The Voice of the suffering in Asia

Shagufta Kausar was falsely accused of blasphemy. For almost eight years, she was separated from her family; her husband was beaten and tortured; and they were pressured to convert to Islam. Now free, she tells Aid to the Church in Need how she found strength in her faith.  Mrs. Kausar, you were unjustly accused of blasphemy and, despite being innocent, spent almost eight years in a Pakistani jail. You’ve finally been released. What is it like to be a Christian in Pakistan?  In Pakistan, there is persecution against Christians. Many are unjustly accused of blasphemy and incarcerated in jail. ...

This September, Pope Francis will make his first trip to Papua New Guinea, a country introduced to Christianity about 70 years ago. In this corner of the world, Christians are enthusiastically preparing for his arrival, with the help of missionaries like Father Martín Prado from the Institute of the Incarnate Word. For 10 years, this missionary has lived in Vanimo, a coastal city that the Pope will visit, and he has shared his testimony with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), explaining what it is like to live the faith in a country of tropical jungles and breathtaking ...

One year since violence described as the worst outbreak of Christian persecution in Pakistan, Church leaders say people are terrified of more attacks and furious that the culprits have not been brought to justice.   Leading clergy in the Diocese of Faisalabad reported that security services warned Christians in Jaranwala against holding outdoor events on Friday, August 16th, to mark the first anniversary of the atrocities.  In a single day, a mob of thousands torched and ransacked more than 25 churches and at least 85 Christian homes in what Pakistan’s bishops called “the worst incident against Christians” in the country’s 77-year history.  ...

After being accused of blasphemy, a Christian mother of two was cornered in a field in Pakistan and beaten by a mob.  Saima Farhad Gill, who is also a widow and lives in a village near Gojra, was saved by police and taken into custody. She was charged under Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws.  Saima’s neighbors claimed that they had found documents bearing the name of her daughter, Emma, age 9; allegedly among the documents were ripped pages of the Qur’an. An enraged mob blocked the roads. On August 7th, Saima, who is about 33, was charged under Section 295B of ...

On June 4th, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or the Popular Party of India, won its third election, extending Narendra Damodardas Modi’s tenure as leader of the country. What are the consequences of these results for the Christian community? In this interview, Father Pradeep, a Jesuit from the state of Jharkhand, shares his thoughts with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).  Prime Minister Modi recently won the elections. What was the reaction of the Christian minority in India?  Yes, Modi did win, but in doing so, he obtained a lower number of votes than ...

A new amendment to the Christian Marriage Act says that girls and boys under the age of 18 cannot marry. Though only a first step, this could curb cases of abduction and forced marriage for Christian girls in the country.   The Catholic Church in Pakistan applauds a new amendment to the Christian Marriage Act, which was recently signed into law and raises the age of marriage to 18 for both boys and girls.   Though limited in scope – the law applies only to Christians in the Islamabad Capital Territory – Church leaders hope this is the first step in ...