The Disappearing Christian Middle East, Part I: Can Christianity Disappear from the Land Where It Was Born?September 30, 2026 — By ICC Fellow Lisa Navarrette On a Sunday morning somewhere in the Middle East, an old church bell still rings. It may sound across a neighborhood in northern Iraq, an...
Lebanese Christians Stuck Between Mortal EnemiesSeptember 14, 2026 — Lebanon has the highest proportion of Christians anywhere in the Arab World and arguably the region’s least restrictive laws on religious freedom. Lebanese Christians also have important positions in society....
Canada Grants Asylum to Iranian Christian Deported from USAugust 31, 2026 — After being deported from the United States while seeking asylum, a Christian convert who fled persecution in Iran has a new home. Artemis Ghasemzadeh, 27, recently received asylum through Canada’s...
Baptist Pastor Released from Detention in Syria August 14, 2026 — A Kurdish pastor has been released from a Syrian prison after being detained for two weeks without an official charge. Pastor Nihad Hassan was visiting family in Afrin, Syria, when...
Armenian Church Leader Faces Trial as Government Pressure EscalatesAugust 12, 2026 — The Armenian government’s confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church has reached an unprecedented point, with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II appearing in court on criminal charges last week while...
Egypt’s High School Honors List Highlights Christian Marginalization July 31, 2026 — Egypt’s Ministry of Education recently announced the country’s top-performing students in the 2025–2026 General Secondary Certificate examinations, but the list has drawn attention from Christian advocates after no Coptic Christians...
TPS Protections End as Syrian Christians Face an Uncertain FutureJuly 29, 2026 — The expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for Syrians in the United States this week has renewed attention on the fragile security environment facing civilians in Syria, particularly religious...
Macron Visit Highlights Syria’s Uncertain Future for Religious Minorities July 9, 2026 — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had hoped to showcase his country’s transformation toward democracy during French President Emmanuel Macron’s historic visit to Damascus this week. Instead, the visit was overshadowed by...
Iran Moves to Seize Historic Tehran Church as Pressure on Christians Escalates July 8, 2026 — Iranian authorities are moving to confiscate the country’s oldest Protestant church and ordering Christians to leave their homes, signaling a new escalation in the Islamic Republic’s decades-long campaign against Christianity. ...
EU Deepens Ties with Armenia During a Tense Moment for Religious FreedomJuly 7, 2026 — The European Union announced new economic assistance and expanded market access for Armenia, signaling deepening ties with the South Caucasus nation as it faces growing economic pressure from Russia. During...
Coalition Asks U.S. to Intervene in Case of Syrian ChristianJuly 2, 2026 — Advocacy groups recently wrote Thomas Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Envoy to Syria and Iraq, asking the U.S. to intervene in the detention of a Syrian...
No Going Back: Living Openly as a Christian Convert from YemenJune 24, 2026 — Amid economic collapse, widespread hunger, and frequent outbreaks of violence, Yemen is not an easy place for anyone to live these days. Much of the country is beyond the government’s...
Egyptian Christian Imprisoned for Social Media PostsJune 19, 2026 — On Jan. 3, Egyptian Christian Augustinos Samaan was sentenced to five years of hard labor after he was convicted of “contempt of religion” and “misuse of social media.” Samaan has...
Videos Show Damage to Historic Iraqi Assyrian Church June 19, 2026 — Videos circulating on social media this week appear to show extensive damage inside Mar Kiryakos Church in the village of Sharanish in Iraq’s Dohuk Governorate, prompting concern among Assyrians and...
Armenian PM Wins Reelection Amid Religious Freedom Concerns June 9, 2026 — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has secured reelection in a closely watched parliamentary election, preserving his political mandate to continue peace negotiations with neighboring Azerbaijan and pursue closer ties with...
Egypt Grants Legal Status to 191 More Church Buildings May 28, 2026 — The Egyptian government released an order last week granting legal status to 191 church buildings that previously lacked official recognition. In total, 3,804 churches and related buildings have been approved...
