Persecution

Two Baptist pastors were arrested and detained by the Cuban government recently after distributing financial aid to needy churches in Guantanamo province in the eastern coast of the island nation.

Cuban pastors Ruben Ortiz Columbie and Francisco Garcia Ruiz were arrested Oct. 3 and have since been held in prison. They are accused of “illicit financial activity,” though Cuban church leaders have defended them, saying that all the aid money, sent from Baptist churches in Florida, has been sent legally and openly.

Furthermore, church leaders say they are puzzled by the arrest because the Eastern Baptist Convention, in which both men are leaders of, has been carrying out aid works in Cuba for years. The Eastern Baptist Convention is one of the largest denominations in Cuba. more >>

The case of two Iranian women who converted to Christianity took an unexpected turn for the better recently when their case was transferred to a new judge.

Unlike previous judges, the new judge was reportedly sympathetic to the situation of Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, according to Elam Ministries, a group that supports churches in Iran.

The two young converts were unexpectedly called to appear in court on the morning of Oct. 7 to face three charges: anti-state activities, propagation of the Christian faith, and apostasy. The new judge acquitted the defendants from the charge of anti-state activities, which Elam noted rarely happens. more >>

A Coptic Christian man was reportedly arrested, abused and forced to pay a large sum of money for rescuing his 20-year-old daughter from her Muslim husband, who was said to be holding her against her will in Alexandria, Egypt.

Gamal Labib Hanna, along with a few friends, on Oct. 1 went to the apartment where his daughter was being held, according to sources of Compass Direct News. His daughter, Myrna Gamal Hanna, had called her family on Sept. 30 and asked them to save her from her husband.

Her husband, Mohamad Osama Hefnawy, reportedly had attacked the Coptic men with a metal pole during the rescue. more >>

A group of U.S. lawmakers have written to the Chief Minister of India's eastern state of Orissa, calling for action against those who have carried out attacks against Christians.

"Such attacks on the fundamental freedom of religion threaten not only India's reputation for religious diversity, but also the very stability of India's secular democracy," the 21 lawmakers, led by Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), state in the letter addressed to Naveen Patnaik.

Just over a dozen people have been convicted so far for the anti-Christian violence that erupted last year and many remain at large. more >>

An Iranian judge charged two jailed female converts with "crimes" of apostasy and propagation of the Christian faith, a human rights group reported.

Washington D.C.-based International Christian Concern said it has learned from Elam ministries in Iran Wednesday that Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh were unexpectedly taken to appear before the court Tuesday morning and were formally charged by the judge.

Elam is a ministry that specializes in serving the growing church in Iran. more >>