Tag: Homs

IS ‘releases’ 50 Assyrian Christians

October 15, 2015 Syria Assyrians, Homs, Islamic State, Jizya, Qaryatain, Syria

The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) has released 50 Assyrians among a large group of Christians snatched 10 weeks ago near the Syrian city of Homs, the Assyrian Monitor for Human Rights (AMHR) reported. The freed indigenous Christians arrived back on October 12 at their Syriac towns of Zaidan and Fairozeh, . . . Read More

Catholic priest released in Syria

October 12, 2015 Syria Catholics, Homs, Islamic State, Jacques Mourad, Paolo Dall’Oglio, Qaryatain, Syria

Fr. Jacques Mourad was set free on Saturday, 10 Oct, nearly five months after masked Islamic State (IS) gunmen kidnapped the Syriac Catholic priest in Syria’s central Homs province. Church sources told Agence France Presse that Fr. Mourad celebrated Sunday mass the following day in Zaydal village, five kilometers from . . . Read More

Another ancient Assyrian monastery bulldozed

August 21, 2015 Syria Assyrians, Bashar al-Assad, Homs, Iraq, Islamic State, Jacques Mourad, Paolo Dall’Oglio, Qaryatain, Raqqa, Syria

Photographs posted Thursday on Twitter accounts linked to the Islamic State destroyed in the past six months by jihadist fighters. The 5th century Mar Elian Monastery in Syria’s western Homs province was located on the outskirts of Qaryatain city, captured by IS militants two weeks ago from Assad regime control. An . . . Read More

More Christians ‘abducted’ in Syria

August 7, 2015 Syria Aleppo, Homs, Kidnapping, Qaryatain, Refugees, Sunni, Syria

Islamic State has taken over a Syrian town southeast of Homs, its first major success since capturing Palmyra, a World Heritage site, in May 2015, about 100km to the northeast. At least 230 people are reported to have been abducted from Al-Quaryatayn, a town of 40,000 mainly Sunni Muslims and . . . Read More

All Knayeh hostages free

October 13, 2014 Syria Al-Nusra Front, Bashar al-Assad, Boulos Yazigi, Homs, Idlib, Islamic State, Kidnapping, Paolo Dall’Oglio, Raqqa, Syria, Yohanna Ibrahim

NOTE: This report, originally posted Oct. 8, is updated to include the release of all hostages The last of a group of 20 Syrian Christians kidnapped Oct. 5 have been released as their pastor awaits trial before an Islamic court. Rev. Hanna Jallouf, a Franciscan priest in the northeastern Syria town of Knayeh, was abducted with about 20 . . . Read More

Keeping hope alive in Syria

May 7, 2014 Syria Education, Homs, Syria

A friend and colleague of murdered Jesuit priest Father Frans van der Lugt has received more aid to continue to helping destitute families in Syria. Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need is supporting a pastoral centre in the city of Homs headed by Fr Ziad Hilal SJ. The . . . Read More

Homs priest killed by assassins

April 7, 2014 Syria Arab Spring, Civil War, Homs, Syria

Frans van der Lugt, a Jesuit priest who refused to leave the embattled city of Homs, Syria, in solidarity with the few Christians still living there, was killed by assassins Monday in his garden. Known among the people as Abouna Francis, the native Dutchman had worked in Syria for more . . . Read More

Syrian Christian beheaded

January 16, 2014 Syria Homs, Syria

A Christian man was beheaded last week as he drove home from work in Homs, reports Fars News. Fides confirms that Fadi Matanius Mattah, 34, was killed and his friend Firas Nader, 29, was wounded as armed jihadists opened fire on their car. A priest told Fides that, noting that . . . Read More

Archbishop of Canterbury and UK Foreign Office Minister alerted to need of Syrian Christians

July 10, 2013 Aleppo, Armenians, Bashar al-Assad, Damascus, Homs, Islamic extremism, Justin Welby, London, Middle East, Minorities, North Africa, Refugees, Religious freedom, Shia, Sunni, Syria, Syriacs, UK

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the UK Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), have both acknowledged the findings of a report which says that Christians in Syria are increasingly targeted and vulnerable to persecution, amidst the on-going conflict there. Syria: Church on . . . Read More

Syrian Christians targeted for their politics or their faith?

November 30, 2012 Syria Aleppo, Bashar al-Assad, Civil War, Damascus, Free Syrian Army, Homs, Qatana, Refugees, Syria, UN

Wednesday 28th’s twin deadly car bombs in the Christian and Druze suburb of Jaramana in the Syrian capital Damascus appeared to target two communities which so far have not joined the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s government. State media said “terrorists” were behind the blasts, which killed at least 38 . . . Read More

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