Christian Refugees Flood Out of Mosul
Bodies of Christians covered the streets of Iraq’s second-largest city after Sunni jihadists seized a town that Iraqi Christians had thought was their last refuge, according to Christian Headlines.com.
Christian Persecution – Middle East
Iran: Pastor Irani Beaten in Prison and Taken to Unknown Location
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has learned that imprisoned Pastor Behnam Irani — who was sentenced in 2011 to six years on political charges — was beaten and transferred to an unknown location Saturday.
Status of Six Christians Detained in Tehran Uncertain
Six Farsi-speaking Christians who were arrested while celebrating Easter are still being held in custody at an unknown location, according to Mohabat News.
Syria: Maaloula’s Christian Sites Sacked By Rebels
An official report by the Directorate General of Antiquities has documented the destruction inflicted on Maaloula and its historical sites by Islamist rebel fighters after pro-Assad forces had regained the Syrian city, according to International Christian Concern.
Iranian Pastor Injured by Prison Guards
An imprisoned Iranian pastor was injured in an attack by his own guards last week, according to Barnabas Aid.
Mental Torture is Common in Iranian Prisons
Life for minorities in Iran is deteriorating as the Islamic Republic continues to restrict religious non-Muslims by closing their churches, through mass arrests with lengthy sentences, or even exile to remote locales, according to Mohabat News.
Homes of Christians Fleeing Iraq Seized by Gangs
Gangs in Baghdad are seizing homes left vacant by Christian families who have been forced to flee from sectarian violence, according to Barnabas Aid.
Abedini: God has chosen us for this ordeal
The wife of an American pastor serving eight years in Iran for his Christian faith said God had chosen their family for this ordeal to reach people in despair.
Syrian Islamists Kill 80 Christians, Displace Thousands More
Eighty Christians were killed and thousands more displaced after Islamic militants attacked the strategic Syrian town of Kessab near the Turkish border on March 21, according to Barnabas Aid.
Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
During a press conference in Geneva this month, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran released his latest report, according to Barnabas Aid.
Christians Warned Not to Support Assad
Using the Twitter social networking site, Lebanon’s March 14 General Secretariat Coordinator warned Christians that backing President Bashar al-Assad would backfire on their own communities, according to NOW news.
Twenty-two Christians killed in Nigeria
International Christian Concern has reported that 22 Christians were killed in an assault on a worship service in northeastern Nigeria Sunday morning.
Call to Protect Syria’s Christians
The World Evangelical Alliance has called for the protection of Syria’s Christian population ahead of the upcoming peace conference in Geneva, according to International Christian Concern.
Lebanon: Historic Christian-owned library torched
A blasphemy allegation may have led to an arson attack on an historic library owned by a church leader in Lebanon this month, according to Barnabas Aid.
Israel deports Messianic Jew
An immigration judge has ordered the deportation of a Messianic Jew arrested last week while participating in an evangelistic event in Israel, according to Morning Star News.
Pastor’s transfer to Iran’s Rajai Shahr Prison a “Death Sentence”
International Christian Concern has just learned of the abrupt transfer of American Pastor Saeed Abedini from Iran’s Evin Prison to a single cell with five death row inmates in Rajai Shahr Prison.
Iran: 80 Lashes for Communion Wine
This month an Iranian court in Rasht sentenced four members from the Church of Iran to 80 lashes each.
Saudi Mufti again calls for destruction of all churches in Arabia
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has once again called for the destruction of all churches on the Arabian Peninsula.
Iran: Christian Women Among Political Prisoners Freed
Two Christian women were among the nearly 100 political prisoners released from Iranian jails before that nation’s newly elected president addressed the UN General Assembly in New York City Tuesday, according to Barnabas Aid.
Syria: Christian village now a ‘ghost town’
Homes have been vandalized and plundered while the bodies of Christians lie along the roads of a small Christian village north of Damascus after it was invaded by Islamist insurgents last Thursday.