Newsfeed
Turkey’s Christians face increasingly dangerous persecution – analyst
Publication Date: 13/4/2021
Source: Ahval News
Turkey’s Christian minorities are suffering from increased persecution as the government grows more repressive, Hudson Institute research fellow Lela Gilbert wrote in Newsweek on Monday.
Gilbert said that the symbolic conversion of Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque was only the most blatant example of this new environment in which the government aggressively targets non-Muslim religious minorities.
She specifically calls to attention the plight of Christian refugees who fled Iraq and Syra in recent years. Many of these arrivals struggle with employment, learning Turkish and finding the space to practice their faith.
European Cultural Diplomacy and Arab Christians in Palestine
Publication Date: 12/3/2021
Source: Bethlehem University
The Office of the Dean of Research and the Research Council organized a symposium and a launch of the book, European Cultural Diplomacy and Arab Christians in Palestine, 1918–1948 Between Contention and Connection, on Thursday, 11 March 2021, via Google Meet.
Turkish president extends Easter wishes to Christians
Author: Handan Kazanci
Publication Date: 3/4/2021
Source: Anadolu Agency
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday released a message marking the Christian holiday of Easter.
“I congratulate with my sincerest feelings our Christian citizens of various churches and groups on Easter, one of their most important feasts,” said Erdogan, according to a statement from Turkey’s Communications Directorate.
“The rich mosaic constructed by each and every individual of our nation sets a stunning example to the world in terms of coexisting freely in peace on the basis of mutual respect,” he added.
‘Like a Miracle’: Israel’s Vaccine Success Allows Easter Crowds in Jerusalem
Author: Patrick Kingsley
Publication Date: 3/4/2021
Source: The New York Times
Last year, the pandemic forced the cancellation of the Good Friday procession in Jerusalem. This Holy Week, local Christians are thronging the streets of the Old City.
Turkey's Christians Face Increasingly Dangerous Persecution
Author: Lela Gilbert
Publication Date: 13/4/2021
Source: Newsweek
Once upon a time, tourists in Turkey eagerly made their way to Hagia Sophia—a historic architectural marvel shimmering with the golden light of ancient mosaics. Although marred by many centuries, images of Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist reflect the spirit of a fledgling Christian world. In fact, Turkey's earliest churches are recalled in the New Testament itself—in Antioch, where St. Paul began his missionary journeys, and in the Seven Churches portrayed by St. John in his Book of Revelation.
William Barber preaches at Easter vigil service spotlighting Christian Palestinians
Author: Daoud Kuttab
Publication Date: 6/4/2021
Source: Religious News Service
Barber’s appearance served to recognize Christians in the Palestinian liberation movement, which some American evangelicals paint as an apocalyptic conflict between Christians and Muslims.
No punishment, no repentance: The persecution of Christians in Egypt
Author: Zara Sarvarian
Publication Date: 3/4/2021
Source: Christian Today
Memories of the attack have never faded from Souad Thabet's mind.
An Egyptian Coptic Christian woman in her 70s, Souad wishes she could forget the moment that a group of Muslim men invaded her home in El-Karam village in Egypt. They dragged her out of the house and stripped her. In her ears, is the noise and giggle of the large crowd of spectators. She was mocked and beaten. Her husband was too.
That was in 2016. Recently, Souad learned that her attackers have been acquitted.
Lebanese Christians bring light in a very dark time
Author: Kevin Zeller
Publication Date: 24/3/2021
Source: Mission Network News
Lebanon’s middle class has virtually disappeared amid worsening economic troubles. Millions have sunk below the poverty line. Lebanon remains without a functioning government ever since the Beirut explosion last summer.
Elmahaba Center: Uniting Coptic Egyptians in Nashville’s Little Minya
Author: Noran Morsi
Publication Date: 1/4/2021
Source: Egyptian Streets
Imagine a Coptic Egyptian Community Center in the middle of a southern state in the United States with services such as a clinic and a lawyer on the top floor, Arabic-speaking restaurant and business owners on the bottom floor, and a plaza that is decorated to celebrate Egyptian culture. This is the vision Lydia Yousief has for ‘Elmahaba’ in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to the 2016 U.S. Census, there were 181,000 Egyptians in the U.S., however, the number is believed to be much higher. Unlike the upper and middle-class Coptic communities in New York, Washington DC, and the Los Angeles area, Tennessee has a majority working-class community. Egypt is estimated to be around 10 to 15 percent Christian and 85 to 90 percent Muslim, but in Nashville, over 90 percent of Egyptians are Coptic Christian.
Muted Easter celebrations for Lebanon’s Christians as poverty bites
Author: Aya Iskandarani
Publication Date: 4/4/2021
Source: The National News
For the second year running, a once-colourful celebration for Lebanon’s Christians is marred by national crisis
