Christians News

Sudan's persecuted Christians eye long-sought freedom

By AFP

Khartoum - Sudan's Christians suffered decades of persecution under the regime of Islamist general Omar al-Bashir. Now they hope his downfall will give the religious freedom they have long prayed for.

Afraid but unbowed: Sri Lanka Catholics pray for Easter bombing victims

By AFP

Colombo - Church bells tolled mournfully at Colombo's devastated St Anthony's Shrine on Sunday, as scores of Christians wept but defiantly prayed and lit candles for the victims of the horrific Easter bombings.

Christmas joy missing in rubble of Syria town

By AFP

Harasta - With Christmas approaching, Nabil al-Aash dusts off religious books as he attempts to tidy up the war-scarred Saint George Church in the town of Arbin, northeast of the Syrian capital Damascus.

Grieving Pakistani Christians mark Christmas days after IS attack

By AFP

Quetta - Pakistan deployed commandos inside and around a church in the southwestern city of Quetta Monday as its grieving but defiant congregation marked Christmas days after they were targeted in a deadly Islamic State-claimed attack.

In Jordan, Iraqi Christians dream of fresh start abroad

By AFP

Amman - Inside a church in Jordan, a displaced Iraqi Christian mother dreams of a brighter future for her children far from the war-torn country they were forced to flee.

Last Christians of Israeli-controlled Golan Heights endure

By AFP

When about a hundred Arab Christians recently attended the small church at Ein Qiniye in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, it was a turnout not often seen there.

Rosaries and rifles: Syria Christians take on IS in Raqa

By AFP

Ak - An ivory-coloured rosary swings from the rearview mirror of Abboud Seryan's pickup truck as he speeds through Syria's Raqa, inspecting the positions of fellow Christian fighters taking on the Islamic State group.

Iraqi girl reunited with family 3 years after IS abduction

By AFP

- The Ashti camp in Iraq's northern city of Arbil on Saturday celebrated the return of a girl whose abduction by jihadists three years ago sent shockwaves through her Christian community.

In ruins of Iraq Christian town, fires a sign of rebirth

By AFP

Al Hamdaniyah - Several plumes of smoke rise above Iraq's main Christian town Qaraqosh, but this time it isn't the Islamic State jihadist group burning crosses and churches.

Iraqi Christians mark first post-IS Easter in recaptured town

By AFP

Al Hamdaniyah - Qaraqosh is quiet except for a church bell ringing as Iraqi Christians gather for the first Easter mass since the town was retaken from the Islamic State jihadist group.

Egypt says Alexandria church suicide bomber identified

By AFP

Cairo - Egypt's interior ministry said on Wednesday it had identified the suicide bomber behind a deadly attack at the weekend outside a church in the coastal city of Alexandria.

Egypt parliament 'approves state of emergency'

By AFP

Cairo - Egypt's parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved a three-month state of emergency declared by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after deadly church bombings, state-run Nile News television reported.

Egypt under emergency rule after church attacks

By AFP

Alexandria - Hundreds gathered Monday to mourn 45 Egyptian Christians killed in jihadist bombings just a week before Easter, after Cairo declared a state of emergency following the attacks on two churches.

Egypt set for emergency rule after church attacks

By AFP

Cairo - Egypt prepared to impose a state of emergency Monday after jihadist bombings killed dozens at two churches in the deadliest attacks in recent memory on the country's Coptic Christian minority.

Palm Sunday church bombings claimed by IS kill at least 43 in Egypt

By AFP

Tanta - The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for bombing two Egyptian churches as worshippers gathered to mark Palm Sunday, killing at least 43 people in the deadliest attacks on the Coptic Christian minority in recent memory.

At least 13 dead in Egypt church bombing: state media

By AFP

Cairo - At least 13 people were killed Sunday when bomb blast went off in the vicinity of a church in the Egyptian city of Tanta north of Cairo, state media said.

Freed from IS, but Iraq's Qaraqosh is now a ghost town

By AFP

Al Hamdaniyah - In the Iraqi Christian town of Qaraqosh, time stands still. The Islamic State group was expelled in October 2016, but life has not returned to its once-vibrant and wealthy neighbourhoods.

Iraq Christians tell tales of survival in the 'caliphate'

By AFP

- They were threatened, forced to spit on a crucifix or convert to Islam, but a handful of Iraqi Christians miraculously survived more than two years under Islamic State group rule.

Fear, faith in Pakistan as Christian mother appeals death sentence

By AFP

Lahore - A life and death countdown has begun in Pakistan, where the Supreme Court is due to hear a final appeal against the execution of a Christian woman for blasphemy.

Fear and faith for daughters of Pakistani Christian on death row

By AFP

Lahore - Esham and her sister Esha live largely in seclusion: fears they will be mistreated because they are daughters of the accused in Pakistan's most infamous blasphemy case make them reluctant to venture into the brimming streets of Lahore.

Op-Ed: Why has 'Merry Christmas' become so offensive to so many people?

By Karen Graham

The world's Christians need to stand up and be heard this year at Christmas, because if we don't, we may not have a chance next time a Christian holiday comes around. If you think I'm overreacting, just take a gander at the headlines.

Emotional funeral for Iraqi family that drowned in Aegean

By AFP

Erbil - Hundreds of people attended a funeral ceremony Wednesday for an Iraqi family that drowned in the Aegean Sea last month while attempting to reach the shores of Europe.

IS releases 15 Christians in Syria: Monitoring groups

By AFP

Birut - At least 15 Syrian Christians who had been held by the Islamic State group in the central village of Al-Qaryatain were released Friday, monitoring groups said.

Belgium helps 244 Christians escape Syria

By AFP

Brussels - The Belgian government said Wednesday that it has in recent months helped 244 Christians to escape from Syria and move to Belgium with refugee status, most of them families with children.

One building, three religions — Protests continue at holy site

By Karen Graham

Jerusalem - If one building in the world epitomizes the religious strife we are seeing in the world today, it would be a building located in Jerusalem, Israel. The building is shared by two major religions, each claiming its importance to their own faith.

Kurds oust IS from Christian villages in Syria: Monitor

By AFP

Birut - Kurdish forces have driven the Islamic State group from more than a dozen Assyrian Christian villages that the jihadists had captured in northeastern Syria, a monitor said Wednesday.

Thousands of Ethiopians march in government rally over IS killings

By AFP

Addis Ababa - Tens of thousands of Ethiopians marched through the capital Wednesday in a government-organised rally condemning the murder of a group of Ethiopian Christians by Islamic State militants in Libya.

U.S. anger over IS 'atrocity' against Christians in Libya

By AFP

Tripoli - The United States condemned the "brutal mass murder" of 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya following a video released by Islamic State militants purportedly showing their execution.

Boko Haram out to wipe Christians off the map in Nigeria

By Karen Graham

Over 70 million Christians living in Nigeria are in fear for their lives as the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram continues its murderous rampaging across northeastern Nigeria, reaching into as far as Chad, Cameroon and Niger.