Middle East

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Concerns are mounting over devoted Christians in Iran after three more believers were detained in the city of Rasht in Gilan province, as part of what activists view as an "ongoing official campaign of repression" against the country's Christian community.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in Egypt are mourning after another believer was murdered in Egypt, the fifth killing in less than two weeks. Ishak Ibrahim Fayez Younan, 37, was found dead by his brother at the victim's temporary residence in the old part of Cairo, the capital. He leaves behind a grieving wife and two children, ages 10 and 12, Christians said.

By Alexander MacDonald and Stefan J. Bos CAIRO/ROME (BosNewsLife)-- Egypt's embattled Coptic community on Monday, February 15, marked the one year since video surfaced of the murder of 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians on a beach in Libya. The men were marched in orange suits across the beach, forced to kneel and then were beheaded by Islamic State group militants.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BEIRUT/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Christian aid workers say the United Nations is involved in persecuting...

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN/LONDON (BosNewsLife)-- Advocacy group Amnesty International (AI) says four Iranians have been sentenced in Iran to a combined total of 45 years in prison “solely for practicing their Christian faith” and has launched an Urgent Action for their release.

By BosNewsLife News Center with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BEIRUT/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary's foreign minister has urged the international community to support Lebanon's stability and protect Christians in the region amid concerns about rising sectarian tensions.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Authorities in northern Iran have detained a pastor and two other members of the Church of Iran, one of the country's largest house church movements, fellow Christians said Tuesday, July 8. Pastor Matthias Haghnejad, Mohammad Roghangir and Suroush Saraie were arrested July 5 by security forces at the pastor’s home in the city of Bandar-Anzali, well-informed sources said.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BAGHDAD, IRAQ (BosNewsLife)-- Minority Christians were among those suffering Sunday, May 19, after at least 140 people died during four consecutive days of violence in Iraq, raising fears that sectarian conflicts could lead the troubled Middle East nation into civil war. "It is difficult to tell of the intensity of violence here over the past week," said Canon Andrew White...

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with additional reporting by Philippa Hitchen in Vatican City and Stefan J. Bos DAMASCUS/VATICAN CITY (BosNewsLife)-- The Vatican and aid workers have urged the world to help end an "apocalyptic" bombing campaign in Syria where "thousands of families" live in underground shelters and "millions of children" are malnourished.