Cabinet Reshuffle in Saudi Arabia Focuses on ReligionJune 5, 2018 — ICC Note: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) continues to push for major reforms within the country. The latest involves a significant cabinet change that focuses on culture and...
Japanese Christians Detained by China Safely Return HomeJune 5, 2018 — ICC Note: 21 members of a Japanese Christian group who were detained between May 5 and 15 across China for their missionary activities have safely returned home, according to Japan’s Ministry...
Iranian Christians Await Relocation to PrisonJune 5, 2018 — ICC Note: Four Iranian Christians who lost their appeals of a collective 40-year prison sentence are awaiting their summons to be relocated to prison. They are currently released on bail....
Seven Years On and Still No One Charged for Father Tentorio’s MurderJune 4, 2018 — ICC Note: Seven years have passed, yet the Philippines government has not found the culprit for Father Fausto Tentorio’s murder. The priest was killed on October 17, 2011, in front of...
Egypt Uses Reconciliation to Close ChurchesJune 4, 2018 — ICC Note: Once again, a reconciliation session was used as the basis of closing a church that was seeking legalization in Egypt. These sessions are out of court settlements that...
Challenges Not Over for Mardin’s ChristiansJune 4, 2018 — ICC Note: While Turkey’s Syriac Christians in Mardin have welcomed the return of over 50 title deeds, their challenges are not over. Turkey heavily monitors and restricts the activities of...
Despite Warming Relationship, North Korea Still Bans South Korean InfluenceJune 3, 2018 — ICC Note: Although the two Koreas seem to have a budding détente, Pyongyang is still wary of North Koreans who show any links to South Korean influence, be it music...
Open Doors USA Advocates for Missing Malaysian Pastor Raymond KohJune 2, 2018 — ICC Note: On May 31, Open Doors USA advocated for missing Malaysian Pastor Raymond Koh’s case at the UN. Pastor Koh was kidnapped in February 2017 in broad daylight in Kuala...
Christian Sites Marking Persecution in Japan to Gain World Heritage RecognitionJune 1, 2018 — ICC Note: Several Christian landmarks in Japan marking the religious persecution Christians endured during the Tokugawa shogunate (1630-1867) might soon gain World Heritage recognition status from UNESCO. The sites, located in...
Saudi Arabia Attempts Liberalization Without Addressing Religious FreedomJune 1, 2018 — ICC Note: Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed is heavily outspoken about the need to liberalize the country’s society, specifically in regards to creating economic diversity. The Center for Democracy and Human...
Indonesia Arrests 41 Terrorists Over Surabaya Church AttacksJune 1, 2018 — ICC Note: According to National Police Chief of Indonesia Tito Karnavian, Jakarta Security Forces have arrested 41 suspected terrorists after the suicide bombings in Surabaya and Sidoargo last May. Four others...
Egypt Pulls a University Book Hostile Towards ChristianityJune 1, 2018 — ICC Note: A book taught at a law university in Egypt has been pulled because of complaints that its contents encourage contempt of Christianity. A committee has been formed which...
China Launches Five-Year Plan to Sinicize the Catholic ChurchMay 31, 2018 — ICC Note: To reinforce the country’s Sinicization of religion, the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics and the Council of Chinese Bishops have launched a “Five-Year Plan of Development for the Sinicization...
Iraq’s Christians Seek Opportunities to ThriveMay 31, 2018 — ICC Note: Church leaders in Iraq say that it is not enough that Christians survived ISIS, they need opportunities to thrive within the country. They point to a lack of...
Turkey Denies Religious Freedom ViolationsMay 31, 2018 — ICC Note: Turkey has responded to the U.S. State Department’s report on International Religious Freedom by saying that it has an open minded attitude towards freedom of worship. Religious minorities...
State Department Reports on Intensified Violence Against Ethnic Minorities in MyanmarMay 30, 2018 — ICC Note: In State Department’s religious freedom report released on May 29, Myanmar’s military campaign to eliminate or drive away its ethnic minorities has intensified. Fighting between the government and rebels...
