Syria

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with additional reporting by Philippa Hitchen in Vatican City and Stefan J. Bos DAMASCUS/VATICAN CITY (BosNewsLife)-- The Vatican and aid workers have urged the world to help end an "apocalyptic" bombing campaign in Syria where "thousands of families" live in underground shelters and "millions of children" are malnourished.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Devoted Christians in Hungary and the Middle East stood up against Nazism or Islamic extremism this week, while others worshiped Christ behind bars, between bomb explosions and in bitter cold conditions.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- One of the modern-day saints of the Middle East is Father Douglas Bazi, a Chaldean priest who endured nine days of captivity and torture after being kidnapped by the al-Qaida terror group. During my Skype interview with him last year, I was startled at how surprisingly cheerful and relaxed he appeared when recalling his harrowing experiences.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- An article in The Times newspaper alleging atrocities by Christian militia in Syria has sparked some “I told you so” posts on social media, from people claiming that Christianity is inherently just as violent as Islam.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent DAMASCUS/LOS ANGELES (BosNewsLife)-- Syrian Christian activist and filmmaker Sargon Saadi has urged Christians in the West to step up efforts to help besieged Assyrians, after the kidnapping of 150 Assyrian Christians by militants of the Islamic State group.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife Stefan J. Bos and reporting from the region DAMASCUS/WASHINGTON (BosNewsLife)–- Syrian Christians are reportedly targeted by rebels linked to Islamic terror groups and it remained unclear Thursday, August 23, whether everyone fleeing the violence would be able to reach neighboring Turkey.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Suspected Islamic militants have freed Franciscan priest Dhiya Aziz, some two weeks after he was kidnapped in Syria, BosNewsLife learned early Tuesday, January 5.

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 DAMASCUS/LONDON/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- The Islamic State group, known for beheading Christian believers, has kidnapped at least 90 people from Assyrian Christian villages in northeastern Syria, well-informed sources said Tuesday, February 24.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Rebels linked to terror group al-Qaida captured the Christian town of Maaloula on Sunday, September 8, as part of a campaign to take control of strategic mountains near the capital Damascus, opposition representatives said.