Tag: North Africa

Italy takes 1,000 refugees via humanitarian visas

February 9, 2016 Ethiopia, Europe, Italy, Lebanon, Migrants, Morocco, North Africa, Refugees, Syria

Italian Protestant churches will help settle 1,000 refugees arriving there this month through a “humanitarian corridor” from camps in Lebanon, Morocco and Ethiopia. The refugees, including both Christians and Muslims, will travel under the safety of humanitarian visas so they are not tempted to risk deadly sea crossings to Europe. . . . Read More

5 years on: what has the Arab Spring meant for Christians?

December 17, 2015 Arab Spring, Copts, Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, Iraq, Islamic State, Libya, Middle East, Muammar Gaddafi, Muslim Brotherhood, North Africa, Ramadan, Syria, Tunisia

The Arab Spring, which began five years ago today (17th December) started with a wave of protests in Tunisia followed by other Arab countries. It was positively acclaimed as a social movement demanding an end to human rights violations, government corruption and poverty. Yet, so far, the outcome is largely contrary to . . . Read More

Police raid Sat-7 channel’s Egypt offices

October 14, 2015 Egypt Censorship, Copts, Egypt, Middle East, North Africa

Egyptian police raided Sat-7 channel’s Cairo offices on Oct. 10, confiscating equipment and briefly detaining the pioneer Arabic Christian broadcaster’s country office director. Detained for hours before being released, director Farid Samir faces possible charges related to operating a satellite TV channel “without the necessary licenses,” a press release by . . . Read More

Pressure on Christians grew in 2013

January 8, 2014 Global News -- No Particular Country Afghanistan, African Union, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, BJP, Buddhist nationalism, Central African Republic, Colombia, Eritrea, FARC, Hindu nationalism, India, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Kyrgyzstan, Middle East, Nigeria, North Africa, North Korea, Pakistan, Peshawar, Religious freedom, Sadad, Sharia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, UN, Yemen

More than ever, some of the hardest places for Christians to live are fragile or failed states where militant Islamist movements flourish, according to an annual report on Christian religious freedom. Pressure on Christians intensified worldwide in 2013, according to Open Doors International, a charity that provides support to Christians . . . Read More

Amnesty: Egypt failed to protect Copts

October 9, 2013 Egypt Copts, Egypt, Middle East, North Africa

A new report by Amnesty International claims the authorities in Egypt are failing to prevent “deeply disturbing” attacks on the country’s Coptic Christian minority. The organisation has called for an investigation into a series of deadly sectarian incidents. “Failure to bring to justice those responsible for sectarian attacks sends the . . . Read More

Amid the ruins, forgiveness

September 12, 2013 Egypt Egypt, Middle East, Minya, North Africa

Continuing the growing stream of reporting on the extensive damage done to Egypt’s churches since Aug. 14, the Sat7 Christian broadcasting service showed video on Sunday of the worship service at the Evangelical Church of Beni Mazar, in the Minya region. Worshipers sang and prayed in the charred remains of their building. . . . 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

Bounty for Boko Haram

June 4, 2013 Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Boko Haram, Islamic extremism, North Africa, USA, West Africa

The US is offering rewards for the first time for information on Islamist militants in North and West Africa, reports the BBC. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau tops the US Department of State’s list with a bounty of up to $7m. Also wanted are leaders from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic . . . Read More

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