Persecution

The 15-year-old daughter of well-known Egyptian convert Maher el-Gohary has written a letter appealing to President Obama to help her father who is in danger of being murdered or imprisoned for becoming a Christian.

Dina el-Gohary, who also converted from Islam to Christianity, has been on the run and living in hiding with her father, who is the second Egyptian to legally request to change his religious status.

In her handwritten letter in Arabic, posted on Coptic Web sites, she writes: more >>

After nine months in prison, the two young female converts who have gained international attention were freed Wednesday afternoon in Iran, sources inside the country reported.

Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were released at 3:30 p.m. local time without bail, according to Elam Ministries. They are currently at home with their family, but could face more court hearings in the future.

“Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release," they said, according to Elam. more >>

The two Iranian female converts that rights groups have been campaigning for were not freed Monday as expected.

Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad were supposed to be released Nov. 16, according to news received by Elam Ministries, a group that supports the church in Iran.

But Elam was later informed that their release was delayed due to “legal procedures.” The families of the women, however, remain hopeful that the two women will soon be freed. more >>

NEW DELHI (Compass Direct News) – Following six acquittals last week in trials for those accused of the 2008 anti-Christian violence in India’s Orissa state and the release on bail of a key suspect, Christians are losing heart to strive for justice, according to a prosecuting attorney.

The acquittal of six suspects last week raises the total to 121, with just 27 convicted in the Orissa violence by Hindu extremists.

“The victims are so discouraged due to the increasing number of acquittals that they neither have hope nor motivation for the criminal revision of their cases in the higher court,” attorney Bibhu Dutta Das of the Orissa High Court told Compass. more >>

Determined to expunge the past and exhibit a more secular image, the government of India's Orissa state, in partnership with the Church of North India, has introduced Christian heritage tourism.

The announcement was made by Tourism Minister Debi Prasad Mishra who told media that it would bridge the communication gap and portray a more tolerant and peaceful state.

Last year's violence against Christians in the Kandhamal District in Orissa had tarnished the state's reputation, making it a communal hot spot. The violence locally and globally conveyed the feeling that the state was intolerant towards Christians. more >>