Middle East

By BosNewsLife News Center with reports from Africa and Asia JAKARTA/ABUJA/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- North Korea leads a list of nations where "Christians face the most severe persecution", but "Muslim-majority" countries represent nine of the top 10 amid spreading Islamic extremism around the world, a major Christian watchdog said in comments obtained by BosNewsLife Thursday, January 5.  

By Eric Leijenaar, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent reporting from the Netherlands AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (BosNewsLife)-- Translators of U.S.-based Wycliffe Associates have launched two Bible translation projects in countries where evangelism, or even reading a Bible, is forbidden.

(ADDS MORE REACTIONS, BACKGROUND) By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- The only presidential candidate who pledged to work for religious minorities has won Iran's presidential elections, first results showed.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- An evangelical church leader who is serving a six year prison term in one of Iran's most notorious jails for Christian activities has told his father he refuses to condemn his enemies as the Lord "never" abandoned him.

By BosNewsLife News Center WASHINGTON, USA (BosNewsLife)-- Coptic Christians in the United States will protest against an "increase" in Islamic attacks against Egypt's Christian minority and the "refusal" by authorities to halt the violence, organizers said Monday, December 14.

By George Whitten, BosNewsLife Chief Middle East Correspondent reporting from Israel JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas was threatened Tuesday, January 27, when a bomb exploded on the Israeli side of the Gaza border killing an Israeli soldier and injuring three others, the Israeli army said.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- The pastor of Iran's largest Persian speaking Pentecostal church has been "conditionally released" from prison but his congregation in the capital Tehran remains closed, Iranian Christians told BosNewsLife Thursday, July 4.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- The health of a jailed pastor of one of Iran's largest evangelical house church movements is deteriorating and there were fears Monday he may die, a well-informed representative told BosNewsLife.  

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- A Christian man has begun a hunger strike in an Iranian prison to protest the rejection of his conditional release appeal by the Revolutionary Court, despite concerns over his health, Iranian Christians told BosNewsLife Sunday, March 30.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- A prominent Iranian Christian musician was again behind bars Wednesday, May 7, after being released in December, while an evangelical house church official has been detained as part of a wider crackdown, Christians said.