This Week in Endurance

Tensions rise between India and Pakistan, with Christians often Caught in the Middle

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated in recent weeks, driven by long-standing political hostility, cross-border skirmishes, and renewed rhetoric from both sides over disputed regions like Kashmir. While these two nuclear-armed neighbors have a decades-long history of strained relations, recent flare-ups are drawing global concern due to their regional impact.

This conflict is not just geopolitical, it also affects vulnerable communities caught in the crossfire of words. Among them: Christians living as minorities in both countries. Often scapegoated, silenced, or swept up in nationalist agendas, believers face heightened risks when nationalist sentiment is inflamed.

In India, Hindu nationalist groups sometimes use external threats to justify internal crackdowns, particularly against religious minorities. In Pakistan, Christians often live under suspicion, and tensions with India can further inflame social hostility or political exploitation.

Not many of us are experts on this particular region - I’m the first to say it, I’m still learning. But Time Magazine offered some background on the current tensions in this article.

As we learn together, let’s take a glimpse into recent daily life for Christians, even just apart from the rising potential tensions.

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India: Christians Charged After Surviving Attack

In an all-too-familiar twist of justice, Christians in India were criminally charged after being attacked by Hindu nationalists. According to a recent report from Morning Star News, a group of believers in Chhattisgarh State was assaulted by radical Hindus while gathered for prayer. The attackers stormed the gathering, beat attendees, and caused severe injuries. Yet rather than holding the perpetrators accountable, police arrested six Christians under anti-conversion laws and other charges.

This pattern is becoming increasingly common. As Hindu nationalism intensifies, especially under the ruling BJP party, laws intended to regulate religious conversion are being used to criminalize prayer meetings, house fellowships, and routine Christian gatherings. Victims of violence are re-labelled as instigators, feeding a narrative that paints Christians as social threats rather than fellow citizens.

Local Christian leaders report growing fear, not just of mob violence, but of state complicity. The accused believers are now facing court hearings, legal costs, and uncertain futures, simply for practicing their faith.

Morning Star News continues to be a trusted voice reporting on these injustices. Read the full story here.

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Pakistan: Alarm Over New Heights of Persecution

In Pakistan, the situation for Christians has reached “alarming new heights,” according to a comprehensive update from International Christian Concern (ICC). In recent months, blasphemy accusations, forced conversions, and targeted violence have surged, creating a climate of constant fear for the country’s Christian minority.

ICC reports that extremist groups continue to act with impunity, while law enforcement either fails to intervene or openly sides with mobs. Christians have been attacked for simply sharing Scripture on social media or attending church. In one case, a Christian teenager was beaten nearly to death after being accused, without evidence, of insulting Islam.

Forced conversions of Christian girls into Islam through kidnapping and coerced marriage remain a systemic problem. Despite international outcry, legal protections remain weak and rarely enforced.

The persecution is not just physical. It’s economic, legal, and psychological. Christians have been barred from better-paying jobs, denied justice in courts, and publicly shamed for their faith. In a nation already tense from political instability and economic hardship, Christians are made even more vulnerable.

ICC provides ongoing, insightful analysis of persecution trends. We recommend subscribing to their updates. Read the full article here.