UK signs deal with Iraq to speed up migrant returns
The Government has signed a new agreement with Iraq to accelerate the return of migrants who have no legal right to remain. Home office minister Dan Jarvis finalised the deal with Iraq’s deputy…
Iraq: new church at historic site of Ur
A bell has chimed for the first time at Ibrahim Al-Khalil Church in Ur, heralding its upcoming inauguration and marking a significant step in the region's religious and cultural landscape. The church, part…
Iraq: 100+ dead in wedding blaze
A fire at a Christian wedding celebration in Iraq's Nineveh province, near \Mosul, has resulted in over 100 deaths and at least 150 injuries. The blaze reportedly started after fireworks were lit during…
Sweden: religious intolerance
Swedish police approved of burning a Bible outside Stockholm’s Israeli embassy. The decision follows similar Quran burnings which sparked outrage in the Islamic world. The demonstration was scheduled for Shabbat, when Israel's embassy…
Iraq: religious intolerance
On 20 July Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador only hours after protesters angered by the burning of the Quran in Sweden stormed the Swedish embassy in central Baghdad, scaling the walls of the…
Iraq: Christians still largely displaced
On 12th January the Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report, detailing key findings for religious persecution issues in Iraq. Iraqi religious minorities have been fighting for normalcy since the ISIS…
Iraq / Lebanon: headed down a chaotic path
Governments in both Iraq and Lebanon struggle to function and pass legislation. Political parties tied to ethnic and religious groups vie for control. Iran-backed militias hold more power than the military. There are…
Iraq: political dysfunction and violence
Moqtada al-Sadr won most parliamentary seats last October, but he refused to negotiate with Iran-backed Shia groups to form a government, causing a year of political instability. When he announced his retirement from…
Christian radio in Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Iraqis, Muslims, Christians and those of no faith at all tune into a radio station vastly different from what is normally heard on Middle Eastern airwaves. ‘Saut al Salam’ or ‘Voice of Peace’…
Iran / Lebanon / iraq / Syria / Yemen: jihad against Christians
Iran's proxy militias have caused the decline of Christians in many regions by adopting ‘forced immigration’. In Lebanon Hezbollah targets missionaries, impedes conversions, imposes strict dress codes and alcohol bans, and limits mixed…
