In Israel after the 1967 War, Tamar’s sister-in-law, Hadas, is killed in a terror attack. In reality, Hadas was dating a Palestinian man, Daoud — a taboo in wartime Israel — and her death was a crime of passion. Only Tamar knows the truth, and she keeps it a secret. Tamar immigrates to the U.S. with her husband and kids. When Tamar’s teenage daughter falls in love with the son of a Palestinian family, Tamar fears that history will repeat.
Read MoreChristians in Iran were sentenced to a combined total of over 250 years in prison last year — a sixfold increase compared to 2023, according to a new report. In all, 96 Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years behind bars in 2024. That’s compared to 22 Christians sentenced to 43½ years in 2023.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Israel and Hamas’ new ceasefire deal promises to bring much-needed relief to the region after 15 months of brutal conflict. But a series of uncertainties continues to loom large. Many pivotal questions remain unanswered, and their resolution will determine whether this ceasefire is a genuine step towards lasting peace or merely a temporary reprieve.
Read MoreIsrael and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a ceasefire deal — pausing a brutal 15-month war in the hard-hit Gaza Strip with an eye towards ending one of the deadliest Middle Eastern conflicts in modern history. The provisional deal came weeks after negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha involving mediators from Qatar and Egypt, working with Israeli and U.S. officials.
Read MoreThe rise in land disputes involving religious institutions in Uganda has triggered a trend of demolishing of churches and mosques throughout the country, raising religious freedom concerns over safety regarding places of worship. The issue has become a major problem across the country, a trend that has intensified over the last four years.
Read MoreKhairunissa, along with her siblings and parents, spent years living in a multi-religious and multicultural apartment in Gujarat state’s Ahmedabad city. When communal tensions and targeted violence against Muslims erupted in the Indian city on Feb. 28, 2002, her family initially felt secure, confident that their neighbors would be able to protect them.
Read MoreChristian persecution intensified in 2024 in Nicaragua, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and regions throughout Africa’s Sahel region, ICC said in a new report, citing increased government hostility in Nicaragua, Hindu nationalism and anti-conversion laws in India and terrorism and displacement in Africa.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Syria’s sudden shift in leadership has introduced the Islamist world’s rising star: Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, the leader of HTS. Despite Jawlani’s soft-spoken promises of peace and prosperity, his history is both alarming and ominous.
Read MoreThe route pushes cyclists to their limits. They face unrelenting desert heat, rugged terrain, crowded highways, brutal headwinds and sheer exhaustion that comes from cycling for days in such extreme conditions. It is a route that was first conquered by the H&K Cycle Club riders in 2022 — and despite the knowledge of the extreme challenge involved they now go back every year.
Read MoreThe instant collapse of Assad’s rule will reshape the geopolitics of the Mideast for years to come. Within Syria itself, the challenge is how to replace the bloodthirsty past and current revolutionary turbulence with effective government capable of restoring and unifying a nation that currently copes with regional occupations by Turkey, Israel and others.
Read MoreIt may be the start of a new year, but many of the same issues and concerns will dominate the news cycle in 2025. From Pope Francis’ health from the erosion of religious freedom in many parts of the globe to the moral implications that come with the widespread use of AI, here’s what to watch for in the new year.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Almost two decades ago, the reigning editor of The New York Times admitted, during a speech to the National College Media Association, that the world’s most influential journalism cathedral had changed one of its core doctrines.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Anyone who is interested in the roots of Christian history is familiar with the following, drawn from the 11th chapter of Acts. Where is Antioch today? That biblical city now known as Antakya, located on the Orontes River about 12 miles from the Syrian border. The history of the church in Antioch was at the heart of the news in this week’s “Crossroads” podcast.
Read MoreWhile the global median score on the Government Restrictions Index (based on several factors) held steady in 2022 at 3.0 out of 10, the number of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government religious restrictions rose to 59, which accounts for 30% of the 198 countries and territories Pew Research Center studied.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A recent government report has revealed that there has been a significant rise in the number of students in madrasas — religious schools — in Bangladesh. The data revealed by the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics stated that the number of students in madrasas increased to 2.75 million in 2023 from the previous 2.4 million recorded in 2019.
Read MoreChristians in Nigeria plan to celebrate Christmas amid fear of a repeat of violence that claimed at least 160 lives in Nigeria’s Middle Belt at Christmastime in 2023 and dozens in northern Nigeria during the holidays in 2022, international religious liberty advocates reported.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Dec. 5, 2024, Amnesty International, a nongovernmental organization, published a new report analyzing the situation of Palestinians in Gaza. The report, “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman,” finds that the atrocities perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza amount to genocide.
Read MorePatriarch John X of Antioch delivered a powerful sermon at the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus, addressing Christians in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the takeover by an Islamic rebel group.
Read MoreNestled in the serene yet scarred landscapes of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the Arde Nareshwar Temple stood as a silent witness to one of the darkest chapters in the region’s history. For over two decades, its bells were silent, its walls deserted — haunted by the tragic massacre of 24 Kashmiri Hindus also known as Kashmiri Pandits in 2003 that forever changed the narrative of this quaint village.
Read MoreIn a momentous occasion for Indian politics, Iqra Chaudhary Hasan recently took her oath as a Member of Parliament, marking several historic firsts. Draped in a white scarf, she represents many firsts — the young politician has become India’s youngest female member, the youngest Muslim and the youngest female Muslim. This achievement highlights her unique position and a sign that a shift in the nation’s political landscape has taken place.
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