Syria
Trump must aid persecuted Christians or his presidency will fail, says Open Doors
By Lauren Markoe — January 11, 2017
(RNS) 'Nearly 1 in every 12 Christians in the world today lives in an area or in a culture in which Christianity is illegal, forbidden or punished,' said Open Doors CEO David Curry.
In Islam, ‘moderate rebels’ are extremists
By Tahir Nasser — January 4, 2017
(RNS) 'Moderate rebels,' a term often used to describe certain factions of anti-government fighters in the Syrian civil war, is an oxymoron as far as the Quran is concerned.
In Germany, Syrians find mosques too conservative
By RNS staff — October 31, 2016
COLOGNE, Germany — Arabic speaking mosques are often short of funds, or else supported by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Some back ultra-conservative or highly literal interpretations of Islam, such as Wahhabism or Salafism.
Russia inaugurates Orthodox cathedral in Paris
By Jerome Socolovsky — October 19, 2016
PARIS (Reuters) The Holy Trinity Cathedral is Russia's biggest and most visible landmark in the French capital since Tsar Alexander III offered Paris a bridge named after him in the late 19th century.
ISIS driven out of ‘doomsday’ village where it prophesied end times battle
By Jerome Socolovsky — October 17, 2016
BEIRUT, Lebanon (Reuters) - Syrian rebels said they captured the village of Dabiq from Islamic State on Sunday, forcing the jihadist group from a stronghold where it had promised to fight a final, apocalyptic battle with the West.
Pope urges protection of ‘invisible and voiceless’ child migrants
By Josephine McKenna — October 13, 2016
VATICAN CITY (RNS) In a strongly worded statement, Francis says immigration is 'growing into a tragic situation of global proportions' and children are being exploited by the 'unscrupulous' as they flee violence and poverty.
Pope Francis warns Syria aggressors they will face divine wrath
By Josephine McKenna — September 28, 2016
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The pontiff's latest appeal came as he authorized a church charity to auction cars used during his recent trip to Poland to support those hard hit by the war.
Pope Francis invites Syrian refugees to lunch in Vatican
By Josephine McKenna — August 11, 2016
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The pontiff's gesture was another pointed challenge to sentiment in the West against welcoming refugees from the war-torn region.
Catholic nuns under siege in Syria appeal for help
By Josephine McKenna — August 5, 2016
ROME (RNS) The bombing and the food shortages in Aleppo have reached a critical point, but several Carmelite nuns are refusing to leave.
Report: Islamic State lost quarter of its Iraq, Syria territory in 18 months
By RNS staff — July 10, 2016
BEIRUT (Reuters) The territory controlled by ISIS shrank from 35,000 square miles in January 2015, six months after it declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, to 26,370 square miles, the research firm said.
Archbishop of Canterbury to open home to Syrian refugee family next month
By RNS staff — July 6, 2016
LONDON — The welcoming of a refugee family onto the archbishop's estate comes 11 months after Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to offer asylum to 20,000 Syrians.
America’s moral obligation in the global refugee crisis
By Jerome Socolovsky — May 26, 2016
(RNS) "If you’re a good swimmer, you’ve got an obligation to jump in the river to save a drowning child."
World Vision president: Treat refugees as guests
By Timothy C. Morgan — May 16, 2016
(RNS) Christians in Iraq’s Kurdish north, Jordan, and Lebanon are becoming more innovative in responding to the needs of refugees. U.S. churches can learn from them, Rich Stearns said.
Syrian refugees sheltered by pope describe ‘miracle’ journey
By David Gibson — April 18, 2016
ROME (RNS) From a war-torn homeland to a hellish camp on a Greek island, the Muslim families are now living in the sheltering shadow of the Vatican.
Brussels attacks: How radicalization happens
By The Conversation — March 23, 2016
The bombings once again call attention to a serious crisis: the radicalization of citizens outside the Middle East by extremist groups.
