Catching Our Eye

Sort By date
Filter by Tag
Select Country
Category

Kurdistan elections: Christian parties want ‘real needs’ of minority to be heard

Iraq , , , , , , ,
The site of Mar Elia Church in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan region, where hundreds of Christians camped, displaced by Islamic State. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
The Christian minority in Iraqi Kurdistan is hoping for its “real” representatives to be voted into the Kurdish regional parliament this Sunday, 30 September, reports Kurdish news service Rudaw. The presidential and parliamentary elections in the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq are the first after a referendum last year in . . . Read More

Key witness testimony against Brunson refuted by Bloomberg

Turkey , , , ,
Key witness testimony against Brunson refuted by Bloomberg
A hard-hitting investigative report by Bloomberg has targeted an unsubstantiated conspiracy link forged by Turkish prosecutors between jailed US pastor Andrew Brunson and Mormon missionaries. The alleged complicity between Brunson and an American Mormon neighbour living near to each other in the Alsancak district of Izmir features prominently in the . . . Read More

Egypt’s Copts nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Egypt , , , , , , , ,
In October last year the Coptic church in Sohag, Minya governorate, had its electricity and water supply cut by police, who said they had received complaints from Muslim villagers (Watani)
Egypt’s Coptic Christians have been nominated for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for choosing peaceful coexistence over retaliation in the face of persecution, reports the US-based news site PR Newswire. It is believed to be the first time in the 116-year history of the prize that an ethnic religious group . . . Read More

Philippines priest celebrates first year of ‘second life’ after escape

Philippines , , , , , , ,
Fr. Teresito “Chito” Suganob in a still taken from a video shortly after his release.
On the anniversary of his escape, the Catholic priest held hostage for four months by an Islamist group in the southern Philippines city of Marawi says he has since found a new lease of life, reports Catholic news agency UCAN. Father Teresito Suganob was one of around 200 people taken . . . Read More

Religious freedom a prerequisite for sustainable development, expert says

Global News -- No Particular Country , , ,
Poverty cannot be eradicated through government intervention alone but it needs the help of "innovative faith-based initiatives", says Brian Grim. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
As half a million people in 900 cities around the world campaign today for “sustainable” development goals, Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation, argues that this cannot be achieved without religious freedom. “There is a strong and positive relationship between religious freedom and sustainable development as . . . Read More

China-Vatican deal an ‘incredible betrayal’, says cardinal

China , , , , ,
Critics say the deal is a sell-out of the Catholic Church in China and undermines its credibility. (Phot: World Watch Monitor)
The Vatican and China reached a deal on Saturday, 22 September, in the long-standing dispute over the appointment of bishops, as reported by Reuters. As part of the deal with the state-backed Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which oversees the registered Church, Pope Francis will recognise seven Chinese bishops who were . . . Read More

EU told to strengthen mandate of religious freedom envoy

Global News -- No Particular Country , , , ,
(Tasr)
The European Union needs to develop an overarching religious freedom policy strategy, and strengthening the mandate of the Special Envoy is an important step towards this, writes CSW’s Amy Shepherd for Brussels-based news site The European Post. The position of the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) . . . Read More