we started this weekly chronicle on persecuted Christians in Nepal. In that country, in the city of Kathmandu, two Christians from the United States were evangelizing when they were arrested by the policeinforma Open doors.
The agents took all their belongings and locked them in different cells so that they could not communicate. Fortunately, a group of Christian leaders managed to get them released after six hours and no complaint was filed against them.
Although Nepal is no longer officially a Hindu state, most of the Christian persecution in Nepal stems from radical Hindu groups who want the country to return to Hinduism. Many of the Christians in Nepal are converts from Hinduism, and these converts experience significant pressure from their families and communities. If a family discovers that a member is a Christian, the convert may be thrown out of their family home or even violently attacked. The laws against conversion and destruction and the forced closure of churches also limit religious freedom, as he explained Open doors.
How can Turkey deport us because we are Christians?
We are going now to Turkeywhere refugees from other countries, especially if they are Christians, are mistreated. Asia News ensures that the christian refugees -some of them coming from Iran-, they remained locked up for three months, they talk about the terrible sanitary conditions in the detention centers, where there is a lack of food, water and medicine.
One of the Christians detained in Antalya, Kamran Topa EbrahimiHe recounted: “I have been separated from my wife Mona and my two children.” “They carry out -he adds- a psychological war against us”, threatening indefinite detention if we do not return to our country. The wife herself talks about the lack of water in the centers and the use of a garbage can as an improvised means for personal hygiene. “How can Turkey – he accuses – deport us because we are Christians? Are they pretending not to know what is happening? This is psychological warfare against us to force us to sign deportation forms.” “Circumstances are so difficult that we prefer to return to Iran and be killed – he adds – rather than stay here.”
Faranak Rezieia Christian refugee of Kurdish origin, explains that she was detained by the Turkish authorities when she changed her status on her WhatsApp profile, at the end of 40 days of mourning for the death of Mahsa Amini: «I don’t know who, but someone leaked my story to the Turkish police and said that I am working with the Turkish Kurds [del PKK]», says Faranak, a single mother who was detained for 30 days together with her four-year-old daughter.
Reza Pouti, pastor of the Iranian Freedom Church in Isparta, told Article18 that he had personally met one of the deported Christians along with his wife and children before he could sell the properties in Turkey. “It’s a prison,” denounces the religious leader. Not only in the fields, but also outside, people live in fear” even of “opening the door” or “going out.” “From time to time – he continues – asylum seekers are transferred to the camps by trickery. I myself fear such a situation.” Indeed, three weeks after sending the message, Reza himself along with his wife Roshanak and his youngest son Mohammadreza were arrested and sent to a center.
Archbishop Shao is targeted by the government and is often detained to force him to join “the ‘official’ church, controlled by the Communist Party of China
And in Chinalas communist authorities They arrested the Bishop of Wenzhou, Mons. Shao Zhuminso that he did not participate in the funeral of Fr. Chen Nailiangwho passed away on January 29 at the age of 90, Asia News reported.
He P. Chen He was a parish priest in Pingyang and, like Bishop Shao, belonged to the “underground” Church. The priest was persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)who imprisoned him and interned him for several years in “re-education” camps.
The agency explained that “Mons. Shao is targeted by the government and is often detained” to force him to join “the ‘official’ church, controlled by the Communist Party of China (CCP).”
In this sense, he indicated that the agreement that China and the Vatican signed in 2018 for the appointment of bishops – and that was renewed in 2020 and 2022 – has not “stopped the repression against Chinese Catholics, especially unofficial ones”.
About a fortnight ago, a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem was vandalized, graffiti with the inscription “Death to Christians” was written on the walls of a monastery in the Armenian quarter
And in Jerusalemand jewish extremist entered the Church of the Flagellationwhere the first station of the Via Dolorosa is located, and knocked down the statue of jesus and disfigured his face. After being held by the sanctuary’s doorman, the police arrived at the scene and arrested him, they report in a communicated the Franciscans.
This is the fifth incident that has occurred in recent weeks. Last week, tourists were attacked by a group of religious Jews who entered the New Gate. These individuals committed acts of vandalism at the entrance, near the headquarters of the Custody of the Holy Land, throwing chairs, tables and glasses and turning the Christian quarter into a battlefield.
About a fortnight ago, a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem was vandalized, graffiti reading “Death to Christians” was written on the walls of a monastery in the Armenian quarter, and premises used as a church in the Maronite center of Jerusalem were vandalized. Ma’alot.
