Newsfeed
The Life of Christian Iranian Women
Author: Maryam Ishaya
Publication Date: 22/3/2021
Source: Persecution - International Christian Concern
The Islamic Republic of Iran imposes austere laws towards all women. For example, the enforcement of the hijab displeases many women in Iran, as it restricts their freedom to express themselves. One lady said, “I am a Muslim, but I don’t like the way that the government is forcing us to do it and that’s why when we travel, we get rid of it.” Time and time again, Iranian women revolt against the government by publicly stripping the garment off their heads, to the point where the government took extreme measures and implemented prison sentences, fines or flagellation. Women now wear the headscarf in a ‘Baddhi-jab’, a rising fashion trend sweeping through Iran, where a majority of their hair shows, but a headscarf is still worn in accordance with the law. For Christian woman, however, they face additional scrutiny.
Christian church in Jerusalem attacked for 4th time in 1 month
Publication Date: 2/3/2021
Source: Daily Sabah
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL) condemned on Monday, repeated attacks against the Romanian church monastery in Jerusalem close to the religious Jewish orthodox quarter, and accused extremist Jewish settlers of the crime.
Iranian media hails Pope-Sistani meeting as chance for peace
Publication Date: 7/3/2021
Source: WIO News
The historic meeting of Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, one of Shiite Islam's top clerics, was well received across Iranian media.
The meeting became front-page news in Iran Sunday, with some media declaring it a chance for peace in the neighbouring country.
Abbas decrees a minimum of seven seats for Christian Palestinians
Author: Daoud Kuttab
Publication Date: 21/2/2021
Source: Arab News
Mahmoud Abbas signed a presidential decree Sunday guaranteeing a minimum of seven parliamentary seats to Palestinians of the Christian faith. Palestinians in the occupied territories are expected to choose 132 legislators based on proportional representation.
Iran Dailies Show Mixed Reactions To Pope's Visit To Iraq, Meeting With Sistani
Publication Date: 6/3/2021
Source: Iran International
Many newspapers in Tehran on Saturday covered Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq and his meeting with Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani with a mixture of cautious factual reporting devoid of opinion and analysis, and a rare acknowledgement of Sistani’s superiority to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Why only a Christian can be Lebanon's president
Author: Sami Moubayed
Publication Date: 17/2/2021
Source: Gulf News
As Aounists toy with extending mandate, we look at country's sectarian government system
Syria war: Ten years on, Syrian Christians say Assad 'has taken us hostage'
Author: Sophian Aubin
Publication Date: 14/3/2021
Source: Middle East Eye
Members of Syria's Christian minority now in exile say president has manipulated the community while cracking down on dissent.
10 years of the Syrian Crisis and the Future of Christians in the Country: An Interview with Dr. Mark Tomass
Author: Abdulmesih BarAbraham
Publication Date: 9/3/2021
Source: Syria Comment
Until the outbreak of the Syrian revolts in March 2011, Syria had the largest Christian population in the Middle East after Egypt. According to different sources, two to three million Christians (making up 10-15% of the population) lived in the country forming a rich mosaic in terms of their denominations, visible in a variety of Christian churches in Syria. During the conflict, they have not been acting as a homogeneous group and remained fragmented along many denominational lines. Geographically, they remain scattered in different cities of the country. According to Open Door assessment from 2013, their geographical concentration in strategic areas marked an important factor of their vulnerability.
Iran Christians Get Shelter in Hungary After International Outcry
Author: Stefan J Bos
Publication Date: 13/3/2021
Source: Pakistan Christian Post
An Iranian Christian father and his young son, who were detained on the Hungarian-Serbian border for 527 days, have been moved to a home in northwest Hungary following international pressure. A Baptist church helped Abouzar Soltani, a convert from Islam to Christianity, and his 12-year-old-son Armin to find an apartment in the Hungarian city of Győr, BosNewsLife learned.
Between coexistence and coercion: The KRG's mixed record with Iraq's Christian minorities
Author: Sylvain Mercadier
Publication Date: 10/3/2021
Source: The New Arab
For many years to come, the world will remember this short moment of history in March 2021, when despite a resurging coronavirus epidemic, 84-year-old Pope Francis travelled across continents to meet the Iraqi people.
The unprecedented visit from the leader of the Catholic Church led to a moment of general jubilation, from Baghdad to Mosul, from the ruins of Ur, the city of prophet Abraham, to the Nineveh plains, the cradle of Assyrian culture.
