Asia

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  25 January 2019
  ASIA/INDONESIA - The Christian Ahok set free, "but his figure polarizes public opinion" Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) - "After the release, it is likely that Ahok will go abroad for a few months, at least until after the general elections in April. It is a careful move, because his figure is still much discussed ...
• 25 January 2019
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - Confirmation of the National Director of the PMS, Fr. Mikhael Abdo Abdo, OCD Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On 22 November 2018, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, confirmed Fr. Mikhael Abdo Abdo, of the Discalced Carmelites, OCD, as National ...
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  25 January 2019
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - No WYD for young Pakistanis, blocked in their homeland by the Immigration Office Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The Department for Immigration Office at Allama Iqbal airport in Lahore stopped young Catholics who, on 23rd and 24th January, were about to embark to participate in World Youth Day, underway in ...
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  24 January 2019
  ASIA/INDIA - Vandalistic acts carried out by young Hindu extremists in a Catholic school Kolhapur (Agenzia Fides) - Young activists of the "Yuva Sena" group, the youth wing of the Hindu nationalist organization "Shiv Sena", have committed vandalism in the office of the Holy Cross High School, a Catholic inst ...
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  24 January 2019
  ASIA/IRAQ - Ayatollah al Sistani recommends the UN to investigate the jihadist violence suffered by Christians in Mosul Najaf (Agenzia Fides) - Ayatollah Ali al Sistani reiterated the urgent need to investigate the violence and crimes committed by the jihadist militias of the Islamic State even to the detriment of local Christian communi ...
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  24 January 2019
  ASIA/INDIA - Christians accused of "forced conversions": the government of Madhya Pradesh backtracks Bhopal (Agenzia Fides) - Kamal Nath, Prime Minister of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, a big state in central India, has assured Christian leaders that he will cancel the accusations of alleged "fraudulent conversion ...
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  23 January 2019
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - The Supreme Court restores the registration and the civil value of Christian marriages Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has restored the value and the civil effects of Christian marriage. The Court ordered the "National Database and Registration Authority" (NADRA) of Pakistan and t ...
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  23 January 2019
  ASIA/LEBANON - "They only ask for justice". Churches of the Middle East pray for the unity and future of Christians Beirut (Agenzia Fides) - "Who takes advantage if this region is emptied of Christians, who helped create it?" This was the question posed by Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, in his speech on ...
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  22 January 2019
  ASIA/ARAB EMIRATES - The Pope and the Imam of al Azhar together at the Conference on "Human Fraternity" Abu Dhabi (Agenzia Fides) - The international interreligious meeting will take place in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of February, to coincide with the visit of Pope Francis in the United Arab Emirates (3-5 February). The B ...
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  22 January 2019
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - The Church in Mindanao in favor of the autonomous Muslim region Manila (Agenzia Fides) - Catholic leaders in Mindanao support the new autonomous region that could end the conflict in the south of the country. On the occasion of the referendum in which the people of Mindanano were cal ...
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  21 January 2019
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - A Christian acquitted after a trial for blasphemy Kasur (Agenzia Fides) - The Christian Pervaiz Masih, accused of blasphemy on 1 September 2015 and tried for that alleged offense, was acquitted on 15 January and is free: reports to Agenzia Fides the lawyer, Aneeqa Maria ...
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  21 January 2019
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Young people, promoters of peace and harmony Karachi (Agenzia Fides) - "We must promote peace through friendship and communion among young people who belong to various religions, ethnic groups and cultures. Art and culture can be a useful tool to promote unity, pea ...
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  19 January 2019
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - A Dominican preaches in the mosque, recalling the Great Imam promoter of peace Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Maulana Muhammad Abdul Qadir Azad, who served the faithful as Grand Imam in the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore for about 30 years and died in January 2003, was considered "a great promoter of interrel ...
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  19 January 2019
  ASIA/SYRIA - Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch receives Russian delegation: thank you for your help Damascus (Agenzia Fides) - A delegation of Russian parliamentarians visiting the Middle East was received in Damascus by Patriarch Yohanna X, Primate of the Greek-Orthodox Church of Antioch. During the meeting - accordin ...
• 19 January 2019
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Filipino youth at WYD to "enrich their faith" Manila (Agenzia Fides) - World Youth Day, to be held in Panama from 22 to 27 January, will be a "moment of extraordinary enrichment of faith" for young Filipinos. This is stated by over 70 young people who, together with ...