Six countries sign an agreement to create the “Coalition for Happiness”. Among its members, there are countries where Christians are increasingly persecuted: the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and Kazakhstan.

Intolerance against Christians is highest in Central and Southeast Asia, after North Korea. The situation worsens dramatically in Africa. In Europe, two people were murdered bacause of their faith last year.

Around 1800 people from 160 churches gathered throughout Spain to pray for the persecution of Christians. “There are no closed borders, prisons or doors when we pray”.

Sundays 5th and 12th of November have been set apart to advocate and pray for the Persecuted Church. This year’s motto is “From ashes to glory”.

The UN Security Council holds an emergency meeting. “Dialogue and understanding is the right and moral way forward”, says World Evangelical Alliance.

There has been 410 reported incidents, while there were 441 in total in 2016. “Attackers know they will not be punished”, Open Doors says.

A video by Open Doors UK & Ireland explains to children what it means to be a refugee. 

“Belief-based intolerance and discrimination of refugees is a pan-European problem”, Christian organisations said during a hearing at the European Parliament. 

According to Open Doors, 215 million Christians suffer “high, very high or extreme persecution”. North Korea continues at the top of the World Watch List. Africa is the region in which more Christians are killed because of their faith.

Jamil, a former Muslim: “Yemenis follow Christ with all their hearts. There is no way back. We all know that. Becoming a Christian will cost you much”.

Young Markus had been an ambitious Muslim. He studied in an Islamic university led by his father and his mission was to reach out to Christian youth and lead them to the “right path”.

The police and Islamic religious authorities in these countries are highly vigilant against any attempts by Christians to reach Malay Muslims with the gospel.

The situation of Christians in North Korea does not seem to have improved during this past year.

Churches are forbidden in Saudi Arabia, and converting from Islam is punished with decapitation.

In the region, almost 40% of the Protestant churches have become secret churches. “We do not want to be associated with anything illegal and our desire is to be law-abiding citizens”.

For 20 years, IDOP has united millions of Christians to denounce and pray for those who suffer persecution. This year, events are being held the first three Sundays of November.

The number of believers of Muslim background has increased radically in the Horn of Africa, despite the high costs associated with the decision of leaving  Islam to follow Christ whole-heartedly.

A German television reports about the measures taken by the authorities to stop violence against refugees converting to Christianity.

Jess and Rena with their baby son were kicked out and all their sheep and horses were taken away. They didn’t have any money, not enough clothes to wear and no place to sleep.

Soldiers and priests go into temples for the first time after Daesh (ISIS) lost control of the Christian cities. Courtesy of Open Doors. 

Qaraqosh, the so-called “Christian capital”, is among the cities recovered. Christian refugees held a vigil to celebrate it. Experts believe the advance to Mosul will be long and difficult.

More than 150 died last week in fight between President and Vice President rival armies. Sudanese Christians are being targeted.

Syria, Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, and Vietnam are also among the “countries of particular concern.” For the first time, Western Europe is in the list as a place that “deserve monitoring.”

Assemblies of God pastor: “There is no security, our non-Christian neighbours insult us almost daily, and we are scared.” 

Muslim leaders have caused upset by validating President Jammeh's declaration of Gambia becoming an Islamic state without having a referendum.