WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on the governments of Thailand and Malaysia to admit boats carrying Rohingya Muslim refugees stranded at sea. “Thai and Malaysian authorities must recognize their obligations under international law to refugees fleeing ethnic and religious violence,” USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin stated. “USCIRF urges…
WASHINGTON D.C. – The wife of a Malaysian pastor who was abducted in 2017 was among 12 women honored Wednesday with the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award. Susanna Liew, the wife of pastor Raymond Koh, was honored by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and first lady Melania Trump for fighting on behalf…
PENANG – During the recent testing of lighting fixtures at a residential high-rise under construction in the city of Penang, a local Muslim mufti complained to local authorities because the resulting pattern was in the shape of a cross. The mufti insisted that the authorities investigate why the lights had been arranged as a cross…
SINGAPORE – Maintenance of religious harmony. It sounds wonderful. An idea that promotes people getting along together. True freedom of religion. But the artwork of legislative ambiguity is misleading in many countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore, the city-state at the southern end of Malaysia. Two men and two women, residents of Finland, were detained…
GENEVA – A group of five NGOs met with UN officials on 06 March to discuss the recent case of four Malaysian Christians requesting changes on their national identity cards. The federal court in Sarawak refused to rule on their appeal on 26 February (see “Malaysia High Court Dismisses Christians’ Appeal”). The meeting took place…
Palace of Justice, Putrajaya, Malaysia KUCHING, Sarawak, Malaysia – The recent refusal of the Malaysian Federal Court to hear the appeals of four Christian converts to have their Christian names and religion on their government IDs left the world wondering what the plaintiffs would do. As it turns out, they may on have to wait…
KUCHING, Sarawak, Malaysia – The Malaysian Federal Court failed to rule on an appeal by four Christians who have requested their names and religious faith be changed on their national identification documents. (See “4 Christian Converts in Landmark Case in Malaysia’s Federal Court.”) According to those official IDs, they are “still Muslims on paper.” Malaysia…
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia – The lawyer for four Christian converts will plead their case to be allowed to be Christians under Malaysian law. The case will be heard in Federal Court in Putrajaya on Monday, February 26th. The outcome of this case could become precedent for Malaysians wishing to convert out of Islam in a country…
BARTLESVILLE, OK — “I love you and I forgive you,” Anita Smith said to husband Ronnie’s murderers during a national TV interview. Her Christlike words riveted reporters and inspired believers worldwide as they saw her faith in action after her husband was killed while living and working in Libya on mission to show Christ. Anita’s…
MALAYSIA — More than six years after abducted husband, Pastor Raymond Koh, was kidnapped in Malaysia, his wife Susanna is pleased that a trial into the abduction has finally started. After two days of statements and questioning earlier this month, the trial resumed on June 20th. Susanna shares her reflections on the trial of…
DALLAS — July 16 and 17 saw the dawn of a new era as Promise Keepers (PK), the men’s ministry founded in 1990 by Coach Bill McCartney and known for its massive stadium events, held its 2021 Conference for Men at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The two-day event featured everything that men…
LONDON — COVID aid is being refused for Christians in some countries unless they refuse to renounce their faith in Christ. In response, Open Doors is mobilizing its partners in some of the worst-hit countries to provide vital emergency food supplies. Persecution watchdog Open Doors UK & Ireland says it is “inundated” with reports of…
WASHINGTON, DC – Its 2020 Annual Report on international freedom of religion has been made available to the public by the USCIRF. Various media reports have created confusion concerning the publication, with some referring to it as “the 2019 report” and others as “the 2020 report.” For clarification, the title of the 104-page document is…
ORLANDO, FL — Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, reports that Bible translators and their families in remote and poverty-stricken areas are facing starvation due to food shortages resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. President and CEO Bruce Smith says, “My…
WILLS POINT, TX – The closure of yet another Christian church and its Bible school by authorities in Algeria spurred one of our reporters to dig a little deeper. He decided to investigate government restrictions and political persecution against the Church. He didn’t have to look far. A recent report by the Pew Research Center…
NAPIERVILLE, IL – Ramadan is the holy month of fasting for Muslims around the globe. From Mecca to Michigan and from Medina to Malaysia, faithful Muslims observe sawm (a fast) from sunrise to sunset. In 2019, Ramadan begins on May 6 and ends on June 4. They awake early to partake of a carefully prepared…
WASHINGTON — With its particular focus on China’s oppression of religious and human rights, an independent watchdog group has decried in its annual report the state of religious freedom across the globe. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan organization created 20 years ago, concludes in its Monday (April 29) report that “innumerable…
JERUSALEM – Slowly but surely, countries around the world are beginning to openly demonstrate their support of the nation of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. Following the United States’ relocation of its embassy, several other countries have declared their intent to move their embassies to Jerusalem in the future. So far, the U.S. and…
DELHI – Officials in India are completing final preparations for the 70th annual Republic Day on Saturday, January 26th. This year’s celebration will also celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, “Father of the Nation.” Wednesday, January 23, 2019, preparations included a full-dress rehearsal for the annual parade at Rajpath. The entire…
WILLS POINT, TX – The ongoing case of the Asia Bibi trial in Pakistan has drawn attention to the imminent danger of blasphemy laws, particularly for Christians. Missions Box News decided to investigate blasphemy laws around the world. Although this article may not contain everything you want to know about it, we think you will…
NEW DELHI – One month ago today, the state of Kerala reported an outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus. This is the third outbreak of the virus in India since the beginning of the century. Seventeen people have died as a result of the recent outbreak. Although there is no known cure for Nipah, the…
WILLS POINT, Texas – It is no secret that the world is rife with problems ranging from terrorism and wars to hunger and health issues. Many of these and other problems spawn floods of refugees seeking safe harbor from potential harm. Many would consider making a successful journey to a safer place a success. However,…
NEW DELHI – January 26, 2018, marks the 69th annual celebration of Republic Day in India. The date commemorates the ratification of the country’s constitution in 1950 when it gained independence from Great Britain. The Constitution of India superseded the Government of India Act under which the nation had been governed since 1935. One of…
JAKARTA, Indonesia – The Indonesian government extended protection for Christians throughout the country and reduced jail sentences for Christians currently confined in penal institutions. Over 180,000 officers were deployed by the National Police and Indonesian Military (TNI) to protect Christians as they gathered to celebrate the birth of Christ. Reports indicate that believers were able…
Photo by GIAHS Initiative In the Philippines, the Catholic Church opposes birth control. In the meantime, President Duterte is pushing for more free access to birth control. Per Fox News, “President Rodrigo Duterte mandated free birth control for women in an effort to decrease poverty rates in the country and help economically stricken communities. Duterte…
Photo by Paolobon140 Over 240 people were taken hostage by ISIS soldiers in the Philippines at the end of May. One priest appealed President Duterte to stop fighting against Islamic extremists. Fox News reports, “A Catholic priest who claims he’s been kidnapped alongside more than 240 hostages by fighters linked to the Islamic State in…
By English: Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Rohingya are treated badly by the government of Myanmar, mainly the military. Many Rohingya have escaped into Muslim countries. According to CNN, “The Myanmar government has forcibly segregated Rohingya from the rest of the population in Rakhine state since 1982 when the government stripped them of their citizenship.”…
