(Morning Star News) – Less than a week after Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) described the Islamist takeover of Mosul, Iraq as genocide and challenged the West to counteract it, Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, published a trenchant piece on the Fox News website asserting that ISIS, the Sunni Muslim […]
Humanitarian Catastrophe in Mosul, Iraq Demands Response
Severe hardships afflict Christians in Islamist insurgency’s takeover.
July 29, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
Noted Convert in Egypt, Released in Appeal, Quickly Imprisoned Again
Mohammed Hegazy, now called Bishoy Armia Boulous, faces 2009 charges.
July 23, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – A noted convert in Egypt released on bail this week for the appeal of his disputed conviction for “inciting sectarian violence” was quickly imprisoned again on equally controversial charges from 2009 of “defaming Islam,” his attorney said. Local security officials on Monday (July 21) turned Bishoy Armia Boulous, previously known […]
Hostilities at Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey Leave Parishioners Fearing Worse
Congregation anxious after verbal assault, threats, and a lunge with a knife.
July 15, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – Members of a Catholic church in Istanbul fear an attack after Muslims verbally assaulted and threatened them during a baptismal service and destroyed church property in the last two months. After two incidents at St. Stephanos Church, parishioners said they are waiting to see if hostilities will escalate into violence […]
Copt Convicted of ‘Blasphemy’ in Egypt for ‘Liking’ Facebook Page
Severity of sentence shocks Christian community, free speech advocates.
June 25, 2014 By - 3 Comments
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – A young Christian man in Upper Egypt accused of blaspheming Islam for “liking” a Facebook page was sentenced Tuesday (June 24) to six years in prison, shocking the Coptic community and other Facebook users. Judge Hazim Hany of Armant Criminal Court found Kerolos Shouky Attallah, 29, of Al-Mahamid village near […]
Noted Convert in Egypt, Formerly Known as Hegazy, Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
Bishoy Armia Boulous convicted for photographing unrest.
June 19, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – A judge in Egypt yesterday sentenced Bishoy Armia Boulous – formerly Mohammed Hegazy, the first Egyptian to try to legally change his religious identity on his official ID – to five years in prison, his attorney said. The 31-year-old Christian received the prison term and a fine of 500 Egyptian […]
Coptic Teacher Loses Appeal, Sentenced to Prison in Egypt for ‘Blasphemy’
Falsely accused woman likely to remain in permanent exile, advocates say.
June 17, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – A Coptic woman has lost her appeal of what human rights activists call a false conviction for blaspheming Islam and has been sentenced to six months in an Egytian prison. The appellate court ruling, handed down on Sunday (June 15), shocked the Christian woman, 25-year-old Demyana Abd al-Nour, her family […]
Commitment to Egypt’s New Constitution Questioned after ‘Blasphemy’ Charge
Christian on trial for ‘liking’ Facebook page run by converts from Islam.
June 10, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – Charges of “blasphemy” against a Christian in Egypt for “liking” a Facebook page run by converts from Islam call into question the government’s commitment to a new constitution guaranteeing freedom of belief and thought, rights activists said. Kerolos Shouky Attallah, of Al-Mahamid village near Luxor, is accused of violating Article […]
Church Website Blocked as ‘Porn’ in Turkish Parliament, Legislator Says
Lawmaker demands investigation.
May 31, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – A Turkish legislator is demanding an investigation into why the website of at least one Turkish church was labeled pornography and blocked from computers at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). While doing research on Wednesday (May 28) for a trip to Diyarbakir, Aykan Erdemir, a legislator from Bursa […]
Iran Steps Up Campaign of Terror against House Churches
Saeed Abedini tortured, beaten.
May 30, 2014 By - 1 Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – Iran’s secret police and Revolutionary Guard are subjecting Christians to a continuing wave of arrests, and increased torture and brutal beatings, in an effort to crush the house-church movement, activists said. Human rights activists confirmed that there has been a noticeable increase this month in the number of reported assaults […]
Lawyers Press for ‘Insanity Defense’ in Killing of Christian Woman in Egypt
Attorneys undeterred by psychiatric evaluation saying confessed killer is mentally fit.
May 26, 2014 By - Leave a Comment
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Morning Star News) – Lawyers for a Muslim accused of stabbing a Coptic woman to death in Egypt are persisting with a claim of innocence by reason of insanity, in spite of a psychiatric evaluation that found he was fit to stand trial. Confirming fears of human rights activists who said attorneys for Mahmoud […]