Middle East

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- A pastor of the Central Assemblies of God (AoG) Church in Tehran was detained Tuesday, May 21, as part of Iran's wider crackdown on evangelical believers,  Christian rights activists confirmed. The arrest of Reverend Robert Asserian came as his church prepared for possible closure by the end of June due to pressure from the feared Iranian Intelligence Ministry, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iran's government has ordered children belonging to families of one of the country's largest house church movements to study the Koran and Shi’a Islam teachings or face expulsion from school, a church official confirmed to BosNewsLife Thursday, September 7. The Church of Iran movement is also concerned about four jailed members saying one of them "was deported to a feared secret police facility" in the southern city of Shiraz.

Listen to this report via Vatican Radio:  By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with additional reporting by Vatican Radio's Lydia O'Kane DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Syrian Christians were rejoicing Monday, March 10, after rebels freed more than a dozen Greek Orthodox nuns ending their near four-month captivity in exchange for Syrian authorities releasing dozens of female prisoners.

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.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BAGHDAD, IRAQ (BosNewsLife)-- Friends expressed relief Wednesday, July 16, after five Christians, including two nuns and three orphans, were released in Iraq by Islamic militants, but concern remained about the future of Iraq's dwindling Christian community.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by Joseph DeCaro KHAFJI, SAUDI ARABIA (BosNewsLife)– Concerns remained Thursday, September 11, over the whereabouts of dozens of Christians detained in Saudi Arabia for worshiping in an underground house church, Christians said.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Three Christians in Iran urge believers to pray for them as they and another Christian convert each...

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in Egypt have requested prayer after suspected Islamic militants killed four Christians in recent weeks and threatened to murder more believers, rights activists said Monday, February 20.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- There was mounting concern Sunday, August 18, over the health situation of an Iranian-born American pastor and another evangelical leader who were among those sentenced to long prison terms in Tehran on charges that friends link to their Christian faith.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (BosNewsLife)-- Two Indian Christians of a thriving Pentecostal house church in Saudi Arabia have been moved from pre-trial detention to a prison in the Saudi capital Ryadh where they are "forbidden to pray or read the Bible" and "suffer of a lack of food and medical attention," an elder of the church told BosNewsLife Sunday April 10.