May 2017 Persecution Magazine (1 of 4)

China and Christianity
Despite China’s persecution
of Christians, it is expected to
be the world’s ‘most Christian
nation’ within 15 years.
Christian Woman in China Accused of Cult Activity
4 | CHINA A Christian woman from China, Tu Yan, has been accused of “using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement” for her involvement in
ministry. She was initially arrested last October and continues to be detained, despite mass outcry from the public. Under the guise of a crackdown
on cult activity, the Chinese government continues to persecute and imprison China’s growing Christian population.
Christian in Coma After Mob Attack
5 | INDIA In India, a Christian evangelist named Dr.
Kusuma Anjeneya Swamy slipped into a coma shortly
after being harassed by a group of Hindu radicals. Dr.
Swamy was distributing New Testaments in a park,
when he was surrounded by the group of radicals who
were shouting violent threats. The mob then led Swamy
to the police station where he endured further harassment
from the authorities. Although there was no visible
evidence of physical violence, Swamy suffered a brain
hemorrhage and slipped into a coma shortly after leaving
the police station.
Since the rise to power of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi (pictured) in 2014, Christians in India have experienced
a sharp uptick in persecution due to the impunity
that Hindu radicals enjoy.
President Modi of the right-winged BJP party.
PERSECU ION.org
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
New Law
Could Protect
Christians
6 | VIETNAM A
recently ratified
law in Vietnam,
which will go into
effect in 2018, could
potentially protect
Christian groups.
The law will give
religious organizations
the opportunity
to obtain legal status,
which Christians
hope will also give
them legal protections.
However, until
the law is fully implemented,
its impact
remains unclear and
there could be both
positive and negative
ramifications. Yet
Christians are hopeful
that this is a step
forward for religious
freedom in Vietnam.
Congress Demands Release of
Christian Pastor Held in Turkey
7 | TURKEY On February 15, 78 members of
Congress, including 37 senators, wrote a letter to the
president of Turkey on behalf of Andrew Brunson,
an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey who leads
a church in the coastal city of Izmir. The bipartisan
letter requested that Pastor Brunson be “immediately
released and deported” on account of a lack of evidence
in his case. The letter was sent four months
after Brunson and his wife, Norine, were arrested
after being accused of terrorist activities. Norine was
released after 12 days of detention, but, at the time
of writing, her husband remains in jail, despite the
absence of evidence supporting his imprisonment.
Andrew Brunson and wife, Norine.
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