Asia/Pacific

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Pakistan's highest court has suspended the death sentence of Asia Bibi, the Christian mother of five who faces execution by hanging under under the country's controversial blasphemy legislation.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Two Christian brothers remain detained on charges of blasphemy against Islam after one of them was accused of having "disrespectful material" on his website, a senior rights official confirmed to BosNewsLife Monday, July 20. "A case has been registered against Qaisar and Amoon Ayub of Lahore relating to accusations dating back to 2011," said Nasir Saeed, a director of the Pakistan-based advocacy 'Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement' (CLAAS).

By BosNewsLife Asia Service LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Christian men have formed a security team to defend churches in Pakistan after several terror attacks killed at least some 100 Christian worshipers within two years.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Pakistan's government wants parliament to amend the country’s blasphemy legislation to end persecution against Christians and other minorities in this Islamic nation. Under a draft bill individuals van only be prosecuted if their deeds were "intentional," officials told Pakistani media.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Pakistan police have detained a cleric accused of leading a mob trying to kill a Christian couple who allegedly desecrated the Koran, deemed a holy book Muslims. Police rescued the Christians from the crowd near the eastern city of Lahore this week in what was seen as a relatively unusual intervention in the heavily Islamic nation, where those accused of blasphemy are sometimes lynched on the spot.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist TOKYO, JAPAN (BosNewsLife Columns)-- A forthcoming film from famed director Martin Scorsese is set  to confront the movie-going public with the persecution of Christians. It's “Silence,” based on the celebrated 1966 historical novel by Japanese Christian writer Shusaku Endo, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- As Christianity grows powerfully in China, it should come as no surprise that many new converts are prominent members of the country’s ruling Communist Party elite, along with their families

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Two Pakistani Christians have launched legal proceedings against the country’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), after twice being refused permission to board a flight to Sri Lanka on the pretext that they might defect, BosNewsLife learned.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- China's top anti-corruption body has warned Communist Party members – the elite of the nation – that they must refrain from religious activities amid concerns over the rapid spread of Christianity here.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos and Xavier P. Williams reporting from Pakistan LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife) Several people were injured when anti-Christian mob violence broke out again in the Pakistani city of Lahore, the scene of suicide bombings against two churches in March that killed 17 worshippers. Christians in the area told BosNewsLife that angry Muslims, some armed, opened fire, ransacked churches, destroyed homes and attacked residents. Many Christians were reportedly fleeing the area.