Iraq Court Backs Christian Woman In Landmark Religious Freedom Case
Iraq’s highest appellate court has ordered authorities to recognize a woman’s Christian faith in state records rather than the Muslim designation forced on her under Iraqi law.
Christian Persecution – Middle East
Missionaries Help Nearly 200 Pregnant Refugees In Jordan Choose Life
Christian missionaries told Worthy News Wednesday that their “pregnancy support ministry” in Jordan has helped nearly 200 pregnant refugee women and girls over the past year despite war, displacement and, in some cases, pressure to abort their unborn children.
Iran Moves To Seize Tehran’s Oldest Protestant Church
Iranian authorities are moving to confiscate Tehran’s historic St. Peter’s Evangelical Church and evict Christian families from the church compound, marking another escalation in the Islamic Republic’s long campaign to suppress Protestant Christianity and restrict public Christian worship.
Iranian Christian Convert Mary Mohammadi Disappears After Detention (Worthy News Investigation)
Concerns are growing over the fate of Iranian Christian convert, journalist, and human rights defender Mary Mohammadi after reports emerged that she disappeared following an apparent detention by Iranian authorities.
Syrians Who Converted To Christian Faith Threatened In Dutch Asylum Center After Baptism
Several Syrians who converted from Islam to Christianity while staying at a Dutch asylum seekers’ center in the southwestern port city of Vlissingen were threatened after publicly professing their faith through baptism, church leaders and politicians said.
Underground Church Thrives in Iran Amid War, Seizing “Spiritual Turning Point”
Despite the devastation and uncertainty brought by the ongoing conflict in Iran, a remarkable spiritual movement is quietly accelerating beneath the surface. Christian leaders report that the nation’s underground Church is not only enduring—but growing stronger—amid the chaos.
Christian Town In Syria Targeted Ahead Of Easter As Violence Escalates
Christians in central Syria faced a tense Easter weekend after their town was targeted by armed Muslim men, with residents watching in horror as church property, homes, shops, a café, and cars were damaged, residents said.
Churches Plan Millions Of Bibles in Iran Despite War, Christians Say
American churches and mission groups are preparing to bring millions of Bibles and other Christian literature into Iran despite the ongoing war in the region, Christians familiar with the plans say.
Iranian Christian Convert Plans Return as Fighter as War Raises Fears for Christians
An Iranian Christian convert who fled a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in early January says he plans to return to his homeland as a fighter, underscoring growing concerns over the safety of minority Christians amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic.
Concerns Grow For Christians In Iranian Prisons Amid Strikes
Families and friends of scores of Christians held in Iranian prisons have requested prayers as “concerns for their well-being grow and communication has all but ceased” amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, Christians told Worthy News Thursday.
Iranian Christians Face Surge In Arrests As Crackdown Deepens
Christian advocacy groups have expressed alarm over what they describe as a sharp rise in arrests and mistreatment of Christians in Iran, particularly converts, accusing the Islamic Republic of increasingly using national security laws to suppress religious dissent.
Iran’s Islamic Rulers Jail Christians as Protests Kill Thousands
Iran’s Islamic rulers have jailed more Christians amid a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests that a network of Iranian doctors says has killed up to 18,000 people.
Syria’s Christians Suffer As Thousands Flee Clashes; Several Killed
There was mounting concern Thursday about the plight of Christians still staying in war-torn Syria after fighting escalated in the northern city of Aleppo, killing several people and prompting tens of thousands to flee their homes.
Bethlehem Marks Christmas After Ceasefire As Jenin Church Arson Raises Concern
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, marked its first Christmas celebrations since a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hamas, though concern lingered among Christians following an arson attack near a church elsewhere in the West Bank.
Arson Attack Damages Church Property in Jenin Ahead of Christmas
Minority Christians in Palestinian territories faced a tense Christmas after church officials confirmed that “an arson attack” damaged a Christmas tree and a Nativity grotto at the Holy Redeemer Church in Jenin.
Iran: Five Christians Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences
Five Iranian Christians have been sentenced to a combined 55 years in prison amid a broader crackdown on devout Christian believers in Iran, a strict Islamic nation, sources told Worthy News Thursday.
Syrian Christians Fear Dark Future Under Al-Sharaa Despite Christmas Celebrations And Washington Breakthrough (Worthy News In-Depth)
Despite Christmas approaching, many Christians in Syria aren’t in a celebratory mood one year after the toppling of longtime autocratic President Bashar al-Assad, investigations reveal.
Syria’s Christians Face “Ethno-Religious Cleansing,” Investigator Warns US As New Government Courts West
The burial of a 19-year-old girl killed in a June bombing at the Mar Elias Church in Syria’s capital Damascus has become a stark symbol of the “ethno-religious cleansing” facing Syria’s ancient Christian community, a Swedish investigative journalist told U.S. officials.
Christian Leaders Urge Trump to Address Religious Persecution in Historic Syria Meeting
More than 50 prominent Christian leaders are calling on President Trump to directly confront Syria’s new president about the ongoing persecution of religious minorities when the two leaders meet Monday at the White House, marking a historic first for U.S.-Syria relations.
Kyrgyz Pastor ‘Suffers Brain Injuries’ After Reported Torture, UN Experts Raise Alarm
A Protestant pastor in Kyrgyzstan who was reportedly tortured by secret police has suffered traumatic brain injuries and lasting cognitive impairment, according to his family, doctors, and United Nations experts cited by rights monitors.