1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" 2 xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" 3 xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" 4 xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" 5 xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" 6 xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" 7 xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" 8 > 9 10<channel> 11 <title>BosNewsLife</title> 12 <atom:link href="https://bosnewslife.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> 13 <link>https://bosnewslife.com</link> 14 <description>The Global Christian News Agency</description> 15 <lastBuildDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:19:16 +0000</lastBuildDate> 16 <language>en-GB</language> 17 <sy:updatePeriod> 18 hourly </sy:updatePeriod> 19 <sy:updateFrequency> 20 1 </sy:updateFrequency> 21 <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2</generator> 22 <item> 23 <title>Pakistani Christians Concerned Over Blasphemy Violence Despite Crackdown</title> 24 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/08/11/pakistani-christians-concerned-over-blasphemy-violence-despite-crackdown/</link> 25 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/08/11/pakistani-christians-concerned-over-blasphemy-violence-despite-crackdown/#respond</comments> 26 27 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 28 <pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:59:57 +0000</pubDate> 29 <category><![CDATA[Asia/Pacific]]></category> 30 <category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category> 31 <category><![CDATA[Blasphemy]]></category> 32 <category><![CDATA[Christians]]></category> 33 <category><![CDATA[Islam]]></category> 34 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife.com/?p=52871</guid> 35 36 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife ISLAMABAD (BosNewsLife)– Pakistani Christians say they remain concerned about violence triggered by false blasphemy accusations despite a sharp decline in registered cases following a government and military crackdown on hardline Islamist groups. Pakistan, an overwhelmingly Islamic nation where blasphemy remains punishable by death, has witnessed around 90 […]]]></description> 37 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 38<p>ISLAMABAD (<a href="http://www.bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>)– Pakistani Christians say they remain concerned about violence triggered by false blasphemy accusations despite a sharp decline in registered cases following a government and military crackdown on hardline Islamist groups.</p> 39<p>Pakistan, an overwhelmingly Islamic nation where blasphemy remains punishable by death, has witnessed around 90 blasphemy-linked lynchings since 1990, and Christians say accusations can still rapidly trigger mob violence even before allegations are investigated.</p> 40<p>
40Their concerns were underscored by a recent case in Karachi, where hundreds of people surrounded four Christian women and a child after blasphemy allegations were made against the family.</p> 41<div><a href="https://worthybrief.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Stay informed, prayerful, and encouraged â receive the Worthy Brief by email.</a></div> 42<p>Police officer Sanghaar Ali Malik and his unit confronted the crowd as protesters chanted âDeath to blasphemers!â But unlike during previous incidents, influential Islamist groups were largely absent, allowing officers to defuse the confrontation peacefully.</p> 43<p>The Christian family was brought to safety, and an initial police inquiry subsequently found the blasphemy allegations to be false, Malik said.</p> 44<p><strong>BLASPHEMY CASES PLUMMET</strong></p> 45<p>The incident came amid a remarkable decline in blasphemy cases following a crackdown reportedly overseen by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.</p> 46<p>Just 13 blasphemy cases have been registered so far this year, roughly two-thirds fewer than during comparable periods in recent years, according to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.</p> 47<p>Pakistan averaged more than seven blasphemy-related riots or attacks annually between 2021 and 2024, but only one was recorded during the past 12 months, according to conflict-monitoring data cited by Reuters news agency.</p> 48<p>The government late last year banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a powerful Islamist movement associated with violent blasphemy protests. Leaders were jailed, mosques sealed and bank accounts frozen.</p> 49<p>Pakistani officials say the government and military are united in preventing religious groups from using violence to impose their demands. Analysts say improving economic relations with Europe and the United States also contributed to the crackdown.</p> 50<p><strong>CHRISTIANS REMAIN FEARFUL</strong></p> 51<p>Yet Christian rights advocates warn that the underlying threat remains because blasphemy is still punishable by death under Pakistani law, while an accusation alone can lead to imprisonment, displacement or mob violence.</p> 52<p>Christians, Ahmadiyya Muslims and other minorities have faced attacks in which homes and places of worship were burned following blasphemy accusations.</p> 53<p>The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged Washington to press Pakistan to amend or repeal its blasphemy laws, saying accusations are sometimes used to settle personal disputes and can lead to extrajudicial killings and mob violence.</p> 54<p>The commission has also recommended that Pakistan be designated a âCountry of Particular Concernâ over what it calls systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.</p> 55<p>Christian advocacy group LEAD Ministries has called for the blasphemy provisions to be removed altogether, arguing that procedural reforms cannot adequately protect Christians and other vulnerable citizens from false accusations.</p> 56<p><strong>COUPLE SPENT YEARS JAILED</strong></p> 57<p>One of the best-known cases involved Christian couple Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel, who were sentenced to death for blasphemy and spent about seven years imprisoned before the Lahore High Court acquitted them in 2021.</p> 58<p>Their case prompted the European Parliament to condemn the misuse of Pakistanâs blasphemy laws and call for their eventual repeal.</p> 59<p>Rights advocates say such cases demonstrate that even an eventual acquittal cannot restore years lost in prison or undo threats, psychological trauma and displacement suffered by accused Christians and their families.</p> 60<p>Concerns have also emerged about alleged intimidation surrounding blasphemy proceedings in Islamabad courts, renewing questions about whether judges, lawyers and defendants can participate in such cases without pressure or fear.</p> 61<p>Analysts caution that Pakistanâs crackdown may not permanently eliminate Islamist influence.</p> 62<p><strong>ISLAMIST INFLUENCE REMAINS</strong></p> 63<p>The TLP developed considerable influence after its founding in 2015, and critics have accused Pakistanâs military establishment of previously tolerating or encouraging hardline religious movements for political purposes.</p> 64<p>Former Pakistani counter-terrorism chief Ihsan Ghani warned that an extremist movement cultivated over years cannot simply be switched âonâ and âoff.â
64</p> 65<p>For Christians, the dramatic reduction in blasphemy cases therefore offers hope but has not erased decades of fear.</p> 66<p>One of the Christian women rescued from the Karachi mob said she now feels physically safe.</p> 67<p>But, she added, the fear has not disappeared.</p> 68<p><strong>CHRISTIAN MINORITY SEEKS PROTECTION</strong></p> 69<p>Christians number about 3.3 million in overwhelmingly Muslim Pakistan, representing just 1.37 percent of its nearly 241 million people, according to the countryâs 2023 census.</p> 70<p>LEAD Ministries told Worthy News that the continuing danger faced especially by Christians shows that Pakistanâs blasphemy laws should ultimately be repealed or fundamentally replaced âwith legislation protecting religious harmony.â</p> 71<p>The new legislation, the group argued, should guarantee âequality before the law, due process, the presumption of innocence, minority rights, and judicial independence.â</p> 72<p> </p> 73]]></content:encoded> 74 75 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/08/11/pakistani-christians-concerned-over-blasphemy-violence-despite-crackdown/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 76 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 77 78 79 </item> 80 <item> 81 <title>Vietnam Sentences Montagnard Protestant Pastor To Long Prison Term</title> 82 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/08/11/vietnam-sentences-montagnard-protestant-pastor-to-long-prison-term/</link> 83 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/08/11/vietnam-sentences-montagnard-protestant-pastor-to-long-prison-term/#respond</comments> 84 85 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 86 <pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:52:56 +0000</pubDate> 87 <category><![CDATA[Asia/Pacific]]></category> 88 <category><![CDATA[Vietnam]]></category> 89 <category><![CDATA[Authorities]]></category> 90 <category><![CDATA[Central High Lands]]></category> 91 <category><![CDATA[Christians]]></category> 92 <category><![CDATA[Pastor]]></category> 93 <category><![CDATA[Prosecution]]></category> 94 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife.com/?p=52868</guid> 95 96 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife HANOI (BosNewsLife) â A Vietnamese court has sentenced Montagnard Protestant pastor Y Nuen Ayun to seven and a half years in prison on charges of âundermining the national unity policy,â trial observers told BosNewsLife and its news partner Worthy News. During the August 5 procedures, the Peopleâs […]]]></description> 97 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 98<p>HANOI (<a href="http://www.bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>) â A Vietnamese court has sentenced Montagnard Protestant pastor Y Nuen Ayun to seven and a half years in prison on charges of âundermining the national unity policy,â trial observers told BosNewsLife and its news partner Worthy News.</p> 99<p>During the August 5 procedures, the Peopleâs Court of Äắk Lắk Province also told the 59-year-old that he would be placed under four years of probationary supervision following completion of the prison sentence, Christians said.</p> 100<p>âAccording to state media and the indictment cited during the proceedings, Y Nuen Ayun had been involved in organizing and leading unregistered Protestant religious activities since 2003,â confirmed advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which closely followed the case.</p> 101<div><a href="https://worthybrief.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Get the most important Christian headlines and prayer alerts delivered directly to your inbox.</a></div> 102<p>He later became associated with an individual identified as A Ga, who reportedly resides in the United States and whom authorities claim supports âseparatist movements through Protestant churches in Vietnamâs Central Highlands,â CSW told Worthy News.</p> 103<p>Prosecutors alleged that, beginning in 2019, Y Nuen Ayun âparticipated in establishing and operating an organization known as the âChurch of Christ Central Highlandsâ and maintained communication with A Ga regarding religious activities.â</p> 104<h3>PASTOR ACCUSED OF SEPARATISM</h3> 105<p>The prosecution said Y Nuen Ayun helped organize religious gatherings, conducted online and in-person meetings, recruited participants, submitted reports to overseas human rights organizations, and received more than 7.7 million Vietnamese dong ($294) to support organizational activities.</p> 106<p>âThe authorities further alleged that these activities were intended to promote the creation of a separate religious organization for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands,â CSW added.</p> 107<p>Local authorities had reportedly met with and warned Y Nuen Ayun regarding his activities. Prosecutors argued that his actions violated Article 116 of Vietnamâs Criminal Code concerning the offense of âundermining the national unity policy.â</p> 108<p>However, CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas told Worthy News that Communist-run âVietnam continues to flagrantly flaunt international standards of human rights law in its targeted campaign against freedom of religion or belief, in the process making a mockery of its standing as a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council.â</p> 109<p>He added that religious minorities, especially Christians in Vietnamâs Central Highlands, are âmischaracterized as wanting to foster anti-Vietnamese and separatist sentiment, when in reality they are simply seeking the right to practice their religion of choice in peace.â</p> 110<h3>CHRISTIAN GROUP DEMANDS RELEASE</h3> 111<p>âThis is exactly what has happened to Pastor Y Nuen Ayun, and we therefore call for his immediate and unconditional release,â Thomas
111stressed.</p> 112<p>The case highlighted broader concerns about the plight of Christians in the region. The majority of Vietnamâs Montagnard community are Protestant Christians and live in the countryâs Central Highlands, according to CSW investigators.</p> 113<p>The community has a long history of conflict with the Vietnamese government and has faced âintense harassment and intimidation since a June 2023 attack on provincial Communist party offices in Dak Lak that left nine dead, including local party officials and police,â CSW recalled.</p> 114<p>Vietnam ranks 55th on the 2026 World Watch List of Christian advocacy group Open Doors, falling 11 places from 44th last year and therefore dropping outside the annual Top 50 ranking of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.</p> 115<p>Open Doors said the lower ranking was chiefly due to a decline in reported violence against Christians, with no Christians recorded as having been killed for their faith and no churches reported attacked during the latest reporting period.</p> 116<h3>CHRISTIAN PRESSURE REMAINS</h3> 117<p>However, Open Doors stressed that pressure facing Christians in other areas of life increased slightly, despite the decline in reported violence.</p> 118<p>The group said local authorities particularly target non-traditional Protestants and ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands, while Vietnamâs Communist government continues to control registered churches and religious activities through its Committee on Religious Affairs.</p> 119<p>The imprisonment of Pastor Y Nuen Ayun underscored concerns among religious freedom advocates that ethnic-minority Christians worshipping outside state-approved religious structures continue to face prosecution and pressure from authorities.</p> 120]]></content:encoded> 121 122 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/08/11/vietnam-sentences-montagnard-protestant-pastor-to-long-prison-term/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 123 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 124 125 126 </item> 127 <item> 128 <title>Islamic State-Linked Attack In Congo Kills At Least 25</title> 129 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/islamic-state-linked-attack-in-congo-kills-at-least-25/</link> 130 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/islamic-state-linked-attack-in-congo-kills-at-least-25/#respond</comments> 131 132 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 133 <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 01:11:13 +0000</pubDate> 134 <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> 135 <category><![CDATA[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]></category> 136 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife.com/?p=52860</guid> 137 138 <description><![CDATA[  By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife GOMA (BosNewsLife) â At least 25 people, were killed early Sunday in a âbrutal attackâ by an Islamic State-linked militant group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local rights groups and officials said, as violence continues to plague the region. Sundayâs assault was […]]]></description> 139 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div> 140<p> </p> 141<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 142<p>GOMA (<a href="http://www.bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>) â At least 25 people, were killed early Sunday in a âbrutal attackâ by an Islamic State-linked militant group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local rights groups and officials said, as violence continues to plague the region.</p> 143<p>Sundayâs assault was attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist group operating for years along the porous border between Uganda and eastern Congo.</p> 144<p>Fifteen men were burned alive inside a house, and seven others were shot in the village of Apakulu in Irumu territory, while three more deaths were reported in the nearby Walese Vonkutu area, according to Christophe Munyanderu, president of the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights.</p> 145<p>The victims are believed to include Christians, according a Worthy News assessment, though authorities have declined to provide religious and faith backgrounds of those who died. âThis tragedy occurred around 4 a.m. and claimed the lives of at least 25 people. This incursion by the ADF is a true massacre,â Munyanderu said, describing the early-morning raid.</p> 146<p>There was no immediate statement from the ADF, but its involvement follows a pattern of deadly raids carried out by the group in eastern Congo in recent months, including attacks that killed more than 100 people last July.</p> 147<p><strong>REGION FACING BROADER INSECURITY</strong></p> 148<p>
148The broader eastern Congo region has suffered persistent insecurity, with multiple armed groups â including the ADF and the Rwanda-linked M23 rebels â responsible for attacks that have killed civilians, displaced communities, and undermined safety.</p> 149<p>The ADF originated in Uganda as an insurgency opposing President Yoweri Museveniâs government before being driven into Congolese territory under military pressure years ago.</p> 150<p>Joint operations by Ugandan and Congolese forces have targeted the group, but its fighters have remained active and lethal.</p> 151<p>The Democratic Republic of the Congo is ranked 29th on the Open Doors World Watch List of 50 nations where Christians face the most severe persecution, a position influenced by ongoing violence by groups such as the ADF that deliberately target Christian communities and places of worship.</p> 152<p>Open Doors analysts say Christians in eastern Congo face not only attacks and massacres but also abductions, displacement, and the destruction of churches, contributing to rising pressure on believers to abandon their faith or flee their homes.</p> 153<p><strong>CONFLICT WORSENING IN DRC</strong></p> 154<p>The DRCâs ranking on the annual World Watch List has climbed in recent years due to worsening conflict involving armed groups, including those reportedly backed by foreign actors, threats against Christians and congregations, and mass displacement.</p> 155<p>The DRCâs military and United Nations peacekeeping forces have publicly denounced ADF violence and renewed calls for stronger protection of civilians, but critics say security remains fragile.</p> 156<p>In recent years, the ADF has become more extreme due to links to the Islamic State (ISIS) group, which refers to the area as part of its so-called âCentral Africa Province,â according to experts.</p> 157<p>The groupâs agenda includes spreading Islamist jihadist ideology and targeting Christians and other local communities, BosNewsLife and Worthy News agencies established.</p> 158<p>Investigations into Sundayâs attack were expected, even as communities mourned and recovery efforts continued.</p> 159]]></content:encoded> 160 161 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/islamic-state-linked-attack-in-congo-kills-at-least-25/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 162 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 163 164 165 </item> 166 <item> 167 <title>Pakistan Abduction, Abuse Cases Highlight Plight Christian Girls</title> 168 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/pakistan-abduction-abuse-cases-highlight-plight-of-christian-girls/</link> 169 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/pakistan-abduction-abuse-cases-highlight-plight-of-christian-girls/#respond</comments> 170 171 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 172 <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 01:04:08 +0000</pubDate> 173 <category><![CDATA[Asia/Pacific]]></category> 174 <category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category> 175 <category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category> 176 <category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category> 177 <category><![CDATA[Family]]></category> 178 <category><![CDATA[Girls]]></category> 179 <category><![CDATA[Zarnaab]]></category> 180 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife.com/?p=52856</guid> 181 182 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife ISLAMABAD (BosNewsLife) â Reported abuses suffered by two Christian girls in Pakistanâs Punjab province have highlighted growing concern about the treatment of Christian women and children in the Islamic nation. LEAD Ministries, a Christian advocacy organization, told Worthy News it learned of âa shocking case of child […]]]></description> 183 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div> 184<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 185<p>ISLAMABAD (<a href="http://www.bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife)</a> â Reported abuses suffered by two Christian girls in Pakistanâs Punjab province have highlighted growing concern about the treatment of Christian women and children in the Islamic nation.</p> 186<p>LEAD Ministries, a Christian advocacy organization, told Worthy News it learned of âa shocking case of child abduction, forced religious conversion, and child marriageâ in village Chak No. 47/12-L near the town of Chichawatni, in Punjabâs Sahiwal District.</p> 187<p>The group said a 13-year-old Christian girl, a sixth-grade student from a vulnerable family, was allegedly abducted and coerced into convert
187ing to Islam before being forcibly married to her reported abductor.</p> 188<p>Pastor Imran Amanat of LEAD Ministries condemned the incident as âa severe violation of human rights,â urging Pakistani authorities to rescue the child and hold perpetrators accountable.</p> 189<p>The family has reportedly faced threats warning them not to pursue legal action.</p> 190<p><strong>ABUSE OF MINOR MAID</strong></p> 191<p>In a separate case also reported in Punjab, local sources said another 13-year-old Christian girl, identified as Zarnaab, was allegedly tortured and beaten while working as a domestic maid for an influential household.</p> 192<p>Advocates said her hair was forcibly cut after she accidentally broke utensils.</p> 193<p>Farzana Imran of LEAD Ministries condemned what she called âinhumane treatment of underage Christian girls employed at nominal wages,â saying the abuse reflects deep-rooted discrimination against minorities in the Muslim majority nation.</p> 194<p>Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries, told Worthy News that the incidents underscore âthe urgent need for stronger protections for children and religious minorities in Pakistan,â where poverty and lack of education often leave Christian families vulnerable to exploitation.</p> 195<p>LEAD Ministries and other human Human rights advocates have renewed calls for stricter enforcement of child labor laws and accountability for those accused of abusing or coercing minors.</p> 196<p><strong>MILLIONS FACING CHILD LABOR</strong></p> 197<p>About 3.3 million children in Pakistan are estimated to be in child labour, which includes physical, psychological, and economic exploitation, according to the United Nations Childrenâs Fund UNICEF.</p> 198<p>Some 264,000 children nationwide work as domestic workers â with girls, including Christians, forming a significant share, researchers say.</p> 199<p>Studies and advocacy groups have also estimated that up to about 1,000 Christian and Hindu girls and young women are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married to their abductors annually in Pakistan.</p> 200<p>Experts caution that the real number may be higher because many cases go unreported.</p> 201<div></div> 202]]></content:encoded> 203 204 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/pakistan-abduction-abuse-cases-highlight-plight-of-christian-girls/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 205 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 206 207 208 </item> 209 <item> 210 <title>Hungary’s Orban Accusing Ukraine Of Election Interference</title> 211 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/hungarys-orban-accusing-ukraine-of-election-interference/</link> 212 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/hungarys-orban-accusing-ukraine-of-election-interference/#respond</comments> 213 214 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 215 <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:33:59 +0000</pubDate> 216 <category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category> 217 <category><![CDATA[Hungary]]></category> 218 <category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category> 219 <category><![CDATA[Magyar]]></category> 220 <category><![CDATA[Orban]]></category> 221 <category><![CDATA[Tisza]]></category> 222 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife.com/?p=52854</guid> 223 224 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife) â Already frosty relations between Budapest and Kyiv further cooled Tuesday after Hungaryâs pro-Russia prime minister accused Ukraine of election interference to overthrow him and ordered the Ukrainian ambassador to be summoned to the foreign ministry. Viktor Orbán, who faces his biggest opposition challenge in […]]]></description> 225 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 226<p>BUDAPEST (<a href="http://www.bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>) â Already frosty relations between Budapest and Kyiv further cooled Tuesday after Hungaryâs pro-Russia prime minister accused Ukraine of election interference to overthrow him and ordered the Ukrainian ambassador to be summoned to the foreign ministry.</p> 227<p>Viktor Orbán, who faces his biggest opposition challenge in 16 years, said Hungaryâs intelligence services have information suggesting Kyiv seeks to undermine the government ahead of the April 12 parliamentary vote.</p> 228<p>The remarks marked the latest escalation in Orbánâs long-running anti-Ukraine campaign, as he seeks to convince voters that neighboring war-torn Ukraine â facing a full-scale Russian invasion since 2022 â poses a direct threat to Hungaryâs security and s
228overeignty.</p> 229<p>With his right-wing nationalist Fidesz party trailing by double digits in most polls, Orbán even suggested that under a new prime minister, presumably opposition leader Péter Magyar, Hungarians could be forced to fight and die on Ukraineâs frontlines.</p> 230<p>Magyar has strongly denied Orbánâs accusations, arguing instead that the prime minister fears scrutiny over scandals ranging from alleged corruption involving European Union funds to reports of abuse at state-run institutions.</p> 231<p><strong>ORBÃN CLAIMS COORDINATED UKRAINIAN ELECTION PLOT</strong></p> 232<p>Orbán counters that Magyar, who serves as a member of the European Parliament for his upstart Tisza party, has been âpaid by Brusselsâ to oppose Hungaryâs anti-war, anti-migration, and âpro-Christianâ family agenda while advancing Ukraineâs interests.</p> 233<p>In a video posted on social media, Orbán said Ukraineâs political leaders â âeven the president himselfâ â had made what he called âgrossly offensive and threateningâ statements against Hungary, though he did not elaborate.</p> 234<p>âOur national security services have evaluated this latest Ukrainian attack and determined that what happened is part of a coordinated series of Ukrainian measures to interfere in the Hungarian elections,â Orbán stressed.</p> 235<p>He added that he instructed Hungaryâs foreign minister to summon Ukraineâs ambassador for consultations.</p> 236<p>Hungaryâs government has consistently opposed European Union financial and military aid for Ukraine and has vowed to veto any EU steps toward Kyivâs accession into the bloc.</p> 237<p>This month, Orbánâs administration launched what it calls a ânational petition,â urging voters to oppose continued EU financial support for Ukraine.</p> 238<p><strong>ZELENSKYY CRITICIZES ORBÃN AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM</strong></p> 239<p>Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Orbán directly, saying the Hungarian leader âlives off European money while trying to sell out European interests.â</p> 240<p>âIf he feels comfortable in Moscow, it doesnât mean we should let European capitals become little Moscows,â Zelenskyy said.</p> 241<p>Yet Orbán, 62, shares U.S. President Donald J. Trumpâs view that the war should end quickly, even if that means Ukraine may be forced to concede territory to Russia.</p> 242<p>Observers say the deepening rift between Budapest and Kyiv could further complicate European unity as the war drags on and Hungary heads toward a high-stakes election.</p> 243]]></content:encoded> 244 245 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2026/01/28/hungarys-orban-accusing-ukraine-of-election-interference/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 246 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 247 248 249 </item> 250 <item> 251 <title>Hungary’s Freedom Fighter Imre Mécs Dies At 89 </title> 252 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/21/hungarys-freedom-fighter-imre-mecs-dies-at-89/</link> 253 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/21/hungarys-freedom-fighter-imre-mecs-dies-at-89/#respond</comments> 254 255 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 256 <pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2023 12:57:33 +0000</pubDate> 257 <category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category> 258 <category><![CDATA[Hungary]]></category> 259 <category><![CDATA[1956]]></category> 260 <category><![CDATA[Bible]]></category> 261 <category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category> 262 <category><![CDATA[Fruzsina Magyar]]></category> 263 <category><![CDATA[Hungarian Revolution]]></category> 264 <category><![CDATA[Imre Mécs]]></category> 265 <category><![CDATA[Magyar]]></category> 266 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife-rpd-3chh.ew1.rapydapps.cloud/?p=52830</guid> 267 268 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife, reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST , HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)â Hungarian liberal politician and author Imre Mécs, a soft-spoken stylish man who was once nearly executed for playing a pivotal role in Hungary’s Revolution of 1956 against Soviet domination, has died, BosNewsLife learned Saturday. He was 89. “It is […]]]></description> 269 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife, reporting from Budapest, Hungary</p> 270<p>BUDAPEST , HUNGARY (<a href="https://bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>)â Hungarian liberal politician and author Imre Mécs, a soft-spoken stylish man who was once nearly executed for playing a pivotal role in Hungary’s Revolution of 1956 against Soviet domination, has died, BosNewsLife learned Saturday. He was 89.</p> 271<p>“It is with pain that we inform you that Imre Mécs passed away this morning in the 90th year of his life, surrounded by his loving family at home,” his family said about his passing on Thursday, January 19.  He would have turned 90 in September. A quote from Imre Mécs concluded the obituary: “You can’t live without freedom.” No more details about the cause of his death were given.</p> 272<p>Mécs was a close friend of Hungary’s first democratically elected post-communist President, Ãrpád Göncz, who passed away in 2015. Göncz asked Mécs, who shared a prison cell with him as a fellow freedom fighter after the Revolution, to deliver the eulogy at his funeral.</p> 273<p>Both men were detained in 1957 and released only in 1963 when Hu
273ngary’s communist leader János Kádár declared an amnesty for some political prisoners and freedom fighters.</p> 274<p>In 1958, Göncz was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Later he was heard saying that “this was the happiest day of his life” as his life was spared.</p> 275<p>But Imre Mécs was condemned to death in 1958. He expected to be strung up on wooden gallows by communist henchmen. “The statistics were very bad,” Mécs once recalled.</p> 276<p>“Almost 400 of us were sentenced to death, and 233 were executed. At one point, 19 out of 20 of the condemned were being executed, so I didn’t think I would make it.”</p> 277<p><strong>LIFE SENTENCE </strong></p> 278<p>Only a year later, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.</p> 279<p>Following his release from prison, he was forced to work as an electrical engineer under the communist regime, which was allied with the then Soviet Union.</p> 280<p>But he was happy to be alive, realizing that the Revolution had killed at least 2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet Union Army soldiers sent by Moscow to crush the revolt.</p> 281<p>Some 200,000 Hungarians sought political refuge abroad, causing Europe’s first refugee crisis since World War Two.</p> 282<p>Yet, despite the difficulties and Soviet occupation, Mécs became a founding member of the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) when Hungary was still a communist nation.</p> 283<p>Wearing his trademark bow tie, he was elected as an elderly statesman on the SZDSZ party ticket to the Hungarian Parliament after the first democratic elections in 1990, which ended decades of communist dictatorship.</p> 284<p>Mécs served several terms as a legislator, during which he also proposed to ensure that the constitution no longer referred to “the party” as it implied one-party rule under communism.</p> 285<p><strong>PARTY TROUBLES </strong></p> 286<p>After differences with his fellow liberals, he quit SZDSZ and was elected on the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) ticket in 2006.</p> 287<p>Ironically the MSZP was the successor of the communist party that once prosecuted and nearly killed, Mécs. However, he explained to a BosNewsLife reporter that it was crucial to healing the wounds of history. “Communists died for freedom too,” he told BosNewsLife in 2016.</p> 288<p>With teary eyes, he held a newspaper photo of a young fallen comrade at his kitchen table with a caption: ‘János Bárány 1930-1959’. “He was a communist but fought for freedom. I said farewell to him just before his execution,” Mécs recalled.</p> 289<p>Mécs did not win another seat in the 2010 elections, ending his parliamentary career. However, in January 2011, he rejoined his old SZDSZ party and made it a point to preach reconciliation.</p> 290<p>Yet he often criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s perceived autocratic style. Under Orbán, post-communist Hungary turned back into only a “partly free” country, according to the monitoring group Freedom House and the European Union’s legislature.</p> 291<p>Last year, the EU’s European Parliament adopted a resolution declaring Hungary a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” charges Orbán claims are politically motivated.</p> 292<p>It remained painful for Mécs to see the country he nearly died for moving away from the European mainstream and seeking closer ties to Russia. “He is a tragedy, not only for Hungary but for all of Europe,” Mécs said at the time about Orbán in a wide-ranging interview before his death.</p> 293<p><strong>BIBLICAL REFERENCE</strong></p> 294<p>It hurt him that Orbán, who as a young man publicly demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, had copied Russian President Vladimir Putin’s governing style.</p> 295<p>“A normal person would defend European values.” But, till his last days, Mécs wanted to encourage the next generation to overcome the battles of the past and seek a new, more free direction for Hungary.</p> 296<p>Mécs, a man of faith, sometimes referred to the Bible when discussing his hopes for the nation. “The Bible recalls that it took Moses 40 years to lead the enslaved people of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land,” Mécs told BosNewsLife in 2016. “I think we need a real new generation of leadership to bring Hungary true freedom.” Mécs, who was married twice, is survived by his wife, Hungarian playwright Fruzsina Magyar, and children.</p> 297<p>He had eight children from his two marriages, including two daughters, Mónika and Anna, and six sons, Imre, László, Máté, Bálint, János, and Dávid.</p> 298<p>Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced, but his passing was due to be remembered by the dwindling number of freedom fighters still alive and many other Hungarians.</p> 299]]></content:encoded> 300 301 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/21/hungarys-freedom-fighter-imre-mecs-dies-at-89/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 302 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 303 304 305 </item> 306 <item> 307 <title>Islamists Burn Priest To Death In Nigeria; Colleague Injured</title> 308 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/islamists-burn-priest-to-death-in-nigeria-colleague-injured/</link> 309 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/islamists-burn-priest-to-death-in-nigeria-colleague-injured/#respond</comments> 310 311 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 312 <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2023 18:42:47 +0000</pubDate> 313 <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> 314 <category><![CDATA[Nigeria]]></category> 315 <category><![CDATA[Achi]]></category> 316 <category><![CDATA[Christians]]></category> 317 <category><![CDATA[Collins Omeh]]></category> 318 <category><![CDATA[House]]></category> 319 <category><![CDATA[Isaac]]></category> 320 <category><![CDATA[Nigerian]]></category> 321 <category><![CDATA[Priest]]></category> 322 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife-rpd-3chh.ew1.rapydapps.cloud/?p=52828</guid> 323 324 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife ABUJA, NIGERIA (BosNewsLife) â Suspected Islamist gunmen burned a Catholic priest to death and shot and injured his colleague in northwest Nigeria on Sunday, police and church sources said, prompting Christians to call for prayers. The attackers, described by locals as âbandits,â torched the parish residence of Isaac […]]]></description> 325 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div> 326<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="shadow wp-post-image lazyloaded" src="https://t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/04/nigeria-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100v
326w, 320px" srcset="//t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/04/nigeria-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg 320w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/04/nigeria-worthy-ministries-160x90.jpg 160w" alt="nigeria-worthy-ministries" width="320" height="180" data-src="//t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/04/nigeria-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg" data-srcset="//t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/04/nigeria-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg 320w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/04/nigeria-worthy-ministries-160x90.jpg 160w" data-sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></p> 327<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 328<p>ABUJA, NIGERIA (<a href="https://bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>) â Suspected Islamist gunmen burned a Catholic priest to death and shot and injured his colleague in northwest Nigeria on Sunday, police and church sources said, prompting Christians to call for prayers.</p> 329<p>The attackers, described by locals as âbandits,â torched the parish residence of Isaac Achi, the priest of âSt. Peters and Paul Catholic Churchâ in the town of Kafin-Koro in Nigerâs Paikoro Local Government Area, Catholic sources said.</p> 330<p>Catholics said the priest could not flee his burning home and that the assailants shot and wounded Collins Omeh, a fellow priest who tried to escape the flames.</p> 331<p>He âremains in hospital but is responding to treatment,â the Vatican said.</p> 332<p>Stateâs police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said that âthe bandits attempted to enter the residence, but failed, and set fire to the house, while the [priest] died charred.â</p> 333<p>Police tactical teams from Kafin-Koro âwere immediately dispatched to the scene, but the perpetrators fled before they arrived,â Abiodun recalled.</p> 334<p><strong>PRAYERS URGED</strong></p> 335<p>Priest Achiâs human remains have been recovered while his colleague was taken âto hospital for treatment,â authorities said.</p> 336<p>In comments monitored by BosNewsLife, Nigeriaâs Roman Catholic Diocese of Minna called for prayers âfor the Diocese and the quick recovery of Father Collins. â</p> 337<p>Sundayâs attack raised security concerns ahead of a nationwide election.</p> 338<p>On February 25, Nigerians will choose a new president, but kidnappings for ransom and killings by armed gangs in the north led to fears that polls may not be held everywhere.</p> 339<p>Yet Police Commissioner Ogundele Ayodeji said reinforcements were deployed in the area âand efforts are ongoing to apprehend the assailants, while investigations into the tragic attack have commenced.â</p> 340<p>It was unclear whether these security forces could prevent many attacks in a nation where thousands of Christians have been killed in recent years.</p> 341]]></content:encoded> 342 343 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/islamists-burn-priest-to-death-in-nigeria-colleague-injured/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 344 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 345 346 347 </item> 348 <item> 349 <title>Japan Halts Refugee Protection For Bangladesh Evangelist</title> 350 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/japan-halts-refugee-protection-for-bangladesh-evangelist/</link> 351 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/japan-halts-refugee-protection-for-bangladesh-evangelist/#respond</comments> 352 353 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 354 <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2023 18:31:07 +0000</pubDate> 355 <category><![CDATA[Asia/Pacific]]></category> 356 <category><![CDATA[Bangladedh]]></category> 357 <category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category> 358 <category><![CDATA[Bangladeshi]]></category> 359 <category><![CDATA[Christians]]></category> 360 <category><![CDATA[Evangelism]]></category> 361 <category><![CDATA[Mark Huda Junayed Fino]]></category> 362 <category><![CDATA[Persecution]]></category> 363 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife-rpd-3chh.ew1.rapydapps.cloud/?p=52823</guid> 364 365 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife OKINAWA, JAPAN (BosNewsLife) â Japan has declined the refugee status of a Christian evangelist who fled his native Bangladesh after Islamic militants threatened to kill him for converting to Christianity and being forced to marry a Muslim woman. Mark Huda Junayed Fino confirmed to Worthy News that Japanese […]]]></description> 366 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><i class="icon-calendar-empty"></i><br /> 367<img decoding="async" class="shadow wp-post-image ls-is-cached lazyloaded" src="https://t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100v
367w, 320px" srcset="//t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg 320w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-640x360.jpg 640w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-125x70.jpg 125w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-768x432.jpg 768w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-160x90.jpg 160w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries.jpg 1280w" alt="india worthy christian news" width="320" height="180" data-src="//t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg" data-srcset="//t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-320x180.jpg 320w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-640x360.jpg 640w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-125x70.jpg 125w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-768x432.jpg 768w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries-160x90.jpg 160w, //t6q7z9p9.stackpathcdn.com/wordpressimages/2020/05/india-bangladesh-2-worthy-ministries.jpg 1280w" data-sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></div> 368<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 369<p>OKINAWA, JAPAN (<a href="https://bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>) â Japan has declined the refugee status of a Christian evangelist who fled his native Bangladesh after Islamic militants threatened to kill him for converting to Christianity and being forced to marry a Muslim woman.</p> 370<p>Mark Huda Junayed Fino confirmed to Worthy News that Japanese immigration authorities refused to recognize him as a refugee because he was threatened by âIslamic extremist organizations or private individuals but not by the governmentâ of the Islamic South Asian nation.</p> 371<p>Fino now lives on the Japanese island of Okinawa, where he runs a food truck to make a living for his Christian wife and child and pay for his work as an evangelist. âApostle Paul was a tent maker and also served in ministry.â</p> 372<p>Fino spoke exclusively to a BosNewsLife reporter who followed his case since his detention in Bangladesh in 2012.</p> 373<p>The 30-year-old came to symbolize the plight of Bangladeshi Christians converting from a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or tribal background. In a recent assessment, the Open Doors advocacy group said these believers âsuffer the most severe restrictions, discrimination, and attacks. As a result, they often gather in small house churches or meet secretly in groups due to fear of attack.â</p> 374<p>According to U.S. officials and other sources, the Bangladeshi government has been reluctant to halt attacks against churches or individuals such as Fino. Yet, in a document obtained by BosNewsLife and its news partner Worthy News, Japanâs immigration authorities questioned the seriousness of the reported persecution of Christians and other minorities.</p> 375<p>âBased on various information concerning your country of origin, the Constitution of your home country guarantees freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination on religious grounds,â said a letter issued by the Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau.</p> 376<p>The letter is part of documents signed by Officer Oida of the Bureauâs Naha District Immigration Office. âThe authorities of your home country have taken measures to accommodate the beliefs of non-Muslims,â the letter claimed.</p> 377<p>It seemed a reference to the Bangladesh constitution asserting secularism as one of the fundamental principles of state policy. However, Article 2(a) adds, âThe state religion of the Republic is Islam, but the State shall ensure equal status and equal rights in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and other religions.â</p> 378<p><strong>SUPREME COURT</strong></p> 379<p>In 2015, the Bangladeshi Supreme Court rejected a petition challenging Islamâs status as the state religion.</p> 380<p>And in the letter reviewed by the BosNewsLife and Worthy News agencies, Japanese immigration authorities acknowledged that Fino had expressed concerns about Bangladeshâs government policies and Islamic threats since 2012. Fino also made clear that his father was âviolentâ âand almost forcedâ him âto marry a Bangladeshi woman,â a Muslim, following his conversion to Christianity, the letter stated. âYou have received threats from gangs or death threats from Islamic extremist groups, you have been arrested by the police, you have sent e-mails to your home countryâs government from Japan expressing your opinions, etc.â</p> 381<p>In documents obtained by BosNewsLife, the Bangladesh branch of the outlawed Islamic militant group Harkat-ul Jihad Islami threatened Fino with death if he remains a believer in Jesus Christ.</p> 382<p>âYou have become converted to Christianity by giving up the religion of Islam, which is a great crime according to Shariah [Muslim law] and an offense punishable by death,â said the letter purportedly sent by Harkat-ul Jihad Bangladesh. Fino, a former Muslim, was being told that âyou are given [an] opportunity of 14 days for voluntarily embracing the religion of Islamâ. Otherwise, âyou yourself will remain responsible for your immature death.â</p> 383<p>Yet, Japanese immigration authorities suggested that Fino had nothing to fear. âThe authorities in your home country are not found to have any special circumstances such that they would ignore or encourage illegal activities by Islamic extremist organizations or private individuals. According to your statement, you were arrested by the police but were<br /> 384later released. And other than this, there is no indication that any government officials in your home country contacted y
384ou.â</p> 385<p>The Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau also told Fino that âyou allege that if you return to your home country, you are in danger of being persecuted by Islamic extremist groups or gangs and that you are in danger of being persecuted by your home countryâs government. However, the entity that you claim is persecuting you is not your home government, but Islamic extremist organizations or private individuals.â</p> 386<p>The immigration authorities, part of Japanâs Ministry of Justice, said it was also âunnaturalâ that he had written to government officials to complain about his situation and reported persecution of other Christians. âGiven that it does not appear that you are being closely watched by your home government, we do not believe that you are in danger of persecution as a refugee,â as defined in conventions and protocols, the letter said. âEven in light of your other assertions, you are not considered a Convention refugee.â</p> 387<p><strong>RESTRICTIVE POLICY</strong></p> 388<p>The apparent toughness towards refugees doesnât surprise experts. At least 24 foreign nationals are known to have died in Japanese immigration detention centers, often because of maltreatment. âJapanese immigration policy is known for its restrictiveness,â said Jun Saito, a senior research fellow at the Japan Center for Economic Research. Even the âacceptance of foreign workers, especially of the unskilled, is very limited, and the share of foreign workers in the total labor force is still only 2.5 percent,â he explained, citing figures from 2015.</p> 389<p>The Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau told Fino that he might take legal steps against the rejection of his refugee status. However, Fino confirmed to Worthy News that he would appeal the decision. âThis is important not only for me but also for the many Christian refugees in a similar situation.â</p> 390<p>Christian advocacy group Open Doors seemed to agree that devoted Christians such as Fino, who says he âwas called to be an evangelist,â can face severe persecution in Bangladesh. âProtestant churches that are engaged in outreach among Muslim communities can also face persecution. The arrest of church leaders can destabilise Christian<br /> 391communities and make them feel afraid to gather for worship,â according to Open Doors researchers.</p> 392<p>âEven other denominations which have historically faced less persecution in Bangladesh, such as those affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, are increasingly facing attacks and death threats.â</p> 393<p>Bangladeshâs northern region, home to many ethnic minorities, is especially difficult for Christians, âwith persecution coming from both the Muslim majority and Buddhist minority, as well as tribal communities,â Open Doors said in an assessment.</p> 394<p>In recent years, more than 700,000 Islamic refugees have arrived from neighboring Myanmar, according to several sources, with the majority located in the Cox Bazar district in the southeast tip of the country. âAmong the refugees are a tiny minority of Rohingya [Christian] converts, who can face pressure for their faith but have no means of escape,â Open Doors stressed.</p> 395<p>Evangelist Fino said even though he may be able to stay in Japan as a married father and self-supporting Christian entrepreneur, he wants to be recognized as a refugee. âThis is a matter of principle. The world should know about the suffering of persecuted Christians in Bangladesh.â</p> 396<p>Christians comprise roughly 0.5 percent of the countryâs mainly Muslim population of nearly 170 million, according to Christian researchers. Bangladesh ranks 30th on the Open Doors annual World Watch List of 50 nations where it claims Christians face the most persecution.</p> 397]]></content:encoded> 398 399 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/japan-halts-refugee-protection-for-bangladesh-evangelist/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 400 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 401 402 403 </item> 404 <item> 405 <title>Hungary Condemns West ‘For Denying’ Christian Persecution</title> 406 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/hungary-condemns-west-for-denying-christian-persecution/</link> 407 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/hungary-condemns-west-for-denying-christian-persecution/#comments</comments> 408 409 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 410 <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2023 17:19:24 +0000</pubDate> 411 <category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category> 412 <category>
412<![CDATA[Hungary]]></category> 413 <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> 414 <category><![CDATA[Christians]]></category> 415 <category><![CDATA[Persecution]]></category> 416 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife-rpd-3chh.ew1.rapydapps.cloud/?p=52819</guid> 417 418 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife) â Hungary’s rightwing government has condemned the West for allegedly playing down the persecution of Christians after Islamists in Africa killed and injured dozens of believers on Sunday, including a priest. Tristan Azbej, state secretary at Hungaryâs foreign ministry, said politicians in the West âmust […]]]></description> 419 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 420<p>BUDAPEST (<a href="http:/www.bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>) â Hungary’s rightwing government has condemned the West for allegedly playing down the persecution of Christians after Islamists in Africa killed and injured dozens of believers on Sunday, including a priest.</p> 421<p>Tristan Azbej, state secretary at Hungaryâs foreign ministry, said politicians in the West âmust stop their denial.â</p> 422<p>He added that âa dozen Christians a day are not murdered because of climate change or local clashes, but because of their religion.</p> 423<p>Azbej, who leads the worldâs first government department dedicated to persecuted Christians, spoke as news emerged that suspected Islamist terrorists attacked a Catholic parish in Nigeria and burnt to death the local priest there.</p> 424<p>Priest Isaac Achi was burned alive over the weekend in the Nigerian town of Kafin-Koro, while his assistant was rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds, church sources said.</p> 425<p>Azbej stressed that âcondolences were not enoughâ and that the âinternational community should take proactive steps.â</p> 426<p>He explained that the governmentâs Hungary Helps program assists âChristians in Africa subject to terrorist attacks.â</p> 427<p><strong>INTERNAL REFUGEES</strong></p> 428<p>In recent years the Hungarian government also supported internal refugees in cooperation with the Catholic and Protestant churches of Nigeria, the state secretary recalled.</p> 429<p>He said they provide âhealth care services to the victims of terrorist attacks, contributions to the reconstruction of ruined churches, schools, and homes, as well as scholarships to Christian youth.â</p> 430<p>Azbej also expressed his sympathy to the families of victims that died in a blast that shook a Sunday service of a Pentecostal church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).</p> 431<p>The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Sundayâs bombing at the 8th Community of Pentecostal Churches in the eastern Congolese town of Kasindi, which killed at least 10 people and wounded 39 others. Other sources said the death toll could be as high as 16 or 17.</p> 432<p>Congolese military spokesman Antony Mualushayi told media that a Kenyan was arrested following the bomb blast that he described as a âterrorist act.â</p> 433<p>Hungaryâs government, known for its anti-migration policies, has been reluctant to take in refugees from these and other conflict zones.</p> 434<p>Budapest says it wants first to help persecuted Christians in the regions where they live or nearby countries. Yet, Worthy News learned that Hungary accepted some Christian refugees or enabled them to find shelter elsewhere.</p> 435]]></content:encoded> 436 437 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2023/01/18/hungary-condemns-west-for-denying-christian-persecution/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 438 <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> 439 440 441 </item> 442 <item> 443 <title>Nigeria’s Army Questioned As Militants Kill Dozens Of Christians</title> 444 <link>https://bosnewslife.com/2022/06/16/nigerias-army-questions-as-militants-kill-dozens-of-christians/</link> 445 <comments>https://bosnewslife.com/2022/06/16/nigerias-army-questions-as-militants-kill-dozens-of-christians/#respond</comments> 446 447 <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stefan J. Bos]]></dc:creator> 448 <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2022 10:12:34 +0000</pubDate> 449 <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> 450 <category><![CDATA[Nigeria]]></category> 451 <category><![CDATA[Barnabas Fund]]></category> 452 <category><![CDATA[Christians]]></category> 453 <category><![CDATA[Church of Nigeria]]></category> 454 <category><![CDATA[Middle Belt]]></category> 455 <category><![CDATA[Militants]]></category> 456 <category><![CDATA[Ondo State]]></category> 457 <category><![CDATA[Sources]]></category> 458 <guid isPermaLink="false">https://bosnewslife-rpd-3chh.ew1.rapydapps.cloud/?p=52800</guid> 459 460 <description><![CDATA[By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife ABUJA, NIGERIA (BosNewsLife) â Pressure mounts on the Nigerian government to explain the militaryâs role in attacks by suspected Islamic Fulani militants against Christians in the northern Kaduna State that left at least 32 dead. The well-informed Adara Development Association (ADA), which supports the mainly Christian Adara […]]]></description> 461 <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife</p> 462<p>ABUJA, NIGERIA (<a href="https://bosnewslife.com">BosNewsLife</a>) â Pressure mounts on the Nigerian government to explain the militaryâs role in attacks by suspected Islamic Fulani militants against Christians in the northern Kaduna State that left at least 32 dead.</p> 463<p>The well-informed Adara Development Association (ADA), which supports the mainly Christian Adara minority, said the fighters arrived in Christian areas Sunday, June 5, on about 150 motorcycles, each carrying three persons armed with AK-47 rifles.</p> 464<p>Soon after, a military helicopter appeared and started air strikes against locals trying to defend themselves, according to ADA investigators. âThere were no way poorly armed farmers using crude weapons could face the combined fire strength of better-armed [Fulani militant] herdsmen and a gun-mounted helicopter. So with no other options, the Adara youths had to scamper for safety.â</p> 465<p>The ADA added that this âenabled the attackers to burn down the whole villageâ of Maikori, while several houses were also torched in the areaâs towns of Ungwan Sarki and Ungwan Gamu. Additionally, the building of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Dogo Noma âwas razed down,â the association stressed.</p> 466<p>In the statement monitored by BosNewsLife, ADAâs National President Awami Dio Maisamari urged the Nigerian Air Force to thoroughly investigate this incident and determine if the helicopter and the crew belong to the military. While 32 bodies have been recovered, the ADA suggested that the death toll may rise. âWe are not yet sure how many casualties were caused by the gunshots from the helicopter. But some injured persons are taking treatments in various hospitals,â Maisamari stressed.</p> 467<p>ADA investigators cited reports of helicopters dropping weapons and provisions âto bandits,â often Islamic militants and their followers, in and out of âthe Adara Chiefdomâ area. However, Samuel Aruwan, the Kadunaâs Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs Commissioner, denied wrongdoing in separate comments. âThe helicopter intercepted the bandits at the last location (Ungwan Maikori) and engaged them as they retreated,â he said in published remarks. He added that the attack happened âbefore the arrival of ground troops to the general area.â</p> 468<p><strong>MORE VIOLENCE</strong></p> 469<p>Christian aid group Barnabas Fund urged prayers for the bereaved, protection for the Adara people âfrom further attacks, and for wisdom for national and state governments in addressing the ongoing violence in Nigeria’s Middle Beltâ area.</p> 470<p>Several sources confirmed that the violence is part of massive Islam
470ic violence against Christians in several parts of Nigeria, including a Pentecost Sunday attack on a Catholic Church that killed at least 50 worshipers in Ondo State. Separately, a bishop from the Church of Nigeria and three evangelists have been kidnapped over the weekend by separate gangs in Nigeria, Christians said.</p> 471<p>Bishop Oluwaseun Aderogba was reportedly abducted with his wife and driver by gunmen on Sunday, June 12, in southwest Oyo State. And in Kogi State in north-central Nigeria, shooters kidnapped evangelists Peter Adigidzi, Pastor Mike Baba, and Pastor Sunday Abah on Friday, June 10, according to Christians familiar with these cases.</p> 472<p>âIn Nigeria, a Christian is killed for their faith every two hours; thatâs nearly 13 Christians a day and 372 Christians a month,â said the respected watchdog Open Doors. âTheyâre sobering statisticsâeach number is a man, woman, father, mother, son or daughter who die violently just because they follow Jesus.â</p> 473<p>Research for the Open Doors 2022 World Watch List (WWL) shows that in 2021 more Christians were known to have been murdered for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country.</p> 474<p>Last year, Nigeria accounted for nearly 80 percent of Christian deaths worldwide, with more than 4,650 believers killed, according to the WWL. âThe death toll once again makes Nigeria the worldâs most violent place for Christiansâfor the second consecutive year,â Open Doors added in its assessment seen by Worthy News.</p> 475<p>Nigeria ranks 7th on the WWL of 50 nations where Open Doors says Christians suffer most for their faith.</p> 476]]></content:encoded> 477 478 <wfw:commentRss>https://bosnewslife.com/2022/06/16/nigerias-army-questions-as-militants-kill-dozens-of-christians/feed/</wfw:commentRss> 479 <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> 480 481 482 </item> 483 </channel> 484</rss>
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