Egypt

By BosNewsLife Middle East and African Services with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- People traffickers have killed two Orthodox deacons who were among hundreds of African refugees held as hostages in the Sinai Desert, a Christian rights group said Monday December 13.

By BosNewsLife Middle East with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Egypt said Saturday, December 11, it had no information on reports that hundreds of Eritrean and other African hostages, including Christians, are being held by people traffickers in the Sinai Desert.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Scores of Coptic Christian children are recovering from injuries and nearly two dozen minors remain detained after Egyptian security forces opened fire on unarmed Copts protesting against the authorities' decision to halt the construction of a church, rights investigators said Thursday 09.

By BosNewsLife Middle East and African Services CAIRO/JERUSALEM (BosNewsLife)-- There was international concern Friday, November 26, over the situation of 80 Eritrean refugees who rights activists said have been held hostage by people smugglers on the Egypt-Israel border for about a month.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Egypt's attorney general has reportedly ordered the detention of 156 Christian protesters following deadly clashes with riot police in a suburb of the capital Cairo where authorities halted construction of a church, BosNewsLife monitored Thursday, November 25.

By Joseph C. DeCaro, BosNewsLife Special Corespondent CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Nearly a dozen injured Egyptian Christians, known as Copts, were recovering Monday, August 23, after they were attacked by an angry Muslim mob in the village of Shimi, a church leader and local Christians said.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Christian rights activists have condemned a decision to again postpone the trial of Mohammed al-Kammuni, who has been charged with killing six Christians in Upper Egypt. The trial was adjourned for the third consecutive time "without any reason being issued" and is scheduled to convene on May 16, said International Christian Concern (ICC), a major advocacy group.

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 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.