IS invades monastery, steals ‘everything’ from Iraqi Christians

IS invades monastery, steals ‘everything’ from Iraqi Christians
After every known Christian is reported to have left Mosul, Islamic State fighters, IS, have now taken over a monastery near the largely Christian town of Qaraqosh, 32 miles southeast of Mosul. According to Agence France Presse IS expelled its three resident monks, a cleric and a few families living there, ordering . . . Read More

ISIS orders last Christians out of Mosul

ISIS orders last Christians out of Mosul
The Islamist militants controlling the Iraqi city of Mosul have ordered all remaining Christians to leave town immediately or face execution, according to news sources. Middle East Concern, a London-based association of Christian-rights agencies with operations in the Middle East, reported Friday that the militants controlling Mosul had summoned Christian . . . Read More

Sara got married

Sara got married
On March 8, International Women’s Day, many of the people in southeastern Turkey only want to discuss one thing. She is Sara, an 18-year-old Assyrian/Syriac woman, who was allegedly kidnapped by sympathizers of Huda-Part, Allah’s party, the Kurdish equivalent to Hezbollah. Others say she merely followed her heart and converted . . . Read More

Malatya murder suspects to be set free

Malatya murder suspects to be set free
A 2008 snapshot of the five Malayta murder suspects.World Watch Monitor   Five Turkish murder suspects on trial for torturing and killing three Christians in Malatya nearly seven years ago are expected to be set free on bail within the next few days, before the conclusion of their trial in . . . Read More

Northern Iraq no longer safe for Christians

Northern Iraq no longer safe for Christians
The Kurdish capital of Erbil is one of a number of cities where bombings have left Christians feeling unsafe.Tom Blackwell / Flickr / Creative Commons   An increase in violence against Christians in northern Iraq has increased the flow of Christians leaving the country. The north, generally considered a relatively . . . Read More

Promised legal reforms disappoint Turkey’s religious minorities

Promised legal reforms disappoint Turkey’s religious minorities
An empty classroom in the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary near Istanbul, closed by the Turkish government since 1971.World Watch Monitor   The Turkish government’s long-awaited “democratisation package” of reform laws announced this week has met with considerable disappointment among Turkey’s minority religious communities. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed on . . . Read More