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        <title>Christian Daily International | Middle East</title>
        <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/middle-east</link>
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            <title>Christian Daily International | Middle East</title>
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        <copyright>Christian Daily International © 2026</copyright>
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                                                        <item>
                <title><![CDATA[Jordan marks 100 years of evangelical ministry; WEA head urges Arab leaders to engage global Church]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordan-marks-100-years-of-evangelical-ministry-wea-head-urges-arab-leaders-to-engage-global-church</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordan-marks-100-years-of-evangelical-ministry-wea-head-urges-arab-leaders-to-engage-global-church</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/46/4699.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rev. Botrus Mansour, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, addresses the centennial celebration of evangelical ministry in Jordan at the Amman Baptist School on May 29.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Daoud Kuttab for Christian Daily International ]]>
                                </media:credit>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Rev. Botrus Mansour, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, addresses the centennial celebration of evangelical ministry in Jordan at the Amman Baptist School on May 29. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/47/4700.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Church and faith community leaders gather at the Amman Baptist School in Amman, Jordan, on May 29 to mark a century of organized evangelical ministry in the country.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Daoud Kuttab for Christian Daily International ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Church and faith community leaders gather at the Amman Baptist School in Amman, Jordan, on May 29 to mark a century of organized evangelical ministry in the country. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/47/4701.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rev. Faeq Haddad leads a prayer for World Evangelical Alliance Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour at a ceremony hosted by the Jordan Evangelical Council on May 30, the day after the centennial celebration.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Jordanian Evangelical Council ]]>
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                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Rev. Faeq Haddad leads a prayer for World Evangelical Alliance Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour at a ceremony hosted by the Jordan Evangelical Council on May 30, the day after the centennial celebration. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/47/4702.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[The president of the Jordan Evangelical Council presents a commemorative plaque to World Evangelical Alliance Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour at a ceremony hosted by the council on May 30, the day after Jordans centennial celebration of organized e]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Jordanian Evangelical Council ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The president of the Jordan Evangelical Council presents a commemorative plaque to World Evangelical Alliance Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour at a ceremony hosted by the council on May 30, the day after Jordan's centennial celebration of organized evangelical ministry. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 01:50:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Churches and faith communities gathered at the Amman Baptist School on May 29 to mark a century of organized evangelical ministry in Jordan, with the World Evangelical Alliance's secretary general using the occasion to call on Arab leaders to build ties with the global evangelical movement.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Churches and faith communities gathered at the Amman Baptist School on May 29 to mark a century of organized evangelical ministry in Jordan, with the World Evangelical Alliance's secretary general using the occasion to call on Arab leaders to build ties with the global evangelical movement.
The centennial celebration, organized by the Jordan Baptist Convention, featured the launch of a second edition of a book documenting the period, along with a documentary, speeches and testimonies from national church leaders.
WEA Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour attended the event and later paid a courtesy visit to Jordanian Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad, religious affairs advisor to King Abdullah II, and the head of the Baptismal Committee. Joining Mansour for the meeting was Rev. Dr. Jack Sara, head of the WEA's MENA alliance.
The centennial marked 100 years of evangelical work in education, healthcare, humanitarian relief and community outreach carried out by Jordanian evangelical communities with local churches and international partners.

A documentary titled "A Glimpse" traced the history of the evangelical movement in Jordan. Leaders said evangelical work in Jordan has grown through cooperation with the state and civil society, preserving religious liberty even amid regional challenges.
Rev. Nabeeh Abbasi, head of the Jordanian Baptist Church, said: "We celebrate this 100-year milestone as a testament to seeds sown through faith, prayer, and sacrifice, bearing fruit across generations."
Emad Mayyah, a leader within the Evangelical complex, spoke about the movement's inclusive approach and its role in fostering peace, education, healthcare and charity. Pastor Bashar Nimat of the Evangelical Alliance cited the church's humanitarian work, including medical care, refugee relief and psychological support, highlighting the church’s role as a “beacon of love and giving.”
Mansour praised King Abdullah's leadership and noted the approaching celebrations marking the bimillennial of the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River baptismal site. He said the WEA stands ready "to contribute to encouraging Evangelical Christian pilgrimage to Jordan."
He also used the occasion to press Arab leaders for greater engagement with evangelicals worldwide.
"I call on Arab leaders in general — and the Hashemite leadership in particular — to seize the opportunity presented by the presence of a Palestinian Evangelical figure in this position to build bridges with the vast, global Evangelical Church, whose influence is growing day by day," Mansour said.
Noting that the WEA marks its 180th anniversary this year, Mansour described the structural character of the evangelical movement, explaining that it operates through voluntary cooperation among churches with shared faith rather than through a centralized hierarchy. He added that openness and equality in matters of faith confession are fundamental to the health of evangelical life and its witness in the public square.
Mansour reiterated to the Jordanian audience that the evangelical movement's impact grows when churches act as partners rather than competitors, reinforcing a spirit of unity through practical service to society.
"This centennial should renew commitment to education, healthcare, relief, and social programs that reflect gospel values in action, within a framework of religious liberty and civic harmony," he said. He also urged ongoing dialogue with civil society and the state to safeguard freedom of conscience and the right to worship freely across Jordan.
The centennial also reaffirmed the WEA's role in connecting Jordan's evangelical communities to a global network of partners in education, health, relief and development. Organizers announced plans to sustain momentum through regional initiatives, leadership development and expanded social outreach across the kingdom.
Mansour was honored separately the following day at an event held by the Jordan Evangelical Council.

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                <title><![CDATA[Egypt legalizes 191 churches and affiliated buildings]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/egypt-legalizes-191-churches-and-affiliated-buildings</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/egypt-legalizes-191-churches-and-affiliated-buildings</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/46/4692.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[St. Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church, also known as the Hanging Church (El Muallaqa), in Cairo, is one of the oldest churches in Egypt.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Przemyslaw “Blueshade” Idzkiewicz, Creative Commons ]]>
                                </media:credit>
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                                    <![CDATA[ St. Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church, also known as the Hanging Church (El Muallaqa), in Cairo, is one of the oldest churches in Egypt. ]]>
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                                                    </media:content>
                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:58:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Christian leaders in Egypt were pleased with progress of a government effort to approve the existence of churches in the country following an executive order on May 19 legalizing 191 churches and affiliated buildings.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Christian leaders in Egypt were pleased with progress of a government effort to approve the existence of churches in the country following an executive order on May 19 legalizing 191 churches and affiliated buildings.
The order was issued following a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli.
The Rev. Khalaf Barakat, president of the General Evangelical Baptist Assembly in Egypt, said Christians in Egypt welcome the ongoing efforts of the Egyptian state to legalize the status of churches and service buildings belonging to various Christian denominations.
“Baptist churches, like many others, have benefited from these measures, while some churches are still awaiting the completion of the legalization process according to the schedules and mechanisms approved by the state,” Barakat told Christian Daily International. “We appreciate the spirit of cooperation shown by the relevant authorities in dealing with this matter over the past years.”
The order brings to 3,804 the total number of churches and buildings granted legal status since the government in 2016 created a committee to oversee the process. This systematic review process is part of a broader state strategy to resolve the status of thousands of unlicensed religious buildings constructed over previous decades.
At the same time, a bill that would regulate personal status issues of Egyptian Christians is making its way to becoming law.
The Egyptian government on May 4 referred two bills regarding the family and personal status of Muslims and Christians to the Egyptian Parliament: the Personal Status Law for Muslims and the Personal Status Law for Egyptian Christians. Both bills address family law matters, including child custody and divorce.
The bills are under review by a joint parliamentary committee composed of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee and the bureaus of the Committees on Social Solidarity, Family and Persons with Disabilities; Religious Affairs and Endowments; and Human Rights. During the committee’s deliberations, the provisions in the draft law remain subject to amendment through the parliamentary discussion process.
The draft personal status law for Christians would, for the first time, establish a unified written code of personal status applicable to Christian communities in Egypt. The draft law would apply to several denominations, including the Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Evangelical, and Catholic communities. It covers family law matters such as engagement, marriage, divorce, annulment, civil dissolution for certain denominations, child custody and visitation, parental guardianship in education, lineage, missing persons and inheritance.
The law would formalize engagement as a notarized contract and require a church announcement prior to marriage, according to a recent report. It would allow marriage contracts to include agreed-upon conditions, such as provisions regarding the wife’s employment status or financial obligations. The law would also regulate annulment, dissolution of marriage and divorce.
A recent news report in the Egyptian newspaper of record, Al Ahram, states that the law would grant men and women equal inheritance rights. Under the current framework, Islamic inheritance rules apply, resulting in a man receiving double the share of a woman.
The draft law also would introduce “host visitation,” allowing a child to stay overnight with the father and travel with him for one week each year. It would also allow electronic communication for noncustodial parents.
Under Egypt’s Church Construction Law (Law No. 80 of 2016), which was approved by the Egyptian Parliament on Aug. 30, 2016, the power to approve the building and renovation of churches was extended to provincial governors, having previously been limited to the country’s security agencies.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[WEA, Jewish interfaith body relaunch formal dialogue on religious freedom, human dignity]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/wea-jewish-interfaith-body-relaunch-formal-dialogue-on-religious-freedom-human-dignity</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/wea-jewish-interfaith-body-relaunch-formal-dialogue-on-religious-freedom-human-dignity</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/46/4657.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Jerusalem]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Wikimedia Commons ]]>
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                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ A view of Jerusalem, the site of the first meeting between the World Evangelical Alliance and the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations in April 2022. The city was chosen for its significance to both Christian and Jewish communities. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 13:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The World Evangelical Alliance and the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations have relaunched a formal dialogue program, bringing together theologians, scholars and church leaders for sustained engagement on shared concerns including antisemitism, religious freedom and human dignity.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The World Evangelical Alliance and the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations have relaunched a formal dialogue program, bringing together theologians, scholars and church leaders for sustained engagement on shared concerns including antisemitism, religious freedom and human dignity.
The WEA announced the initiative on May 21, describing it as a significant step toward structured, ongoing exchange between the global evangelical community and Jewish religious leadership worldwide.
Rabbi Mark Dratch, chair of IJCIC, said the timing reflected pressing realities facing both communities. "At a moment when religious communities face shared challenges around antisemitism, racism, religious freedom, and the protection of human dignity, the relaunch of this dialogue is timely," he said. Dratch previously served as executive vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America and is the founder of JSafe, an organization focused on preventing abuse in Jewish communities.
WEA Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour said the two communities share a reverence for the Hebrew scriptures and a common call to justice. "While we recognize our theological differences, honest dialogue helps us enrich one another, build mutual respect, and address even difficult issues in a spirit of friendship and peace," he said.
The WEA's dialogue team includes Rev. Dr. Kyle Wisdom, the alliance's director of global advocacy and a political philosopher with experience at the United Nations; Rev. Dr. Samuel Richmond, executive director of Caleb Institute in India, who has participated in Jewish-Christian dialogue through the WEA for five years; Dr. Amiel Drimbe, a New Testament scholar at the University of Bucharest whose research focuses on early Jewish-Christian relations; and Rev. Azar Ajaj, president of Nazareth Evangelical College and a Baptist pastor in Nazareth, Israel, with more than a decade of involvement in Jewish-Christian dialogue.
The IJCIC team includes Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn, a specialist in Jewish ethics and law who previously served as academic director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Israel; David Michaels of B'nai B'rith International, who directs the organization's United Nations and intercommunal affairs work; Rabbi Dr. David Fox Sandmel, now chair emeritus of IJCIC and president of the International Council of Christians and Jews; and Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, senior rabbi at a Liberal synagogue in London and a leader in the international Reform and Progressive Religious Zionist movement.
A relationship built on a historic first meeting
The relaunch builds on a foundation laid four years ago. In April 2022, the two organizations convened their first-ever face-to-face meeting in Jerusalem — a three-day gathering that the WEA described at the time as historic.
The meeting was convened by then-WEA Secretary General Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher and IJCIC Chair Rabbi Sandmel, who brought delegations of roughly 15 people from each side. The choice of Jerusalem was deliberate, reflecting the shared heritage of both communities and the long, often fraught history of Jewish-Christian relations.
Delegates began with a visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, where WEA representatives laid a wreath on behalf of the alliance. The heads of the two delegations also participated in Israel's official Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the memorial. The combined delegations were received the following day by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
According to the WEA's account of the gathering, conversations ranged across Jewish-evangelical relations, the resurgence of antisemitism and Holocaust denial, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the worldwide persecution of religious minorities, and the erosion of religious freedom. The two sides also discussed possible collaboration on mutual education, environmental concerns and peacebuilding.
"We are committed to addressing and opposing all forms of normalization of hatred, including antisemitism and attacks on religious communities," Sandmel and Schirrmacher said in a joint statement at the conclusion of the Jerusalem meeting. They pledged to reconvene regularly and to work together on issues identified during the talks.
The formal dialogue announced this week represents the fulfillment of that commitment. The WEA now represents more than 650 million evangelical Christians through 161 national alliances. IJCIC serves as the recognized Jewish partner in dialogue with the Catholic Church, the WEA and other major interreligious bodies worldwide.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[From Islam to Christian media pioneer: Harun Ibrahim's story]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/from-islam-to-christian-media-pioneer-harun-ibrahim-s-story</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/from-islam-to-christian-media-pioneer-harun-ibrahim-s-story</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/47/4738.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Harun Ibrahim]]></media:title>
                                                                                </media:content>
                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 06:08:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The latest episode of Faith Without Frontiers podcast features Harun Ibrahim, founder of Alhayat Ministries, an international Christian media ministry dedicated to sharing the message of Jesus with Muslim audiences around the world.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The latest episode of Faith Without Frontiers podcast features Harun Ibrahim, founder of Al Hayat Ministries, an international Christian media ministry dedicated to sharing the message of Jesus with Muslim audiences around the world.
In conversation with host Gordon Showell-Rogers, Ibrahim reflects on his journey from a secular Muslim upbringing in Jerusalem to becoming a pioneer in Christian media outreach to Muslims.
Al Hayat – the Arabic word for “life” – takes its name from Jesus’ declaration in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Today, the ministry reaches audiences in 12 languages through satellite television, websites, social media, music, Bible teaching and other digital platforms.
Born into a secular Muslim family, Ibrahim says religion played only a minor role in his childhood. Although he identified as Muslim, he rarely practiced the faith and eventually passed through a period of atheism as he wrestled with questions about God and eternity.
The turning point came after he married a Finnish Christian woman who prayed for him over several years. Following an encounter with a street evangelist, Ibrahim began reading the Gospel of John and became captivated by the person of Jesus. After several months of reflection, he committed his life to Christ.
The conversation explores the dramatic changes that followed, including a growing passion for Scripture, prayer and Christian ministry. Ibrahim also explains how a challenge at a missionary conference led him to dedicate his life to sharing the gospel with Muslims, first through radio and later through television and digital media.
The podcast discusses his newly published autobiography, Sharing Jesus, Shaking Islam: One Arab’s Journey from Jerusalem into Pioneering Media Missions to Muslims, which tells the story of his conversion and the development of Al Hayat’s international ministry.
Throughout the interview, Ibrahim speaks candidly about his convictions, his love for Muslim people and his desire that they encounter Christ for themselves. He also encourages Christians to pray for the Muslim world and to support efforts to reach people who have little or no access to the gospel.
This episode offers a fascinating personal testimony, insights into Christian ministry among Muslims and a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's most influential Christian media ministries. Whether you are interested in missions, evangelism or stories of transformed lives, it is well worth a listen.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[In gesture to evangelicals, Jordanian senator visits council left out of earlier meeting]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/in-gesture-to-evangelicals-jordanian-senator-visits-council-left-out-of-earlier-meeting</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/in-gesture-to-evangelicals-jordanian-senator-visits-council-left-out-of-earlier-meeting</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/46/4606.jpeg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Retired Maj. Gen. Imad Maayah (left), president of Jordans Evangelical Council, shakes hands with Sen. Michael Nazzal following their meeting in Amman.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Daoud Kuttab for Christian Daily International ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Retired Maj. Gen. Imad Ma'ayah (left), president of Jordan's Evangelical Council, shakes hands with Sen. Michael Nazzal following their meeting in Amman. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/46/4612.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[From left: Engineer Nidal Qaqish, Rev. George Zananiri, Sen. Michael Nazzal, Evangelical Council President Retired Maj. Gen. Imad Maayah and Rev. Moutasm Dababneh during their meeting in Amman.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Daoud Kuttab for Christian Daily International ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ From left: Engineer Nidal Qaqish, Rev. George Zananiri, Sen. Michael Nazzal, Evangelical Council President Retired Maj. Gen. Imad Ma'ayah and Rev. Moutasm Dababneh during their meeting in Amman. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 23:33:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A senior Jordanian senator visited the country's Evangelical Council last week, offering a gesture of outreach after evangelicals were left out of an earlier parliamentary meeting with Christian church leaders.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A senior Jordanian senator visited the country's Evangelical Council last week, offering a gesture of outreach after evangelicals were left out of an earlier parliamentary meeting with Christian church leaders.
Sen. Michael Nazzal, who chairs the Tourism Committee in Jordan's upper house, met with Retired Maj. Gen. Imad Ma'ayah, president of the Evangelical Council, and members of the council's board at the council's headquarters at the Evangelical Free Church in Amman's Khalda neighborhood on Monday, May 11.
The earlier meeting, held at the Parliamentary Senate offices, had brought together Catholic and Orthodox church leaders to map out plans for Jordan's 2030 millennium celebrations marking the anniversary of Jesus's baptism. Evangelicals were not included. Nazzal said his office had asked the Council of the Heads of Churches to invite relevant church leaders, but that body does not include evangelicals and generally opposes their participation in public events.
Ma'ayah briefed Nazzal on the history of evangelicals in Jordan, which he traced to the late 19th century — predating the modern Hashemite Kingdom. He described how five evangelical denominations — Baptist, Evangelical Free Church, Assemblies of God, Nazarene and Christian & Missionary Alliance — formed the council in 2007. Today the council encompasses 57 churches across the country, along with institutions and parachurch organizations that provide educational, medical and humanitarian services to Jordanians and refugees, including prison ministry.
Ma'ayah also noted that he chairs the Alliance of Evangelical Councils in Palestine and Israel, and spoke of the World Evangelical Alliance's recent selection of Rev. Botrus Mansour — a Nazareth-born pastor and advocate — as its secretary general at a general assembly in Korea last October.

Nazzal said he was unaware of the breadth of evangelical ministry in Jordan. He encouraged evangelicals in Jordan and internationally to support the country's pilgrimage initiative and the planned 2030 event at the site traditionally identified as the location of Jesus's baptism on the east bank of the Jordan River.
Ma'ayah, who commanded the Jordanian army's royal engineering unit, told Nazzal that following the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty he led the effort to clear landmines from the former border area west of the Jordan River. He also gave Nazzal a copy of his autobiography.
Ma'ayah welcomed the visit and said he hopes it signals a shift.
"We hope that decision makers in Jordan will understand the value and importance of being open to all Christians and work with us as a bridge to the evangelical world," he told CDI.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[IFES launches podcast series on Generation Z]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ifes-launches-podcast-series-on-generation-z</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ifes-launches-podcast-series-on-generation-z</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[youth praising]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Photo by Ismael Paramo / Unsplash ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 12:50:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) launched a new podcast series on Thursday, May 7, aimed at helping the global church understand and engage Generation Z.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) launched a new podcast series on Thursday, May 7, aimed at helping the global church understand and engage Generation Z.
The four-part mini-series, titled Gen Z Insights, features voices from more than a dozen countries, including Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Bolivia. It explores how Christian leaders can engage a generation that makes up about 25% of the world’s population and is often described as spiritually open.
“There’s been much debate about the rumblings of revival among Gen Z in the West, and this podcast series amplifies global voices in that critical ministry conversation,” said Annette Arulrajah, associate general secretary of IFES and host of the English-language version of the series.
“Come and listen in on what God is doing among spiritually hungry university students around the world and be inspired, challenged and propelled to engage, disciple and empower this influential new generation.”
The podcast builds on findings from a December 2025 report, Gen Z Insights for Global Student Ministry, published by IFES.
Each episode focuses on one of four defining traits of Gen Z: digital immersion, cultural awareness, pursuit of well-being and spiritual openness.
Because most Gen Zers live in the Majority World, IFES designed the series to move beyond Western perspectives. Each episode pairs an IFES staff member with a Gen Z student or recent graduate to provide a grassroots view of student ministry. The series also features guest speakers from the broader Christian landscape, including author and Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God host Justin Brierley and Jason Watson, host of the Lausanne Movement podcast.
The series addresses topics such as how to distinguish biblical authority from personal preference in an age of fluid spirituality, and how to move students from digital information overload to authentic encounters with Jesus. Other episodes focus on student mental health and the balance between self-care and spiritual growth.
The first episodes are available in English, French and Spanish on major podcast platforms and on the IFES Gen Z Insights webpage. IFES will release additional English episodes weekly.
The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students is a global network of student-led Christian movements present in nearly every country. It works to build communities of disciples transformed by the gospel.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Police in Egypt arrest South Sudanese Christian child]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/police-in-egypt-arrest-south-sudanese-christian-child</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/police-in-egypt-arrest-south-sudanese-christian-child</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/45/4577.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Virgin Mary Church at Zeitoun, in Cairo, Egypt.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ F50R2J, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Virgin Mary Church at Zeitoun, in Cairo, Egypt. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 15:08:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Authorities in Egypt arrested a 16-year-old Christian boy from South Sudan without charges on April 12, part of a crackdown on immigrants both undocumented and legal from that country and Sudan, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Authorities in Egypt arrested a 16-year-old Christian boy from South Sudan without charges on April 12, part of a crackdown on immigrants both undocumented and legal from that country and Sudan, sources said.
Like other immigrants from South Sudan and Sudan, Matiok Santino Matiok – who along with his family is a legal immigrant to Egypt – was arrested after leaving a church service and was initially held in Al Zaitoun District Police Station in northern Cairo, according to the family member who requested anonymity. His family has lived legally in Egypt since 2015.
Matiok informed his family on May 2 of his transfer to a detention center following his arrest as he left an Easter service at a Catholic church, the family member said.
Family members of detainees and Christian advocates say hundreds of South Sudanese and Sudanese Christians remain behind bars under harsh conditions, most on baseless charges. Police confiscate their passports and stay permits in order to prolong keeping them incarcerated, they say.
Although, there are no statistics of the numbers of the South Sudanese who are arrested in Egypt, relatives and church leaders say Egyptian police do not cooperate with their efforts to obtain information about the detainees.
“We tried to follow up with the police, but the Egyptian police are not cooperative,” a family member said.
Matiok’s family urged Christians to pray for his release.
According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees, especially children must be protected and not subjected to procedures that violate their rights or dignity. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children should only be detained only as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) affirms that refugee children are among the most vulnerable and deserve special protection, rather than detention.
The Egyptian government has a history of persecuting converts who have left Islam. According to evangelical leaders in Egypt, the government routinely monitors church bodies looking for Muslims who may be in the process of religious conversion.
Egypt has a long history of Christian presence in the now Muslim-majority country, and about 10 percent of the population identifies as Christian. 
Egypt’s president speaks positively about the country’s historical Christian community, but weak law enforcement leaves believers vulnerable to attack, according to Christian support group Open Doors. Construction of new church buildings remains restricted, and the government makes it impossible for conversions to be officially recognized, the group says.
Egypt ranked 42nd on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[‘Discipled by the persecuted church’: Faith Without Frontiers explores resilience and identity in the Middle East]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/discipled-by-the-persecuted-church-faith-without-frontiers-explores-resilience-and-identity-in-the-middle-east</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/discipled-by-the-persecuted-church-faith-without-frontiers-explores-resilience-and-identity-in-the-middle-east</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[FWF Episode 3]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The third Episode of Christian Daily International’s podcast Faith Without Frontiers featured a wide-ranging conversation with Carla Miller, who serves churches across the Middle East from her base in Lebanon, helping young people build resilience in the face of pressure and persecution.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The third Episode of Christian Daily International’s podcast Faith Without Frontiers featured a wide-ranging conversation with Carla Miller, who serves churches across the Middle East from her base in Lebanon, helping young people build resilience in the face of pressure and persecution.
Hosted by Gordon Showell-Rogers, the episode traces Miller’s journey from a multicultural upbringing in the United Kingdom to life in Beirut, where she and her husband have lived for the past six years. Born to a British father raised in Brazil and a mother of Caribbean heritage, Miller reflects on growing up as part of a visible minority — and as a pastor’s daughter — in a predominantly white English community. The experience, she says, brought a strong sense of pressure to “be perfect” and to counter assumptions placed on her family.
That tension continued into her teenage years, when she describes living a “double life” — involved in church while also exploring the freedoms and risks typical of adolescence. A turning point came at age 16, when she began reading the Bible for herself. What followed was a transformative period in which, as she recalls, the message of Scripture suddenly made sense in a new and personal way. “There was no coming back from that,” she says, describing a faith that shifted from inherited to deeply owned.
From there, Miller’s story becomes increasingly shaped by a growing awareness of Christians facing persecution globally. Through stories, prayer, and later work with a UK-based organization, she says she was “discipled by the persecuted church,” learning from believers who remained steadfast under pressure. That experience would eventually lead her toward the Middle East — a calling she says remained constant for nearly a decade before becoming reality.
Now based in Beirut, Miller works with local churches and organizations across the region, focusing on how to support young people whose faith is tested in complex cultural and social environments. She explains that while persecution is often understood in terms of violence against church leaders, its impact on youth is different and often overlooked. Many young people, she notes, experience pressure before they have fully formed their own convictions, making resilience both more difficult and more essential.
Drawing on the biblical example of Daniel, Miller describes how identity, belonging and faith are often contested in subtle but powerful ways. Her work, she says, involves helping churches become places of safety and restoration — environments where young people can wrestle honestly with their faith without fear of shame or rejection. “If the church was the safest place for young people,” she reflects, “can you imagine what that would do?”
The episode also offers a sobering glimpse into life in Lebanon over recent years. Since arriving in 2019, Miller and her husband have lived through political upheaval, economic collapse, the Beirut port explosion and ongoing regional tensions. She recounts moments of real danger and uncertainty, alongside what she sees as repeated experiences of God’s protection and provision.
Despite these challenges, Miller speaks with deep affection for Lebanon and the wider region. She describes a strong sense of connection with local communities and a profound respect for the long-standing Christian presence in the Middle East. “It feels like such an honor,” she says, “to be part of what God is doing here.”
Listen to the conversation to hear how Miller reflects on faith, identity and perseverance, and how her work among young people is shaped by both the challenges and the hope she encounters in the Middle East.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Algeria shuts protestant churches as Christians are pushed underground]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/algeria-shuts-protestant-churches-as-christians-are-pushed-underground</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/algeria-shuts-protestant-churches-as-christians-are-pushed-underground</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Algerian Pastor Youssef Ourahmane pastor arrested]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ ADF International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, a Christian convert and pastor in the Protestant Church of Algeria, was arrested in 2024 and sentenced to heavy fines and a prison sentence for the so-called crime of “illegal worship” for leading his church. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Nearly all Protestant churches in Algeria have been forced to close, pushing thousands of Christians into private homes and informal gatherings as authorities tighten control over non-Muslim worship.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Nearly all Protestant churches in Algeria have been forced to close, pushing thousands of Christians into private homes and informal gatherings as authorities tighten control over non-Muslim worship.
The closures, which have been systematic from 2017, are not isolated incidents but part of what a 2026 report by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) describes as “a restrictive legal and administrative system incompatible with international standards on freedom of religion.” 
The report documents what it calls a widening gap between Algeria’s constitutional guarantees and the lived reality of its Christian minority.
Since 2006, at least 58 Protestant churches have been shut down by authorities, including nearly all those affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA). By January 2025, the last remaining evangelical churches had effectively ceased operations. 
The result is a quiet but sweeping transformation of Christian life. Prayer meetings now take place in private homes, improvised spaces or outdoors. Some believers gather in what the report describes as “house churches,” while others meet in remote areas, “churches under olive trees.” 
“We try to live our fellowship as best we can; the most important thing is to be together,” an EPA representative said in testimony cited by the report. 
Algerian law requires non-Muslim worship to be authorized by the state, but Christians say such approvals are rarely granted.
Under a 2006 ordinance, any religious activity must take place in officially approved buildings, while a 2012 law requires religious associations to register with authorities, a process critics say has been effectively blocked.
“In practice, the Algerian authorities have refused all applications for the opening of new places of worship,” the report states. 
Without legal recognition, even small gatherings can be treated as violations.
Pastors and worshippers have faced prosecution for holding services without authorization, while police raids on prayer meetings have led to detentions and interrogations.
In one recent case, a group of Christians was detained for hours following a religious gathering, underscoring the risks associated with communal worship. 
Beyond restrictions on worship, the report highlights laws that criminalize certain forms of religious expression.
Algerian legislation makes it an offense to “undermine the faith of a Muslim” or attempt to convert Muslims, with penalties including prison sentences and fines. The scope of these provisions is broad.
“Any expression of Christian faith may be regarded as an attempt to ‘undermine the faith of a Muslim’… and may result in prosecution,” the report notes. 
Authorities have used these laws to pursue cases involving social media posts, distribution of religious materials and public discussion of Christianity.
Christians often avoid displaying religious symbols or speaking openly about their beliefs, fearing legal consequences or social backlash.
Growing underground Christian community
Despite mounting restrictions, Algeria’s Christian population has grown in recent decades, particularly among evangelical Protestants.
The community now numbers an estimated 156,000 people, or about 0.3 percent of the population, according to figures cited in the report. 
Much of this growth has occurred in Kabylia, a region with a distinct cultural identity and a history of religious diversity.
“The social fabric was damaged during the civil war, making the ground fertile for religious change,” historian Karima Dirèche is quoted as saying in the report. 
Yet that growth has taken place largely outside official structures, as churches lose legal status and public visibility.
Converts from Islam to Christianity face particular challenges. While conversion is not explicitly outlawed, it is widely perceived as a challenge to Algeria’s religious and social order. The report notes that converts may face pressure from both authorities and their communities. Christians often encounter discrimination within legal and social systems that assume all citizens are Muslim.
Across North Africa, governments generally guarantee freedom of worship while maintaining strong oversight of religious life.
In Tunisia, the constitution protects freedom of belief, but proselytism remains sensitive and converts can face social pressure. In Morocco, the state permits limited Christian activity but restricts efforts to convert Muslims and closely monitors religious groups.
Algeria, however, stands out for the scale of enforcement. The widespread closure of Protestant churches and the consistent use of legal provisions against unregistered worship have created one of the most restrictive environments for Christians in the region.
Algeria has ratified international agreements protecting religious freedom, but the report says these commitments are not fully implemented.
Reactions from international bodies have been “largely symbolic and non-binding,” allowing the situation to persist. 
The issue has drawn renewed global attention in recent weeks following a historic papal visit to the country, which highlighted Algeria’s Christian heritage and emphasized interfaith dialogue.
But on the ground, little has changed.
For many Christians in Algeria, religious life now unfolds beyond public view. Without access to recognized places of worship and under the risk of legal consequences, believers have adapted by forming decentralized, often discreet communities.
The report concludes that the pressures facing Christians are not incidental but systemic.
“The oppression of Christians in Algeria cannot be understood as a series of isolated incidents,” it states, “but rather as the result of a restrictive legal and administrative system.” 
As international attention grows, the future of religious freedom in Algeria remains uncertain and for many believers, increasingly private.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Palestinian Christian prisoner allowed Bible but denied visit from priest]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/palestinian-christian-prisoner-allowed-bible-but-denied-visit-from-priest</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/palestinian-christian-prisoner-allowed-bible-but-denied-visit-from-priest</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rami Rizq Fadayel has been imprisoned in the Negev without charges for more than two years.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International courtesy of family ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Rami Rizq Fadayel has been imprisoned in the Negev without charges for more than two years. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:20:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Two years after a Palestinian Christian prisoner in the Negev desert requested a Bible and a visit from his priest, Israeli prison officials have agreed to provide Scripture but not the clergy visit, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Two years after a Palestinian Christian prisoner in the Negev desert requested a Bible and a visit from his priest, Israeli prison officials have agreed to provide Scripture but not the clergy visit, sources said.
Rami Saleh, director of Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), told Christian Daily International that the family of detainee Rami Rizq Fadayel, of Ramallah, asked his office to help him. After months of intervention, JLAC has finally received approval to make a Bible available to Fadayel, Saleh said.
“We began our legal intervention back in December 2025, making two requests: access to the Holy Bible and access to a priest,” Saleh said. “According to the Catholic faith, a Christian is to be administered the sacrament by an ordained priest and is to be allowed a confession to a priest at least once a year.”
Saleh said that Nafha Prison, a high-security Israeli prison also known as Bir al-Saba Prison in the Negev about 200 kilometers from Jerusalem, had refused both requests. The JLAC approached prison authorities, who stated on Monday (April 20) that they would allow the Bible but not the priest’s visit.
“All prisoners have had access to their religious books, but since October 7th, 2023, all were confiscated,” Saleh said. “The Islamic Quran was returned to prisoners after some time, but not the Bible.”
Saleh noted that National Prison Services made many requirements, including a signed request by the prisoner.
“We had to get his family to give a power of attorney for a lawyer to visit him and obtain his signature on the request for the Bible,” Saleh said.
JLAC is preparing to appeal the decision banning a visit by a priest.
Mona Fadayel, the inmate’s mother, told Christian Daily International that she is happy that he will be able to get the Bible, although it has been more than two years since he has been asking for one.
“He is sitting with nothing to do; the Bible would help him closer to God,” she said. “He is alone, no one is allowed to visit except his lawyer once every 40 days, and I pay the lawyer NIS [New Israeli Shekels] 700 [$250]. I have not been allowed to visit him since his arrest or even talk on the phone to him. Nor has anyone else, including his priest, been allowed to visit.”
Her son has requested she hire an attorney from Israel who is able to appeal to the Israeli High Court, which would require payment of 6,000 New Israeli Shekels ($2,000) to represent him, she said.
Mona Fadayel noted that he has been detained administratively without charge or trial.
“Usually, this is a six-month detention, and it is renewed once or twice,” she said. “He has been held for two years and four months without any charge or trial.”
She said that another Palestinian who was arrested along with him was released, but they extended her son’s detention for another four months.
“Maybe it is because he [Rami] was sent to solitary confinement after discovering he had a pen with him,” Fadayel said.
It is not clear if permission to have a Bible will be granted to other Christians, Saleh said.
“It is not clear if we will have to make a special legal appeal for every case, or if the decision of the National Prison Services will apply to all Palestinian Christian prisoners.”
Two other Palestinian Christian prisoners, Samer Arabid and Johnny Qaqish, have also requested Bibles, he said.
Since June of 2024, the prison administration had stalled the delivery of a Bible to Rami Fadayel, who was taken captive in December 2023, wrote Hind Shraydeh, a Jerusalem journalist specializing in issues related to Palestinian Christians, in Milhilard.org in April 2025.
Rami Fayadel spent “over two years in arbitrary imprisonment, most of it under administrative detention – a detention without charge or trial,” Shraydeh reported. “Since his most recent arrest, the occupation has renewed Rami’s administrative detention order five consecutive times – including on the eve of Christmas 2024. Just two days after that detention renewal, death struck a cruel blow: Rami’s father passed away.”
Bishop William Shomali of the Jerusalem Latin Patriarchate affirmed to CDI that getting a Bible to a prisoner and visiting him is part of Christian belief.
“The Lord Jesus specifically talked about the need to visit prisoners,” Bishop Shomali said. “In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus emphasizes that visiting prisoners is a direct act of service to Him. He identifies with the ‘least of these,’ stating that helping – or neglecting – those in prison is equivalent to doing so to Him.’]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Trial opens in Egypt for Christian charged with ‘challenging Islam’]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/trial-opens-in-egypt-for-christian-charged-with-challenging-islam</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/trial-opens-in-egypt-for-christian-charged-with-challenging-islam</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/44/4483.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Said Abdelrazek faces charges in Egypt related to his Christian faith.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Solidarity Worldwide ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Said Abdelrazek faces charges in Egypt related to his Christian faith. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:22:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The trial of an Egyptian imprisoned on charges related to his conversion from Islam and his attempt to change his religious designation on identity papers opened on Tuesday (April 21) in Cairo.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The trial of an Egyptian Christian imprisoned on charges related to his conversion from Islam and his attempt to change his religious designation on identity papers opened on Tuesday (April 21) in Cairo.
Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek was arrested in July under “terrorism” related charges. Apostasy is not illegal in Egypt, but changing the religious designation on official identity documents is practically impossible and leaves converts open to prosecution as a “national security threat.”
Prosecutors brought multiple charges against Abdelrazek, according to advocacy group Coptic Solidarity, including establishing and leading a group in violation of the law; joining a group that was allegedly founded unlawfully; financing the group; promoting ideas and beliefs deemed “harmful to national unity and social peace”; showing contempt for Islam and challenging its fundamental principles.
Abdelrazek’s legal team on Tuesday (April 21) submitted several key motions, including requests to adjourn the proceedings in order to prepare a full defense, according to Coptic Solidarity. The court granted the adjournment and scheduled the next hearing for June 15.
Abdelrazek has been held in Cairo’s 10th of Ramadan Prison, where he has reportedly been deprived of basic necessities including adequate food, clothing and medical care and hung in a “crucifixion” position.
The hearing took place at Egypt’s First Criminal Terrorism Circuit in Badr, in the eastern area of Cairo. International human rights groups have long criticized the Badr courts for opaqueness, lack of due process depriving defendants of basic legal protections. Prolonged pretrial detention and limited access to attorneys are common.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has designated Abdelrazek a religious prisoner of conscience, asserting that he was detained for his religious conversion and activity. On July 22, Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution charged him with “contempt for Islam,” joining a banned terrorist organization, inciting unrest and disseminating false information, according to USCIRF.
“During detention, authorities and inmates physically and psychologically abused Abdelrazek for his conversion,” the commission noted.
The defendant was represented by a legal defense team including the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, as well the office of Cassation lawyer Saeed Fayez. 
Conversion and Asylum
Legal, social and civil difficulties resulting from Abdelrazek’s prior conversion to Christianity led him to flee to Russia in 2019, according to USCIRF.
He sought asylum on religious grounds, but in 2023 Russian authorities arrested him for his connection to a privately filmed video that was purportedly offensive to Islam. His online posts about Islam reportedly had upset Muslims in Russia.
In 2024 Russia deported him to Egypt, which rights advocates said violated the principle of non-refoulement as he held documentation from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees confirming that he qualified for international protection. The principle of non-refoulement is intended to protect refugees and asylum seekers from forced return to a country where they face threat of persecution.
Egyptian authorities arrested him, holding him incommunicado for about 10 days.
“When communication resumed, Egyptian authorities interrogated him about his religious beliefs and pressured him to reconsider his faith, monitor other converts, and asked him to delete his social media accounts,” USCIRF states on its website. “Authorities ultimately released him with instructions not to speak publicly or proselytize.”
In July 2025, Egyptian officials again detained Abdelrazek without a warrant and charged him after he resumed posting his religious beliefs online and asked an attorney to help him change the religion designation on his identification documents. Abdelrazek has reportedly said that that during that time he was coerced into undergoing painful removal of a Christian tattoo and was suspended for hours in a “crucifixion” position.
Abdelrazek is still awaiting a decision on an application he filed in May 2024 for a humanitarian visa to Australia.
“His fiancée is an Australian citizen and has appealed for urgent intervention, criticizing what she described as Australia’s lack of meaningful diplomatic engagement,” aid group Church in Chains stated.
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies on Jan. 26 wrote an “urgent appeal” letter on behalf of an international coalition of human rights organizations, religious freedom advocates and independent experts, “to respectfully urge the Australian Government to take immediate humanitarian and diplomatic action on behalf of Mr Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, an Egyptian national and Christian convert who has been arbitrarily detained in Cairo since 15 July 2025 for exercising his fundamental right to freedom of belief,” Church in Chains reported.
The letter states that Abdelrazek’s imprisonment reflects a persistent and alarming pattern of religious persecution in Egypt, particularly against individuals who convert from Islam.
“Mr. Abdelrazek converted to Christianity in 2016 after years of personal reflection. Since that time, he has endured severe and sustained persecution by Egyptian authorities, including repeated arbitrary arrests, torture and ill-treatment, forced divorce, separation from his young son, and continuous surveillance,” the letter states, according to Church in Chains. “His experience starkly contradicts Article 64 of Egypt’s Constitution, which states that ‘freedom of belief is absolute,’ yet in practice denies that right to those who leave Islam.”
The letter urges the Australian Government to grant Abdelrazek humanitarian or protection status, enabling his safe relocation and reunification with his fiancée in Australia; press Egyptian authorities, through bilateral diplomatic channels, to immediately and unconditionally release him, and raise his case at relevant international forums, including the United Nations, emphasizing Egypt’s obligations under international human rights law.
Egypt ranked 42nd on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Israel and Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire, raising hope for 'historic peace agreement']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/israel-and-lebanon-agree-to-10-day-ceasefire-raising-hope-for-historic-peace-agreement</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/israel-and-lebanon-agree-to-10-day-ceasefire-raising-hope-for-historic-peace-agreement</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Firefighters search a building for survivors shortly after an Israeli airstrike on April 13, 2026 in Nabatieh, Lebanon.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Chris McGrath/Getty Images ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ NABATIEH, LEBANON - APRIL 13: Firefighters search a building for survivors shortly after an Israeli airstrike on April 13, 2026 in Nabatieh, Lebanon. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is set to take effect late Thursday, pausing hostilities between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah after weeks of escalating violence that has killed thousands and displaced large numbers of civilians.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is set to take effect late Thursday, pausing hostilities between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah after weeks of escalating violence that has killed thousands and displaced large numbers of civilians.
The truce, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Eastern Time (22:00 BST), with an initial duration of 10 days and the possibility of extension, according to U.S. officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would halt attacks targeting Hezbollah but confirmed that Israeli troops would remain in a 10-kilometer-deep security zone inside southern Lebanon. He described the ceasefire as an opportunity to pursue what he called a potential “historic peace agreement” with Lebanon.
The U.S. State Department said the agreement followed face-to-face talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Washington this week, with both sides affirming that they “are not at war” and committing to engage in good-faith negotiations facilitated by the United States. 
The ceasefire was described as a “gesture of goodwill” by Israel and may be extended by mutual agreement if progress is made. While the truce is in effect, the United States reiterated Israel’s right to act in self-defense against imminent or ongoing threats. The agreement also calls on the Lebanese government to take steps to prevent Hezbollah and other armed groups from launching attacks, while affirming that Lebanon’s security forces bear exclusive responsibility for the country’s sovereignty and national defense. Both parties have requested continued U.S. mediation to resolve remaining issues.
Hezbollah signaled conditional acceptance of the deal, calling for a comprehensive halt to Israeli attacks across all Lebanese territory and rejecting any continued Israeli military presence. In a statement, the group said its actions would depend on how the situation develops. 
Fighting continued in the hours leading up to the ceasefire’s implementation, with Israeli strikes reported in southern Lebanon and rocket fire launched into northern Israel.
The agreement follows an intensive diplomatic push by the United States and comes amid broader efforts to stabilize the region, including a separate, fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
More than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon during the latest round of fighting, according to Lebanese authorities, and over one million residents have been displaced. Israeli officials report that at least 13 soldiers and two civilians have been killed.
Trump said he has invited the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to the White House for potential follow-up talks, though no meetings have been confirmed.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Unified Easter observed across Jordan, parts of Israel and the West Bank]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/unified-easter-observed-across-jordan-parts-of-israel-and-the-west-bank</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/unified-easter-observed-across-jordan-parts-of-israel-and-the-west-bank</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Worshipers gather for an Easter service at Amman Baptist Church on April 12, 2026, as congregations across Jordan mark the resurrection with unified celebrations.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Daoud Kuttab for Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Worshipers gather for an Easter service at Amman Baptist Church on April 12, 2026, as congregations across Jordan mark the resurrection with unified celebrations. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Christians in Jordan were joined by churches in parts of Israel and the West Bank in celebrating Easter together across denominational lines on April 12, an unusual occurrence globally as Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches typically observe the holiday on different dates.]]></description>
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Christians in Jordan were joined by churches in parts of Israel and the West Bank in celebrating Easter together across denominational lines on April 12, an unusual occurrence globally as Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches typically observe the holiday on different dates.
The divergence in Easter observance dates back centuries, rooted in differences between the Western Gregorian calendar, adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in 1582 and later by most Protestant traditions, and the Eastern Julian calendar, which continues to be used by many Orthodox churches. As a result, Easter is often celebrated on different Sundays across Christian traditions.
In Jordan, however, Catholics, Protestants and evangelicals have marked Easter on the same day, alongside Orthodox Christians for decades. Churches in several Israeli and Palestinian cities including Nazareth and Ramallah also aligned their observances this year, celebrating Good Friday, Holy Fire Saturday and Easter Sunday according to the same calendar.
Rev. Botrus Mansour, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance, who attended today's Easter service at his local Baptist church in Nazareth, commented to Christian Daily International that he supported joint Christian holidays, especially regions with fewer Christians. “I think it reflects a positive stance that expresses Christian unity towards the whole world. Our numbers are already small in the East, and the division during holidays makes us vulnerable to ridicule,” Mansour said.
However, celebrations in Jerusalem and Bethlehem remained divided, as churches there are required to follow the strict religious calendar arrangements codified under the 19th-century Ottoman-era Status Quo agreement governing holy sites, which formalized longstanding arrangements among Christian denominations regarding worship times and control of shared sacred spaces.
1973 agreement established unified Christian holidays in Jordan
The move to unify holidays in Jordan follows an agreement worked out in 1973 and signed by Christian laypersons, organizations and churches. The agreement, established by the Committee for Unifying Christian Holidays in Jordan and Palestine, stipulates that all Christian denominations celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 each year according to the Gregorian calendar, and Easter according to the Eastern Julian calendar.
The signatories justified their decision by stating that the continued practice of different churches and denominations in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the West Bank celebrating Christian holidays on separate dates harms the reputation of Christians, weakens their image, and undermines the splendor of the holidays and celebrations.
The 1973 agreement has been followed continuously in Jordan, with the government recognizing Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1) as national holidays. Jordanian Christians are granted paid leave on Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, and public and private universities are instructed not to schedule exams on those days in respect of Christian observance.
Former Jordanian MP Omar Anton Al-Naber told Milhilard.org, a local Christian website, that his family’s charitable organization, the Al-Naber Family Association, helped organize meetings bringing together Christian families from northern and southern Jordan, as well as from the West Bank, to advance the unification of holiday observances. Committees were established to coordinate with Palestinian Christians and church leaders.
He said that popular support and sustained pressure throughout 1972 and 1973 were crucial to achieving unification. “With all due respect to the heads of the churches at that time, the lay committee followed the popular will; they did not lead it. Those who led it were individuals who agreed that unity among all denominations was in the best interest of Christians.”
In his interview, Al-Naber said the unification was driven by the view that differences in the timing of religious holidays were due to non-essential factors rather than core Christian doctrine. He added that differing celebrations harmed the unity, interests and public image of Christians. The document was signed by more than 500 prominent Christian figures, with families affixing their seals at the Al-Naber Association.
Jordanian engineer Nidal Qaqish, a member of the administrative board and central council of the Orthodox Society, told Christian Daily International that the unification reflected leaders committed to the message of Jesus Christ, including love, generosity and respect for all people. “Jordan remains the only country where Christians celebrate their holidays together, a practice that continues to this day despite attempts by some to reverse this important decision,” he said.
Early grassroots efforts paved the way for unification
The genesis of the unification idea began years earlier, according to Rev. David Rihani, head of the Assemblies of God Church of Jordan. Rihani told Christian Daily International that the Rihani family from the town of Al-Husn in the Irbid Governorate played a key role in initiating the unification of holidays.
“The Rihani clan was the first to privately implement the unification of Christian holiday celebrations within the family in the mid-1950s,” he said.
This private initiative by the extended Rihani family took place despite initial ecclesiastical and sectarian reservations. “Despite opposition from the churches, the effort was well received and proved its social and humanitarian success over time, gradually spreading to other families in Al-Husn, and then to various regions of Jordan, until it became a widely accepted and prevalent practice,” Rihani said.
A document outlining the initial bylaws of the Al-Rihani Cooperative Society for Mutual Benefit, detailing this commitment, was written by engineer Amjad Ta’meh Al-Rihani and sent to the Vatican’s documentation department in 1958, informing them of what Rihani described as a pioneering social experiment.
Global efforts toward a unified Easter
A 2025 report by Vatican News stated that the Vatican—under Pope Francis and continuing under Pope Leo XIV—is actively pursuing a unified date for Easter with the Orthodox Church. Church leaders are seeking “a permanent solution to celebrate the Resurrection together,” viewing it as a crucial step toward greater Christian unity, the Vatican publication said.
No comparable formal discussions are currently taking place within the global evangelical movement, where the emphasis has traditionally been placed more on the meaning of the Resurrection than on the timing of its observance.
In many Orthodox-majority countries, evangelical churches often align their Easter celebrations with the Orthodox calendar for practical and social reasons, even in the absence of formal agreements. Catholic communities in such contexts may also adopt the Orthodox date for pastoral reasons, while Orthodox churches themselves typically maintain their traditional Easter observance even in Western-majority countries where the wider society follows a different calendar.
Yet while the global landscape may be more complex and fluid, the longstanding practice in Jordan stands out as a structured compromise, where churches across traditions have agreed to celebrate Christmas on the Western date and Easter according to the Orthodox calendar, offering a unified Christian witness in society.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[World Evangelical Alliance welcomes US-Iran ceasefire, calls for lasting peace and religious freedom]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/world-evangelical-alliance-welcomes-us-iran-ceasefire-calls-for-lasting-peace-and-religious-freedom</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/world-evangelical-alliance-welcomes-us-iran-ceasefire-calls-for-lasting-peace-and-religious-freedom</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[KARAJ, IRAN - APRIL 3: A view of the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026 west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Majid Saeedi/Getty Images ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ KARAJ, IRAN - APRIL 3: A view of the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026 west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:53:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The World Evangelical Alliance on Wednesday welcomed the newly announced two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, expressing hope that the temporary pause in hostilities could lead to a permanent peace agreement.]]></description>
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The World Evangelical Alliance on Wednesday welcomed the newly announced two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, expressing hope that the temporary pause in hostilities could lead to a permanent peace agreement.
In a statement issued April 8, Rev. Botrus Mansour, secretary general of the WEA, said the alliance is praying for those affected by the six-week conflict, including communities in Iran, Israel and across the Arab region.
“We pray that it may become a permanent peace deal,” Mansour who lives in Nazareth said, adding that Christians are called to pursue peace and reject war. He also highlighted the need for freedom of religion for all people in the affected regions, including evangelical Christians.
The WEA’s response follows the ceasefire that took effect Tuesday evening (April 7), temporarily halting weeks of escalating violence between U.S. and Iranian forces, with Israel backing the pause under certain conditions. The agreement is intended to create space for further negotiations, though uncertainty remains over its scope and enforcement.
In its statement, the WEA emphasized that peaceful agreements between nations should be reached through dialogue and in accordance with international law, while also affirming that all people should be able to live according to the human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The alliance also drew attention to ongoing concerns in Lebanon, urging that the ceasefire extend protection to civilians there, particularly in the country’s southern regions where hostilities have continued despite the broader agreement.
Referencing the biblical call to peacemaking, Mansour cited Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew, underscoring the Christian commitment to reconciliation amid conflict.
Read our earlier reporting: US, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire as Israel backs pause; uncertainty remains over scope and enforcement]]></content:encoded>
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