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First republic-era church rises over Istanbul’s Yeşilköy
Publication Date: 16/02/2022
Source: Daily Sabah
In the leafy neighborhood of Yeşilköy on Istanbul’s European side, construction workers toil amid the sounds of cranes and hammers on a vast plot inside a Catholic cemetery. They are putting the final touches on the Mor Efrem Syriac Orthodox Church, which is set to open in August or September. The church is of historic importance both for the Christian community and Turkey: It is the first time that a church has been built from scratch in nearly 100 years, since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey.
9 Iranian Christians Acquitted: Is Islamic Regime Faking Freedom During Nuke Talks? Expert Says 'Yes'
Author: Steve Warren
Publication Date: 4/3/2022
Source: The Christian Broadcasting Network
Nine Iranian Christian converts who were held in prison for "acting against national security" and "promoting Zionist Christianity" have been acquitted by a Tehran appeals court.
Persecution watchdog Article 18 reports the ruling by Branch 34 of the Tehran Court of Appeal, comes after an Iranian Supreme Court judge ordered a review of their convictions in November.
Iran’s role in persecution of Mideast Christians is overlooked, expert says
Author: David Isaac
Publication Date: 1/3/2022
Source: Jewish News Syndicate
The West is missing a critical component of the story when it comes to the persecution of Middle East Christians, said Farhad Rezaei, a visiting lecturer at Toronto-based York University, during a Zoom presentation on Feb. 22. And that missing element is Iran.
Christianity Is the World’s Most Persecuted Religion, Confirms New Report
Author: Doug Bandow
Publication Date: 7/3/2022
Source: Cato Institute
The group Open Doors USA figures that 360 million Christians last year lived in countries where persecution was “significant.” Roughly 5,600 Christians were murdered, more than 6,000 were detained or imprisoned, and another 4,000-plus were kidnapped. In addition, more than 5,000 churches and other religious facilities were destroyed.
Case closed: Christians’ house-church worship was not ‘action against national security’
Publication Date: 28/2/2022
Source: Article 18
Nine Christian converts who spent a combined nearly 20 years in prison for “acting against national security” and “promoting Zionist Christianity” have been acquitted by a Tehran appeal court.
The ruling by Branch 34 of the Tehran Court of Appeal, issued and communicated to the nine Christians today, comes after a Supreme Court judge ordered a review of their convictions in November.
Wave of expulsions shakes Turkey’s tiny Protestant community
Author: Sibel Hurtas
Publication Date: 23/3/2022
Source: Al-Monitor
Nearly 200 foreign Protestant clergy and their families, including many Americans, have been forced to leave Turkey since a severe crisis between Ankara and Washington over the imprisonment of a US pastor in 2018. Members of Turkey’s tiny Protestant community describe a pattern of expulsions, based on secret reports by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), with no explanation why the deported Protestants constitute a security risk for the country.
Syrian-Armenian Church Rebuilt After Islamic State Desecration
Publication Date: 25/02/2022
Source: Persecusion - International Christian Concern
A church previously utilized by the Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria has been restored to its glory after five years. Prior to the attacks of the Islamic State, the Armenian Catholic church of the Martyrs was home to more than 150 Christian families of the city.
Erbil becomes a transit for Syria’s Christians fleeing ISIS and opposition
Publication Date: 26/2/2022
Source: North Press
Syrian refugees, of the Christian community, have taken Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG), as a transit hoping to immigrate to Australia.
The families, fleeing the Islamic State (ISIS) and the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition factions, left their hometowns in Raqqa and Ras al-Ain (Sere Kaniye) among others in northeastern Syria.
