Iran Warns Israel After Nuclear Facility Blast And Fire
Iran has warned Israel and other “foes” against “hostile actions” after an explosion and fire damaged the Natanz nuclear complex.
Islam
Christian Converts Sentenced In Iran
Seven people who turned from Islam to Christianity have received prison terms, fines, or work restrictions in Iran for “propaganda against the state,” trial observers confirmed Wednesday.
Doubts Over Hungary‘s Support For Persecuted Christians
Hungary’s right-wing government has come under pressure amid reports that it spends more on anti-migration propaganda than on support for persecuted Christians.
Satellite image: Iran blast was near suspected missile site
An explosion that rattled Iran’s capital came from an area in its eastern mountains that analysts believe hides an underground tunnel system and missile production sites, satellite photographs showed Saturday.
Israel War Planes Struck Targets In Gaza Strip Ahead Of “Annexation”
Tensions remained high Sunday after two Israeli warplanes struck targets in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it was a response to two rockets fired at Israeli territory from the coastal enclave, Worthy News learned.
Yazidis and Christians face existential threat in northeast Syria following Turkish intervention and US pull back of troops
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) heard last week that President Donald Trump’s partial withdrawal of American troops from northeast Syria in 2019 created a vacuum in which Turkey and Turkish-backed militia have been able to threaten local vulnerable civilian populations including Christians and Yazidis. Condemning Turkey’s latest airstrikes and ground operations in the region, the USCIRF called for the US government to “utilize all diplomatic and economic leverage to protect vulnerable religious minorities in northern Iraq — as well as neighboring northeastern Syria — from Turkey’s indiscriminate military operations,” the Christian Post reported.
Iran Christian Convert: ‘15 Christians Detained for Faith’
An Iranian Christian rights activist who was jailed for protesting against Iran’s Islamic government says more than a dozen Christians remain behind bars in the country’s overcrowded prisons.
US destroys three ISIS camps in Iraq, underscoring continued need for air support
U.S. Central Command Gen. Ken McKenzie has repeatedly said of late that the American force of 5,200 soldiers in Iraq will be drawing down soon, but the fight against the Islamic State is not yet complete and will not be turned over to Iraqi Armed Forces alone.
Iranian Christians Risk Their Lives to Help Neighbors in COVID-19 Crisis
Religious freedom group Open Doors USA has been told that Christians in Iran are risking their lives to help fellow citizens with food and hygiene parcels during the coronavirus outbreak, Fox News reported Thursday. Known internationally for its radical Islamic terrorism, Iran is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East.
UK Parliamentary Report Warns of Christian Genocide in Nigeria
Thousands of Christians in Nigeria have been murdered by Muslim militants in recent years, and now a UK parliamentary report has warned of an “unfolding genocide” in the African state, Christian Today reports. The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG-FoRB) said in its report that armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen have caused “untold human and economic devastation” for Christian farming communities.
Syria sees spike in Islamic State attacks, say religious liberty experts
A region of northeastern Syria that U.S. forces ceded to Turkey has seen a spike in Islamic State-backed attacks, researchers said Wednesday during a roundtable discussion on religious liberty.
Washington Outraged Over Beheading of Christians And Other Religious Rights Abuses
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed concern Wednesday about ongoing beheadings and other abuses of Christians and other faith groups in several nations.
Islamic Militants Murder at Least 58 in Attacks Targeting Christians in Burkina Faso
Targeting Christians, Islamic militants in Burkina Faso murdered at least 58 people in attacks carried out on May 29 and 30, the Christian Post reported. Burkina Faso has been besieged with armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for more than four years.
Iran Closer Than Ever To Nuclear Weapon, U.N. Report Suggests
With much of the world in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, Iran rushed to increase its stockpiles of enriched uranium and has come closer than ever to develop a nuclear weapon, findings by the United Nations watchdog showed.
U.S. Confirms French Killing Of Top al-Qaida Commander In Africa
The United States military confirmed Saturday that one of the terror group al-Qaida’s longest-serving commanders in Africa had been killed in Mali during an operation led by France.
Iran Frees U.S Navy Veteran Michael White, Mother “Blessed”
Iran has released U.S. Navy veteran Michael White who was detained in the Islamic nation for nearly two years, his mother confirmed.
27 Killed In Attack On Mali Christians
Heavily armed suspected Islamic jihadists on motorcycles targeted mainly Christian Dogon farming villages in central Mali, killing at least 27 people, aid workers said Tuesday.
Israel, Saudi Arabia in secret talks to curb Turkish presence on Temple Mount
Israel and Saudi Arabia have been reportedly engaged in secret talks since last December, through American mediation, over including Saudi representatives in the Islamic Waqf Council at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This development has been taking place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s deal of the century, and the plan to apply Israeli sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and the large settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria.
Uganda Muslim Father Burns Daughter Over Christian Conversion
Christians remained concerned Thursday about the plight of a young woman in Uganda who was reportedly burned by her father for converting to Christianity.
Iran’s president orders implementation of law banning all use of Israeli tech
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday issued an executive order requiring the implementation of a law passed last week that bars any cooperation with Israel, including the use of Israeli software and hardware.