A Christian man in China has been arrested for listening to the Bible in his car.
The man, referred to as Brother AK, lives in a Muslim-majority region of north-west China and was listening to the Bible via a USB device connected to the vehicle. He was driving with his family to visit other Christians when the device was spotted by police at a checkpoint. He told the officers that “because I believe in Jesus, I was listening to the Bible through the USB”.
He was detained for questioning, and his wife was told to take the children, including a baby, away. They were temporarily hosted by a Christian family nearby, but several days passed without any news of AK’s whereabouts.
The host family received a call from the authorities, who questioned them about their relationship with AK’s family.
Jason is a local partner with the persecution watchdog Open Doors who has been discipling the family. He said: “At present, AK’s situation remains unclear, and we do not yet know what consequences he may face. We were recently informed that AK will be detained for 15 days. However, no specific charge or official basis for his detention has been disclosed by the authorities. We urgently need to pray.”
Jason said AK’s town was “under close surveillance”, with similar incidents in the past. Another believer who was found to be listening to the Bible through earphones in a public place was arrested and detained for 15 days. When authorities discovered he had also attended Christian gatherings, others from the same church were questioned and held for one or two days.
Open Doors said on its website: “Incidents like these are becoming more common in China, as the authorities tighten their grip on any religious activity deemed a threat to the regime’s ideological control. That even extends to the Christian media that believers consume in private, which many rely on for discipleship and fellowship.
“There are so many Christians throughout China, like AK and his family, who are under intense pressure because of the increasing surveillance of the authorities alongside ever-tightening religious laws. It’s forcing believers further underground and deeper into the shadows. Despite this, they are looking to stand firm, but to do so, your prayers and support are critical”.
*Names changed for security reasons