Middle East

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- An evangelical pastor and eight other Christians were behind bars in Iran Friday, February 26, after authorities closed their church as part of a new government crackdown on devoted Christians in the Islamic nation, rights investigators said

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN/MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Iran has notified jailed Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was sentenced to die for "apostasy", to prepare for fresh charges against him at a new trial in September, advocacy officials told BosNewsLife late Thursday, July 5.

(ADDS MORE DETAILS ON THOSE DETAINED) By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iran on Monday, January 7, released Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was jailed on Christmas Day to serve the remainder of a sentence for evangelism among Muslims, his evangelical house church movement confirmed.

By BosNewsLife Middle East and Africa Services CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- A young Coptic Christian man has died from gunshot injuries in Egypt's capital Cairo, after three local hospitals turned him away, Christians said Tuesday, January 6. Ihab Ghattas, 23, reportedly died on New Year's Eve from a gunshot wound to the head because of “negligence” as the hospitals which refused to treat him, said Copts activist group Maspero Youth Union (MYU).

>President Obama Speaks Of "History Taking Place" >Churches Expect Change To Constitution >Army Now In Power By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Amid the largest protests in his three decades rule, Egypt's embattled President Hosni Mubarak resigned Friday, February 11, but the future of the country's Christian minority remained uncertain as there was concern about the growing influence of Islamic hardliners in this mainly Muslim nation.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN/ANKARA (BosNewsLife)-- Behnam Irani, one of Iran's leading evangelical pastors, has been reunited with his family after spending six years in an Iranian prison on charges linked to his Christian activities, a spokesman told BosNewsLife.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service BAGHDAD/DAMASCUS (BosNewsLife)-- Minority Christians in Syria and neighboring Iraq faced more upheaval Monday, July 7, after an Islamic group expelled tens of thousands of residents from their homes and crucified at least nine people.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service AMMAN, JORDAN (BosNewsLife)-- Preparations were underway in Jordan's capital Amman for "the first ever Christmas meal for Christian refugee children from Iraq and Syria" who have been "mostly ignored by Islamic charities," organizers said.