By BosNewsLife Center with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BAGHDAD/CAIRO/BEIJING (BosNewsLife)-- Rights investigators said Wednesday, January 13, there has been "a surge ofattacks" against Christians since December, with deaths, detentions and destruction reported in the Arab world, Africa and Asia.

(ADDS COMMENTS PROFESSOR, BACKGROUND)
By BosNewsLife Middle East Service

CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Three suspects in a drive-by shooting in front of a church that killed six Coptic Christians and a Muslim policeman in southern Egypt surrendered to police, but Christian organizations urged authorities to do more to end "inter-faith tensions."

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service

TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- An Iranian court forced a Christian convert with a Muslim background to sign a confession that she is "mentally unstable" and placed her under three months of house arrest in the city of Mashhad, 850 kilometers (530 miles) east of the capital Tehran, trial observers said.

By BosNewsLife News Center with BosNewsLife's Senior Special Correspondent Johan Th. Bos reporting from the Netherlands

AMSTERDAM/WASHINGTON D.C. (BosNewsLife)-- One of the world's largest mission agencies, Open Doors, named North Korea and Iran Wednesday, November 6, as "the worst persecutors of Christians".

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife

CAIRO/LAHORE (BosNewsLife)-- An aid and advocacy group has warned that a recent decision by Swiss voters to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland is having ramifications for already persecuted Christians in several Muslim-majority countries.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service

TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- A Christian mother jailed in Iran was apparently still prevented from meeting her family Monday, January 4, nearly three weeks after she was detained by police for allegedly contacting foreign Christian broadcasters.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service

MOSUL, IRAQ (BosNewsLife)-- At least 11 people were killed in several attacks in Iraq Friday, December 25 as security forces struggled to protect Christians against Christmas attacks following deadly church bombings this week.

By Robert Berger reporting from Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- Thousands of people have attended Christmas Eve celebrations at the birthplace of Christianity in Bethlehem.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service

TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in Iran on Wednesday anticipated a difficult Christmas after security forces reportedly raided a worship gathering and detained two of the group's leaders.

By Eric Leijenaar, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- Security forces of Israel's immigration service broke into an African church in Tel Aviv damaging the ceiling and detaining several worshipers, news reports said Tuesday, December 22.