Tag: Syria

UK Parliament is told Christianity is ‘most persecuted religion’

December 4, 2013 Global News -- No Particular Country Baroness Warsi, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Human rights, Iraq, Kazakhstan, London, Maaloula, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Sadad, Syria

The Bishop Moussa Coptic Church in Minya was destroyted by pro-Morsi supporters in Egypt, many of whom blamed Christians for his overthrow.David Degner, Getty Images The plight of Christians around the world was discussed in a three-hour debate at the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday. Members of the . . . Read More

12 nuns ‘abducted’ as rebels recapture Maaloula

December 3, 2013 Syria Al-Nusra Front, Maaloula, Syria

Mar Takla, Maaloula.Richard / Flickr / Creative Commons The Vatican has reported that 12 nuns were abducted as opposition rebels captured Syria’s historically Christian town of Maaloula yesterday (December 2). The majority of the town’s Christian population is thought to have fled during clashes between government forces and rebels in . . . Read More

Number of Christian martyrs continues to cause debate

November 13, 2013 Global News -- No Particular Country Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Peshawar, Sudan, Syria

Ninety-six Christians died in the twin attacks on All Saints Church in Peshawar.World Watch Monitor The debate over the precise number of Christians martyred each year continues. In May, a Vatican spokesman told the United Nations Human Rights Council that as many as 100,000 Christians are martyred each year. . . . Read More

Kidnapped bishops ‘still alive’

October 29, 2013 Syria Boulos Yazigi, Kidnapping, Syria, Turkey, Yohanna Ibrahim

The two Syrian bishops kidnapped in April are believed to be alive, according to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, which says it is continuing to petition for their release. Bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi were kidnapped on April 22 after returning from the Turkish border town, Hatay. “Our efforts to rescue . . . Read More

One third of Syrian Christians have gone, says cleric

October 23, 2013 Syria Arab Spring, Maaloula, Syria

Many Christians have fled from their homes in places such as the historic city of Maaloula.Mounir Soussi Idrissi / Flickr / Creative Commons Almost a third of Syria’s Christians have left since the start of the civil war, according to one of the country’s senior clerics. Syria’s most senior Catholic . . . Read More

EU Parliament pleads for Christian safety

October 12, 2013 Global News -- No Particular Country All Saints Church, Blasphemy, Churches, Iran, Pakistan, Peshawar, Religious freedom, Saeed Abedini, Syria

The European Parliament has gone on record condemning violence against Christians in several countries. In a resolution passed on Thursday, Oct. 10, the parliament: Condemned militant attacks on Christians in Syria, and called for protection of monasteries and humanitarian support for nuns and orphans; Condemned the Sept. 22 bombing attack . . . Read More

Leaving home

October 7, 2013 Syria Assyrians, Free Syrian Army, Islamic extremism, Lebanon, Middle East, Raqqa, Sharia, Syria, Tabqa, Turkey

A couple of days after she fled Syria for Turkey, a colleague sent me a message. “Dear Nuri, this is a court that the extremists established in my city, Lattakia, in the [Syrian] village of Kansabba. This Islamic court issues the law according to the extremists’ religion. It started today. . . . Read More

Christianity in danger of becoming extinct in its birthplace

September 30, 2013 Bishop Angaelos, Copts, Egypt, Free Syrian Army, Iraq, Islamic extremism, London, Middle East, Syria

Last month, World Watch Monitor released a report, Beyond Count, highlighting the alarming frequency with which Christians are fleeing the Middle East. Now a British historian has added his voice to those concerns. By Dr. Jenny Taylor Respected UK historian Tom Holland told a briefing in London this week that . . . Read More

Islamist rebels bolt Syrian coalition

September 26, 2013 Syria Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda, Bashar al-Assad, Free Syrian Army, Sharia, Syria

Eleven Islamist rebel groups in Syria have announced they no longer recognise the authority of the main opposition alliance, the National Coalition. Their announcement also calls for the Syrian opposition to unite under an ‘Islamic framework’. Its signatories include members of the Free Syrian Army as well as more radical . . . Read More

Church wants political Syria solution

September 20, 2013 Global News -- No Particular Country Damascus, France, Germany, Russia, Syria, Turkey, UK, UN, USA

Church leaders from Syria, Russia, the US, UK, France, Germany and Turkey have called for a political solution as the only way to peace in Syria. They met the UN Secretary General and his Special Envoy to Syria on the same day that Syria’s Deputy Prime Minister said that the . . . Read More

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