Middle East

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- An Iraqi Franciscan priest abducted by Islamic militants in northwest Syria has been released, but Christian leaders cautioned that persecution of minority groups continues in the war-torn region.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service BETHLEHEM/JERUSALEM (BosNewsLife)-- A European Parliament member has condemned the reported closure of the Arabic First Baptist Church in Bethlehem by the Palestinian Authority.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TRIPOLI/CAIRO (BosNewsLife)-- All 21 Egyptian Christians beheaded by Islamic State militants in Libya were killed after they refused to abandon their faith in Jesus Christ, BosNewsLife established Tuesday, February 17. Some were making their last prayers.

By BosNewsLfe News Center in Budapest with reports from Tunis and Warsaw and additional reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TUNIS/WARSAW/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- A tense calm returned to Tunis Sunday, February 20, where thousands of people demonstrated against extremism after the murder of a Polish missionary.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife JERUSALEM (BosNewsLife Columns)-- A man claiming to be the Messiah rose from death Sunday after He died...

By Robert Berger reporting from Jerusalem JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- Thousands of people have attended Christmas Eve celebrations at the birthplace of Christianity in Bethlehem.

By BosNewsLife Chief International Correspondent Stefan J. Bos with additional reporting by BosNewsLife Chief Middle East Correspondent George Whitten in Israel JERUSALEM/GAZA CITY (BosNewsLife)-- More than half of the United States' Lutheran bishops were on their way to Israel Monday, January 5, amid international concerns that an Israeli offensive against the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip would lead to more suffering of civilians, including the territory's Christian minority.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Two young Christian women who faced execution or at least life imprisonment in Iran for converting from Islam to Christianity were to be released as early as Tuesday, November 17, after international pressure and prayers, their representatives told BosNewsLife.

By George Whitten, BosNewsLife Chief Middle East Correspondent JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife) -- In a move raising eyebrows from Jerusalem to Washington, Russian and Iranian officials began a test run of Iran’s first Nuclear plant, BosNewsLife established Thursday, February 26.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Thousands of Egyptians marched through Egypt's capital Cairo Tuesday, October 9, marking the year anniversary of a military crackdown on Christian protesters that killed 26 people.