| The only Palestinian Orthodox Christian bishop in the Holy Land speaking about the suffering of Palestinian Christians, their unity with Muslims in the Palestinian struggle, about Orthodox Christian martyrs, and Ukraine. Archbishop Sebastia Theodosios (Atallah Hanna), 49, is the only Orthodox Christian archbishop from Palestine stationed in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, while all other bishops of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem are Greeks. The Israeli authorities had detained him several times, or stopped him at the border, and taken away his passport. Among all Jerusalem clergymen he is the only one who has no privilege of passing through the VIP gate in the airport – because of his nationality. “For the Israeli authorities, I am not a bishop, but rather a Palestinian,” explains his Beatitude. When talking on the phone he says a lot of words you would normally hear from a Muslim: “Alhamdulillah, Insha’Allah, Masha’Allah”. He speaks Arabic, and the Arabic for ‘god’ is Allah, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. Photo by Nadezhda Kevorkova Nadezhda Kevorkova is a war correspondent who has covered the events of the Arab Spring, military and religious conflicts around the world, and the anti-globalization movement. Your Beatitude, what’s it like being the Palestinian bishop in the Holy Land? Firstly, I’d like to confirm that I am the only Palestinian bishop in the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. A fellow bishop is serving in the city of Irbid in the north of Jordan; and there are also several Palestinian priests. I take pride in belonging to this great religious institution that’s over 2,000 years old. My church has been protecting the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the sacred items related to the life of Christ and Christian Church history. I am proud of my religion and nationality, I am proud to belong to my fatherland. I am a Palestinian, and I belong to this religious people who are fighting for the sake of their freedom and dignity to implement their dreams and national rights. |
| 3,000 Assyrians March in Toronto to Protest ISIS Atrocities Source: Assyrian International News Agency Mourad Haroutunian 14 August 2014 More than 3,000 Canadian-Iraqi Christians took to the streets of downtown Toronto on Sunday to call on the world to rescue their compatriots who are being killed or deported at the hands of militants belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a more brutal offshoot of al-Qaeda. Photo: Mourad Haroutunian The silent demonstration, which saw neither slogans being chanted, nor Iraqi flags being raised, was led by a group of clergymen mainly from the Iraqi Syriac and Chaldean churches. Clad in white T-shirts, protesters marched three kilometers to the Ontario Parliament, carrying banners reading “Save Iraqi Christians from the massacres of ISIS” and “We are the root of Iraq. Stop forcing us out of our land.” Many participants voiced anger at the militant group that has staged the recent wave of violence in their home country. “My first cousins have fled their towns, with only their clothes,” said Sarmad Gorial, one of the protest’s organizers. “For more than seven days, they haven’t even been able to change their underwear. They sleep in the streets, in churches, everywhere.” Thousands of Iraqi Christians and Yazidis have been trapped with limited food and water supplies in Iraq’s north-western mountains after fleeing Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, and the town of Sinjar, both seized by ISIS militants for the past two months. Around 850,000 people have been forced to flee Iraq, bringing the number of Iraqis who have been displaced since the start of the year to 1.4 million, according to Canadian government estimates. Iraqi Tricolor The Iraqi tricolor, charged with the Allahu Akbar (“God is Great”) phrase, was not seen at the protest. Speaking to the crowds, Father Niaz Toma of the Chaldean parish of St. Thomas in Hamilton called on the Iraqi government to change the official flag because Christians are being killed under that religious slogan. |
| More Slaughter in Muslim Lands; Media, Governments Silent SOURCE: Gatestone Institute By Raymond Ibrahim " Don't they know that the Koran orders us to slit the throat of whoever is disrespectful to Allah's beloved prophet? " — Representative of Jamaat ud Dawa. Although Christians are habitually killed in Muslim countries, as this series attests, the U.S. government rarely condemns the practice or even acknowledges it. Two of the most tragic Islamic attacks on Christians, killing several women and children, took place in the month of October, one in Syria, another in Egypt. On October 21 in Syria, U.S.-supported Islamist rebels invaded and occupied the ancient Christian settlement of Sadad for over a week, until ousted by the Syrian army. What took place that week was " the largest massacre of Christians in Syria, " in the words of Orthodox Archbishop Alnemeh. Among other things, 45 Christians—including women and children—were killed, several were tortured to death; mass graves were discovered; all of Sadad's 14 churches, some ancient, were ransacked and destroyed; the bodies of six people from one family, ranging from ages 16 to 90, were found at the bottom of a well (an increasingly common fate for " subhuman " Christians). The jihadis also made a graphic video (with English subtitles) of those whom they massacred, while shouting Islam's victory-cry, " Allahu Akbar! " [ " Allah is Greater!, " meaning " than anything " ]. Another video, made after Sadad was liberated, shows more graphic atrocities. The day before rebels invaded Sadad, on Sunday, October 20, the Church of the Virgin Mary in Warraq, near Cairo, Egypt, was attacked during a wedding ceremony. The attack left four dead and nearly two dozen wounded. According to a report issued by a forensic team, two of those murdered were young girls, each named Mary: 12-year-old Mary Nabil Fahmy, who was shot five times in the chest, and 8-year-old Mary Ashraf Masih ( " Masih " meaning " Christ " ), who was shot in the back. |
| Forced Exodus: Christians in the Middle East Roland Flamini 17 January 2014 In September, senior clerics from a dozen different Christian denominations all over the Middle East met in Amman, Jordan, for a conference organized by King Abdullah II. The subject was the crisis facing Christianity in the region, and what to do about it. Missing from the meeting were two prominent Arab prelates from Aleppo: Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, the city’s Syriac Orthodox bishop, and Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi, his Greek Orthodox counterpart. Both had been abducted by unidentified gunmen somewhere between Aleppo and Antioch in April, and their whereabouts were still unknown. The Assad regime and the Syrian rebels predictably blamed each other for the high-profile abduction. But Turkish intelligence sources were quoted as saying that it had been the work of Islamic Chechens who operate in the opposition-held territory in northern Syria. Refugees in Jordan and Turkey have told Christian humanitarian groups that jihadist revolutionaries have declared a caliphate in areas they control and imposed sharia law, with Saudi judges brought in to administer it. (Saudi Arabia and Qatar finance the rebellion in Syria, and the West supports it–but that’s another story.) Non-Muslims are only tolerated if they pay jizya, a heavy tax imposed on dhimmini, or nonbelievers, under Islamic law. Those who refuse to pay have two choices: they can quit their homes and have their property and most of their possessions confiscated, or they can face execution. Syria today is a country of blurred facts and wild rumors, but the abduction and in some cases murder of Christian clerics is real enough. The Jesuit missionary Paolo Dall’Oglio was kidnapped in July and may have been executed in al-Raqqah, a northern town said to be an al-Qaeda stronghold. Dall’Oglio, had gone to al-Raqqah in an attempt to negotiate the release of Christian hostages, relying–foolishly, as it worked out–on his reputation as an outspoken critic of the Assad regime to guarantee his safety. In June, the Franciscan priest François Murad was killed in a convent in Gassanieh by members of the Syrian jihadist group Nusra Front. The Vatican had initially reported that Father Murad was one of three men shown being beheaded with a kitchen knife in a viral video online, while the crowd chanted “Allahu akbar,” but later issued a correction saying that Murad had actually been shot. |
| Muslims Demolish Church Building in Egypt Mary Abdelmassih 18 January 2013 January 16, 2013 (AINA) — Hundreds of Muslims came out of mosques today with hammers and destroyed a social services building belonging to the Coptic Church while chanting Islamic slogans. Security forces arrived after the building was completely razed. The 100 square meters social services building in the village of Fanous, Tamia district in Fayoum province, 130 KM south west of Cairo, had all the necessary government permits; it had a reception hall on the first floor and a kindergarten on the second. But the Muslims insisted that it would become a church. A meeting had taken place beforehand between the village mayor and elders from Muslim and Coptic sides and it was agreed that only the first floor was to remain and the second be demolished. Mosques in surrounding villages called on their microphones this afternoon on Muslims to go and help their Muslim brethrens in the village of Fanous, because Christians were “building a church.” According to rights activist Nader Shukry of Maspero Coptic Youth Organizations, nearly 5000 Muslims took part in demolishing the church property with their hammers, while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” He said no one was arrested, not even the imams who called on Muslims to demolish the building; their calls fall under the crime of “enticement to violence.” The district of Tamia and neighboring Senousen is home to a large congregation of Islamists. Shoukry said that the Coptic Church had previously warned the security authorities of the danger of the Islamists provoking sedition in Tamia and neighboring areas. A witness from Fanous village said they were working on the building site, which had started two months ago, removing the wood which was intended for the second floor when a Muslim man started insulting the Copts, then they were assaulted by the village women. The mob of Muslim men followed with their attack saying that the whole building has to be demolished. He said that the Muslim elders pretended to be peacemakers, but to no avail. “The Muslims with their hammers and spare pipes were demolishing also the walls of the ground floor, leaving nothing standing,” said the witness. The village mayor and Muslim elders made excuses for not honoring their agreement of leaving the ground floor intact by saying the “youth take unreasonable actions.” |
| Syria: Armenian Christians Forced to Convert to Islam or Die Arabic language websites reported earlier this week that the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant—which, throughout the course of the war against the Syrian Bashar al-Assad government has committed any number of atrocities, from decapitating “infidels” to burning churches—has successfully “forced” two Armenian Christian families to convert to Islam. A video accompanies some of these reports. In it, what appears to be an elderly Armenian man stands alongside an Islamic cleric who announces the Christian man’s conversion to Islam—to thunderous cries of “Allahu Akbar!” In his exultation, the cleric makes exuberant statements like “You see, we have no honor without Islam—without proclaiming aloud that ‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet!’” (Without the religious jargon, this is simply another way of saying, “Only by joining our team can you ever escape dishonor,” the lot of all non-Muslim, subhuman “infidels.” ) The cleric also adds that, because the man is the head of his household, his Christian wife and children are all now Muslim as well—“all praise to Allah!” Naturally, if they reject their new Islamic identity, they become “apostates,” a crime punishable by death. The rather flippant and sarcastic text that accompanies this video points out the obvious: After decades of peaceful coexistence between the various religions of Syria, and after decades of living under the moderate form of Levantine Islam … these two Armenian families were none too keen on entering Islam or learning of its eminence—except at the hands of DAASH [al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], which has been presenting a “rosy” picture of Islam and Muslims, by way of chopping heads, whipping people, and general repression. Thus did these two Christian Armenian families finally enter Islam, “willingly”—but only at the hands of DAASH. Syrian people from the Christian town of Maalula, a symbol of the ancient Christian presence in Syria which is currently under control of Syrian rebels, including jihadist groups, attend a mass service at the Saint Joseph church on December 18, 2013 in Damascus. Syrian Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III Laham, has called on his fellow Christians to stay in Syria, despite the brutal conflict raging in the country. According to the patriarch, 450,000 Syrian Christians have been displaced by the conflict that began in March 2011, around 40,000 of whom have fled to Lebanon. AFP PHOTO/LOUAI BESHARA |
| Indeed, in 1354, well after the “mad caliph” Hakim was gone, churches were still under attack, including by Muslim mobs, who, according to Maqrizi, “demolished a church anent the Bridge of Lions, and a church in the street el-Asra in Misr, and the Church of Fahhadin within the precincts of Cairo; also the Convent of Nehya in Djizah, and a church in the neighborhood of Bataq al-Tokruni; they plundered the wealth of the churches they demolished, which was great; and carried away even the woodwork and slabs of alabaster. They rushed upon the churches of Misr and Cairo…” Such was the state of affairs of churches under Islam, explaining how, over the course of nearly 14 centuries, former centers of Christianity like Egypt, were reduced to sporadic enclaves that came to resemble dilapidated strongholds of Christianity surrounded by a sea of Muslim hostility. And such is the state of affairs of Christian churches throughout much of the Muslim world at this very moment as the past returns to the present. The Modern Era Jesus painting splattered with the blood of Christian worshipers killed during the 2011 bombing of the Church of Two Saints. The sort of Muslim attacks on Christian churches described by the historian Maqrizi and conforming to the Conditions of Omar are reoccurring with increased frequency. Again, while the patterns described above are occurring all around the Muslim world–sometimes even in the West–modern day Egypt alone, with its significant Christian population, offers an abundance of recent examples. After some 14 centuries of persecution and church attacks, Egypt’s Copts ushered in the 2011 new year by having one of their largest churches attacked: during midnight mass in the early hours of January 1, 2011, the Two Saints Coptic Church in Alexandria, crowded with hundreds of Christian worshippers praying for the new year, was bombed, leaving at least 23 dead and approximately 100 injured. According to eyewitnesses, “body parts were strewn all over the street outside the church. The body parts were covered with newspapers until they were brought inside the church after some Muslims started stepping on them and chanting jihadi chants,” including “Allahu Akbar!” Islam’s victory cry since the days of Muhammad. Eyewitnesses further attest that “security forces withdrew one hour before the church blast.” One year earlier, “drive-by Muslims shot to death six Christians as they were leaving church after celebrating Christmas mass in 2010” in Nag Hammadi. |
| Islamic Radical threatens Catholic High School Fairfax, Virginia, April, 28, 2013 Police are investigating an anonymous forum poster who praised Boston bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and later made a threat against a Catholic high school in Fairfax, Virginia. The online poster goes by the handle " Prophet Muhammad " and has made several disturbing statements on the Fairfax Underground website in the last month. On Friday, he posted a threat against Paul VI Catholic High School: " Inshallah, Paul VI High School will be the scene of another massacre. Allahu akbar! " " Inshallah " is an Arabic phrase that means " God willing. " " Allahu akbar " means " God is the greatest. " Both sayings are commonly associated with the Islamic faith. The Diocese of Arlington, which oversees the high school, took the threat seriously. Police searched school grounds over the weekend using bomb-sniffing dogs, according to a spokesperson for the diocese. " No threat was discovered, " said Michael J. Donohue, director of communications for the diocese, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation. The online poster had already caught the attention of police by writing threatening statements concerning law enforcement officers. Police are trying to track the origins of the comments. " In the meantime, the police have increased their presence and will continue to do so until this is resolved, " wrote Virginia Colwell, the school " s principal, in a statement to parents, students, and teachers. The threatening messages were especially disturbing given the recent terrorist bombing in Boston. The suspects, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, are believed to have been influenced by their radical Islamic views. The posts of Fairfax Underground user " Prophet Muhammad " explicitly endorse the Tsarnaev brothers and their actions. " That post is obviously very threatening and disturbing, but it is also provocative in light of the attack in Boston, " said Donohue. AINA 28 апреля 2013 г. ... Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Another Christian killed and five wounded in Egypt/Православие.Ru Another Christian killed and five wounded in Egypt Cairo, January 12, 2010 On the same day that Egypt recalled its ambassador to the Vatican over the Pope " s declaration of solidarity with Copts, another attack, in all likelihood inspired by Islamic fundamentalism, has resulted in the death of one Christian and the injury of five others, reports Asia News . In a statement, the Vatican said it " fully supports " the will of the Egyptian government to " avoid an escalation of tensions for religious reasons ... and appreciates the governments efforts in this direction. " The statement follows a meeting between the Vatican’s " foreign minister " , Msgr. Dominique Mamberti, and the Egyptian ambassador, Lamia Aly Hamada Mekhemar, who in turn said she was " expressing the concerns of his government in this difficult time. " Meanwhile, another serious incident occurred on the railway line linking Cairo to Assiut. A police officer, Amer Abdel Zaher Ashur, took the train to Salamut, about 200 km south of Cairo, and opened fire with his police weapon. He killed a 71-year-old Coptic Christian, Fathi Said Ebeid, and wounded his wife of 61 and four others. Medical sources say that all the wounded, two of them in serious condition, are Christians. The police officer, who was not in uniform, tried to flee but was arrested in the station. He was questioned about the motives for his attack, but the investigators are maintaining secrecy on the outcome of the interview. Ayman Mohyeldin, Cairo correspondent for Al Jazeera, said that the authorities do not seem eager to disclose the reasons for the attack. " The bombing of Alexandria is on everyone’s mind. There will be many questions about whether the Salamut attack has religious roots. " Bishop Morcos, bishop of the Coptic Church in Salamut, claims to have spoken to some witnesses of the attack. " This madman went back and forth on the train looking for Christians. Seeing a group of women and girls who were not wearing a veil, he thought they were Christian and fired, shouting " Allahu Akbar " (God is great). " Following the incident, a few hundred Copts gathered in front of the Good Shepherd Hospital in Salamut, where the injured are hospitalized, and clashed with police, who responded with tear gas. 13 января 2011 г. ... Предыдущий Следующий Комментарии Войдите через FaceBook ВКонтакте Яндекс Mail.Ru Google или введите свои данные: © 1999-2015 Православие.Ru При перепечатке ссылка на Православие.Ru обязательна Контактная информация Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Secretary of Synodal Commission on Bioethics visits Iran DECR Communication Service, 16.01.2024. On January 11-13, Archpriest Alexander Abramov, secretary of the Synodal Commission on Bioethics, made a working visit to Iran. On January 11, Archpriest Alexander was received by H.E. Alexei Dedov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. During the conversation, issues of interreligious contacts were discussed, including those dealing with which is the Joint Russian-Iranian Commission for " Orthodoxy- Islam " Dialogue established in 1997. The website of the Synodal Commission on Bioethics reports that on January 13 Fr. Alexander met with Hojjat-ul-Islam Mohammad Mahdi Imanipour, Chairman of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization. Issues of possible cooperation between Russian experts in Orthodox bioethics and Iranian theologians dealing with the sanctity of life, biomedicine, transplantology and other current bioethical problems were touched upon. Special attention was paid to research in the field of high technology and artificial intelligence. The participants agreed to develop systematic cooperation in these areas. Concrete aspects of common work were discussed during a meeting of Archpriest Alexander Abramov with Professor Ali Akbar Ziaee, head of the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue at the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization. A preliminary plan of cooperation was outlined, which includes visits to the centers of bioethical research in Russia and Iran, seminars and conferences on in-depth study of theological aspects of modern bioethics with emphasis on neuroethics and artificial intelligence. Attending the meetings was hegumen Varlaam (Dulsky), a cleric of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Tehran. Print publication Share: Page is available in the following languages Feedback |
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