Asian

560 UK Churches Ready to Welcome Hong Kong Wave

On February 14, a local Chinese church’s multilingual service was broadcast live on BBC Radio 4, the United Kingdom’s most popular radio station, for the first time in history—a gesture of welcome to the hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents expected to migrate to the country under a new visa provision. “This feels like […]

Singapore pastor apologizes for asking women to dress modestly

A Protestant pastor in Singapore has issued an apology following a heavy backlash from young netizens after asking women “to refrain from reveal-ing or provocative dressing” in order to avoid inciting “lustful thoughts” in men. Pastor Joanne Chow, 38, a mother of two and youth minister of Pasir Panjang Hill Brethren Church in Singapore, came […]

Catholic university traces Philippine Christian roots

A Catholic university in the Philippines has launched a series of online lectures on church history tracing the country’s journey to Catholicism since the arrival of the Spanish. The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) wants people to know how Christianity spread in a country composed of thousands of islands. The lectures titled the […]

Iraq: Full of historic sites important to understanding Christianity

Pope Francis hopes to embark on the first-ever papal visit to the biblical land of Iraq in early March in a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts to the place known in Arabic as the “land of the two rivers” — the mighty Tigris and Euphrates — and once renowned as Mesopotamia, the “cradle of civilization.” The […]

Expert sees changing religious landscape in the Middle East

A Jordan native and expert on Islamic affairs has said the Middle East is currently undergoing an in-depth reflection on the role of religion in society and governance, leading to a changing religious landscape in the region. “Violence perpetrated in the name of religion contributed to this change,” said Monsignor Khaled Akasheh, Bureau Chief for […]

Saving the Middle East’s Last Bastion of Christianity

At September’s annual In Defense of Christians (IDC) 2020 summit, an IDC board member described Lebanon as the “last bastion of Christianity in the Middle East.” Recently, the advocacy organization hosted a panel discussion titled “The U.S. Needs a Better Lebanon Policy,” which brought together Lebanese and American politicians, clergymen, and experts to discuss how […]

Indonesia bans forced religious attire in state schools

The Indonesian government has issued a decree banning state schools from interfering in the religious beliefs of students and teachers in a move that is being hailed as part of increased efforts to ensure the Muslim-majority country remains inclusive. The decree was announced on Feb. 3 following an outcry last month after a state vocational […]

Three Indonesian Christians caned for drinking alcohol

Three Christians were flogged in public in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Feb. 8 after being caught drinking alcohol at a small shop in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, according to a local government official. Heru Triwijanarko, acting head of the Banda Aceh public order agency and Sharia police, said the three unnamed men received 40 […]

Eviction-facing Indian Catholics to fight Muslim charity’s claims

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica