According to Abdel Fattah Zarawi, the Muslim leader of the Salafi party, also known as the Free Front of Algeria, any and all Christian churches remaining in the north African nation must be closed and reopened as mosques. Although the closure, destruction, or transformation of Christian churches into mosques is nearly as old as Islam itself -- Algeria was Christian-majority … [Read more...]
Pakistan: ‘Stop Building Churches, Convert to Islam’ or ‘We Will Make a Horrible Example of You’
Due to their involvement in helping build churches for impoverished Christian communities in Pakistan, Javed David, head of Hope for the Light Ministries in Lahore, and his associates, have been receiving death threats since February of this year. The latest incident occurred on April 4 (though it became public knowledge in May). According to David: I had been to church in … [Read more...]
Turkey Renovates Byzantine Church Into Mosque
A 900-year-old Christian church in Turkey is to be renovated into a functioning mosque—despite former governmental assurances that it would likely be renovated into a museum. Foundations General Director Adnan Ertem argues that the building was a “sanctuary that was consecrated as a mosque…. It is a foundation that can be put into service in line with its foundational … [Read more...]
Yemen: Catholic Church Attacked, Plundered by Houthi Rebels?
In an Arabic language tweet that has been picked up by various websites offering few other details, Mareb al-Ward writes: "Houthi militias stormed the St. Anthony Church in al-Tawahi, Aden, in Yemen. They plundered the Catholic church of all its contents." At this time, no other Arabic or news sources are mentioning this incident. The Houthis are a Shia-affiliated rebel … [Read more...]
Exposed: Egypt’s Institutionalized Persecution of Coptic Christians
Coptic Solidarity In a 25-minute interview on Arabic satellite TV with Dr. Mona Roman, Coptic Christian Bishop Agathon fully exposed the plight of his Christian flock in Minya, Egypt—a region that has a large Coptic minority that is steadily under attack. While several important points were made, most notable was that the Egyptian State itself is often behind the … [Read more...]