Newsfeed
Russia begins restoration of Arc of Triumph in Syria's Palmyra
Publication Date: 14/11/2021
Source: Al Monitor
Russia continues to promote its restoration of historical sites in Syria. Russia’s ambassador to Syria, Alexander Yefimov, announced his country's intention to restore the ancient Arch of Triumph that was destroyed by the Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian city of Palmyra, according to a three-dimensional digital model.
In Syria, French deputies went to meet Christians
Publication Date: 23/10/2021
Source: Archyde
Several French deputies, members of the study group on the Christians of the East, visited at the end of September and the beginning of October in Syria, in the capital, Damascus, as well as in Homs and Palmyra. A trip that aimed to take stock of the living conditions of Christians and other minorities after the ten years of war which ravaged the country and severely affected the Syrian people.
Christian converts’ property returned after six-month wait
Publication Date: 8/11/2021
Source: Article 18
Four Christian converts whose property was confiscated from them by the intelligence agents who raided their homes more than six months ago have finally had it returned to them.
Turkish Imperialism: Erdoğan's "Second Conquest" of the Christians
Author: Anne-Christine Hoff
Publication Date: Fall 2021
Source: Middle East Quarterly
On July 10, 2020, Turkey's high administrative court annulled a 1934 cabinet decision that had turned Istanbul's famous Hagia Sophia mosque into a museum, dealing a further blow to the secularist legacy of modern Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Shortly afterward, a presidential decree transferred the site's ownership from the ministry of culture to the directorate of religious affairs (diyanet), and two weeks later, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a nationally televised speech where he lauded the move as the "second conquest of Istanbul" and a major step to the "liberation" of the al-Aqsa mosque.[1]
Iran: Imprisoned Christian converts ask for a place to worship
Publication Date: 30/10/2021
Source: Middle East Concern
Iranian Christians request prayer following a plea for religious freedom made by two Christian prisoners on furlough.
Behnam Akhlaghi and Babak Hosseinzadeh, converts from Rasht in North Iran, are presently serving five-year sentences in Evin Prison, Tehran, for “acting against national security through promoting Christian Zionism” on account of their peaceful participation in house churches.
Secular human rights group condemns Algeria's imprisonment of Christian convert
Author: Anugrah Kumar
Publication Date: 1/11/2021
Source: The Christian Post
Human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the conviction and sentencing of an Algerian Christian convert, drawing attention to the deteriorating religious freedom conditions in the north African country, especially for its small Christian minority.
Bahrain Catholics celebrate the opening of Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral
Publication Date: 29/11/2021
Source: Asia News
Catholics in Bahrain and the Church of the Middle East are getting ready to celebrate the official opening of the new Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, patron saint of the Arabian Peninsula.
Algerian radio employees allegedly fired for playing song that ‘glorified Christianity’
Publication Date: 24/10/2021
Source: All Arab News
A government-run radio station in Algeria allegedly fired its director and three other employees last week for playing a famous Arabic version of a Christmas song sung by the legendary Lebanese singer Fairouz because it “glorifies Christianity.”
Vatican nuncio in Syria urges international community to lift sanctions
Author: Francesco Bongarra
Publication Date: 30/11/2021
Source: Arab News
The Vatican nuncio in Syria called on the international community to lift economic sanctions, and lamented the Syrians’ loss of hope as the world forgot their suffering.
Cardinal Mario Zenari has been the apostolic nuncio to Syria for over 13 years and has lived in Damascus throughout the war.
Moroccan Christians Welcome End of a Decade of Islamist Government
Author: Jayson Casper
Publication Date: 21/9/2021
Source: Christianity Today
Liberal parties, led by billionaire, surge to power in constitutional monarchy, but debate hinges on economy not religious freedom.
