Middle East

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest with Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Millions of Christians around the world were expected Sunday, November 13, to participate in the 'International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church' (IDOP), amid mounting concerns over a global crackdown on devoted believers.  

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- A jailed pastor of one of Iran's largest evangelical house church movements remains "strong in his faith" in Christ, despite facing execution before Christmas for refusing to return to Islam, a church official told BosNewsLife Wednesday, November 9.  

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with reporting from the Netherlands AMSTERDAM/CAIRO (BosNewsLife)-- A visit to Egypt by the Dutch parliament's foreign affairs committee has been canceled because lawmaker Raymond de Roon from anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) was refused a visa after accusing Cairo of "the ethnic cleansing" of minority Christians.

By Marshall Ramsey II, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)– A Christian with a Muslim background, Fariborz Arazm, remained missing in Iran Saturday, October 29, nearly two weeks after his detention by plain clothes security officers, Iranian Christians said.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO/BRUSSELS (BosNewsLife)-- The European Parliament (EP) has condemned violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt, after at least 25 were killed and more than 300 wounded by security forces in Cairo during a peaceful protest earlier this month, a key legislator told BosNewsLife Friday, October 28.

By Joseph DeCaro, BosNewsLife International Correspondent CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)– An Egyptian Military Court ordered that an imprisoned Christian activist be admitted to a mental health hospital to determine whether he's responsible for his actions, BosNewsLife learned Thursday, October 27

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iran's feared security service is pressuring an Iranian pastor to covert back to Islam ahead of an expected ruling by the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini on whether the Christian can be executed by hanging for "apostasy", trial observers said Monday, October 24.  

>Released soldier gives first ever TV interview after release >Ghalit says he missed family, hopes deal will boost peace >Hamas supporters demand more kidnappings By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with BosNewsLife Middle East Service JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was released Tuesday, October 18, after he was held over five years captive by militant group Hamas. Over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners were to be released in exchange, 477 of them on the same day.

By Joseph DeCaro, BosNewsLife International Correspondent DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- A group supporting persecuted Christians said Thursday, October 13, that Syria's Christian minority is suffering more ever after reports that at least 2,700 people have been killed and thousands more arrested in efforts to overthrow the country's long-time President Bashar al-Assad.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Egypt's finance minister resigned Tuesday, October 11, saying he wanted to protest the “government's handling" of protests that left at least 26 people dead, most of them Coptic Christians.