Girl Jailed for Blasphemy only 14 Years Old
A Christian girl arrested in Islamabad for blasphemy has been determined to be a minor, according to a recent medical review.
Middle East
Syria Christians Targeted By Islamist Rebels Amid Massive Exodus
Syrian Christians are reportedly targeted by rebels linked to Islamic terror groups and it remained unclear whether everyone fleeing the violence would be able to reach neighboring Turkey.
Saudis Contradictory on Why Ethiopian Christians Were Arrested
Saudi officials have been making conflicting statements as to why 35 Ethiopian Christians were arrested at a prayer service in a private home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last December.
‘Ethnic Cleansing of Christians’ in Syria; 50,000 Flee
Islamic militants with ties to terror group al-Qaida have launched the “ethnic cleansing of minority Christians” in Syria, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee the embattled Syrian city of Homs and other areas, aid workers confirmed Tuesday, March 27.
Baptist Church in Bethlehem Declared Illegitimate By Palestinian Authority
Only a week after Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told a conference of evangelical Protestants that his government respected the rights of Christian minorities, his fellow Palestinian officials told Pastor Naim Khoury that his church could no longer operate as a religious institution under the Palestinian Authority.
Iran Christians Urging Prayers As Security Forces Raid Churches; Pastors Detained
Embattled Iranian Christians urged prayers Tuesday, February 14, as Iranian security forces reportedly launched a crackdown on devoted ‘official’ churches and house congregations operating outside government control.
Four People Kidnapped in Iraq
Four people, three Christians and one of Turkish origin, were kidnapped on Sept. 21 according to Middle East Concern. They were returning from a hunting trip when their vehicle was stopped by armed men. The vehicle was found a short time later after it had been burned, with the bodies of the dogs inside.
Iran Threatens To Kill Evangelical Christians Unless They “Repent”, Christians say
Militants with suspected ties to Iranian security forces have threatened to kill nearly a dozen evangelical Christians who fled Iran unless they “repent” and return to Islam, well-informed sources told Worthy News early Sunday, October 2.
Iraq Christians Kidnapped Amid Heightened Security Concerns
Security forces on Wednesday, September 28, still searched for three Iraqi Christians, a week after they were reportedly kidnapped by suspected militants in Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk.
Christians join Jews to express support for Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pastor John Hagee and radio personality Glenn Beck all spoke to Israel’s Christian supporters during the sixth annual “Christians United for Israel” summit at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C..
Iran Court ‘Overturns’ Death Sentence for Pastor Amid Pressure
Iran’s secretive supreme court has reportedly overturned a death sentence handed down to an evangelical pastor for leaving Islam, surprising trial observers who were earlier informed about an execution ruling.
Uzbek Christians Suffer as Regime Tightens Noose
At least four incidents of Christian persecution were reported from the former Soviet country of Uzbekistan this week. According to an analysis and report researched and written by Fernando Perez for the World Evangelical Alliance – Religious Liberty Commission, a Christian woman was beaten into concussion, another woman was fined $1,465 by a court for giving the New Testament to a child, a Christian man was threatened with axe attack by a police official and another man was assaulted by police.
Israel Probes Church Fire In Jerusalem
Israeli authorities continue to investigate an arson attack on a Jerusalem church building that church officials say has long been a focal point for anti-Christian sentiment in a Jewish ultra-Orthodox-leaning neighborhood.
Israelis, Palestinians to Work Out Framework Agreement Despite Difficult Obstacles
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to meet every two weeks to continue U.S. backed direct negotiations for the creation of a Palestinian state within a year despite serious differences that remain between the two sides.
BREAKING NEWS: Turkish Man Charged In Murder Bishop
A Turkish court on Friday, June 4, charged a Turkish man with murdering a Roman Catholic bishop — the latest in a series of violent attacks against the country’s tiny Christian minority.
Iran Frees Church Leader On Bail
An Iranian pastor jailed for 54 days on charges of “converting Muslims” to Christianity, spent Easter in freedom this weekend after he was temporary released on bail along with several other believers, Iranian Christians and rights investigators said.
NEWS ALERT: Christians Anxious As 30 Die In Iraq Election Violence
Minority Christians in Iraq anxiously awaited the outcome of a parliamentary vote testing the country’s still fragile democracy Sunday, March 7, as suspected Islamic militants killed up to 30 people in the capital Baghdad and other areas of the troubled nation.
Iran Detains Christian Couple
Iranian Christians on Monday, March 1, were searching a Christian couple after they were detained by Iranian security forces for apparently leading an unauthorized house church, Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife learned.
NEWS ALERT: Iraq Christians Face More Bloodshed As Bombings Kill 118
Minority Christians were among those reminded of bloodshed Tuesday, December 8, as a wave of car bombings rocked the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least 118 people and wounding over 200 others. It was the worst violence to hit Baghdad, since October, when two massive car-bombs killed 155 people.
NEWS ALERT: Egypt Christian Conference Cancelled Over Security Concerns
A gathering of Christian leaders from across the Middle East that was to be held in Egypt next month has been postponed due to “security concerns,” organizers confirmed Saturday, November 14.