The Voice of the suffering in Asia

The legal outcome shows a “positive and rare” development, since local courts are often reluctant to acquit those accused of blasphemy, due to social pressure. Two Christian nurses in Pakistan have been acquitted of blasphemy in a landmark court ruling, which brings an end to an ordeal of more than four and a half years. Mariam Lal and Newosh Arooj’s legal defense was conducted by the National (Catholic) Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), which is supported by Aid to ...

The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is repeating its annual “24 Hours of Prayer for Peace in Myanmar” initiative on February 1. On this date, which marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of an increasingly violent conflict in the country, ACN invites people around the world to join in prayer as a sign of solidarity with the local Church and with all those who continue to suffer. “Once again, we want to come together ...

Shagufta Kausar was sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy and spent over eight years in prison. She recently shared her story at the launch of the Religious Freedom in the World Report in Rome. In the summer of 2013, a mob broke into the simple house where Shagufta Kausar lived with her paralyzed husband, Shafqat Emanuel, and their four children. Civilians and police were calling for her, accusing her of blasphemy. She and her husband were beaten and taken to ...

Two years after an atrocity described as the worst outbreak of violence against Christians in Pakistan’s 78-year history, the local bishop of the district has said not one of the thousands of suspects has been brought to justice. He and his people are furious.    Bishop Indrias Rehmat said Christians in the Punjab’s Jaranwala district want to “shout and scream” in outrage at the apparent failure to deliver justice following the August 16, 2023, violence, with damage done to 26 churches, ...

With the support of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the international exhibition “The Shroud of Turin” opened its doors in the capital of Kazakhstan, marking a milestone in interreligious dialogue in Central Asia.  An exact replica of one of the most venerated objects in Christianity, the Shroud of Turin, is being displayed for the first time in Kazakhstan. The official inauguration of the international exhibition “The Shroud of Turin” took place on August 1 at ...

A report compiled by Franciscan Fr. Lazar Aslam describes the plight of young girls and women who are subjected to rape, kidnapping, and forced marriage in a country where the law rarely affords Christians equal rights.   Samiya was only 17 when she set off on February 14 of this year to her job as a cleaner in a building in Lahore, Pakistan. At the end of the day, when she didn’t answer her phone, her mother went looking and found ...