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Christians ‘held’ in Syrian town

Syria
Following a reported Islamist invasion on the town of Deir Atieh in Syria, north of Damascus, Fides reports that Christians are being prevented from leaving. “The militiamen examine the identification documents of those who intend to leave the city and retain those who have Christian names,” states Fides.

Vatican rejects M.E without Christians

Pope Francis says the Vatican “will not resign itself to a Middle East without Christians”. In the wake of reports of millions of Christians fleeing the region, Pope Francis said he was concerned by “the situation of Christians, who suffer in a particularly severe way the consequences of tensions and . . . Read More

Kazakh pastor’s trial postponed

Kazakhstan , ,
The court hearing for a Kazakh pastor detained since May has been pushed back again. Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev, 67, pastor of Grace Protestant Church in Astana, is charged with the psychological manipulation of a member of his congregation through the use of a “red-coloured hallucinogenic drink”. Other members of the congregation . . . Read More

U.S. tags Boko Haram as terrorists

Nigeria , , , ,
The United States has made official what Nigeria’s churches have long asserted: Boko Haram is a terrorist organisation. The state department announced on Thursday it has designated Boko Haram a “foreign terrorist organisation”, and as “specially designated global terrorists”. The Islamist insurgent group “is responsible for thousands of deaths in northeast . . . Read More

‘Biggest massacre yet’ in Syria

Syria
Rebel forces in Syria have carried out the “most serious and biggest massacre of Christians” since the conflict began, Syrian priests told Fides. In the Christian town of Sadad, near Homs, 1,500 families were held hostage in the last week of October and 45 killed and thrown into mass graves, . . . Read More