Samuel Smith and World Watch Monitor
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Cuba bars evangelicals from attending US religious freedom ministerial
Four prominent Cuban evangelical leaders were barred by regime officials from traveling to the United States last week to participate in the State Department's historic Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.
Fulani killings of Nigerian Christians meets standard for 'genocide,’ Jubilee Campaign says
An international human rights NGO has submitted research and data to the International Criminal Court contending that the standard for genocide has now been reached when it comes to the massacres of Christian farming communities in Nigeria by Fulani militants.
'Eyes tied sealed': Kachin pastor details torture in Burmese prison
A Christian pastor from northern Myanmar opened up about the horrors he faced when jailed and tortured for over a year and welcomed sanctions recently issued by the U.S. government against key military leaders responsible for abuses.
Pence announces sanctions on Iranian-backed leaders abusing minorities returning to Iraq
Vice President Mike Pence announced new sanctions against Iranian-backed militia leaders accused of committing human rights abuses in the Ninevah Plains of Iraq, where Christians and other religious minorities are struggling to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of genocide.
Trump meets 27 survivors of persecution in Oval Office, learns about their plight
President Donald Trump met with 27 survivors of religious persecution from all over the world at the White House Wednesday with some thanking him for his administration’s efforts to promote international religious freedom and others asking him to help their community.
'There are 200 more Asia Bibis': Son of slain Pakistani gov. fears 'complacency' has set in
The son of a Pakistani governor who was assassinated in 2011 because of his support for imprisoned Christian mother Asia Bibi told religious freedom advocates that there are over 200 people jailed in Pakistan for blasphemy.
State Dept. hosts largest religious freedom summit in world history; survivors testify
The U.S. State Department launched on Tuesday its second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, a three-day summit being touted as the largest religious freedom event ever held.
Iraq: Ethnic cleansings of Christians is ongoing, UK analyst says
What Iraq’s Christians want from the West is to say the plain truth: that there is ethnic cleansing of Christians in the region and it is ongoing, Tim Stanley told a meeting at the U.K.’s Parliament last Tuesday.
US on track to resettle more refugees in 2019 but still too few, faith groups say
The United States is on pace to resettle slightly more refugees in fiscal year 2019 than it did in the previous year but faith-based refugee advocates are still pressing the U.S. to do much more to help people fleeing persecution across the globe.
Church volunteers no longer allowed to lead library playgroup after singing about God
Volunteers from a church-run playgroup have reportedly been banned from a public library’s weekly “Rhyme Time” event in the United Kingdom after complaints were raised about children singing songs about the Bible and God.