Syria

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Assyrian Christians in Syria are celebrating the release of the remaining 43 Christians taken hostage by the Islamic State group from villages along the Khabour River in Hassaka Governorate in February 2015, but warn that several other believers remain detained. Monday's release came one day short of the anniversary of their abduction, said Middle East Concern (MEC), an advocacy group closely monitoring the situation.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in war-torn Syria have marked one month since the kidnapping of two bishops near the Turkish border with a new appeal for their release, amid mounting concerns about the leaders' safety and health.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Syria's minority Christians faced another day of anxiety Thursday, December 5, amid mounting concern about the fate of a group of nuns who were abducted by suspected Islamic fighters.

By BosNewsLife Americas Service WASHINGTON, USA (BosNewsLife)-- Most Americans agree with the presidential candidates of both parties in calling Islamic State group atrocities against Christians in the Middle East "genocide," according to a poll by the Catholic Knights of Columbus (KofC) order and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee and Martin O'Malley have all called the situation genocide.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist TOKYO, JAPAN (BosNewsLife Columns)-- A forthcoming film from famed director Martin Scorsese is set  to confront the movie-going public with the persecution of Christians. It's “Silence,” based on the celebrated 1966 historical novel by Japanese Christian writer Shusaku Endo, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize.

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 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.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)— One of Syria’s most respected church leaders has condemned the destruction of an ancient Catholic monastery by the Islamic State (IS) group and expressed concern that hundreds of kidnapped people, many of them Christians, may have been killed and Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo Antoine Audo spoke hours after news emerged that IS had destroyed the monastery in the Syrian town of Qaryatain dating back to the 5th century after Christ, and is located in central Homs province.

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 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.