Newsfeed
Vast majority of Iraq’s remaining Christians live in Kurdistan Region: KRG Official
Author: Dler Sabar
Publication Date: 21/9/2021
Source: Kurdistan24
There are only 250,000 to 300,000 Christians left in Iraq, the vast majority of whom live in the Kurdistan Region, Amir Othman, Manager of Religious Coexistence Department at the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Endowment, told Kurdistan 24 on Monday.
Iraq's Christians continue to fight for a place in society
Author: Sofia Nitti
Publication Date: 14/9/2021
Source: The New Arab
Six months after Pope Francis' visit, Iraqi Christians say nothing has changed. But despite emptying churches and sectarian violence, some remain hopeful for political progress.
“We’ve seen many visits from heads of state and delegations in the last years. Each time it’s a lot of promises, and each time it ends there, without anything concrete after”.
Church in former Daesh Iraqi stronghold gets new bell
Publication Date: 18/9/2021
Source: Arab News
A bell was inaugurated at a church in Mosul on Saturday to the cheers of Iraqi Christians, seven years after the Daesh group overran the northern city.
Dozens of faithful stood by as Father Pios Affas rang the newly installed bell for the first time at the Syriac Christian church of Mar Tuma, an AFP correspondent reported.
Mosul Christians and Muslims celebrate the reopening of the Archbishop’s See
Publication Date: 9/9/2021
Source: Asia News
After several dark and horrific years under the Islamic State (IS) group, Mosul has now turned the page. A new chapter is being written in the history of “the city, its people, especially the young,” said Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa, at the helm of the Diocese of Mosul since 2019, in today’s inauguration of the Archbishop’s See.
Assyrian Church of the East elects new patriarch
Author: Joe Snell
Publication Date: 16/9/2021
Source: Al Monitor
The Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE) welcomed a new patriarch in Erbil on Sept. 13. Mar Awa Royel is the first American-born bishop of the ancient church and only the ninth new patriarch since 1780. In his new role, Royel must now guide the church through both political and spiritual challenges and encourage a community that is facing mounting pressure to leave Iraq, where the Assyrian population has dwindled from 1.5 million in 2003 to below 200,000 today.
Orthodox monastery opens to visitors after restoration
Publication Date: 12/9/2021
Source: Hurriyet Daily News
Panagia Keramesta, also known as Kızlar (Girls) Monastery in Turkey, is believed to be constructed during the reign of then-Byzantine Emperor Alexios III. It took its final shape in the 19th century after several renovations over the centuries.
The monastery comprises a rock church on the south side, a chapel near the entrance and a few cells.
Iraq’s Christians vote to safeguard constitutional rights
Author: Dlnia Rahman
Publication Date: 15/9/2021
Source: Rudaw
Turnout in Iraq’s parliamentary election is expected to be low, but in Erbil’s predominantly Christian suburb Ainkawa, voters say the election is important to protect the rights of the dwindling minority.
Istanbul’s iconic Greek Orthodox orphanage set for restoration
Publication Date: 29/8/2021
Source: Daily Sabah
An event at Istanbul's historic Büyükada Greek Orthodox Orphanage, which has been closed since 1964, called for cooperation to launch a massive restoration project for the iconic building.
Speaking at the event Friday, Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based leader of many of the world's Orthodox Christians, said that the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate is working to restore the building, also known as Pringipos Greek Orthodox Orphanage, despite all the technical and economic difficulties.
How Qatar Accommodated for its Growing Christian Community
Author: Leyelle Mosallam
Publication Date: 15/9/2021
Source: Arab America
Like all countries within the Arabian peninsula, Qatar’s native population is predominantly Muslim and Islam is the country’s official religion. But, over the last two decades, Qatar has experienced a strong influx of expatriates, many of whom are practicing Christians from South Asia, most notably the Philippines, Southern India, Europe, the Americas, and a few Middle East North African countries. These expatriate Christians living in Qatar used to gather discreetly in their homes or schools to pray and attend religious services. But, when Qatar opened its first church in 2008 and began construction for a large church complex, many Christians living in Qatar were finally able to recognize a central place of worship.
Turkish Imperialism: Erdoğan’s ‘Second Conquest’ Of The Christians – Analysis
Author: Anne-Christine Hoff
Publication Date: 9/9/2021
Source: Eurasia Review
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]
