Tag: Protestants

Obama visit puts Ethiopia’s record in spotlight

July 28, 2015 Ethiopia Addis Ababa, African Union, Amhara, Bahir Dar, Barack Obama, Churches, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Human rights, Mahibere Kidusan, Pentecostals, Protestants

n Ethiopians walk past a poster of US President Barack Obama in Addis Ababa on 27 July. gettyimages.com U.S. President Barak Obama is visiting Ethiopia on 27 and 28 July, providing an opportunity for America to prod its ally on its human-rights record, which gets low marks from world capitals. . . . Read More

Niger churches ‘abandoned’ after Charlie Hebdo destruction

July 23, 2015 Niger Baptists, Boko Haram, Charlie Hebdo, Churches, Islamic extremism, Mahamadou Issoufou, Niamey, Niger, Prophet Muhammad, Protestants, Trauma, West Africa, Zinder

In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, the churches in the predominantly Muslim West African nation of Niger experienced the worst attacks in their history. On the weekend of 16-17 January, hundreds of angry Islamists attacked and ransacked dozens of properties and churches, shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah . . . Read More

Ukraine rebels accuse Christians of spying

May 14, 2015 Ukraine Catholics, Donetsk, Protestants, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Ukraine

Rebels in the Donetsk region of Ukraine have declared an autonomous region complete with an official religion: The Russian Orthodox Church. that commanders of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” have shelled churches and the buildings of other religious minorities, and have arrested Protestant and Catholic leaders on suspicion of spying . . . Read More

Turkey’s Orthodox and Protestants mend centuries of mistrust

April 1, 2015 Turkey Armenians, Assyrians, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Islamic State, Mardin, Protestants, Syria, Syriacs, Turkey

On a Saturday in late March, a group of 20 volunteers went to an abandoned church in Turkey’s southeastern city of Mardin. They cleaned out broken chairs, a cracked pulpit, and books that haven’t been opened in decades. In the corner sat a 100-year-old organ. The church, in the heartland . . . Read More

Ukraine Christians living in fear

March 18, 2015 Ukraine Catholics, Donetsk, Kiev, Protestants, Russia, Russian Orthodox Church, Ukraine

Christians in eastern Ukraine fear growing persecution from pro-Russian separatists who have declared religious groups not affiliated to the Russian Orthodox Church to be their potential enemy. Since the Russian-backed rebels established the Donetsk People’s Republic in April 2014, their self-declared government made Russia’s Orthodox Church their official faith. The . . . Read More

Fears growing for two South Sudan pastors held by Sudan intelligence

February 18, 2015 Khartoum, Protestants, South Sudan

Fears are growing for the welfare of two South Sudanese church leaders who are being held in unknown locations by Sudan’s intelligence services. Pastor Yat Michael and Pastor Peter Yen (also named as David Yein Reith in some reports) have now each been held for over a month after being . . . Read More

Recent violence in Niger shows growing intolerance among religious groups

January 28, 2015 Niger Boko Haram, Charlie Hebdo, Churches, Islamic extremism, Mahamadou Issoufou, Maradi, Niamey, Protestants, Sahel, Salafism, Zinder

Mixed emotions were evident as members of the Christian community in Niger gathered for their services on Sunday, 25 January, 2015. Some were full of joy to get back to church; others could barely hide their sorrow. A week ago, the church bells remained silent. Ten people died during that . . . Read More

Turkey plans new global Islamic university

November 25, 2014 Turkey Education, Greek Orthodox, Halki Seminary, Islamic extremism, Protestants, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey

In an aggressive move to position itself as the intellectual center of the Muslim world, Turkey has announced plans to open an Islamic university similar to Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the oldest and most respected center of Islamic learning. Ankara’s announcement comes amid years of legal stonewalling for Turkey’s Christian minorities to . . . Read More

Turkey closes down Protestant church

September 30, 2014 Turkey Gaziantep, Protestants

Turkish authorities have sealed a Protestant church in Southeast Turkey and ordered its American pastor fined and deported on charges of “working illegally.” Lawyers filed a court appeal Sept. 26 to postpone the deportation, protesting what Turkey’s Association of Protestant Churches called an “absolutely arbitrary” ruling against the Gaziantep congregation . . . Read More

Protestant union issues ‘urgent appeal’ to help Iraqi Christians

September 4, 2014 Iraq Islamic State, Protestants, Saddam Hussein

Refugees from Mosul or towns on the Nineveh plain seeking shelter under a highway near Dohuk in the Kurdish region. They fled the violence caused by IS. August 7, 2014 Courtesy of Capni Declaring the plight of Christians in the Middle East a “state of emergency,” evangelical and Protestant . . . Read More

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