Munich (AINA) -- The supreme head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Patriarch Mor Ignatios Aphrem II, and Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, attended the 55th International Munich Security Conference (MSC) held on February 15-17 in Munich. Both were also invited to join a panel dicussion organised under the chaimanship of Dr.
A senior adviser to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Tuesday flatly rejected the idea of giving Syrian Kurds a measure of autonomy. The Kurdish-led authority that runs much of north and east Syria has presented a road map for a deal with Assad in recent meetings with Russia.
A former Swiss army officer who fought in a Christian militia against the Islamic State in Syria appears in a military court in Bellinzona today. He is accused of undermining Switzerland's defensive capabilities by joining a foreign army. Born in St Gallen and raised in Ticino, Johan Cosar's family belongs to the Syriac minority, one of the oldest Christian communities in the East of Syria.
Stockholm (AINA) -- Assyrians in Sweden have raised concerns concerning an op-ed by MP Lars Adaktusson in the Swedish national daily Svenska Dagbladet calling for a de facto Kurdish zone in the northeastern part of Syria.
Munich -- Reforming the Constitution and the legal system of the country, reinforcing the primary objective of "respect for life", eliminating divisions and abuses that create "second-class citizens"; change the school curriculum "updating religion programs" respecting "the needs of modern times"; guaranteeing "job opportunities for young people".
Senior Policy Officer of the Christian Persecution charity Open Doors, Matthew Rees, revealed that Christians are heavily persecuted in eastern countries like Iraq and Syria by extremists like ISIS. As Christians in this part of the world are often in a minority they are often targeted by terrorist and extremist groups as Christianity is perceived as a western religion, despite originating in the...
BARTELLA, Iraq (AP) -- In the main square in the northern Iraqi town of Bartella stands a large cross, one of the few overt signs that the northern Iraqi town was historically Christian. Nearby, a massive billboard shows Shiite Muslim martyrs alongside a picture of Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei.
Karamles, North Iraq -- There is no peace for Christians in northern Iraq. If, on the one hand, the memory of the violence perpetrated by Islamic State jihadists (SI, ex Isis) is still alive, in recent weeks another threat is shadowing the future of the community: the Shiite militias linked to the Shabak, who are in fact hindering Christians return to the Nineveh plain.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The new U.N. envoy for Iraq called Wednesday for an end to political infighting so the formation of a government can be completed, warning that further delay could lead to "significant repercussions" on the country's stability. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert told the U.N.
American warplanes and U.S.-backed Syrian ground forces kicked off a long-awaited assault on the Islamic State's final stronghold in the country, in what White House officials and coalition commanders anticipate will mark the end of the terror group's four-year campaign in the Middle East. U.S.
Turkish police have seized four invaluable ancient books written in Syriac and Aramaic, including one depicting the life of Jesus Christ. Anti-smuggling police teams carried out an operation in southwestern Denizli province upon receiving intelligence that smugglers were planning to sell the ancient books.
ISTANBUL (VOA) -- The European Court of Human Rights has dealt Turkish human rights activists a significant blow in its refusal to hear a pivotal case stemming from a Turkish military operation that left more than 100 civilians dead.
Munich (AINA) -- The supreme head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Patriarch Mor Ignatios Aphrem II, and Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, attended the 55th International Munich Security Conference (MSC) held on February 15-17 in Munich. Both were also invited to join a panel dicussion organised under the chaimanship of Dr.
Stockholm (AINA) -- Assyrians in Sweden have raised concerns concerning an op-ed by MP Lars Adaktusson in the Swedish national daily Svenska Dagbladet calling for a de facto Kurdish zone in the northeastern part of Syria.
On January 2, 2018, Judge Goldsmith from the federal court in Michigan ordered the release of Assyrian (also known as Chaldean or Syriac) Christian detainees who had been held for deportation. In his decision, the judge cited that the country conditions in Iraq precluded the possibility of returning the refugees to their homes safely.
Berlin (AINA) -- By an overwhelming majority, the German parliament (Bundestag) passed a symbolic and long overdue resolution on Thursday, June 2, 2016, recognizing the 1915 massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman government as a genocide.
(AINA) -- When speaking about the Ottoman Empire and Turkey today, it is not their contribution to civilization that comes to mind. Instead it is human rights violations, confiscation of land and property, genocide and genocide denials that are most frequently discussed in the public discourse. Today's Turkey is still far from being ruled by democratic principles.
(AINA) -- Much has been swirling around on social media about an EU Conference (AINA 2017-06-24) organized by Swedish MEP Lars Adaktusson alongside sponsors such as Demand For Action. No sooner had I heard about it did I also see that it had been boycotted by the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM) and the Chaldean Church, together with various other Assyrian parties and organizations, including...
(BBC) -- Eastern Turkey had a large and thriving community of Christians a little over 100 years ago, but since then most have been dispersed or killed. The BBC's Eli Melki went to look for traces of a relative, who was martyred at the age of 33. One evening in June, I sat in the sunset among the Roman ruins of Zirzawan hill, in south-east Turkey.
Dere, North Iraq -- Mar Odisho Monastery, dating back to the fourth century, still serves the Assyrian community in the tiny village of Dere just four kilometers east of the ancient town of Amedi in Duhok province. Father Elias Daud, born in Dere in 1935 but raised in Baghdad, returned to the village in 1973. He's been leading services and taking care of the monastery for the past 30 years.