The biggest region of the United Arab Emirates starts a process of regularisation. Christians in the country see the initiative with good eyes but “precaution” is needed.

The Foreign Affairs Office releases the long-awaited Independent Review on Persecuted Christians. It was commissioned by Jeremy Hunt, who could become the next Prime Minister.

The Chelsea striker, along with other players, sponsored an Open Doors event in London. “We have to talk about it [...] I do it to serve Jesus”, he said.

According to the law, conversion from Islam is illegal and punishable by death. “Christian converts will be forced to hide their faith even more carefully”, Open Doors says.

The Pope congratulated Morocco for what he considers to be a good coexistence between Muslims and Christians. The country ranks 35th in the World Watch List.

Churches pray that the tensions caused by the postponement of the presidential election will result in a peaceful political transition.

According to World Watch List, released today by Open Doors International, 4,305 people died in 2018 because of their Christian faith. Christian persecution has drastically increased.

The WEA encourages Christians and local churches to get involved in the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on November, 11.

The terrorist group has killed a cooperant aid worker and says it will kill three other hostages, including Leah Sharibu.

Experts agree that the summit between North Korea and the United States will not bring advances in the religious freedom of the country.

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”.