King: Jordan will continue to defend Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem
Amman, Aug. 16 -- His Majesty King Abdullah praised the steadfastness of Jerusalemites and their continued efforts to defend Al Aqsa Mosque/ Haram Al Sharif. During a meeting with a delegation representing Jerusalem Awqaf Department as well as Jerusalemites and Palestinian figures, in the presence of HRH Prince Ghazi, the King’s personal envoy and adviser for religious and cultural affairs,
Genocide of Christians continues in Middle East, says new U.S. report
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration renews its commitment to the protection of religious minority groups threatened by the Islamic State in the Middle East, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the preface of the annual State Department report on international religious freedom, released Aug. 15. "ISIS is clearly responsible for genocide against Yezidis, Christians and Shia Muslims in
ISIS ‘Genocide’ Seriously Threatens Religious Freedom
The Islamic State’s targeting of religious minorities in the territory it controls is one of the biggest threats to international religious freedom, the U.S. Department of State noted in an annual report. ISIS is the only group or malevolent actor named in the report’s preface, indicating the seriousness with which the Trump administration views the group’s threat. “ISIS has and continues to
Theophilos III slams Israeli court over illegally obtained Greek Orthodox properties
In 2004, the previous patriarch sold Church property in the Old City to an organisation of Jewish settlers. The current patriarch opposed the authorised sale, starting a legal battle. On 1 August, the Israeli court confirmed the sale agreement. Theophilos III will appeal to the Supreme Court against the “politically motivated” ruling, which will “have the most negative effect on
Iraqi Christians are racing against time
If they don't soon reclaim their homes on the Nineveh Plains, Christianity in Iraq will be at grave risk BEFORE ISIS swept across the Nineveh Plains in the summer of 2014, driving more than 100,000 Christians into exile in Kurdistan, some 5,000 Syriac-Catholic families made their homes on ancient ancestral land in the town of Qaraqosh. More than half of
Mideast patriarchs call on Pope Francis to ‘scold’ world leaders over Christian exodus
Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs said only the 'Rock of Peter' could help Mideast Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs decried the desperate situation they face as shepherds of churches “whose existence is in real danger.” They categorized the continued displacement of Christians from the Middle East as “a genocidal project, a humanitarian catastrophe and a plague of the earth’s civilization.” “The time
Aleppo, the reconstruction of houses and hearts has begun
In Aleppo, Syria, after six years of war, this is the first summer without bombings, clashes, deaths and devastation; peace is back in most of the city. And for the deeply wounded population a time of reconstruction has begun; life begins again. Those who have lived with soul-crushing pain are not alone because of the ’humanity’ of men and women
UNHCR Iraq steps up help to families in Mosul
UNHCR, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency, has been stepping up its help in Iraq for families inside Mosul, including thousands who have recently returned to the city after fleeing the fighting. UNHCR, and its partner, Human Appeal, have already distributed shelter kits to more than 3,200 families in east and west Mosul, including returnees and those who had been unable
After years of exile, Dominican sisters return to Iraq’s Nineveh Plain
Erbil, Iraq - After three years in exile from Iraq's Nineveh Plain while it was occupied by the Islamic State, the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena are returning to their homeland to face the daunting challenge of rebuilding their destroyed communities. “Three years ago, we left our homes at night to the unknown. We started a journey of displacement,
This priest preserves Iraqi culture found in historic manuscripts
ince 1750 many antique manuscripts had been kept in the library of the Dominican monastery in Mosul. They were moved from the monastery starting in 2007, amid the backdrop of increased violence against Christians and other minorities at the hands of extremist groups. The documents include more than 25 subjects, including theology, philosophy, astronomy, medicine, history, and geography, many of