Newsfeed
Christians and Muslims in Algeria “maintain links” despite Lockdown: Bishop of Constantine
Author: Jude Atemanke
Publication Date: 7/5/2020
Source: ACI Africa
Christians and Muslims in the North African nation of Algeria have sought to maintain interpersonal connections going beyond religion amid COVID-19 restrictions and the ongoing holy month of Ramadan, the Bishop of Constantine told Vatican News in an interview.
Israel reverses ban, letting Gaza Christians visit Christmas sites
Publication Date: 23/12/2019
Source: The Japan Times
Christians in the Gaza Strip will be allowed to visit holy cities such as Bethlehem and Jerusalem at Christmas, Israel authorities said on Sunday, reversing a decision not to issue them permits.
Israel tightly restricts movements out of the Gaza Strip, territory controlled by Hamas, an Islamist group that it considers a terrorist organization.
Moroccan laws and social pressure can’t stop the Church
Author: Taylor Benson
Publication Date: 3/4/2020
Source: Mission Network News
Morocco (MNN) — The North African nation of Morocco is overwhelmingly Muslim – 98 percent. Christians account for just one percent of the population, but most of them are foreigners.
Being a Christian in Morocco, especially a native Christian, is very difficult. For one, you can’t legally get married as a Moroccan believer. Only Muslim and Jewish marriages are legally recognized.
Sharing the Gospel with a Muslim in Morocco is also forbidden. Distributing non-Muslim religious literature is against the law, and even “shaking the faith of a Muslim” carries a prison sentence and a fine.
Christian Group Kairos Palestine Sounds Alarm on Dire Consequences of Israel’s Coalition Government
Publication Date: 30/4/2020
Source: Palestine Chronicle
The board of Kairos Palestine, the most extensive Palestinian Christian ecumenical movement, today sounded the alarm on the dire consequences of Israel’s new coalition government on Palestinians and the region.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and Bennie Gantz’s Blue and White, two of the most right-wing parties in Israel, entered on April 20 a deal that directly threatens Palestinians’ freedom, health, and human rights, said Kairos Palestine in a statement.
Algeria’s Religious Minorities Are Being Restricted
Author: Matias Perttula
Publication Date: 20/4/2020
Source: Persecusion - International Christian Concern
In the recent weeks, ICC’s Advocacy department has worked tirelessly to bring the realities of persecution in Algeria to light in Washington, D.C. As ICC advocates in D.C. for the realization of the freedoms technically guaranteed in the Algerian constitution, it is clear that another agenda is at play which seeks to persecute, limit, and oppress Algeria’s religious minorities—especially Christians. Recently, our Advocacy team had an opportunity sit down with the leadership of the evangelical Christian community in Algeria and interview them about the difficulties that they are facing. A number of their churches have been closed recently as Algeria begins to enforce a series of oppressive measures designed to limit the ability of Christians to worship.
Jerusalem Catholic leader: Israeli and Palestinian doctors united against COVID-19
Publication Date: 5/5/2020
Source: AsiaNews.it
Like in other countries, from Egypt to Iraq where Christians and Muslims work together, even in one of the most disputed and controversial areas of the world, efforts are underway to join forces against the common enemy: COVID-19.
Bernard Sabella, a Fatah representative for Jerusalem and executive secretary of the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches, can bear witness to the climate of solidarity that has emerged in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Islamic terror group confiscating Christians' properties in Syria, watchdog reports
Author: Samuel Smith
Publication Date: 2/5/2020
Source: The Christian Post
A Syrian Islamic rebel group has been confiscating Christian-owned properties in Idlib, according to a new report released by a Syrian human rights watchdog.
“Christians in Idlib province face the injustice of jihadist organizations and violations by Islamic factions, in terms of applying ‘Islamic Sharia law’ to members of different religious communities,” an April 25 report released by the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reads.
Orthodox Christians mark Easter in near-empty Jerusalem
Publication Date: 18/4/2020
Source: Al Jazeera
A small group of Christian clergy celebrated on Saturday the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in a deserted Jerusalem as pilgrims who normally attended the ancient ritual stayed home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Clergymen entered the Edicule, a chamber built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was buried two thousand years ago and rose from the dead after being crucified. Bells tolled above a near-empty church as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilos III, emerged from the crypt carrying a candle lit by the flame. The source of the flame is a closely-guarded secret.
The Syrian civil war drags on, but Christians aren’t losing hope
Author: Kevin Zeller
Publication Date: 9/3/2020
Source: Mission Network News
Syria (MNN) Turkey and Russia signed a ceasefire Friday for the Province of Idlib, where last month’s fighting has created the worst humanitarian crisis of the war.
The ceasefire has reportedly brought some calm to the region, although violence hasn’t ended completely. The civil war in Syria has lasted nine years, and the country has been decimated. Waves of refugees have fled through Turkey and all over Europe.
6th-century inscriptions near Galilee may show Christians’ fading Greek literacy
Author: Amanda Borschel-Dan
Publication Date: 25/7/2019
Source: Times of Israel
Some 15 years ago, while on the trail of an elusive Byzantine-era synagogue, archaeologists at the ongoing Hippos-Sussita Excavations Project near the Sea of Galilee began excavating what appeared to be a public building that had been burned to the ground. After quickly discovering that the remains indicated the structure was “just another church” — one of seven at least at the large ancient settlement — the team moved on to other work.
