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Church leaders in Urishlem (Jerusalem) condemn settler attack on Taybeh and European delegation
URISHLEM — The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Urishlem (Jerusalem) condemned an attack by masked Israeli settlers on residents of the predominately Christian village of Taybe…
DEM Party continues talks with Turkish parties on Peace Process and 2027 budget
ANKARA — Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chairs of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), are continuing consultations with Turkish political parties t…
New church under construction for Rûm Orthodox community in Antakya (Antioch), after more than three after devastating earthquake
Southeastern Turkey was hit by a series of earthquakes in February 2023. The epicenter was in Maraş. The disaster affected 11 provinces and millions of people, in Turkey and in Sy…
Nineveh rebuilds amid the ruins of war and displacement
NINEVEH PLAIN, Iraq — In the city of Mosul, restored religious landmarks and reopened businesses offer visible signs of recovery after years of Islamic State rule and the liberati…
The new Saudi Arabia: From economic and technological transformation to prospects for cultural openness and recognition of the Syriac-Aramean heritage
By Ablahad Hanna Saka | Member of the Bethnahrin National Council in Iraq The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can no longer be viewed solely through its traditional image, its oil we…
Yezidi Prince Anwar Muawiya calls for Syriac-Yezidi unity amid fears of displacement and political marginalization
BETH NAHRIN — Yezidi Prince Anwar Muawiya has called for closer cooperation between Yezidis and Syriacs (Aramean-Assyrian-Chaldean) people, warning that continued displacement, po…
Syriac MP Yusuf Aydin joins Geneva meetings on religious freedom and persecution of Christians
GENEVA, Switzerland — Syriac member of the Swedish Parliament Yusuf Aydin took part in international meetings in Geneva focused on defending religious freedom and strengthening pr…
Greek Orthodox monk missing in Turkey for nearly three months after journey to Pontus
ISTANBUL — A 58-year-old Greek Orthodox monk has been missing in Turkey for nearly three months after travelling from northern Greece to visit the historic region of Pontus and Ca…
The Maronites and the Yishuv: The Levant (Part 1/8)
By Dr. Amine Jules Iskandar | President of the Syriac Maronite Union – Tur Levnon The Orient is often perceived as a homogeneous space. Often no distinction is made between t…
Bartella celebrates feast of Mar Daniel at ruins of his historic monastery
BARTELLA, Nineveh Plain — Residents of Bartella and the Nineveh Plain celebrated the feast of Saint Mar Daniel the Hermit on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The saint’s feast is commemor…
The Intertwined Histories of Armenians and Suroye in the Ottoman Genocides
In the spring of 1915, as violence spread across the Ottoman Empire, Christian leaders in Merde (Mardin) feared for their communities’ survival. Armenian Catholic Patriarch Ignati…
Suqaylabiyah residents demand release of three detainees
SUQAYLABIYAH, Syria — Calls for the release of three men detained following recent violence in the predominantly Christian-Rûm town of Suqaylabiyah have intensified, with resident…
Israeli settlers attack European diplomatic delegation in West Bank’s Christian town of Taybeh
TAYBEH, Holy Land — Israeli settlers attacked a European diplomatic delegation visiting the predominantly Christian town of Taybeh on Saturday, injuring the mayor of a French town…
Sanharib retains Iraqi Women’s Volleyball League title with straight-sets victory
SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Sanharib Women’s Club retained its Iraqi Women’s Volleyball League title on Saturday, defeating Akad Ankawa 3–0 to reaffirm its position among the country’s l…
Sinjar – Part 10: Priests, Churches, Monasteries, and Cemeteries are Testimonies to Christian Presence in Sinjar
By Ablahad Hanna Saka | Member of the Bethnahrin National Council in Iraq The Christian presence in Sinjar was neither fleeting nor recent. It spanned many decades, leaving b…
Syriac Cultural Association hosts Aramaic poetry and music evening in Daramsuq (Damascus)
DARAMSUQ — The Syriac Cultural Association in Daramsuq (Damascus) hosted an evening of Aramaic poetry and music, bringing together poets, singers, and residents from Daramsuq and …
Christian Solidarity International report highlights killings, abductions targeting Christians in Syria
ZURICH — Christians and other religious minorities in Syria continued to face killings, abductions, arbitrary detentions, and sectarian attacks during the third quarter of 2026, a…
Chaldean Archbishop Mar Sabri Anar dies at 60 after battle with cancer
PARIS — Chaldean Archbishop Mar Sabri Anar, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Turkey, passed away in France on Saturday at the age of 60 after a prolonged battle with cancer…
Why Do You Feel the Need to Do This?
By Aydın Gabriel An interview was conducted with Ender Peker, Pastor of the Protestant Church in Mardin and author of The History of Christian Kurds, about his work. I have not r…
US bill targets Syrian officials accused of persecuting religious and ethnic communities
WASHINGTON D.C. — US Congressman Ryan Mackenzie introduced legislation this week seeking to hold Syrian officials accountable for serious human rights abuses against religious and…
Syriac MP in Turkey George Aryo calls for removal of Beth Zabday (İdil / Azech) mayor over demolition of Syriac property
BETH ZABDAY, Turkey — A Turkish lawmaker has called for the removal of the mayor of Beth Zabday (İdil / Azech) after municipal authorities demolished a building belonging to a Syr…
Journalist Murat Ağırel and four others detained in Istanbul over financial probe, Bahadır Özgür held on suspicion of violating investigation confidentiality
ISTANBUL — Turkish authorities have detained journalist Murat Ağırel, a writer for Cumhuriyet, and several other individuals as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Public Pro…
Greek lawmaker Aspasia Kouroupaki questions government over protection of Christians in Syria
ATHENS — Aspasia Kouroupaki, a member of Greece’s NIKI party representing Athens’ B1 electoral district, questioned Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis about measures the Greek …
Merde (Mardin) promotes multicultural heritage in tourism film available in 10 languages
MERDE, Turkey — A new tourism film produced by the Mardin Governor’s Office is showcasing the southeastern Turkish province’s millennia-old history and cultural diversity to inter…
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hussein meets Vatican Secretary of State Parolin to discuss future of Christians in Iraq
VATICAN — Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin to discuss the situation of Christians in Iraq and efforts to safeguard t…
Mount Lebanon Nexus and Transitional Council challenge Lebanon’s political order, call for self-determination for Mount Lebanon
TUR LEVNON — The Mount Lebanon Transition Council and the Mount Lebanon Nexus have challenged Lebanon’s political establishment over what they describe as a fundamental contradict…
Ibrahim Mrad reiterates call to Lebanon’s Christian parties: we must urgently form one front against Hezbollah and against demographic change in Mount Lebanon
SED EL-BOUCHRIEH, Lebanon — Lebanon has recently witnessed a wave of turbulent developments across the political, economic, demographic, diplomatic, and security spheres. These ha…
MP Paul Sabo: The Swedish state must clearly act in defense of persecuted Christians
STOCKHOLM — Newly elected Syriac Member of Swedish Parliament Paul Sabo (Christian Democrats) has made a concerted effort to highlight the plight of Bethnahrinian (Mesopotamian) C…
Political controversy in Lebanon over a legal complaint against Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, calls to abolish Israel Boycott Law
BEIRUT — A legal complaint filed against Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, over alleged communication with Israel has sparked political controversy o…
Labor MP Hugh McDermott calls on parliaments of NSW and Australia to recognize and implement the rights of the Suraye in the Nineveh Plain
SYDNEY — The long-standing question of the Nineveh Plain, home to a predominantly Suraya (Syriac-Aramean-Assyrian-Chaldean) population, and the right of the Suraye to self-governa…