1. Foreword
When Jesus said, "you have to carry the cross and follow me" and "you will face
tribulations in this world; but remember that I have overcome them (so you
can)", I do not think people in Syria had any clue how hard that cross was
going to be. ...
2.
2014 The World Watch List for Christian Persecution (WWL)
Top 25 countries where persecution of Christians for religious reasons is
the most severe for 2014 as reported by Open Doors International. ...
3.
How Can We Celebrate When Our People Are Suffering? by HH Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
How can you celebrate this Christmas and New Year with all the
happiness when our beloved Archbishops Their Eminences Mor Gregorios Yohanna
Ibrahim and Mor Paulose Yazgi are abducted since last April and we lack any kind
of true information about them? ...
4.
Christian Courage in Syria
According to ICC, The violence that has torn apart
the country of Syria for nearly three years has taken more than 100,000
lives. As the stream of foreign Jihadist fighters continues to rise the
dangers for Syrian Christians also is rising. Caught in between the two
sides and with the increasing numbers of militants subscribing to a militant
Islamic ideology, the situation looks even more dire for Christians. Here is
a look at the abduction of our two bishops and the subsequent atrocities in
Syria. ...
5.
450,000 Christian Syrians Displaced in Long-Term Crisis
As we know, there are 120,000 Syrians killed in the 3-year- long crisis,
including Syrian Christians. Maybe the Christians among the killed amount to
1,000. There are also nine million people displaced inside and outside
Syria, 450,000 of whom were Christians. ...
6.
Orthodox Bishop Decries Largest Massacre of Syrian Christians
Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Homs and Hama, Archbishop Selwanos Boutros
Alnemeh, told Fides news agency Nov. 4, 2013 that what happened in Sadad was "the most
serious and largest massacre of Christians in Syria in the past two and a half
years," and he decried the world's silence in the face of the atrocity. ...
7.
Young Christian Killed and Beheaded by Jihadists in Syria
Islamist groups have killed and beheaded a young Christian man, seriously
wounding another. The incident, which occurred on 8 January 2014, was reported to Fides by a priest in the diocese of Homs. The
two, Firas Nader (29), and Fadi Matanius Mattah (34), were traveling by car from
Homs to the Christian village of Marmarita. A group of five armed jihadists
intercepted the vehicle and opened fire on the car. ...
8.
Over 50,000 Books Burned in Christian Library in Lebanon Over Blasphemy Claim
American leaders denounced the burning of a Christian leader's library in
Tripoli, Lebanon, last Friday night (Jan 3, 2014) as based on false pretenses and said it's a
threat to religious liberty.
The Friday night fire burned two-thirds of some 80,000 books and manuscripts in
the Al-Saeh library owned by Greek Orthodox priest Ibrahim Surouj, RT reported.
...
9.
The End of Christian civilization in Syria?
As the intensity of the violence towards Christians
escalates in Syria, many are beginning to recognize the impact of religious
identity on the conflict. "It is believed that religious wars are a matter
of the past. But they have become a matter of the past only for those
western politicians that are not paying attention to them,” Eugeniy
Satanovsky said. This is highlighted by the rising power extremists groups
who have specifically declared their agenda is to establish Islamic law in
Syria. ...
10.
Christians Face Growing Intolerance, Persecution: Future Impact will be Troubling
The importance of the highlighting the religious
persecution in the Middle East is slowly creeping into the national
consciousness. It is an issue that needs to be confronted now, as its seeds
will bear disastrous fruits in years to come. ...
11.
Christianity is The Most Persecuted Religion - UK Parliament Was Told
The plight of Christians around the world was discussed in a three-hour debate
at the Houses of Parliament in London on December 3, 2013.
Members of the House of Commons were told that the persecution of Christians is
increasing, that one Christian is killed around every 11 minutes around the
world, and that Christianity is the "most persecuted religion globally".
...
12.
Prince Charles Criticizes 'Organized Persecution of Middle East Christians'
Echoing the recent words of Louis Raphael I Sako, the Archbishop of Baghdad, the
Prince Charles added that the decline of Christians in the region represents a "major
blow to peace, as Christians are part of the fabric of society, often acting as
bridge-builders between other communities". ...
13.
All Shrines of Ma'loula
Destroyed or Desecrated
A radical Jabhat al-Nusra "opposition" group, which occupied the small Christian
town of Ma'loula in Syria in the last months of 2013, desecrated absolutely all
shrines of the town, reports al Hadas portal with the reference to materials of
the al Akhbar Lebanese newspaper.
According to evidence of eyewitnesses who fled from Ma'loula during the latest
warfare in the region, members of al Nusra tried to change the religious and
architectural-historical look of the ancient Christian town entirely: completely
destroying some churches, the militants brought down all bells from other
ones...
14.
Twelve Nuns 'Abducted' As Rebels Recapture Maaloula, Syria
The Vatican has reported that 12 nuns were abducted as opposition rebels
captured Syria's historically Christian town of Maaloula on December 2,
2013. ...
15.
Poem: Weep, O Children of Men!
Weep for all who must enter the trial
The test of faith, the refiner’s fire.
…but weep not forever!
For dawn will come, light will conquer, a new Sun will rise.
And all that was good, and true, and beautiful
Will breathe new breath, and be given to sons again. ...
16.
Why Christians Are Crucial to the Middle East's Future
An interview with Thomas Farr, director
of the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University, provides
important insight into why Christians play such an important role in the
Middle East and how the promotion of religious freedom and the protection of
Christians are in the best interests of all peoples in the
Middle East, as well as in the West. ...
17.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Breaks the Media Silence on Anti-Christian Persecution
Muslim violence against Christians is on the rise in many areas; Christians in
Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, northern Nigeria, and a number of other places have lost
the protection of their societies. Ali comments:
This is especially so in countries with growing radical Islamist
movements. In those nations, vigilantes often feel they can act with impunity -
and government inaction often proves them right. The old idea of the Ottoman
Turks - that non-Muslims in Muslim societies deserve protection (albeit as
second-class citizens) - has all but vanished from wide swaths of the Islamic
world, and increasingly the result is bloodshed and oppression. ...
18.
Where is God At Times Like These? A Meditation in The Wake of a Violent Atrocity
One of the great mysteries to the believer and non-believer alike is the mystery
of evil and suffering. If there is a God who is omnipotent and omniscient how
can he tolerate evil, injustice, and suffering of the innocent? Where was God
when the shootings in Connecticut occurred? Where is God when a young
girl is raped, when genocide is committed, when evil men hatch their plots? Why
Did God even conceive the evil ones, and let them be born? ...
19.
Being Faithful Does Not Give Us Immunity From Suffering
Occasionally, I come across a sermon by a popular preacher teaching that the
Bible promises God's followers a life free from misfortune. Well, I'm not sure
what Bible they're reading because my Bible doesn't say that.
The truth is we live in a sinful world. And as I flip through the Bible or look
at history, I see that it's often the most faithful who face the roughest
challenges in life. ...
20.
Blessed Are the Persecuted
Blessed are those who are persecuted. It is a hard
pill to swallow. It seems backwards to think about being happy while being
persecuted. It seems unnatural to think about rejoicing or feeling blessed
while being threatened for beliefs. The biggest persecution I have faced due
to my faith are people disagreeing with me. Never have I been threatened.
...
21.
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