over three hours,” she said. ‘They continued to try to force me to admit to the crime, even threatening that they would kill my baby, but I refused to confess a false allegation.”

Rasheed said police tried to convert him to Islam while he was in custody. “A policeman offered to remove the theft charges against me if I was willing to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam,” he said. “I told him that no matter what happens, I will not renounce my faith, nor would I confess the false charges made against us.

”Emmanuel was treated at Benazir Shaheed Hospital, where doctors began efforts to save her and the fetus.

Full Story

Nadarkhani was sentenced to death after a Rasht, Iran, court declared him guilty of “leaving Islam,” in spite of the fact that Nadarkhani says he was never a Muslim.

Journalist Jack Minor points out that Islam teaches that everyone on earth is born a Muslim. “On page 28, in the introduction of a copy of the Quran, the translator, M.H. Shakir in the section ‘Islam and Muslims’ states, ‘In fact, every child that is born is a Muslim. It is the parents who make him a Jew, Christian or Hindu,’” Minor said.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s verdict was expected last month after he appeared in court and refused to renounce his Christian faith. However, no verdict was given. The court recently said that it will announce a verdict by mid-December. Full Story

Police in the Muslim majority Kashmir Valley picked up seven converts who were recently baptized in All Saints Church in Srinagar. Some pastors there where also in hiding for fear to being arrested as well. Police got the names of the converts and pastors from a video recording of the baptism.

Ahmad alleged that Pastor Khanna, whose church is affiliated with the Church of North India, was converting young Muslim men and women by offering money, and that therefore he must be arrested.

The mufti told media that the video was definitive evidence that Muslims were being “lured” to Christianity, although it only shows the baptism ceremony. Pastor Khanna said the young men converted of their own will and without his persuasion. Full Story

The police detained 21 people from Wuhai and Shizuishan, Ningxia province, and confiscated Bibles and other items. The leaders were held on suspicion of “using a cult organisation to undermine national law enforcement”. Following physical examinations, six elderly members of the group who were found to be in poor health were released.

The rest of the group are being held while the authorities try to extort money from their families to secure their release. Families were told their loved ones would be set free if they paid 50,000 yuan (£4,800; US$7,800; €5,745), but when they delivered the money to the prosecutor’s office, they were told that more money was required, and that if it was not paid, the leaders would be sent to labour camps or face criminal prosecution. At the time of writing, it was not known whether the remaining 15 Christians had been released.