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Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘Conservative attitudes can be passport for misogyny’

Women are often subject to discrimination and rejection due to social, legal and cultural norms, especially in patriarchal societies. (Photo: Open Doors International)
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said that sometimes “[religiously] conservative attitudes are a passport for misogyny, while at other times they are simply inherited attitudes”. His comment came two days after a consultation about Christian women under pressure for their faith, where speakers noted that women living in highly . . . Read More

Half of Syria and Iraq’s Christians have left since 2011, says report

Half of Syria and Iraq’s Christians have left since 2011, says report
Three years to the day since the Islamic State group took control of the Iraqi city of Mosul, a new report estimates that – of their Christian populations – 50% have left Iraq since 2006, while 80% have emigrated from Syria since the start of its civil war in 2011. The arrival of IS was only . . . Read More

Political stalemate holds US pastor ‘hostage’ in Turkish jail

Political stalemate holds US pastor ‘hostage’ in Turkish jail
Comments this week from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan increased speculation that Turkey has been holding jailed US pastor Andrew Brunson hostage since last October in order to extract political concessions from the United States. Addressing the parliamentary assembly of his ruling Justice and Development Party on 30 May, Erdoğan . . . Read More

Kidnapped Philippines priest pleads: ‘Please consider us!’

Kidnapped Philippines priest pleads: ‘Please consider us!’
As the battle for the southern Philippines city of Marawi continues, a priest being held hostage by Islamist militants has appeared in a video, pleading for the President to “consider” hostages’ lives and stop bombing the city. A spokesman for the Philippines army dismissed the video, which was released yesterday . . . Read More

African mission leader searches for positives despite deadly surge of jihadist violence

African mission leader searches for positives despite deadly surge of jihadist violence
Attacks attributed to radical Islamic groups are happening on a weekly, or even daily, basis in Africa, posing security concerns across a vast swathe of the continent. The phenomenon has dramatically affected Church activities in various regions. But Rev. Reuben E. Ezemadu, Coordinator of the Movement for African National Initiatives . . . Read More

Pakistan: 3 months in prison for eating, drinking in public during Ramadan, $250 for providing food

Pakistan: 3 months in prison for eating, drinking in public during Ramadan, $250 for providing food
As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan have to be more careful about eating and drinking in public in the scorching heat: on the one hand, it can cost them physical public ire and physical violence; and on the other, in . . . Read More

100 Christians detained, 10 years after Eritrea put Patriarch under house arrest

100 Christians detained, 10 years after Eritrea put Patriarch under house arrest
The Eritrean government has stepped up its campaign against Christians, arresting almost 100 in the past month. The arrests come as Christians in the repressive East African country mark ten years since government officials placed the Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch under house arrest and incommunicado, and 15 years since the forced . . . Read More