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        <title>Christian Daily International | Religious Freedom</title>
        <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/religious-freedom</link>
        <description><![CDATA[Follow global news on religious freedom, from Christian persecution to legal battles over faith and worship. Explore reports on human rights, church-state relations, and efforts to defend freedom of belief worldwide.]]></description>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rebel militia abduct pastor and family members in Sudan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rebel-militia-abduct-pastor-and-family-members-in-sudan</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Nuba Mountains in southern Sudan.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ C Andreas31, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Nuba Mountains in southern Sudan. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:42:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Members of a break-away group from the rebel Sudan’s People Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) abducted a pastor and others in North Kordofan state, Sudan on July 23, his brother said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Members of a break-away group from the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) abducted a pastor and others in South Kordofan state, Sudan on July 23, his brother said.
The Rev. Yaqob Ibrahim Tia of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) was abducted from his home in Heiban town along with his two sons, ages 17 and 20, a 15-year-old nephew and the brother of Catholic priest Fadi Ibrahim Tia, Fadi Ibrahim Tia said.
Fadi Ibrahim Tia, who is based in the area’s Nuba Mountains, said his brother, Daniel Ibrahim, was at the same house when he was abducted. The house is a short distance from Pastor Yaqob Ibrahim Tia’s church building. Fadi Ibrahim Tia is also the brother of SCOC Pastor Yaqob Ibrahim Tia.
The assailants have not demanded a ransom and appear to aim only to show their ability to destabilize the area, sources said. There have been no ransom demands in previous attacks and abductions in the past three months.
“There is a growing targeting against the church leaders in the area,” Fadi Ibrahim Tia told Morning Star News by phone.
Police have been notified of the kidnapping in the area, which was soon deserted before calm returned.
Family members were urging well-wishers and right groups to intervene to help release the abducted pastor and those with him.
Church leaders and institutions are increasingly becoming a target amid the growing conflict between break-away SPLA-N members and other militants in Heiban and other areas of the Nuba Mountains. On Friday (July 25) break-away SPLA-N militia shot and killed Episcopal Pastor Adel Idris Jongool in the Dabi administrative Unit of Heiban District.  
The attack followed an attack in Heiban town on Thursday (July 23) that reportedly left an unknown number of Christians dead and other church leaders abducted. The attacks on Christians amid the armed conflict follow the killing on June 19 of a Catholic priest and one of his guards in Holy Cross parish in Kauda, South Kordofan by the same break-away militants. Another guard also was shot, survived and received hospital treatment.
The Nuba Mountains, an SPLA-N stronghold long battling Khartoum, has remained largely outside the military conflict that broke out in Sudan in April 2023, but a new frontline emerged there after the SPLA-N joined forces with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Armed factions in the Nuba Mountains have emerged that are fighting the SPLA-N, resulting in killing and displacement of civilians.
Both the RSF and the SAF are Islamist forces that have attacked displaced Christians on accusations of supporting the other’s combatants.
Sudan is 93 percent Muslim, with adherents of ethnic traditional religion 4.3 percent of the population, while Christians constitute 2.3 percent, according to Joshua Project.
The conflict between the RSF and the SAF, which had shared military rule in Sudan following an October 2021 coup, has terrorized civilians in Khartoum and elsewhere, killing tens of thousands and displacing more than 12 million people within and beyond Sudan’ borders, according to the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR).
The SAF’s Gen. Abdelfattah al-Burhan and his then-vice president, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, were in power when civilian parties in March 2023 agreed on a framework to re-establish a democratic transition the next month, but disagreements over military structure torpedoed final approval.
Burhan sought to place the RSF – a paramilitary outfit with roots in the Janjaweed militias that had helped former strongman Omar al-Bashir put down rebels – under the regular army’s control within two years, while Dagolo would accept integration within nothing fewer than 10 years.
Both military leaders have Islamist backgrounds while trying to portray themselves to the international community as pro-democracy advocates of religious freedom.
Sudan was ranked No. 4 among the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian in Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List (WWL). Sudan had dropped out of the top 10 of the WWL list for the first time in six years when it first ranked No. 13 in 2021.
Following two years of advances in religious freedom in Sudan after the end of the Islamist dictatorship under Bashir in 2019, the specter of state-sponsored persecution returned with the military coup of Oct. 25, 2021. After Bashir was ousted from 30 years of power in April 2019, the transitional civilian-military government had managed to undo some sharia (Islamic law) provisions. It outlawed the labeling of any religious group “infidels” and thus effectively rescinded apostasy laws that made leaving Islam punishable by death.
With the Oct. 25, 2021 coup, Christians in Sudan feared the return of the most repressive and harsh aspects of Islamic law.
The U.S. State Department in 2019 removed Sudan from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) that engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom” and upgraded it to a watch list. Sudan had previously been designated as a CPC from 1999 to 2018.
In December 2020, the State Department removed Sudan from its Special Watch List.
(Corrected on July 30 to denote Heiban is in South Kordofan, not North Kordofan)]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christian children in Sri Lanka subject to bullying, discrimination, report says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-children-in-sri-lanka-subject-to-bullying-discrimination-report-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-children-in-sri-lanka-subject-to-bullying-discrimination-report-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[NCEASL study on religious freedom for children.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ NCEASL ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ NCEASL study on religious freedom for children. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Some Christian schoolchildren in Sri Lanka, especially children of non-traditional church pastors, are targeted by both bullies and teachers for their faith, according to a study by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL).]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Some Christian schoolchildren in Sri Lanka, especially children of non-traditional church pastors, are targeted by both bullies and teachers for their faith, according to a study by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL).
Between 2023 and 2025, the NCEASL found multiple incidents of religious freedom violations against children of minority religions in the majority Buddhist country, including discriminatory practices, acts of intimidation and physical violence, often linked to religious tension in the localities, according to the alliance recent report, “Growing Up Believing: Explorinig Children’ Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Sri Lanka.”
The study found Christian children face “bullying from peers and targeting by teachers, with children of pastors of non-traditional churches being more vulnerable to discrimination and bullying. This includes teachers scolding Christian students for attending church, forbidding them from reading their Bibles during breaks, and making them attend school on Sundays.”
In one incident, a student was coerced into participating in non-Christian rituals at school and threatened by teachers with expulsion for refusing, the report notes.
Apart from school, in some of the incidents of violence against Christians, children were indirect victims when their parents or churches were targeted. In one incident in 2025, non-Christian religious leaders who demanded a pastor’s church be discontinued in Hambantota District subjected his 12-year-old son to intimidation when he was alone at home, the report stated.
In another instance in 2025, 11 members of a church, including two girls, were physically assaulted during a protest by villagers against a church in Gampaha District. Likewise, in 2024 the 14-year-old son of a Christian pastor was assaulted along with some of the pastors of the church in Nuwara Eliya District.
The population in Sri Lanka is 68.6 percent Buddhist, 12.9 percent Hindu, 10.5 percent Muslim and 7.6 percent Christian, according to the Joshua Project. At least 80 percent of the Christians are estimated to be Roman Catholic.
Religion is a compulsory subject for students sitting for the General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) exam in Sri Lanka, with Buddhism, Saivanery (devotion to Lord Shiva in Hinduism), Roman Catholicism, non-Roman Catholic Christianity and Islam being the available options.
“While this curriculum is designed to reflect the country’s religious diversity, it can raise concerns regarding the protection of a child’s freedom of religion, belief, and conscience,” the NCEASL reported states. “In cases where a parent’s/student’s religion is not one of the available options for study or there is no qualified teacher available to teach the parent’s/child’s preferred religion, the child may be compelled to study and sit for an examination on a religion they do not adhere to.”
Such instances within a system of compulsory requirement can be seen as a violation of the child’s right to religious freedom and potentially create an environment of discomfort or alienation for students whose beliefs differ from the prescribed curriculum, according to the report.
“Due to a shortage of Christian teachers and insufficient funding to onboard them, there have been reports of Christian children forced to study and follow Buddhist or Hindu rituals in schools, leading to harassment, bullying, and poor academic performance,” it notes, adding that there were some cases where Christian children were denied admission to schools in violation of Education Ministry Circulars.
The Human Rights Committee in the country has emphasized that religious instruction should respect the beliefs of parents or guardians who do not adhere to a particular religion. While law does not mandate private schools to teach religion, it is generally included in most schools.
In an NCEASL survey that reached teachers in 22 out of the 25 districts, 17 percent of the respondents reported instances of students being pressured or coerced into participating in religious activities outside their own faith.
“These teachers taught in schools based in 14 districts – Mannar, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, Hambantota, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Ratnapura, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Kegalle, Galle and Mullaitivu – indicating that coercion and violations of religious freedom in schools are not confined to a single locality,” the report states.
The teachers provided examples such as attendance at Catholic Mass for all students, compulsory attendance at Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist religious events, compelling Christian students to wear pottus, forcing non-Buddhist children to bring oil, flowers and incense sticks for Buddhist religious events and participate in them.
“One teacher from a government school in Ampara shared that a Hindu male student who wanted to attend Christian worship on a Friday and went to a Church was punished by a Hindu science teacher,” the report states.
Schools should follow a “do no harm” approach, allowing children to participate in religious instruction voluntarily rather than being forced, the report states, citing Article 18(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects people from coercion in matters of religion or belief. Article 18(4) of the ICCPR protects the parents’ rights to educate their children according to their own religious convictions.
“With regard to the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief, both its positive and negative aspects must be equally protected: the right to express one’s beliefs and the right to be free from any pressure, particularly from State authorities or within State institutions, to engage in religious activities against one’s will,” the report states.
The survey found 79 percent of respondents stated that all students in the school were allowed to attend religious instruction classes that align with their own or parents’ religion; 6 percent stated that only some students have access to instruction in their own religion, citing the primary cause for it as lack of qualified teachers for certain religions, limited student numbers from specific religious groups, and lack of government or school support for instruction in minority religions.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Alleged kidnapper given custody of Christian girl in Pakistan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/alleged-kidnapper-given-custody-of-christian-girl-in-pakistan</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Daily International / Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Nadeem Masih and wife Nadia Nadeem plead for recovery of daughter Amber Nadeem.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International-Morning Star News screenshot from video ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Nadeem Masih and wife Nadia Nadeem plead for recovery of daughter Amber Nadeem. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A court in Pakistan on Saturday (July 25) handed custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl to the Muslim accused of abducting her, forcibly converting her to Islam and coercing her into marriage, a rights advocate said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A court in Pakistan on Saturday (July 25) handed custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl to the Muslim accused of abducting her, forcibly converting her to Islam and coercing her into marriage, a rights advocate said.
The ruling came despite a pending court-ordered medical examination to determine her age, said Joseph Janssen, chairman of the advocacy group Voice for Justice.
Faisalabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Rana Sohail accepted an affidavit submitted by the minor, Amber Nadeem, in which she claimed she had voluntarily embraced Islam and married the suspect, Mohsin Liaqat, and denied that she had been abducted, Janssen said.
“After the girl recorded her statement, the judge accepted Liaqat’s post-arrest bail application,” he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “He had been in judicial custody since June 26. Amber then left the courtroom with the accused’s relatives and lawyers while her impoverished parents stood by in tears after witnessing a grave injustice.”
The ruling came despite strong opposition from government prosecutor Muhammad Anwar Naz, who urged the court to reject the bail application and presented the complete case record, Janssen said.
“The court’s decision shocked both the family and rights activists,” he said.
Amber appeared before a judicial magistrate on June 27 and disclosed that members of the accused’s family had coached and pressured her into falsely claiming she was an adult, according to Janssen. The suspect subsequently produced a conversion certificate and a marriage certificate listing Amber’s date of birth as June 2008, even though her parents were married in 2012, raising serious questions about the authenticity of the documents, he added.
“In light of these glaring inconsistencies, the magistrate ordered a medical examination to determine Amber’s age and directed that she be placed in a government shelter home pending further proceedings,” Janssen said.
The activist questioned why the sessions court proceeded to grant custody and bail before the medical examination had been completed.
“Despite the unresolved contradictions regarding her age and statement, and despite the fact that the medical report has not yet been submitted to the magistrate’s court, the sessions judge granted Amber’s custody to the man accused of abducting and marrying her, while also releasing him on bail,” he said.
Janssen also alleged that during the June 27 court proceedings, lawyers representing the suspect warned Amber that she could face punishment for apostasy if she renounced Islam.
“This is a grave abuse of legal and moral authority,” he said. “The defense also argued that laws enacted to protect children, women and religious minorities cease to apply once a person, regardless of age, converts to Islam.”
He said that returning a minor to the custody or influence of the person accused of abducting and sexually exploiting her undermines the criminal justice system’s duty to protect vulnerable children.
“It exposes the child to intimidation, violence, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and continued coercion, amounting to inhumane treatment,” he said.
Janssen called on the government and judiciary to intervene immediately to ensure Amber’s safety, uphold the rule of law and hold those responsible accountable.
In a video previously shared with Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, Amber’s mother, Nadia Nadeem, appealed publicly for help in recovering her daughter.
“Our lives have been shattered since our child was taken from us,” she said. “We repeatedly sought help from the police, but no one listened. We appeal to everyone to help bring our daughter home safely.”
The Faisalabad court’s ruling came one day after Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) agreed on Friday (July 24) to review its controversial judgment upholding the Islamic marriage of another 13-year-old Christian girl, Maria Shahbaz, to her alleged abductor, Shehryar Ahmad, a 30-year-old Muslim.
Supreme Court Advocate Muhammad Saqib Jillani, counsel for Maria’s family, argued that the FCC had committed multiple legal errors by validating a marriage that violated Pakistan’s child marriage laws despite official records confirming that Maria was under the legal age.
“The court ignored compelling evidence that the marriage was unlawful because Maria was underage according to her official birth records,” Jillani told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
Although the FCC acknowledged that the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, applies equally to Muslims and non-Muslims, Jillani said the court failed to give effect to the Federal Shariat Court’s authoritative interpretation of Islamic law.
“The Federal Shariat Court has made it clear that marriage in Islam is not determined solely by biological puberty or the capacity for sexual relations,” he said. “Marriage creates legal rights and responsibilities that require mental maturity, psychological stability and economic capacity.”
Jillani noted that the Federal Shariat Court distinguished between the Islamic concepts of Balugh (physical puberty) and Rushd (mental maturity), observing that classical Islamic jurisprudence has long treated the two concepts separately.
“Mental maturity frequently develops later than physical maturity because it depends on intellectual, emotional and educational development,” he said, adding that the Federal Shariat Court cited classical Islamic scholarship, including the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, who regarded 25 years as a reasonable benchmark for attaining full Rushd.
He also disputed the FCC’s conclusion that while the Child Marriage Restraint Act criminalizes child marriage, it does not render such marriages legally void.
Maria Shahbaz’s case has become one of Pakistan’s most closely watched religious freedom cases, drawing international attention from human rights organizations and European lawmakers concerned about the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of underage girls from religious minority communities.
On July 9, the European Parliament adopted a resolution highlighting Maria’s case and urging Pakistan to establish a national mechanism for receiving complaints from families of abducted or forcibly converted girls belonging to religious minority communities.
According to her family, Maria was abducted in July 2025 by Ahmad, who allegedly forced her to convert to Islam and compelled her to marry him. On Feb. 3, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the marriage was valid and ordered that she remain in Ahmad’s custody. The court’s decision is now under review.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rebel militants in Sudan kill pastor, abduct others]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rebel-militants-in-sudan-kill-pastor-abduct-others</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Location of South Kordofan state in Sudan.  TUBS, Creative Commons]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ TUBS, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Location of South Kordofan state in Sudan. TUBS, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:07:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A rebel militant faction backed by Islamic extremist groups in Sudan on Friday (July 24) killed a pastor in South Kordofan state’s Nuba Mountains, area church sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A rebel militant faction backed by Islamic extremist groups in Sudan on Friday (July 24) killed a pastor in South Kordofan state’s Nuba Mountains, area church sources said.
Members of a break-away group from the rebel Sudan’s People Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) stormed the Dabbi area of Hiban County, also called Heiban District, where they abducted and killed Pastor Adel Idris Jongool of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, said the sources, who requested anonymity.
The militants were targeting church leaders and other civilians out of both tribal and religious animosity, they said.
The attack followed an attack in Heiban town on Thursday (July 23) that reportedly left an unknown number of Christians dead and other church leaders abducted.
The Diocese of Heiban of the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS), confirmed the attack in a press statement, with Bishop Al-Sir Hassan Kuku lamenting the killing of clergy under his oversight.
“We urge all parties involved in the conflict [between the SPLA-N and its break-away faction] to respect church leaders and religious institutions” Kuku said.
He said the killing of Pastor Jongool was unacceptable.
The attacks on Christians amid the armed conflict follow the killing on June 19 of a Catholic priest and one of his guards in Holy Cross parish in Kauda, South Kordofan by the same break-away militants. Another guard also was shot, survived and received hospital treatment.
The Nuba Mountains, an SPLA-N stronghold long battling Khartoum, has remained largely outside the military conflict that broke out in Sudan in April 2023, but a new frontline emerged there after the SPLA-N joined forces with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Armed factions in the Nuba Mountains have emerged that are fighting the SPLA-N, resulting in killing and displacement of civilians.
Both the RSF and the SAF are Islamist forces that have attacked displaced Christians on accusations of supporting the other’s combatants.
Sudan is 93 percent Muslim, with adherents of ethnic traditional religion 4.3 percent of the population, while Christians constitute 2.3 percent, according to Joshua Project.
The conflict between the RSF and the SAF, which had shared military rule in Sudan following an October 2021 coup, has terrorized civilians in Khartoum and elsewhere, killing tens of thousands and displacing more than 12 million people within and beyond Sudan’ borders, according to the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR).
The SAF’s Gen. Abdelfattah al-Burhan and his then-vice president, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, were in power when civilian parties in March 2023 agreed on a framework to re-establish a democratic transition the next month, but disagreements over military structure torpedoed final approval.
Burhan sought to place the RSF – a paramilitary outfit with roots in the Janjaweed militias that had helped former strongman Omar al-Bashir put down rebels – under the regular army’s control within two years, while Dagolo would accept integration within nothing fewer than 10 years.
Both military leaders have Islamist backgrounds while trying to portray themselves to the international community as pro-democracy advocates of religious freedom.
Sudan was ranked No. 4 among the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian in Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List (WWL). Sudan had dropped out of the top 10 of the WWL list for the first time in six years when it first ranked No. 13 in 2021.
Following two years of advances in religious freedom in Sudan after the end of the Islamist dictatorship under Bashir in 2019, the specter of state-sponsored persecution returned with the military coup of Oct. 25, 2021. After Bashir was ousted from 30 years of power in April 2019, the transitional civilian-military government had managed to undo some sharia (Islamic law) provisions. It outlawed the labeling of any religious group “infidels” and thus effectively rescinded apostasy laws that made leaving Islam punishable by death.
With the Oct. 25, 2021 coup, Christians in Sudan feared the return of the most repressive and harsh aspects of Islamic law.
The U.S. State Department in 2019 removed Sudan from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) that engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom” and upgraded it to a watch list. Sudan had previously been designated as a CPC from 1999 to 2018.
In December 2020, the State Department removed Sudan from its Special Watch List.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Young pastor killed after religious debate in Uganda]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/young-pastor-killed-after-religious-debate-in-uganda</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/young-pastor-killed-after-religious-debate-in-uganda</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pastor Bernard Mulongo was slain near Mbale, Uganda on July 18, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Morning Star News ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Pastor Bernard Mulongo was slain near Mbale, Uganda on July 18, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:14:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[An imam who debated a pastor at an interfaith dialogue in Uganda is a suspect in the killing of the church leader after the event on Saturday (July 18), sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
An imam who debated a pastor at an interfaith dialogue in Uganda is a suspect in the killing of the church leader after the event on Saturday (July 18), sources said.
Bernard Mulongo, a 25-year-old pastor at New Restoration Church of Christ in Butebo District, was killed nine miles from Mbale in Jami village late that night, his traveliing companion said. He is survived by his wife and two children, ages 4 and 7.
A pastor present at the interfaith dialogue and debate, David Omala, said Imam Hassan Musa was angry with the Pastor Mulongo after the event, at which two prominent Muslim women publicly converted to Christianity.
Pastor Mulongo spoke convincingly at the debate, and afterward Musa warned him, “Bernard, you deserve death for blasphemous deeds and leading our people to that false religion. It is not right for you to use the holy book, Quran, to mislead our members,” according to Pastor Omala.
He added that Musa made additional comments encouraging violence against Christians.
Pastor Mulongo’s father, Dawuson Mwangu, said his son had traveled to Mbale to participate in the open-air Christian-Muslim dialogue and later that evening spoke on a local radio program.
“After the debate and the radio program, I believe some people became angry over what had happened,” Mwangu said.
Pastor Muloong left the radio station in Mbale city with a friend, Robert Mukisa, on the same motorcycle, Mukisa said. On the way to the place where they were lodging, when they were nine miles from Mbale, several men on motorcycles passed them and stopped ahead of them, he said.
“One of them shouted, ‘You have been misleading our people to join your bad religion and defiling our holy book,’” Mukisa told Morning Star News. “I panicked and jumped off the motorcycle and fled for my life as the attackers held my friend.”
After running two kilometers, Mukisa called police and his pastor, informing them that Pastor Mulongo had been attacked. Police recorded his statement about the attack.
Pastor Omala said he later received a telephone call from an elder of Pastor Mulongo’s church informing him that he had been killed in Jami village. The pastor called Pastor Mulongo’s father, and they rushed to the site.
“We rushed to the scene and found him lying in a pool of blood,” Pastor Omala said.
Police arrived at the site before Pastor Mulongo’s body was taken to Mbale City Mortuary for a postmortem examination. He sustained several injuries to his head, right hand, chest and back.
The body was later released to the family for burial in Petete village, Butebo District.
Musa is a suspect in the killing, and at this writing the imam was absconding, sources said. Police were investigating but have made no arrests. The pastor’s family has called for a thorough investigation into the killing and for those responsible to be prosecuted.
The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.
Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Constitutional court in Pakistan to revisit ruling on married girl]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/constitutional-court-in-pakistan-to-revisit-ruling-on-married-girl</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/constitutional-court-in-pakistan-to-revisit-ruling-on-married-girl</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Daily International / Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Maria Shahbaz’s parents Shahbaz Masih and Erum Shahbaz with attorney Saqib Jillani and rights activist Safdar Chaudhry (R) at Federal Constitutional Court building.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International-Morning Star News ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Maria Shahbaz’s parents Shahbaz Masih and Erum Shahbaz with attorney Saqib Jillani and rights activist Safdar Chaudhry (R) at Federal Constitutional Court building. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:39:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday (July 24) agreed to revisit its controversial ruling that upheld the marriage of a Muslim man to a 13-year-old Christian girl allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married against her will.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday (July 24) agreed to revisit its controversial ruling that upheld the marriage of a Muslim man to a 13-year-old Christian girl allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married against her will.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Aamer Farooq heard a review petition filed by Shahbaz Masih, father of Maria Shahbaz. Supreme Court Advocate Muhammad Saqib Jillani represented the petitioner.
Opening the proceedings, Farooq emphasized that the case was not about any particular religion but concerned the constitutional rights of all Pakistani citizens.
“This issue is not linked to any specific faith,” he observed, assuring the parties that the court remained the guardian of the fundamental rights of every citizen regardless of religious affiliation.
Rizvi, who was part of the bench that issued the court’s Feb. 3 ruling validating the marriage, referred to the record of previous proceedings before the magistrate, sessions court, high court and the FCC.
“The girl consistently stated before every forum that she had married of her own free will,” he noted. “At no point did she indicate that those statements had been made under duress.”
The judge also expressed broader concern about cases involving underage girls who are groomed or lured away from their homes, saying the issue transcended religious divisions and required a societal response.
“We have observed that when girls leave home and marry men of their choice, they are often either killed in the name of honor or rejected by their families, leaving them with nowhere to return,” Rizvi said. “Non-governmental organizations should focus their efforts on addressing this issue.”
He then asked the petitioner’s counsel what the legal status should be of marriages involving children. Jillani replied that any marriage involving a minor should be declared void, adding that this formed the central basis of the review petition.
The lawyer argued that the FCC’s previous judgment had relied on legal precedents that were no longer authoritative following a recent ruling by the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) in the Ali Azhar v. Province of Sindh case. Drawing the bench’s attention to that judgment, Jillani said the FSC had clarified that Islamic law requires not only physical puberty but also mental maturity as an essential condition for marriage.
“The impugned judgment relied on precedents that have since been superseded by the FSC’s decision,” he submitted. “The Federal Shariat Court rejected the continued reliance on outdated jurisprudence suggesting that child marriages remain legally valid despite statutory prohibitions. Such reasoning is inconsistent with recent constitutional and Islamic legal developments and undermines child protection laws.”
Jillani further argued that both Islamic jurisprudence and Pakistani law restrict minors from entering into legally binding contracts.
“Marriage is a contract in Islam,” he told the court. “A minor therefore cannot legally enter into a marriage of his or her own choice. Likewise, any statements recorded by Maria before various courts regarding her age or marriage have no legal value because she was a minor.”
Following the hearing, the FCC issued notices to the alleged husband, Shehryar Ahmad, the Attorney General for Pakistan, and the Advocate General for Punjab Province, scheduling the matter for a date to be fixed after the Supreme Court’s summer recess.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Jillani welcomed the court’s decision, saying the issuance of notices reflected the importance attached to the case.
“The Attorney General has been directed to personally assist the court regarding the implications of the earlier judgment for fundamental constitutional rights,” he said. “This demonstrates that the court recognizes both the sensitivity and significance of the issues involved.”
Two additional review petitions challenging the FCC’s Feb. 3 judgment have also been filed by the Karachi-based Legal Aid Society and the Lahore-based advocacy group Christians’ True Spirit (CTS). Those petitions are expected to be heard alongside Shahbaz Masih’s petition at the next hearing.
Welcoming the FCC’s decision to admit the review petition for hearing, Tehmina Arora, director of advocacy for Asia of legal advocacy group ADF International, told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that Maria’s case is a crucial moment in the movement to protect young girls from the crisis of forced marriage in Pakistan.
“We hope that the court will re-examine the evidence that was previously relied upon by the lower courts, deliver justice, and establish a precedent that protects other vulnerable girls from these grave abuses,” said Arora, whose group is supporting the family’s legal struggle.
In an exclusive interview with Christian Daily International-Morning Star News on July 21, Jillani said the FCC had committed multiple legal errors by recognizing a marriage that violated Pakistan’s child marriage laws despite official government records confirming that Maria was under the legal age for marriage.
“The court ignored compelling evidence that the marriage was unlawful because Maria was underage according to her official birth records,” said Jillani, who has litigated several prominent human rights cases in Pakistan.
Although the FCC acknowledged that the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, applies equally to Muslims and non-Muslims, he argued that it failed to give effect to the Federal Shariat Court’s authoritative interpretation of Islamic law.
“The FSC made it clear that marriage in Islam is not determined solely by biological puberty or the capacity for sexual relations,” Jillani said. “Marriage establishes legal rights and responsibilities that require mental maturity, psychological stability and economic capacity.”
He noted that the FSC distinguished between the Islamic concepts of Balugh (physical puberty) and Rushd (mental maturity), observing that classical Islamic jurists have long treated them as separate concepts.
“Mental maturity frequently develops later than physical maturity because it depends upon intellectual, emotional and educational development,” Jillani said, adding that the FSC cited classical Islamic scholarship, including the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, who regarded 25 years as a reasonable benchmark for attaining full Rushd.
He also challenged the FCC’s conclusion that while the Child Marriage Restraint Act criminalizes child marriage, it does not render such marriages legally void.
The petition further disputes the FCC’s assessment of Maria’s age. In its earlier judgment, the court questioned the reliability of records issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) after noting that Shahbaz Masih had reportedly provided a different age when filing the First Information Report following his daughter’s disappearance.
Jillani argued that the discrepancy should not outweigh official government records.
“Any inconsistency could easily have resulted from Shahbaz Masih’s emotional distress while reporting his daughter’s abduction or from an error by the police officer recording the complaint,” he said. “Such a discrepancy cannot override official documentation establishing that Maria was underage.”
He also rejected the FCC’s suggestion that Maria’s birth certificate and NADRA records were unreliable because they had been issued several years after her birth.
“There was no evidentiary basis for the court to question the authenticity of these official documents,” he said. “This was not a trial in which the petitioner bore the burden of proving their genuineness.”
Maria’s case has become one of Pakistan’s most closely watched religious freedom cases, attracting international scrutiny from human rights organizations and European lawmakers concerned about the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of underage girls from religious minority communities.
On July 9, the European Parliament adopted a resolution highlighting Maria’s case and urging Pakistan to establish a national mechanism for receiving complaints from families of abducted or forcibly converted girls belonging to religious minority communities.
Maria was abducted in July 2025 by Muhammad Ahmad, who allegedly forced her to convert to Islam and compelled her to marry him, according to her family. On Feb. 3, the FCC ruled that the marriage was valid and ordered that she remain in Ahmad’s custody.
International advocacy organizations continue to rank Pakistan among the world’s most difficult countries for Christians. In its 2026 World Watch List, Open Doors ranked Pakistan eighth among the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, citing systemic discrimination, mob violence, forced conversions, bonded labor and gender-based abuses. The organization also said weak law enforcement and widespread impunity have enabled perpetrators of anti-Christian violence to escape accountability.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Trump praises Tinubu for efforts to protect Christians as US and Nigeria deepen security ties]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/trump-praises-tinubu-for-efforts-to-protect-christians-as-us-and-nigeria-deepen-security-ties</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/trump-praises-tinubu-for-efforts-to-protect-christians-as-us-and-nigeria-deepen-security-ties</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[President Tinubu said Nigeria is facing major security issues, and that his government will work to eliminate terrorist actors in the country.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ President Tinubu said Nigeria is facing major security issues, and that his government will work to eliminate terrorist actors in the country. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[President Donald Trump has praised Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for his government’s efforts to confront terrorism and protect Christian communities, signaling a significant shift in tone after months of sharp criticism from Washington over deadly attacks on Christians.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for his government’s efforts to confront terrorism and protect Christian communities, signaling a significant shift in tone after months of sharp criticism from Washington over deadly attacks on Christians.
In a letter released by the Nigerian presidency, Trump thanked Tinubu for his leadership and reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to working with Nigeria against terrorist groups operating across the country.
“Your steadfast leadership in confronting terrorism and safeguarding all Nigerians, especially vulnerable Christian communities that have endured brutal attacks, reflects the courage and resolve that define your presidency,” Trump wrote.
He added that the U.S. was “honored to stand alongside Nigeria in this vital mission” and said both countries shared “a common commitment to peace, security and the protection of innocent lives.”
The letter comes as the U.S. and Nigeria continue to strengthen security cooperation under a 2026 Defense Cooperation Roadmap that includes intelligence sharing, military training and joint counterterrorism operations. Nigerian officials have said the partnership has already contributed to operations against Islamic State affiliates and Boko Haram militants in the Lake Chad region.
Trump also referred to that cooperation in his letter. 
“Our Special Operations Forces are now actively deployed in theater to train and assist your armed forces, ensuring they are equipped with the tools and expertise needed to defeat these violent extremists,” he wrote.
The message marks a notable change in the public relationship between the two governments.
Over the months, the Trump administration had taken a much harder line over the continued killing of Christians in parts of Nigeria. U.S. lawmakers and religious freedom advocates repeatedly accused the Nigerian government of failing to do enough to protect Christian communities, particularly in the country's Middle Belt where farming communities have suffered repeated attacks by armed groups.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation seeking to suspend certain forms of American assistance to Nigeria unless the government demonstrates measurable progress in addressing violence against Christians. Supporters of the bill argued that Washington should use its influence to press for greater accountability and stronger protection for vulnerable communities.
The issue of Christian persecution has become one of the defining themes in recent U.S. engagement with Nigeria.
Nigeria has consistently rejected claims that the violence amounts to a government-backed campaign against Christians. Officials have maintained that security forces are fighting insurgent groups regardless of religion and have argued that Muslims have also suffered heavily from terrorist attacks.
The Nigerian presidency presented Trump's latest letter as evidence that the security partnership between Abuja and Washington is producing results.
According to the presidency, both countries have expanded intelligence cooperation and joint military planning in recent months. Nigerian officials also pointed to a successful counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad region that reportedly eliminated a senior Islamic State commander. 
In his letter, Trump said continued cooperation would help restore stability across the region. 
“Together, we can dismantle the networks of terror, defend innocent families and build a future where every Nigerian can worship freely and live without fear,” he wrote.
Tinubu has repeatedly pledged to improve security since taking office, describing terrorism and armed violence as among the country’s greatest national challenges. 
Although attacks have continued in several regions, Nigerian authorities say military operations have killed hundreds of insurgents, rescued kidnapping victims and disrupted extremist networks over the past year.
The renewed partnership also reflects broader strategic interests for both countries.
Nigeria remains Africa's most populous nation and one of the continent's largest economies. It is also an important security partner in West Africa, where governments continue to confront growing threats from Islamist insurgencies that stretch across the Sahel into coastal states.
Trump concluded his letter by expressing confidence that the partnership between the two countries would continue to grow.
“The United States remains unwavering in its friendship with Nigeria and in our shared determination to defeat those who seek to spread fear and hatred,” he wrote.
The letter represents one of the clearest public endorsements yet by the Trump administration of Tinubu’s security efforts, even as concerns over violence against Christians remain central to discussions between the two governments.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Finnish politician takes battle over ‘hate speech’ to European Court of Human Rights]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/finnish-politician-takes-battle-over-hate-speech-to-european-court-of-human-rights</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/finnish-politician-takes-battle-over-hate-speech-to-european-court-of-human-rights</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg, France.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ CherryX, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg, France. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:39:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen on Friday (July 24) announced that she has officially filed her appeal of a hate speech conviction with the European Court of Human Rights.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen on Friday (July 24) announced that she has officially filed her appeal of a hate speech conviction with the European Court of Human Rights. 
The move is the latest front in a seven-year battle with landmark implications for freedom of speech and religion. The Supreme Court of Finland convicted Räsänen, a member of parliament since 1995 and former interior minister, in a narrow 3-2 decision on March 26.
The conviction centered on statements expressing biblical views on marriage and human sexuality in a 2004 booklet titled “Male and Female He Created Them.” The court fined Räsänen 1,800 euros ($1,950) and ordered her to cover her legal costs, overturning two previous acquittals by lower courts.
“I have filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights challenging the judgment of the Finnish Supreme Court,” Räsänen said. “I hope that the Court in Strasbourg will find that the judgment issued in Finland violates the freedoms of expression and religion protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.”
Räsänen stressed that the publication serves a religious purpose to present the Christian understanding of marriage based on the Bible.
“The book as a whole falls within the protection of freedom of religion, contrary to the approach taken by the majority of the Supreme Court, which isolated individual sentences from their broader context,” Räsänen said.
She pointed out that the Supreme Court convicted her not for writing the 2004 booklet, but for republishing it on social media in November 2019 to defend herself against public criticism. Police had initially reviewed the publication and concluded it contained no grounds for investigation, but the Prosecutor General subsequently ordered a pre-trial investigation.
Räsänen also rejected the Supreme Court’s assertion that her writings treat homosexuals as inferior.
“This is not true,” she said. “In my book, I repeatedly state that all people have equal human value.”
Räsänen warned that the ruling creates severe legal uncertainty. Across three levels of Finnish courts, nine out of 12 judges found her writings contained nothing criminal.
“This demonstrates the lack of legal certainty and the arbitrariness of the interpretations involved,” she said. “Years of police investigations and court proceedings discourage public discussion on important contemporary issues.”
The conviction has already caused international fallout, with U.K. authorities recently barring Räsänen from entering the country after she applied for an Electronic Travel Authorization. Officials canceled her ETA after she disclosed her conviction on the application form.
British authorities similarly banned Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. The Finnish Supreme Court convicted Pohjola alongside Räsänen for publishing the 2004 pamphlet, issuing him a 20-day fine and fining his publishing house, the Finnish Lutheran Foundation, 5,000 euros ($5,400).
Pohjola, who joined the appeal to the European court, warned against state control over church teachings.
“If authorities can censor religious teaching and dictate how faith leaders instruct their followers, religion becomes a tool of the state rather than a means to freedom and human flourishing,” Pohjola said.
Legal advocacy organization Alliance Defending Freedom International represents Räsänen and Pohjola in their appeal.
“Päivi Räsänen faces criminal conviction for peacefully expressing her Christian beliefs,” said Lorcán Price, legal counsel for ADF International. “Her ban from entering the United Kingdom is completely disproportionate and unnecessary.”
Price urged the European Court of Human Rights to accept the case to defend basic democratic principles.
“If peaceful expression like a decades-old church booklet can face criminalization and retroactive censorship, free and open debate in Europe is no more,” Price said.
Despite years of legal battles, Räsänen remains firm in her stance.
“From the very beginning, I have said that I will remain faithful to my conviction, rooted in a Christian worldview based on the Bible,” she said. “I do not believe that anything I have written has violated the law. I will continue this fight for freedom of speech and faith with confidence and hope.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Muslims protest construction of church building in Indonesia]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/muslims-protest-construction-of-church-building-in-indonesia</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/muslims-protest-construction-of-church-building-in-indonesia</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The 99-dome mosque in Makassar, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Indonesia, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The 99-dome mosque in Makassar, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Muslims in Indonesia on July 7 protested construction of a church building in South Sulawesi Province, falsely claiming it had not fulfilled legal requirements, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Muslims in Indonesia on July 7 protested construction of a church building in South Sulawesi Province, falsely claiming it had not fulfilled legal requirements, sources said.
The Muslims also baselessly accused the church of manipulating supporting documents, excluding locals from the permit process, failing to conduct outreach, and asserted the land for the proposed worship building was merely a residential house.
The protest occurred despite local authorities granting a construction permit after concluding all legal conditions had been met, several sources reported.
The demonstration by several dozen people who said they were local residents took place on July 7 at the village head office at Kompleks Mangga Tiga Blok BI No. 1, Jalan Mangga, Paccerakkang village, Biringkanaya District, Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi Province, according to various sources.
Carrying a banner containing their signed statement of opposition, the protesters demanded the cancellation of plans to build the Toraja Christian Church, Lanraki Congregation, on Lorong VI Street, Paccerakkang, Biringkanaya District, Makassar. The protesters said the church should not be built in their area.
In response, the local Forum for Religious Harmony (Forum Kerja Sama Umat Beragama, FKUB) said the church’s management had completed all legally required documents and it had issued a recommendation for construction on April 14.
“All requirements for building the church have been met, and the church even put up a construction notice banner for a month, so the FKUB plenary could proceed and issue a recommendation to the city government,” FKUB Makassar Vice Chairman Hasan Pinang told reporters, according to BBC.com.
Hasan said the church applied for the recommendation in January and that FKUB followed up with a field verification and a public meeting in February.
“At that meeting, both residents who supported and those who had not yet stated a position were present,” he added, promising to continue socialization and mediation to find a resolution, according to the Facebook account Christianity in Indonesia.
FKUB Makassar Chairman Arifuddin Ahmad handed the recommendation letter to the head of the church construction committee, Makis Wata, on April 14 after completing the socialization process, according to KarebaToraja.com.
“There was a month of outreach about the planned construction of the Toraja Christian church in Paccerakkang. By the deadline, no written letters of objection had been submitted to FKUB Makassar,” Arifuddin said when presenting the recommendation.
To prevent manipulation of data by opponents, FKUB would accept only written objections with signatures and wet stamps or barcodes, Arifuddin told KarebaToraja.com. Based on that recommendation, the church committee posted a banner announcing the planned construction on the provided land for one month. The banner instructed protesters to submit written objections to FKUB Makassar at Jalan Teduh Bersinar, Blok J No. 2, Makassar.
No responses or objections were submitted to FKUB by nearby residents, BBC.com reported.
Affirming that the church had received an official recommendation, the Chairman of the Fellowship of Churches in Indonesia for South and Southeast Sulawesi, Yohanis Metris, expressed disbelief that a group claiming to be local residents still opposed the construction.
“I’m confused by the community’s disposition. We followed all legal procedures. The authorities have already approved it,” Makis Wata told Morning Star News, adding that meetings had been held with various stakeholders.
One resident who wished to remain anonymous claimed the opposition stemmed from the area being majority Muslim, having no local Christian congregation, lacking required government documents, and the alleged unilateral manner of the planned construction without neighbors’ consent.
Without showing supporting evidence, the resident accused the church of paying Muslims between Rp 100,000 and Rp 500,000 (about $6.50 and 33) to support the project.
“We reject it because they are outsiders wanting to build a church in our area. That’s why people are angry. This is not arbitrary rejection; why build a church without consent, unilaterally like that?” the resident said, as reported by BBC.com.
The resident also said the land intended for the church had previously been used as a chicken coop.
“After the chicken coop, it became a meeting place, like a hall. They used it for worship because it’s far from the village. Now they want to build a church,” he said.
There have been two previous acts of opposition since the church committee began preparing the required government documents in 2022. The first, according to the Makassar Legal Aid Institute, involved installing a banner on Feb. 4, 2025, which local residents removed shortly after. The banner warned that the presence of a church would spark interreligious hostility.
David Herson Tonius, advisor at the Presidential Communications Office, followed up the case by calling the church construction committee chairman, Makis Wata, and later urged the public to monitor developments via his Instagram account, davidherson_official.
“We must keep an eye on this so the construction of the Toraja church in Paccerakkang, Makassar, can continue. It was rejected even though it has permissions and complete documents. The state guarantees every citizen the right to worship according to their beliefs, and freedom of worship is a right of all citizens,” he said.
Reacting to David’s post, richamariana12345 urged the government to act firmly.
“The government must be strict, because it looks like things are being allowed to slide. Honestly, the government has been lenient. People assume they can reject and expel those who disagree... Aren’t they ashamed to be frightened by another faith’s worship? How weak is your faith? It’s worrying that intolerant groups are growing. What will our country become if we keep hating each other...!!!”
Indonesia for All Movement (Pergerakan Indonesia untuk Semua, PIS) also questioned why the case had arisen.
“If all state-required conditions have been met, why the construction of a house of worship still be obstructed?”
Blaming the Joint Regulation of the Minister of Religious Affairs and the Minister of Home Affairs (PBM) Nos. 8 and 9 of 2006 for complicating construction of minority houses of worship, the group also criticized FKUB as adding an extra bureaucratic layer.
PIS noted that FKUB’s composition, based on the number of adherents in a region, often leaves minorities with far fewer representatives in heavily single-faith areas, creating potential for majoritarian influence on recommendations despite FKUB’s stated aim of preserving harmony. Another frequent criticism is that the right to build a house of worship effectively depends on neighbors’ acceptance.
“Even when administrative requirements are complete, the church construction can still be blocked by on-the-ground rejection,” they said.
Reports show the Toraja Christian Church Lanraki congregation has used the site since 1998, when the area was sparsely populated. Yohanis said the congregation used a building there for worship without receiving objections.
“I thought their worship went on without issue,” he added.
But Yohanis said the situation changed when the congregation sought to upgrade the building into a formal church.
“The plan to build the church has been in discussion perhaps two or three years,” he told BBC.com]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Finnish attorney Ville Hoikkala: 'Criminality is not a good career choice in Finland']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/finnish-attorney-ville-hoikkala-criminality-is-not-a-good-career-choice-in-finland</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/finnish-attorney-ville-hoikkala-criminality-is-not-a-good-career-choice-in-finland</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[ville]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:42:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A Finnish Christian lawyer who has spent more than two decades representing immigrants, asylum seekers and criminal defendants says his work has given him a unique perspective on both the brokenness of humanity and the transforming power of faith.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A Finnish Christian lawyer who has spent more than two decades representing immigrants, asylum seekers and criminal defendants says his work has given him a unique perspective on both the brokenness of humanity and the transforming power of faith.
In the latest episode of Christian Daily International's Faith Without Frontiers podcast, Finnish lawyer Ville Hoikkala reflects on a legal career shaped by his Christian convictions, encounters with people from diverse cultures, and the challenges of defending vulnerable clients in an increasingly polarized Europe.
"I noticed that all those things with bureaucracy, I somehow understood quite easily," he recalls. "I thought, let's study law."
More than 20 years later, that decision has become a vocation centered on serving people from all walks of life.
Throughout the conversation, Hoikkala explains how his Christian faith shapes the way he treats clients regardless of their religion or background. Many of his clients are Hindus or Muslims, and he says they often appreciate working with a lawyer whose faith gives him a strong moral foundation.
The interview also explores the complex issue of asylum claims involving people who have converted from Islam to Christianity. Rather than testing a person's knowledge of Christian holidays or church history, Hoikkala focuses on their testimony: how they came to faith, who Jesus is, what the gospel means to them, and how following Christ has changed their lives.
Even then, he says, asylum decisions remain difficult because persecution varies widely. In some countries, converts face threats primarily from family members or local communities rather than governments, making legal cases especially challenging.
The conversation also moves beyond immigration to Hoikkala's experiences defending people accused of serious crimes, including a man convicted in connection with the Rwandan genocide. He reflects on hearing stories of violence and suffering while maintaining the professional responsibility of ensuring every person receives a fair trial.
His years in court, he says, have reinforced a biblical understanding of human nature.
"I see the pain of what happens when people are evil to each other," he says. "But I also know something about the people who commit those horrible things."
The podcast also addresses difficult realities within Christian communities. Hoikkala shares experiences representing victims of domestic violence and warns that a Christian background does not automatically prevent abusive behavior. He encourages churches to confront these issues honestly.
The full interview is available in the latest episode of the Christian Daily International podcast.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christian in Somaliland poisoned to death after secret conversion]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-in-somaliland-poisoned-to-death-after-secret-conversion</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-in-somaliland-poisoned-to-death-after-secret-conversion</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Street in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Clay Gilliland, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Street in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Muslim relatives of a father of five in Somaliland who recently became a Christian poisoned him to death this month for converting, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Muslim relatives of a father of five in Somaliland who recently became a Christian poisoned him to death this month for converting, sources said.
Sharif Ali came to faith in Christ in April in an undisclosed town in Somaliland, a partially recognized state bordered by Somalia on the east, Djibouti to the northwest and Ethiopia to the south and west. He was 42.
He was poisoned on July 5 and died on July 7, sources said. A report by the doctor in Somalia who treated him stated that he died from food poisoning from ingesting ouabain, traditionally used by East African tribes as lethal arrow poison.
Area underground Christians said Ali’s family became suspicious of his secret faith after noticing he regularly hosted visitors in his home and missed Friday mosque prayers. Relatives invited him to a family gathering on July 5 where they questioned him about these observations and told him that neighbors had heard Christian songs in his home, the local sources said.
Ali chose not to respond to the accusations, remaining silent throughout the questioning, a Christian leader said.
After the family shared a meal, he returned home, and later that night, he became seriously ill, experiencing severe vomiting and diarrhea, the leader said. His wife took him to a hospital.
At the hospital, Ali told a visiting underground church leader, “Please come closer to me – I do not want to speak loudly. I regret not openly confessing my faith in Issa [Jesus] as my personal Savior. If I die, I rejoice because I have believed in Issa.”
He died two days later on July 7, area Christians said. He is survived by his wife and children ages 17, 14, 9, 6 and 4.
Ali had put his faith in Christ after a period of spiritual searching and encounter with underground Christians. As is customary for all Christians in Somaliland, where leaving Islam is punishable by death, he kept his faith secret.
Local Christians said he often spoke against hostility toward Christians and urged others to treat them with dignity. They said Ali would frequently remind people, “Christians are not bad people. Some Christians from overseas have been assisting our people. If some of our people become friends with them, let us not mistreat or hate them.”
They remembered him as a compassionate community leader whose quiet support for Christians left a lasting impression on many. He quietly demonstrated his belief through kindness, hospitality and practical support for underground Christians.
Ali regularly welcomed underground believers into his home despite the personal risks involved, they said, sharing meals with them, offering encouragement and providing practical assistance when possible.
“His home became a place where Christians could experience friendship and hospitality in an environment where many lived in fear of rejection and persecution,” one Christian said.
A Christian leader noted, “We respect his quiet faith in Jesus and his life of sacrificial service. We received many gifts from him and experienced his generous hospitality. May he rest in peace with the living God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Members of his underground fellowship said they continue to pray for his family and for Christians across Somalia who quietly practice their faith despite significant social pressures and persecution.
Somaliland's constitution designates Islam as the state religion and establishes sharia (Islamic law) as a foundational source of legislation, and under the traditional jurisprudence in the area, apostasy is punishable by death.
Somalia has not recognized the independence of Somaliland and regards it as one of its federal member states. Somalia ranked No. 2 on Christian support group Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The country’s constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and prohibits the propagation of any other religion, according to the U.S. State Department. It also requires that laws comply with sharia (Islamic law) principles, with no exceptions in application for non-Muslims.
The death penalty for apostasy is part of Islamic law according to mainstream schools of Islamic jurisprudence. An Islamic extremist group in Somalia, Al Shabaab, is allied with Al Qaeda and adheres to the teaching.
Converts from Islam face significant social pressure, family conflict and isolation, and human rights organizations have frequently highlighted these concerns.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christians imprisoned under India’s ‘anti-conversion’ law]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christians-imprisoned-under-indias-anti-conversion-law</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christians-imprisoned-under-indias-anti-conversion-law</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Mahakaleshwar Temple, dedicated to Hindu god Shiva in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Ashverse, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mahakaleshwar Temple, dedicated to Hindu god Shiva in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Chhot Singh Dhurve, one of six pastors imprisoned under Madhya Pradesh, India’s ‘anti-conversion’ law.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Morning Star News ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Chhot Singh Dhurve, one of six pastors imprisoned under Madhya Pradesh, India’s ‘anti-conversion’ law. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:47:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Six pastors and another Christian in India have begun serving their five-year prison sentences under an “anti-conversion” law, two years after they were falsely accused at a child’s birthday party, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Six pastors and another Christian in India have begun serving their five-year prison sentences under an “anti-conversion” law, two years after they were falsely accused at a child’s birthday party, sources said.
The Christians were convicted on June 12 of “promoting enmity, hatred, or disharmony between different religious groups,” “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings” under the Indian Penal Code and luring people to convert under Madhya Pradesh state’s anti-conversion law against fraudulent or forced conversion.
“By entangling these six pastors in a false case, opponents have succeeded in shutting down churches at six locations, scattering the believers and instilling fear in them,” a source told Morning Star News.
Pastors Santosh Paraste, 21, Sanjay Markam, 20, Amit Kumar, 24, Pramod Singh, 28, Karan Singh Maravi, 40, and Chhot Singh Dhurve, 49, all residents of Diwari village, along with Jeet Singh, 48, another Christian of Pipariya village, Dindori District, were arrested on a complaint by Angad Singh Maravi. An anti-Christian neighbor who disrupted the birthday party they were attending in 2024, Angad Singh Maravi is a follower of traditional indigenous religion who accused them of luring residents to convert.

Justice Shiv Kumar Kaushal, Second Additional Sessions Judge, Dindori (M.P.), sentenced the seven Christians to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 rupees ($1,040) and sent them to District Jail, Dindori, to serve their terms, on June 12.
First Information Report No. 210/2024 in the case was filed on April 28, 2024.
On the day of their arrest, they were attending the party for the fifth birthday of the daughter of Suday Singh Maravi, along with other villagers. Suday Singh Maravi told the trial court that he had not invited Angad Singh Maravi to the event.
Suday Singh Maravi testified that on that day, April 27, 2024, he phoned police after Angad Singh Maravi called villagers offering them liquor, caused a commotion at the birthday party and threatened to beat the Christians present.
The police, on arrival, arrested the seven Christians instead of Angad Singh Maravi.
In his complaint, Angad Singh Maravi stated that he lives in the neighborhood of his cousin, Suday Singh Maravi, and his family. He alleged that the Christians were repeatedly visiting the village and “offering allurement” to residents to convert.
After Pastor Karan Singh Maravi and five companions arrived at Suday Singh Maravi’s house on three motorcycles on the evening of the birthday party, Angad Singh Maravi claimed to have overheard them while standing outside saying in Hindi, “Start praying in the name of Jesus and adopt Christianity. You will also get money.”
According to Angad Singh Maravi, village head Angad Banwasi, sub-village head Dinesh Rajput and his sister-in-law Matiya Bai had also come near Suday Singh Maravi’s house at that time, and allegedly heard Pastor Karan Singh Maravi and his companions telling Suday Singh Maravi, “Join us in Christianity. You will get a lot of money and wealth, your poverty will be removed, and all your troubles will go away... If you people do not accept Christianity, then I will trouble you so much along with my companions that one day you will be forced to join us, and you will see how long your god helps you.”
Suday Singh Maravi explicitly testified in court that no “Christian religion propaganda was going on in his house.”
A brother of one of the accused, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed shock over the judgment.
“When the host himself is denying that he or his wife was lured in any way at the birthday celebration, how can the court believe an outsider’s statement, who wasn’t an official invitee to the party and was actually a troublemaker to the host?” he said.
The six pastors were arrested on April 28, 2024, and sent to jail. Jeet Singh was arrested the following day and also jailed.
“Jeet Singh is a professing Christian, and his family was the first to came to Christ in Pipariya village, about seven years ago,” a source who requested anonymity told Morning Star News. “Angad Singh intentionally targeted Jeet Singh and named him in the FIR because of his [Angad Singh’s] anti-Christian sentiments against Christians.”
Pastor Kumar and Jeet Singh were released on bail on May 6, 2024, while pastors Paraste, Markam, Singh, Maravi and Dhurve followed three days later on May 9.
The charge sheet was filed against the seven Christians on Dec. 31, 2024, and the charges were framed on Nov. 26, 2025.
“The host of the birthday party [Suday Singh Maravi] is willing to give a statement before any court that these pastors were in his house at his invitation and that there was no forced or fraudulent conversion taking place in his house,” said a source who spoke with Suday Singh Maravi.
All six pastors were trained ministers and led congregations in different villages of the district.
A convicted person can be released on bail pending an appeal challenging the verdict, but the bail amounts are huge.
“The total bail amount is 700,000 rupees [$7,300] which is a huge sum of money for these poor families to arrange. With this judgement, their families are shattered, and these men were the sole breadwinners,” Rakesh Rajdwar, a Christian leader from Dhindori who is helping the seven families, told Morning Star News. “Once the money is arranged, we will apply for their bail.”
Theirs are the second case in the state of Christians convicted under Madhya Pradesh’s anti-conversion law. The first conviction was from the Sagar District Court in March 2024, involving Ramesh Ahirwar and his wife, Sakshi Ahirwar.
India ranked 12th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from 31st in 2013 before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Burkina Faso leader Ibrahim Traoré rejects Sharia law, vows to support vocational education for youth despite religious affiliation]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/burkina-faso-leader-ibrahim-traore-rejects-sharia-law</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/burkina-faso-leader-ibrahim-traore-rejects-sharia-law</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/49/4964.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Ibrahim Traore]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Africa Report Files ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Traoré, a Muslim who has fought against an Islamic extremist insurgency, criticized the practice of sending young people abroad to study Islamic law while neglecting vocational training. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Burkina Faso’s military government appears to have strengthened its commitment to religious freedom and the country's secular identity following the adoption of a new law regulating religious practice.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Burkina Faso’s military government appears to have strengthened its commitment to religious freedom and the country's secular identity following the adoption of a new law regulating religious practice.
In a speech seen online, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré rejected calls for the implementation of Sharia (Islamic law). The video, which has circulated widely on Facebook and was republished by Pulse Nigeria, shows Traoré addressing a gathering about religious education, foreign funding and national sovereignty. 
Traoré, a Muslim who has fought against an Islamic extremist insurgency, criticized the practice of sending young people abroad to study Islamic law while neglecting vocational training.
“They are coming back to implement Sharia here,” said Traoré, in French. “Not one of them has learned a profession or trade.” 
He argued that religious education should be developed within Burkina Faso instead of relying on outside sponsors.
“We ourselves will take responsibility for this funding,” Traoré said. “Whether they are Catholic youth, Protestant youth, Muslim youth, or followers of traditional religions, we will find a way to support them ourselves.”
The Burkinabe leader also appeared to criticize foreign financial support for religious training, saying some people are drawn by money rather than genuine service.
“They receive funding, do what they have been sent to do, and then return after studying Sharia to try to apply it here – I will never pay for that [religious studies],” said Traoré, 38, the world’s youngest head of state, who came to power as interim president in 2022 through a military coup overthrowing the previous junta leader, Paul-Henri Damiba.
The comments come only weeks after Burkina Faso’s Transitional Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a sweeping law on religious freedoms that seeks to bring order to religious organizations while reaffirming the country's secular character.
According to the government, the legislation is intended to guarantee freedom of worship, strengthen public order and social cohesion, and establish a clearer legal framework for religious practice. The law also regulates the establishment and management of places of worship and certain religious activities in public spaces.
Government officials have said the measures are aimed at preventing extremism while preserving the rights of all religious communities. Earlier explanations of the bill also stated that it reaffirmed freedom of worship while introducing regulatory mechanisms for religious organizations.
Burkina Faso’s constitution identifies the country as a secular state, where citizens are free to practice their religion. Muslims make up the majority of the population, while Christians and followers of traditional African religions also form significant communities.
Countering Islamist insurgents and radicalisation 
The government’s emphasis on secularism comes as Burkina Faso continues to battle Islamist insurgent groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State. The militant groups have carried out attacks on civilians and security forces while attempting to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law in areas under their control.
Churches in parts of northern and eastern Burkina Faso have been forced to close due to insecurity, and thousands of Christians have been displaced alongside Muslim communities fleeing violence.
Although Traoré's recent remarks have not yet been widely reported by news agencies, they appear consistent with the direction taken by his administration in recent months. The military-led government has spearheaded a highly nationalist, self sustaining and anti-imperialist agenda. The remarks closely align with the government's recently enacted law on religious freedoms.
The government’s new religious law does not establish a state religion or give preference to one faith over another. Instead, officials say it seeks to ensure that religious freedom exists alongside national unity and public security.
Traoré’s remarks suggest the government intends to resist any effort to introduce Sharia as the country’s legal system while encouraging locally supported religious education across all faith communities. His apparent call for equal support of Muslim, Catholic, Protestant and traditional religious youth also reflects the government's stated position that all recognized faiths should operate within the framework of a secular republic.
As Burkina Faso continues to confront both violent extremism and growing social pressures, the debate over religion’s place in public life is likely to remain a significant issue. The newly enacted religious freedoms law provides the legal framework, while the widely shared video offers what appears to be Traoré’s clearest public comments yet on how his government intends to balance freedom of religion with national sovereignty.
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                <title><![CDATA[Muslim woman gains custody of kidnapped Christian girl in Pakistan, lawyer says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/muslim-woman-gains-custody-of-kidnapped-christian-girl-in-pakistan-lawyer-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/muslim-woman-gains-custody-of-kidnapped-christian-girl-in-pakistan-lawyer-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Daily International / Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot from YouTube ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A court in Pakistan has handed custody of a 16-year-old Christian girl to an unrelated Muslim woman after the minor was recovered from a Muslim accused of abducting, forcibly converting and marrying her, her family’s attorney said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A court in Pakistan has handed custody of a 16-year-old Christian girl to an unrelated Muslim woman after the minor was recovered from a Muslim accused of abducting, forcibly converting and marrying her, her family’s attorney said.
The ruling came despite an earlier judicial finding that the minor had been coerced into making statements supporting the suspected kidnapper, said attorney Hanif Hameed.
Hameed said that Mehnaz Nadeem, a ninth-grade student and daughter of Nadeem Masih from Chak No. 134/16L in Mian Channu, Khanewal District, Punjab Province, was abducted from her home on May 15. The alleged kidnapper, Ansar Syed, is a resident of Muzaffargarh in southern Punjab, he said.
Masih, a mason, initially registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Mian Channu Saddar Police Station against two suspects under Sections 365-B (abduction) and 376(iii) (rape of a minor) of the Pakistan Penal Code, Hameed said.
During the investigation, police examined the call detail records of Mehnaz’s mobile phone and found that she had been communicating with Syed, he added.
“Technical data from the victim’s phone indicated that she was in Sialkot,” Hameed told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “Acting on this information, a police team raided a hotel in the city on May 29 and recovered Mehnaz along with Syed.”
A medical examination conducted after her recovery found evidence of sexual abuse, according to Hameed. Investigators also concluded that Syed had allegedly groomed the minor by promising marriage before abducting her.
When Mehnaz appeared before Judicial Magistrate Zafar Iqbal on June 4 to record her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, she claimed that she had willingly converted to Islam and married Syed. Hameed said such statements are commonly made by minor victims under coercion or intimidation.
The attorney argued that, as a minor, Mehnaz was legally incapable of giving valid consent to marriage or religious conversion. The magistrate accepted those arguments, agreeing with the lawyer’s submission that the case fell within the ambit of the Punjab Anti-Rape Act, 2021, the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act, 2004, and the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2026.
Hameed said the magistrate further concluded that Mehnaz’s statement had been procured under coercion, ordered police to register a criminal case regarding the false statement, remanded Syed to judicial custody, and directed that she be placed in a government-run shelter home pending further proceedings.
Several days later, Mehnaz’s father obtained permission to meet his daughter at the shelter home.
“During that meeting, the child realized that she had been exploited by the accused and agreed to return to her family,” Hameed said. “Her parents were overjoyed and immediately began preparing an application seeking her custody.”
The case, however, took an unexpected turn. On June 23, Mehnaz submitted an application through the shelter home’s superintendent requesting her release. When she appeared before another judicial magistrate, Muhammad Sohail Anjum, she reversed her position, claiming she feared returning to her family and asking the court to allow her to leave with a person she trusted.
“I strongly opposed the request, arguing that a minor child could not legally be entrusted to an unrelated person instead of her natural guardians,” Hameed said. “Despite these objections, the magistrate did not accept our arguments.”
The following day, Anjum ordered that Mehnaz be released into the custody of a Muslim woman identified as Shazia Mai, who had no familial or legal relationship with her, the lawyer said.
Hameed described the order as contrary to the Guardian and Wards Act, 1890.
“Under the law, the court may restore custody to the child’s natural guardians, entrust the child to a suitable relative, or continue to exercise protective jurisdiction if that best serves the child’s welfare,” he said. “There is no legal basis for handing over a minor to an unrelated individual.”
He also questioned the apparent inconsistency between the court’s decisions.
“It is incomprehensible that the court allowed a child to leave with an unknown person after another magistrate had already determined that she had been induced to make false statements and had placed her under the court’s protective custody,” Hameed said.
The family plans to challenge the custody order before the Lahore High Court, he said.
“We will move the high court against this illegal order because the child’s safety and welfare remain at serious risk.”
The disputed custody order comes just weeks after Punjab enacted sweeping reforms to its child marriage laws. The Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2026, which came into force on May 11, raises the minimum legal age of marriage to 18 for both males and females, bringing the province into line with Sindh, Balochistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains the only province without equivalent legislation.
The law replaces provisions of the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, which had allowed girls to marry at 16 and boys at 18. Lawmakers also adopted an amendment requiring authorities to treat the “best interests of the child” as a primary consideration in all proceedings under the law, including investigations, bail hearings, sentencing and custody decisions.
The amendment, introduced by Christian lawmaker Ejaz Alam Augustine with cross-party support, further provides that a child involved in a marriage cannot be treated as an offender and that the purported consent of a minor, particularly in cases involving coercion or abduction, cannot be considered determinative in decisions relating to custody or protection.
Cases involving the abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of underage girls from Pakistan’s religious minority communities have increasingly drawn international attention. On July 9, the European Parliament adopted a resolution highlighting the case of 13-year-old Christian girl Maria Shahbaz and calling on Pakistan to establish a national mechanism to receive complaints from families of abducted or forcibly converted girls from religious minorities.
The resolution described Maria’s case as emblematic of broader human rights concerns in the country and urged Pakistan to fully implement its national framework to end child marriage, strengthen protections for religious minorities, ensure that all cases involving minors or allegations of coercion are investigated independently and transparently, prosecute those responsible, strengthen the judicial framework, and enable abducted girls to return safely to their families.
Maria was abducted from her family in July 2025 by 30-year-old Shehryar Ahmad, who allegedly forced her to convert to Islam and marry him. Her family petitioned Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court for her return, but on Feb. 3 the court upheld the marriage and returned custody of the child to Ahmad.]]></content:encoded>
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