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        <title>Christian Daily International | Middle East</title>
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            <title>Christian Daily International | Middle East</title>
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                <title><![CDATA[Religious freedom yearbooks show bleak global outlook]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/religious-freedom-yearbooks-show-bleak-global-outlook</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Thomas Paul Schirrmacher, president of the International Institute for Religious Freedom and the International Society for Human Rights, speaks at release of yearbooks in Berlin on Nov. 3, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ IIRF/Martin Warnecke ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Thomas Paul Schirrmacher, president of the International Institute for Religious Freedom and the International Society for Human Rights, speaks at release of yearbooks in Berlin on Nov. 3, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:43:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Levels of persecution of Christians worldwide this year worsened compared with 2025, according to editors of the yearbooks “Religious Freedom 2026” and “Persecution and Discrimination against Christians 2026.”]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Levels of persecution of Christians worldwide this year worsened compared with 2025, according to editors of the yearbooks “Religious Freedom 2026” and “Persecution and Discrimination against Christians 2026.”
Releasing the yearbooks at a news conference in Berlin on Tuesday (Nov. 3), the editors gave an unequivocal “No” to the question of whether conditions for people of faith had improved. Global religious freedom in 2026 ranges from “worse” to “persistently bad” when measured against previous years, the reports show.
The editors highlighted severe downturns in Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, China and Cuba. They pointed directly to the rise of populist exploitation of religious identity, faith weaponized as an ideological instrument, and Russia’s religious justification of its war against Ukraine.
“Religious freedom faces a twofold threat worldwide: from those who trample it underfoot, and from those who seek to marginalize it in international politics,” said Thomas Paul Schirrmacher, president of the International Institute for Religious Freedom and the International Society for Human Rights.
Even experts are struggling to keep up with rapidly increasing persecution, he said.
“The horrifying reports of religious persecution show no sign of abating,” Schirrmacher said. “In Africa, for example, the killings of Christians, moderate Muslims and adherents of traditional religions by Islamist extremists are spreading geographically ever further.”
Schirrmacher noted a second dangerous trend emerging alongside this violence: not only direct curbs on religious freedom, but a fading political resolve to defend it.
Religious freedom is increasingly sidelined amid armed conflicts and civil wars in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Iran, the Middle East and elsewhere, overshadowed by geopolitical power struggles and energy dependencies, he said.
“For governments that oppress religious minorities, this is good news: they are increasingly unlikely to face serious consequences,” Schirrmacher said.
He argued that the only way to counter this trajectory is through a “broad, interfaith alliance of politicians, parliamentarians, journalists, academics, religious leaders and human rights organizations.”
“Such an alliance requires a common foundation: independently gathered, carefully verified and reliable facts,” Schirrmacher said. “With our yearbooks, we aim to make a concrete contribution to this cause. For those who marginalize religious freedom in international politics create new scope for the persecutors.”
Johann Matthies, political representative of the Evangelical Alliance in Germany, warned that restrictions on religious practice routinely foreshadow broader authoritarian crackdowns. He pointed specifically to faith under fire in Ukraine.
“Ukraine shows just how much faith can come under attack,” Matthies said. “According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 640 places of worship have been damaged or destroyed in the course of Russia’s war of aggression.”
Matthies added that official Ukrainian estimates place the number of clergy from various denominations killed by Russian forces at no fewer than 67 by spring 2025.
“In the occupied territories, congregations are being dispossessed,” Matthies said. “Church services are being disrupted by raids. Clergy are being interrogated and sentenced to long prison terms. I have met pastors who have lost their churches and now live as displaced persons in their own country.”
Matthies identified the weaponization of religion itself as a particularly disturbing dimension of the war.
“The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church interprets the war of aggression as a ‘metaphysical struggle’ and equates death on the front line with the sacrifice of Christ,” Matthies said. “At the same time, Russia is portraying itself in the West as a defender of Christianity.”
Matthies urged observers to call out this narrative for what it is. He pointed to a position paper released by the German Evangelical Alliance in September, which declared that the Christian faith does not seek political dominance and rejected any attempt to exploit faith for political objectives.
“This applies first and foremost to ourselves, but certainly also to Moscow,” Matthies said. “When the Russian Orthodox Church is misused to further state objectives at home and abroad, it ceases to be the church of the faithful and becomes an instrument of those in power.”
Matthies said German Christians must speak out against every violation of religious freedom and stand in steadfast solidarity alongside those suffering for their beliefs. He also urged proactive, cross-political dialogue between evangelical leaders and policymakers before violent conflicts erupt.
“The Church in Ukraine shows that faith cannot be eradicated,” Matthies said. “Parish halls have become places of refuge and aid centers, and displaced congregations have re-established themselves elsewhere. This Church serves the people, not those in power. We should model ourselves on this.”
Gudrun Kugler, an Austrian lawmaker, vice president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and human rights spokesperson for the Austrian People’s Party, emphasized that women bear distinct, frequently ignored burdens under systemic religious repression.
“Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right – and yet it is being disregarded worldwide to such an extent that decisive action is required,” Kugler said. “People of all faiths are discriminated against, threatened, persecuted or even killed because of their religious beliefs.”
Kugler said anti-Christian persecution harms millions across every continent, yet remains widely underestimated in the public consciousness.
“It is all the more important to consider the various dimensions of persecution in a nuanced way,” Kugler said. “This also includes the gender-specific dimension. Women from religious minorities often experience persecution in a dual or multiple capacity – both as women and on account of their faith.”
While men face direct physical violence more frequently, Kugler noted that women are disproportionately subjected to forced marriage, abductions, sexual violence and severe social exclusion.
“These forms of violence often remain invisible, yet have a profound impact on the lives of those affected and on the stability of entire communities,” Kugler said.
Martin Lessenthin, a human rights expert and co-editor of the yearbooks, underscored overlooked human rights crises in Egypt and Cuba in a written statement.
“The global situation regarding religious freedom is steadily deteriorating,” Lessenthin said. “Wars and political tensions have created a situation in which oppression, discrimination and persecution can be more easily concealed by the perpetrators and more easily ignored by decision-makers in democratic states. This disregard has reached its highest possible level.”
The yearbooks are available for free digital download online at iirf.global/jahrbuch, or in print through booksellers for 16 euros ($17). Charitable organizations may request complimentary sets of 10 copies for targeted distribution by contacting jahrbuch@vkw.li or by fax at 0228/9650389.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[UN rapporteur links Tehran church seizure to wider pressure on Iran’s Christians]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/un-rapporteur-links-tehran-church-seizure-to-wider-pressure-on-irans-christians</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Mai Sato, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, addresses a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, in Geneva, Jan. 23, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot: YouTube/United Nations Office at Geneva ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mai Sato, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, addresses a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, in Geneva, Jan. 23, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2026 08:22:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Iran has replied to only one of the eight communications U.N. human rights experts have sent it about Christians since 2011, and that single reply described Christian converts as a threat to national security, according to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.]]></description>
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Iran has replied to only one of the eight communications U.N. human rights experts have sent it about Christians since 2011, and that single reply described Christian converts as a threat to national security, according to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.
Dr. Mai Sato, who has held the mandate since August 2024, made the remarks in an interview with Article18, a group that monitors religious freedom in Iran.
In the conversation, Sato set out the limits of her role, the U.N. record on Iran's Christians, the seizure of St. Peter's Evangelical Church in Tehran and the use of national security charges against house-church members. She also acknowledged that amid war and mass protests in Iran, the situation of Christians "hasn't always received the attention that it deserves."
A mandate without access to the country
Sato said the post is independent of the U.N. staff structure.
"This is an unpaid role, so I'm not an employee of the United Nations," she said.
Her full-time work is as an academic at Birkbeck, University of London.
The role is defined by a resolution of the Human Rights Council, the body of U.N. member states that created it. Under that resolution, Sato is tasked with monitoring civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in Iran and measuring progress in the implementation of recommendations.
The mandate gives her four main tools. She submits two reports a year, to the Human Rights Council in March and to the General Assembly in late October. She can send communications, which are allegation letters to the Iranian authorities on specific cases, sent alone or jointly with other U.N. experts and published on a public U.N. database together with any government reply. She engages publicly through press statements and media.
She can conduct country visits, but they do not include Iran.
"The Iranian authorities don't recognize the legitimacy of my mandate, so I can't go to Iran, and that's been the case since the reestablishment of this mandate in 2011," Sato said.
Instead, she visits third countries with large Iranian diaspora communities. Other U.N. rapporteurs, including experts on unilateral coercive measures and on housing, have been admitted to Iran, she noted, but not the rapporteur on Iran.
Eight letters, only one reply
According to Sato, the U.N. communications database lists eight communications concerning Christians in Iran since 2011. All but one concerned the arrest and detention of Christians, most of them converts.
The exception is the most recent, a joint communication on the confiscation of the St. Peter's Evangelical Church compound in Tehran and on the Armenian and Assyrian Christians who lived there. Sato described it as "qualitatively different" from earlier cases because it concerned property and members of Iran's recognized Christian minorities rather than converts.
St. Peter's is the oldest Protestant church in Iran. In July, authorities moved to transfer it to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order, a state-controlled organization that confiscates religious and private property, enforcing a Revolutionary Court ruling from the late 1990s, International Christian Concern reported. Authorities seized the compound on July 12, a month ahead of the deadline they had set and days after the U.N. communication was sent, and posted guards outside. The remaining residents, 27 Armenian and Assyrian Christians, were evicted.
Sato and Nazila Ghanea, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, called for the seizure to be reversed in a joint statement, describing it as part of a long pattern of measures against Iran's Christian community, and in particular against Persian-speaking Christian worship. Iran once had around 50 Protestant churches, most of them offering services in Persian. Today there are effectively none, the experts said, as they have either been closed or have had to stop holding services in Persian.
Iran has not responded to the communication.
'National security' and the house church
The only Iranian reply on record answered the 2020 communication. Sato said it followed a familiar pattern: "the whole narrative around labeling Christians, Christian converts as sort of a threat to national security."
The reply used charges such as propaganda against the state and stated that those named had been convicted of national security offenses, not for converting to Christianity. Iran's reply, like the communication it answered, is published on the U.N. database.
She said the reply also drew a distinction that runs through Iran's treatment of Christians. Persian-speaking Christians, most of them converts from Islam, were presented as a threat to national security, while the authorities emphasized that they recognize the country's Armenian and Assyrian Christian communities.
That recognition did not prevent the evictions at St. Peter's. The 27 residents removed from the compound belonged to those recognized communities, the feature Sato said set that communication apart from all earlier U.N. letters on Iran's Christians.
The conduct behind such charges, she said, is often ordinary religious practice.
"You have all these national security offenses, but when you actually look at the acts, it's sometimes like gathering of house churches or dissemination of information," she said, adding that the information in question was probably the distribution of Bibles.
She recalled one case in which a man was labeled a spy after traveling abroad to take part in church activities.
'Authorities know that we're watching'
Asked how she responds to those who question the value of the mandate when Iran rarely answers, Sato said she understood the frustration, but that expectations should match the role.
"The main objective and the power that I have is to monitor and to report," she said. "I don't have any enforcement powers to make Iranian authorities do X, Y, and Z. I also don't have the power to make states do X, Y, and Z."
Demands that she do more, she said, are "almost like asking a journalist to stop an execution by writing a piece about it."
She said impact is difficult to measure, and prevention harder still.
"Authorities know that we're watching. Does that mean the next church confiscation may not happen, or would it be delayed? We'll never be able to measure that."
Sato views the mandate's value in the record it creates. Without it, she said, there would be no official U.N. record of cases and of what victims and their families endured that differs from the state narrative. She considered it as a truth-telling function and a means of preserving evidence that could serve future accountability mechanisms "if there is a fundamental change in governance."
The immediate and near-term impact, she acknowledged, is harder to see. For that, she said, governments carry greater responsibility, because the mandate exists at their initiative.
"It's the states that basically create the mandate to monitor and document," Sato said. "There's a lot of evidence, then what would the states like to do after creating the mandate?"
She suggested governments could do more, whether through longer-term accountability or through political and diplomatic channels.
'Your every day matters'
Sato said that since she took up the mandate, Iran has been through the 12-day war, a severe crackdown on nationwide protests and the current war, and much of her attention has gone to the right to life and to political prisoners facing execution. Because contacting her directly is risky under Iran's espionage law, she relies on civil society organizations to document cases and serve as a secure channel for victims and their families.
That focus, she acknowledged, has meant the situation of Christians and converts has not always received the attention it deserves, although her mandate covers all human rights. The right to life underpins every other right, she said, but "living isn't just about having oxygen to breathe and having enough food to eat." It also means being able to practice one's faith and find meaning in work and family without fear.
"Your every day matters to my mandate, not only when you're arrested or detained or imprisoned," Sato said in a message to Christian prisoners of conscience and their families.
She urged them to keep sharing their experiences with her mandate, directly or through trusted organizations, "whenever it's safe to do so."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Head of global evangelical body visits Jordanian village where gunmen killed 9 at church funeral]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/head-of-global-evangelical-body-visits-jordanian-village-where-gunmen-killed-9-at-church-funeral</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Rev. Botrus Mansour, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, and other church leaders gather at a wreath laid by the alliance at the graves of victims of a church funeral shooting in Hmoud, in Jordan’s Karak governorate.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of WEA ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Rev. Botrus Mansour, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, and other church leaders gather at a wreath laid by the alliance at the graves of victims of a church funeral shooting in Hmoud, in Jordan’s Karak governorate. Gunmen killed nine people and wounded at least 34 at a funeral at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in the village on Oct. 23. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:21:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance has traveled to the southern Jordanian village where gunmen killed nine Christians at a church funeral last month, laying a wreath at the victims' graves and meeting with a grieving family, the alliance said in a statement released Monday (Nov. 2).]]></description>
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The secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has traveled to the southern Jordanian village where gunmen killed nine Christians at a church funeral last month, laying a wreath at the victims' graves and meeting with a grieving family, the alliance said in a statement released Monday (Nov. 2).
The Rev. Botrus Mansour led a delegation of evangelical and Baptist leaders from Jordan and neighboring areas to Hmoud, in Karak Governorate, where attackers opened fire on mourners at a Greek Orthodox church on Oct. 23. The visit came a week after Jordan's air force struck targets in southern Syria that the government linked to the suspects.
Speaking at the cemetery, Mansour said the killings "shook us to our core," according to the WEA statement. He said he had already issued a message of solidarity and prayer on behalf of what the alliance counts as 650 million evangelicals worldwide.
"But in addition, we felt it necessary to be here to offer our condolences in person," he said.
Praise for Jordan's response
Mansour, who is from Nazareth, called Jordan "an oasis of tolerance and full citizenship for all its people, without any discrimination between Muslim and Christian." He commended the response of King Abdullah II and the royal family as decisive and courageous, "not just in words, but also in deeds," the alliance reported.
The attackers, he said, had "struck every Jordanian to the very core of their being," and not Christians alone. In his view, the right response is to strengthen national unity, reject injustice and remove grievances against any group in the country.
He also said the delegation would encourage evangelicals around the world to visit Jordan, particularly ahead of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River in 2030.
Jordan is preparing a global commemoration of that anniversary at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the UNESCO-listed site on the river's east bank identified as the place of Jesus' baptism, Christian Daily International reported last year. Mansour told CDI at the time that the WEA hoped to work closely with Jordanian authorities on the event.
Joining Mansour at the wreath-laying were the Rev. Nabih Abbasi, president of the Baptist Convention in Jordan and Middle East ambassador for the Baptist World Alliance, and the Rev. Jack Sara, president of Bethlehem Bible College and of the Evangelical Alliance in the Middle East and North Africa.
Jordanian church leaders also took part, among them Rev. David Rihani, head of the Assemblies of God in Jordan, and the Rev. Rami Hussein Halsa, pastor of Resurrection Baptist Church in Sweileh, near Amman.
The group prayed for the families of those killed, for the wounded and for Jordan's security. Its members then visited the family of Alaa Masarwa to offer condolences and pray with them, according to the statement.
'Death is not the final word'
Abbasi told those gathered that standing at the graves brought together grief and hope. The delegation had come to honor the dead, pray for their families and affirm that death does not have the last word because Christ rose from the dead, he said.
He noted that the biblical word translated "martyr" means "witness." All Christians are called to bear witness to Christ, he said, and God calls some to complete that witness by giving their lives.
"From this place, we declare that terrorism will not prevail, that hatred will not defeat love, and that darkness will not extinguish the light of Christ," Abbasi said.
He prayed for comfort for the bereaved and recovery for the injured, and asked for prayer for the king, the government and the security forces.
Mansour closed his remarks with a reference to the resurrection. "The criminals thought they could kill the body and the story would end, but we tell them that the story will not end … since the Lord Jesus Christ has risen — Christ is risen," he said.
Arrests and strikes in Syria
The attack targeted a funeral at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Hmoud, Christian Daily International reported at the time. Witnesses told CNN that gunmen fired for an extended period toward the church courtyard, where most mourners were standing, and shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greater").
At least 34 people were wounded, Reuters reported. Earlier reports had put the number at 28.
Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law on Oct. 26 after an exchange of fire in the nearby village of al-Judayyda, according to Reuters. The Public Security Directorate said the three men were found hiding in an abandoned house, refused to surrender and fired on officers, who wounded and detained them. No security personnel were hurt.
"God willing, they only represent themselves," Maj. Gen. Obeidallah al-Maaytah, Jordan's director of public security, told reporters. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the investigation remained open and that, so far, there were "no indications of any links between them and other cells."
Later that day, Jordan's armed forces said the air force had hit militant hideouts in southern Syria after determining that the suspects were tied to "terrorist groups" operating there.
The following day, Government Communication Minister Mohammed al-Momani said the strikes had killed more than 20 Islamic State group militants and destroyed a large weapons depot belonging to the group, Reuters and AFP reported.
Christians make up about 2% to 3% of Jordan's population, though the area around Hmoud has long had a large Christian community. Attacks on Christians in the kingdom are rare. On the day of the shooting, King Abdullah vowed on social media to respond to those responsible with an "iron fist."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Authorities in Egypt hold Christian incommunicado]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/authorities-in-egypt-hold-christian-without-charges</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Coptic Christian Sherif Wagih Fahmi was arrested in Egypt on Oct. 5, 2026 for his Facebook posts.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot from Coptic Solidarity video ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Coptic Christian Sherif Wagih Fahmi was arrested in Egypt on Oct. 5, 2026 for his Facebook posts. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:43:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Authorities in Egypt arrested a Coptic Christian this month for Facebook posts criticizing forced Islamic education of non-Muslims, while six young Copts detained over a TikTok video have been ordered released.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Authorities in Egypt arrested a Coptic Christian this month for Facebook posts criticizing forced Islamic education of non-Muslims, while six young Copts detained over a TikTok video have been ordered released.
Egyptian Security officers arrested Sherif Wagih Fahmi, a 41-year-old Coptic engineer, from his home in Alexandria on Oct. 5 and have been holding him incommunicado over his Facebook posts, according to Coptic Solidarity. Officers from the National Security Agency arrived at Fahmi’s home in military vehicles early in the afternoon, raided his house and took him into custody, the rights group stated. 
Fahmi was detained for his Facebook posts in recent weeks condemning educational policies that numerous human rights advocates say marginalize or even vilify the Christian minority, according to Coptic Solidarity and other organizations.
It was not clear exactly where Fahmi was being held. He has been charged with “contempt of Islam” but has not yet been given a case number to appear in court, according to Coptic Solidarity.
Religious instruction is compulsory for school-age children in Egypt. In theory, Christian children are allowed to opt out of Islamic classes, but this rule is often ignored, and Christian children are commonly forced to undergo Islamic education. In Arabic language and even social studies classes, Christians receive instruction with the Quran as the primary text, and students are made to memorize and even interpret quranic verses.
Some Egyptian textbooks have passages that insult Christians or conflict with the religious beliefs of non-Muslim students, according to a report issued by the Tahrir Institute.
“The education program is devoid of any lesson, text, or mention of other faiths or religions, with a total omission of Egyptian Christian or Jewish historical figures, or major non-Muslim religious holidays,” Ishak Ibrahim, a noted human rights researcher, states in the report. “The same goes for Coptic history, despite the fact that the Coptic Church played a prominent role locally or abroad in facing the Roman and Byzantine empires at the time.”
Fahmi’s disappearance comes as part of a long-standing and concerted effort by the Egyptian government to intimidate active Christians and those who challenge state denials of anti-Christian persecution on social media. On Wednesday (Oct. 21), the trial of another Christian detainee, Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, was adjourned until Nov. 3 to allow the prosecution and defense to prepare their arguments. Defense attorneys will present their arguments on Nov. 3, according to Coptic Solidarity.
Abdelrazek, 30, a convert from Islam, is charged with contempt for Islam, inciting public disorder, disseminating false information and joining a banned terrorist organization, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. Multiple human rights groups, including Amnesty International, say Abdelrazek has been falsely charged as punishment for his conversion and attempts to change the religion designation on his national identification card.
Like Fahmi, Abdelrazek had an active presence on social media. In his most recent arrest, he has been held in custody since July 15, 2025.
In another incident this month involving internet speech, six Coptic males, one of them 17, were detained after they posted a video on TikTok of them reenacting a famous scene from a movie of a group of Muslim men attempting to pray.
The six Copts, all from Taha Al-Aamida village in Samalout, Minya Governate, began receiving online threats and were arrested Oct. 6 after villagers reported the video to police. Following an initial interrogation, a judge extended the detention of the six Copts. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights confirmed Monday (Oct. 26) that the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered they be released without bail while they await any future court proceedings, which have now essentially been placed on hold.
Several human rights groups have condemned the arrest as an unnecessary double standard being enforced to harass the Coptic minority. The movie scene has been acted out over the internet by Egyptian fans, most of them Muslim, thousands of times with no known prior incident.
The scene comes from “Khalawis” (“Ready Or Not”), a 2018 family comedy about the mistaken arrest of a 5-year-old boy. In the scene, a group of Muslim prisoners attempt to pray, only to realize they don’t know how to do so properly. The film was approved by state censors and appears on regular rotation in Egypt on satellite television.
The government accused the youths of mocking Islamic prayer and charged them with blasphemy, contempt of religion, and utilizing religion to spread extremist ideas. Prior to being charged, the youths deleted the video and apologized. The local Coptic diocese hosted a traditional reconciliation meeting to reduce village tensions without success.
At the same time, another Christian is appealing a five-year prison sentence with hard labor after being found guilty on Jan. 3 of “Contempt of Religion” and “misuse of social media.” Augustinos Samaan, a 37-year-old Coptic Christian researcher with a doctorate in Comparative Religion, hosted a YouTube channel as part of an online ministry explaining Christian theology. In his videos, he discussed the differences between Christianity and Islam and tried to rebut anti-Christian sentiment while seeking to minimize sectarian conflict.
What exactly brought Samaan to the attention of Egyptian authorities is unknown, but his site had more than 100,000 subscribers. He was arrested Oct. 1, 2025 in an early morning raid on his home by security forces. Legal observers say the charges against Samaan were frivolous, and that his trial, conducted in secret without counsel, was improper if not illegal.
A formal appeal, Samaan’s last, is scheduled for Nov. 15 before the Egyptian Court of Cassation.
Egypt has a long history of holding converts from Islam indefinitely in hopes they will eventually collapse under the pressure of endless imprisonment and then publicly recant their profession of faith in Christ. The case of Mohammed Hegazy was a notable example. The Egyptian government held Hegazy, a convert who gained national notoriety for trying to change the religion listed on his ID, for more than two and a half years without charge until he finally broke and on July 30, 2016 recanted his conversion on Youtube.
He has since revealed that his statement was made under duress and that he never abandoned his faith in Christ.
The Egyptian government also held Abdul-Baqi Saeed Abdo, a Yemeni convert from Islam, for more than two years in pretrial detention in an attempt to shatter his belief in Christ. Abdo, who has suffered severely for his faith, had an active internet presence discussing persecution of Christians in the Muslim world.
Abdo was never charged but, under intense international pressure, he was eventually released and deported. Another convert from Islam with an active internet presence, Nour Girgis, was arrested at the same time as Abdo and was released as well.
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[Arabic editions of major Bible commentary series aim to fill long-standing gap for Arab churches]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/arabic-editions-of-major-bible-commentary-series-aim-to-fill-long-standing-gap-for-arab-churches</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/arabic-editions-of-major-bible-commentary-series-aim-to-fill-long-standing-gap-for-arab-churches</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/54/5474.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Arabic editions of the NICOT commentary on Psalms and the NICNT commentary on Ephesians, two of five volumes released Sept. 22, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ ABTS ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Arabic editions of the NICOT commentary on Psalms and the NICNT commentary on Ephesians, two of five volumes released Sept. 22, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:31:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Five volumes from two English-language Bible commentary series used widely in seminaries are now available in Arabic. Organizers describe the release as the first result of a translation effort meant to address a shortage of detailed biblical scholarship in the language.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Five volumes from two English-language Bible commentary series used widely in seminaries are now available in Arabic. Organizers describe the release as the first result of a translation effort meant to address a shortage of detailed biblical scholarship in the language.
The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon and the Christian publisher Dar Manhal al Hayat released Arabic editions of commentaries on Genesis, in two parts, along with Psalms, Galatians and Ephesians on Sept. 22, according to a report by THIMAR. The books come from the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT) and the New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT), both published in English by Eerdmans.
Project leaders say the translations are meant to reach churches as well as seminaries. They present the series as a working tool for pastors, teachers and theology students across the Arabic-speaking world, where they say thorough and reliable commentaries have long been scarce.
Filling a gap in the Arabic library
Wajih Youssef, editor-in-chief of the Arabic project, told those gathered for the launch that few comprehensive commentaries exist in Arabic. In his view, the translations respond to a need in the Arabic theological library rather than simply adding more titles to it.
Youssef said the series engages closely with the biblical texts in their original languages. It examines historical, linguistic, cultural and theological questions, takes on difficult passages and gives readers references for further study, he said.
For Youssef, the study also became a matter of worship. While translating, he said, he often found himself pausing to say, "Glory be to God."
The THIMARS report said the project has drawn on translators, editors, reviewers and scholars in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, as well as partners who funded or otherwise supported the effort.
Scholarship for the local church
Sandra El Hajj Baz, publishing and communications director at Dar Manhal al Hayat, opened the launch with Psalm 119:18, a prayer asking God to open the reader's eyes to the wonders of his law. Organizers framed the commentaries as aids that help readers grasp Scripture's context and meaning, not as a substitute for the Bible itself.
Wissam Nasrallah, president of the seminary, described the project as a bridge in three directions. It links academic study with local church ministry, connects Arab churches with Christians in other parts of the world and joins one generation of church leaders to the next, he said.
Scholarship, Nasrallah said, should shape preaching, discipleship, youth work and theological training instead of staying in classrooms. He said Arab churches have much to learn from believers elsewhere but also bring questions and experiences of their own. He described a longer-term hope that it will encourage new Arabic works written from within the region.
"This is not the end of a project, but the beginning of new growth," Nasrallah said.
Depth over speed
Walid Zailaa, the seminary's academic dean, said that while the Bible is far easier to obtain than in the past, readers still need dependable help interpreting it.
Drawing on Psalm 1, which pictures a tree planted by streams of water that bears fruit in its season, Zailaa cautioned against measuring success by speed or visible results. A tree without fruit at a given moment is not necessarily failing, he said. What matters is where it is rooted.
Speakers also discussed whether resources this detailed could serve house churches and Christian communities with little access to formal theological education. Churches need depth in Scripture to last, even in ministry settings that place a premium on rapid multiplication, they emphasized.
Organizers called the five volumes one step in a longer process. Nasrallah said he hoped the books would be "opened and read, reaching classrooms and pulpits, so that Christ may be served more faithfully."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Islamic extremists kill Christians in mass shooting at funeral in Jordan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/islamic-extremists-kill-christians-in-mass-shooting-at-funeral-in-jordan</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/islamic-extremists-kill-christians-in-mass-shooting-at-funeral-in-jordan</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Gunmen attack Greek Orthodox church site in Hmood, Karak Province, Jordan on Oct. 23, 2026 in CCT recording on CNN.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot from YouTube ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Gunmen attack Greek Orthodox church site in Hmood, Karak Province, Jordan on Oct. 23, 2026 in CCT recording on CNN. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[In a rare attack in a country known for peaceful inter-faith coexistence, suspected armed Islamic extremists attacked a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan on Friday (Oct. 23), killing at least nine people and wounding 28 others, according to reports.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
In a rare attack in a country known for peaceful inter-faith coexistence, suspected Islamic extremists attacked a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan on Friday (Oct. 23), shooting at least nine people to death and wounding 28 others, according to reports.
The gunmen opened fire on the gathering at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Hmood, Karak Province, with a public security agency official saying later in a news conference that the mass shooting was a terrorist attack against Christians attending a funeral, CNN reported. Karak is about 180 kilometers (112 miles) south of Amman.
In a post on X, King Abdullah said Jordan will “harshly” respond against those responsible for the “terrorist act.”
“The blood of Jordanians is precious, and we will strike those who transgress against this country with an iron fist,” the king posted, according to CNN.
A religious rights source whose name is withheld messaged other activists that video indicated the assailants were Islamic extremists, and that local Christians asserted the gunmen were young Muslims.
One of the assailants was armed with an AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle, CNN reported, citing a witness who spoke with state-run Al-Mamlaka television. Another witness told CNN the assault “lasted a long time,” and gunmen shouted the jihadist slogan, “Allahu Akbar [God is greater]” as they targeted the church courtyard where most of the mourners were standing.
She told CNN it was a “massacre,” adding, “they struck people who were gathered to grieve and mourn. I never ever imagined anything like this would ever happen anywhere in Jordan.”
Security camera footage on social media showed three gunmen firing weapons on the street before heading toward the church site, according to CNN.
Christians make up 2-3 percent of Jordan’s population, but the town where shooting took place has long been predominantly Christian. A witness told Al-Mamlaka television that there were more than 150 people within and outside the church building at the time of the attack, according to CNN.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Farrayeh described the attack as a “terrorist operation carried out by a group of extremists” and that security personnel had been dispatchd to the area to search for the assailants, according to news outlet al-Monitor.
Though anti-Christian violence is rare in Jordan, a Lebanese Christian choir in Amman was attacked in 2008, and officials foiled an attempted attack on church buildings and a Christian cemetery that year, as well as a plot to bomb a Roman Catholic church in 2009, al-Monitor reported.
Other major attacks have occurred that did not target Christians exclusively, such as suicide bombings of three hotels in Amman that killed at least 57 people in November 2005, according to the news outlet. A police training facility near Amman was attacked in November 2015, with a Jordanian officer killing five people, including two Americans, and in June 2016 suspected Islamic State militants on a border post reportedly killed seven Jordanian security personnel. 
In Karak in December 2016, gunmen killed 14 people, including security personnel and civilians, and three U.S. special forces soldiers were killed by a Jordanian guard at King Faisal Air Base in November 2016, according to al-Monitor.
The Rev. Botrus Mansour, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), expressed deep sorrow and strong condemnation over the attack in a press statement.
“The WEA condemns the attack by masked men that targeted a church funeral in the village of Hmoud in the Karak Governorate, south of Amman, leaving seven dead and 28 injured,” Mansouor said. “The World Evangelical Alliance rejects, without qualification, all forms of violence and any assault on the God-given right to life and personal security, regardless of any claimed motives or justifications.”
Extending sincere solidarity to the victims, the injured and their families and offering condolences on behalf of the WEA, Mansour called on the faithful to offer prayers for the families of the victims, for those who have been injured, and for Jordan.
“We pray that God may protect our nation, grant wisdom to the country’s leaders and its security services, and sustain the blessing of security and stability in Jordan,” he said. “In line with the values of faith, justice, and peace, the World Evangelical Alliance emphasizes that Jordan’s national unity and social cohesion are foundational to preserving stability and safeguarding social security. Any attempt to exploit this tragedy to sow division, incite sectarian tension, or spread hatred must be firmly rejected.”
Jordan remains and will continue to remain a safe place for all its people, regardless of religion or origin, he said.
“The World Evangelical Alliance further underscores the importance of protecting social cohesion, affirming that the right to life and security, freedom to worship and practice religious rites, and the protection of places of worship are essential responsibilities for both the state and society,” he said. “These commitments ensure that all citizens’ rights and dignity are upheld without discrimination.”
(Breaking story being updated throughout today)]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[US delegation visit to Jordan, Jerusalem highlights status of evangelicals]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-delegation-visit-to-jordan-jerusalem-highlights-status-of-evangelicals</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-delegation-visit-to-jordan-jerusalem-highlights-status-of-evangelicals</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[U.S. delegation with church representatives of Jordan.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ U.S. delegation with church representatives of Jordan. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The status of evangelicals in Jordan and the region appears to have been a major focus during the visit of a U.S. delegation to Jordan and Jerusalem over the weekend.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The status of evangelicals in Jordan and the region appears to have been a major focus during the visit of a U.S. delegation to Jordan and Jerusalem over the weekend.
Riley Barnes, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, was part of a U.S. delegation that stopped in Madaba, Jordan on Saturday (Oct. 17), where they visited St. George’s Church, famous for its mosaic map, and the Latin Church.
At a luncheon, former Jordanian general and president of the Jordan Evangelical Council Emad Ma’ayeh praised King Abdullah II and the Jordanian government and told delegates of the freedom Jordanian Christians enjoy “and the absolute absence of discrimination they face,” he told Christian Daily International.
Ma’ayeh also raised to the U.S. diplomats the request of Jordanian evangelicals to have their own ecclesiastical court, which would deal with issues of personal status such as divorce, inheritance and adoptions.
Stating that evangelicals number about 10,000 and attend church services in 57 locations across Jordan, May’eh also noted the humanitarian work carried out by Jordanian evangelical para-church organizations in education, care for the elderly, refugee support, and prison services.
Earlier in the visit, the head of the Jordanian Baptist Convention, the Rev. Nabih Abbassi, accompanied by representatives from the Convention’s council, met with Barnes and his delegation. Abbassi highlighted King Abdullah II’s role in safeguarding religious freedoms and protecting the Christian presence in Jordan and across the wider region. He also described Jordan as an exemplary model for respecting religious pluralism, upholding the values of citizenship and coexistence, and ensuring the rule of law.
Abbassi also discussed concerns facing evangelicals across the region, including the need for continued dialogue on regulating evangelical churches’ legal and ecclesiastical status.
Leaders said such efforts could help preserve evangelical churches’ mission, increase their participation, and pave the way for broader, more structured representation within national ecclesiastical frameworks – foremost among them the Jordanian Council of Church leaders, thereby supporting the unity of Christian witness while protecting diversity within Jordan’s Christian family.
Evangelical leaders emphasized that churches in Jordan fulfill an important national, spiritual and social role by promoting a culture of peace, countering extremist ideologies and fostering a discourse of love and moderation through their spiritual mission and community service. The Rev. Rami Hussein Halseh, secretary of the Baptist Council, said Jordan serves as a model for an active Christian presence in the Arab region, adding that Jordanian Christians contribute to the life of the nation and society – not as an isolated minority, but as an integral part of the country’s social fabric and as partners in state and community development.
Barnes expressed appreciation for the steps Jordan has taken in human rights and religious freedom, according to the Jordanian Baptist Convention Facebook page. He commended religious institutions and churches for fostering stability and countering extremism, and expressed hope for continued progress.
Barnes also met with an interfaith group, which included clergy from the Roman Orthodox, Latin, Greek Catholic, and Episcopal Arab churches. He said that all participants spoke with complete transparency about the situation of Christians in Jordan and the relationships between the various churches. They said that their American guest was an attentive listener and showed genuine interest in the views expressed.
An Orthodox priest in attendance, the Rev. Romanos Samawi, told Christian Daily International part of the discussion touched on the relationship between local churches and missionary groups or organizations operating under the guise of “churches.”
“Some of these groups engage in proselytizing activities that reflect poorly on the Christian community in Jordan, a community that maintains excellent relations with others and is an integral part of the nation’s social fabric,” Samawi said.
Genuine churches within the Islamic-majority country enjoy full rights, and their presence is respected, he said.
He told Christian Daily International that concerns were also raised regarding potential links between some of the missionary groups and the global Zionist movement and their support for Israeli actions in the Holy Land.
He also said the Orthodox represent the churches of the early centuries, founded by Christ Himself, in a land that has been home to prophets and saints. The Orthodox priest expressed commitment to King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, “who serves as a staunch defender of Christians on the global stage. As the custodian of both Christian and Islamic holy sites, he ensures that we live in a Jordan defined by brotherhood.”
At St. George’s Church, Archimandrite Andraos Shamieh welcomed the delegation, along with Oikonomos Yousef Hamarneh and members of the church committee. Also present were the head of the Council of Evangelical Churches in Jordan (retired Maj. Gen. and former Member of Parliament Imad Ma’ayeh), former member of Parliament Majdi Al-Ya’qoub, Madaba Director of Tourism Wael Ja’nini, and several other guests.
At the end of the visit, Archimandrite Shamieh presented Barnes with a commemorative mosaic and a book explaining the map as a gesture of appreciation and goodwill.
Jerusalem meeting
In Jerusalem on Saturday (Oct. 17), Barnes along with Brian Burch, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See; Darren Perdue, deputy political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem; Vincent Young, chief of staff to Assistant Secretary Barnes; and several other officials and staff members from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the Vatican met with Palestinian Christians, among them the Rev. Jack Sara, president of Bethlehem Bible College and secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance MENA branch.
Sara shared about “the realities, challenges, and concerns facing Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land, the ongoing ministry and mission of Bethlehem Bible College, and the wider struggles affecting Palestinian communities,” according to his Facebook page.
He emphasized the importance of protecting the Christian presence in the land of Christ’s birth, safeguarding human dignity, and ensuring that the voices of local Christians are heard in conversations that shape the future of our region.
Sara later told Christian Daily International that the meeting was positive.
“It was clear that the group is interested in changing how the U.S. engages with the Palestinian Authority and in providing assistance to people who are attacked by settlers,” he said. “They were also very keen to hear about the insults and mistreatment faced by Christians in Jerusalem, as well as the instances where attempts have been made to attack churches.”
Christian Daily International contacted the U.S. embassy in Amman for comment, but none had been received at this writing.
Part of the assistant secretary of state for democracy and human rights’ responsibilities is to ensure the U.S. State Department and other U.S. agencies’ annual publication cycle; relevant reporting timelines are tied to scheduled releases.
By law, U.S. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are due to Congress by Feb. 25 each year, though in practice they are frequently published later in the spring; for instance, the 2024 report was released in August 2025.
The Department of State typically releases International Religious Freedom Reports separately later in the year (often around May or June), covering the prior calendar year.
A separate, independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) usually releases its annual report in the spring, typically around March.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christians among minorities killed, abducted in three-month period in Syria, report says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christians-among-minorities-killed-abducted-in-three-month-period-in-syria-report-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christians-among-minorities-killed-abducted-in-three-month-period-in-syria-report-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Residents of Syrian Christian town of Suqaylabiyah protest on March 28, 2026 after an attack by a neighboring Sunni Muslim town.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ CSI ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Residents of Syrian Christian town of Suqaylabiyah protest on March 28, 2026 after an attack by a neighboring Sunni Muslim town. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Christians and other minorities are at heightened risk of being killed or abducted under the Syrian Transitional Government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to a report by advocacy and aid group Christian Solidarity International (CSI).]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Christians and other minorities are at heightened risk of being killed or abducted under the Syrian Transitional Government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to a report by advocacy and aid group Christian Solidarity International (CSI).
Four Christians were killed in Syria from July 1 to Sept. 30, with the body of George Nemeh found murdered at his farm in Qaya village, Latakia Governorate on Sept. 30, CSI reported.
Nader Tannous, who had recently returned from life as a refugee in Sweden, was shot dead by gunmen on Aug. 15 in Homs while returning home from work at a hair salon he had opened. He was originally from Wadi al-Nasara (Valley of the Christians) in the countryside of Homs, according to the report.   
Fadi al-Shaer, a Christian from Kafr Buhum, was killed after being abducted at gunpoint with his daughter on July 8. His body was found with gunshot wounds while his daughter was released, CSI reported  
The body of Rani Halawa, a Christian and brother of Father Rafi Halawa, was found on July 3, several hours after he went missing near Jaramana, a Druze majority town with a large Christian population surrounded by Sunni towns on the outskirts of Damascus, according to the report. 
The victims in most of the cases chronicled were Alawites, Druze Shiites, with Alawite women and girls especially vulnerable to sexual violence and forced marriage, the report notes. The quarterly update covering July, August and September highlights known or suspected attacks against religious minorities in Syria as an indicator of the ongoing threats to religious minorities in the country.
On Dec. 8, 2024, the 54-year-old dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad collapsed, bringing an end to an era of widespread state terror and mass violence, and it was replaced by the government of Al-Sharaa, a former member of Al-Qaeda whose forces committed numerous atrocities against religious minorities in Syria during the uprising against the prior regime, CSI Notes.
“The Syrian Transitional Government has publicly committed to protecting the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnic or religious background. But Syria’s new security forces are largely composed of former Islamist fighters drawn from Syria’s Sunni majority,” the report states. “Government and government-aligned forces carried out large-scale massacres of Alawite Muslim civilians in March 2025 and Druze civilians in July 2025.”
Six Christians from July through September were abducted, arbitrarily arrested or remained detained from previous arrests, the report states.
On Aug. 5, Christian engineer Tony Daniel was arrested by General Security forces after criticizing corruption within the Syndicate of Engineers on a television program.
“The manner of his arrest, “resembling an abduction,” as well as the charges, reportedly based on a singular complaint under Syria’s Assad-era cybercrime laws, sparked outcry from human rights activists and lawyers,” CSI notes.   
On Aug. 2, Fadi Semaan, a Christian man, went missing on the Damascus-Saidnaya road. Another Christian, George Abu Nassar, was kidnapped in Sweida in southern Syria on July 27.
“He was released one month later, bearing scars from torture following intervention by a General Security official, who said he used his contacts to secure the release, reportedly preceded by a ransom demand of at least $20,000,” the report states. 
On July 19, a 24-year-old Christian woman, Samia al-Nasser, went missing while traveling from Homs Governorate to Damascus to visit family. Also on July 19, Nihad Hassan, a convert to Christianity and pastor of The Good Shepherd Kurdish Evangelical Church in Lebanon, was detained by government security forces while visiting his family in Afrin in northern Syria. He was released after more than two weeks of detention, the report states.  
Suleiman Khalil, former mayor of the Syriac Orthodox town of Sadad who organized its defense against the Islamic State in November 2015, has been detained without charge and without access to a lawyer since February 2025.  
Gunmen from Qalaat al-Mudiq on July 27 stormed the neighboring Christian town of Suqaylabiyah and opened fire near a café, the report states.
“This is only the latest incident of harassment against the Christian town by its Sunni neighbors, including a violent pogrom in March and the forced closure of its main church, which has prompted consistent emigration,” the report states. “Residents continue to protest for the release of young men detained by the security forces.”  
Christian communities in Saidnaya and Marmarita in the central province of Homs cancelled public celebrations related to religious feasts in August for the second year in a row, citing insecurity and sensitivity to families impacted by violence and detentions.   
Three people were reported killed and dozens wounded on Aug. 6 in the majority Druze district of Jaramana, when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated inside a commuter van. A fourth victim, a Christian woman, succumbed to her wounds three weeks later.
“The area had seen Druze-led anti-government protests the month before, after which General Security forces reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar [God is greater]” when dispatched to the area in a show of force,” the CSI report notes.  
Christians of Al-Sawra village in Sweida Governorate issued a statement on Aug. 8 condemning desecration of their cemeteries by occupying forces.
“Once a mixed Christian and Druze town, residents were displaced when government forces took over in July 2025 amid sectarian attacks against the Druze, and images have since emerged of looting and burning of the town, and most recently, the opening of graves,” CSI reported.  
Islamist militants on Aug. 29 attacked a liquor store in the Christian town of Kafr Buhum in Hama Governorate, creating panic, the report states. 
“In early September, a career portal opened by the Ministry of Defense asked new graduates which parts of the Quran they had memorized and what mosque they attended, sending a public message that only Muslims were sought, and more specifically, that the government may discriminate against those not adhering to the Salafist beliefs or affiliations of the government,” the report notes.
Syria was ranked No. 6 on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List (WWL), a dramatic decline from its ranking the previous year at No. 18, largely due to a spike in violence.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Palestinian Christian mother and daughter killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City building]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/palestinian-christian-mother-and-daughter-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-gaza-city-building</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/palestinian-christian-mother-and-daughter-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-gaza-city-building</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud, right, and her daughter, Mary Hafez Michel Al-Najjar, are seen in this undated photo.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud, right, and her daughter, Mary Hafez Michel Al-Najjar, are seen in this undated photo. The Palestinian Christian mother and daughter were killed early Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, when an Israeli airstrike hit the apartment building in Gaza City where they were living. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2026 17:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Two Palestinian Christian women, a mother and her daughter, were killed early Saturday when an Israeli airstrike hit the apartment building in Gaza City where they were living, church leaders said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Two Palestinian Christian women, a mother and her daughter, were killed early Saturday when an Israeli airstrike hit the apartment building in Gaza City where they were living, church leaders said.
The women had served parishioners and displaced people at a shelter affiliated with the Holy Family Church in Gaza, according to a Palestinian official who oversees church affairs. They were among at least five people killed in the strike, which the Israeli military said targeted a senior Hamas leader.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem identified the victims as Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and her daughter, Mary Hafez Michel Al-Najjar (Abu Daoud).
Palestinians rushed to pull people from the rubble after the strike, according to health and civil defense officials.
Gaza City resident Ahmed Al-Dahdouh was among those who tried to pull people out. "This is happening every day to us; it is not safe. One sleeps at night and does not know if he will wake up in the morning or not; we woke up, we woke up," he said.
"We are Muslims, and these are our Christian brethren, who are not involved in anything; they are peaceful people, and everybody loves them, and now we pulled out their bodies, a mother and her daughter," he added.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X that it and the Israel Security Agency carried out the strike "in an attempt to eliminate the terrorist Ali Ahmed Al-Amoudi, the deputy chairman of the political bureau in Hamas in Gaza."
The IDF said Al-Amoudi served as Yahya Sinwar's right-hand man and personal assistant and "was involved in the decision-making surrounding the October 7th Massacre."
"Today, Al-Amoudi is the most senior Hamas figure in Gaza and is directly involved in Hamas' terror activities and in rebuilding the organization for war," the statement said. "The terrorist was struck in order to remove the threat."
The military said Al-Amoudi was in an apartment used by Hamas for terror activities at the time of the strike. "This is yet another example of Hamas' cynical use of civilians as human shields to advance terrorist activities," it said.
The statement did not say whether Al-Amoudi was killed. Some early reports suggest the attempt may have failed, although there has been no conclusive assessment yet.
The strike came during a ceasefire that has been in effect since October 2025. Israel has continued to carry out strikes it says target militants. It accuses Hamas of rebuilding its forces and violating the truce.
Shireen Awwad, a Gaza native who lives in Bethlehem, told Christian Daily International that local Gazans say there was a pursuit of a wanted Palestinian. She said the Israelis may have been looking for a specific target and struck the building to get that one person.
Awwad said the mother and daughter had taken refuge at the church in Gaza along with other Christians. When the church asked everyone to evacuate, they left. Those who did not have a home rented one. Maysa and her daughter rented a place in the building, as did others.
Awwad said Maysa's husband died a year ago of natural causes. She had two sons, Michel, who lives in Beit Sahour in the West Bank, and another in Germany. Both had long been trying to get their mother and sister out of Gaza.
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III issued a short eulogy expressing pain and sorrow.
"With pain and sorrow, and in the hope of the Resurrection, we pray for the repose of the souls of Maysa and Mary, asking the Lord to grant them rest where all pain, sorrow, and sighing have fled away, and to bestow patience and consolation upon their family," the Patriarchate said.
The statement added: "Every human being is created in the image of God, and every human life is sacred. We remember all the people of Gaza in our prayers, seeking mercy for the departed, healing for the wounded, and strength for the bereaved."
It concluded: "We pray for an end to the war and the bombardment and for the protection of civilian lives, and that a just peace may prevail — one in which the people of Gaza can feel secure regarding their children and loved ones. May their memory be eternal."
Ramzi Khoury, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee and head of the Higher Presidential Committee of Churches Affairs in Palestine, also mourned the women. In a statement Saturday, he said they had dedicated their time to serving at the church shelter amid harsh humanitarian conditions in the Strip.
He said the deaths of Maysa and her daughter Mary are a painful loss for their families, the church and the congregation. He said they join the ranks of Palestinian martyrs in Gaza who have paid — and continue to pay — a heavy price because of the war and the death, destruction and suffering it has caused.
Khoury said the Christian community in Gaza has always been an integral part of the Palestinian people, steadfast in its attachment to its land, faith and presence despite the most grueling circumstances.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Report highlights role of short-term trips, church apprenticeships in long-term mission]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/report-highlights-role-of-short-term-trips-church-apprenticeships-in-long-term-mission</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/report-highlights-role-of-short-term-trips-church-apprenticeships-in-long-term-mission</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[christians]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo by Vince Fleming / Unsplash ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Short-term mission placements and church apprenticeships can help prepare people for long-term gospel ministry, according to a report published by mission agency Crosslinks.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Short-term mission placements and church apprenticeships can help prepare people for long-term gospel ministry, according to a report published by mission agency Crosslinks.
The Pathways to Mission survey, which gathered responses from 87 Crosslinks mission partners, provides data on how individuals moved from an initial interest in cross-cultural ministry to active service overseas.
“I think the best thing someone can do who is zealous for the progress of the gospel is to give them opportunities to go out to a country and serve on a summer camp or for a year,” said Tom Trump, a mission partner serving in Belgium.
The report comes as European and global mission agencies face broader changes in applications for full-time ministry and enrollment at theological colleges.
The survey found that 76% of long-term mission partners had undertaken between one and 10 short-term mission trips before committing to full-time overseas ministry. Eight percent had completed seven to 10 short-term placements.
“If we want to see the next generation of long-term gospel workers raised up, we must give them mini tasters of ministry life overseas,” Crosslinks said, pointing to summer camps, gap years, language years abroad and church mission teams as potential entry points.
The survey also highlighted the need for local churches to provide patient, long-term pastoral support. The journey to the mission field was often lengthy: seven to 10 years was the most common period between initial interest and departure, while more than a quarter of respondents said the process took longer.
Obstacles and concerns cited by candidates included adapting to another culture, the potential impact on children and learning a new language.
Practical preparation was closely connected to local church involvement and theological training. More than half of the surveyed mission partners had completed a church apprenticeship before departing for overseas ministry.
Almost all respondents had completed formal theological training, including at institutions such as Oak Hill Theological College, the Cornhill Training Course, Belfast Bible College and George Whitefield College. Only three mission partners had no formal theological training before going overseas.
Hearing directly from existing mission partners and gaining practical ministry experience in their home churches were also cited as significant factors in preparing candidates.
In its communication to supporters, Crosslinks said it hopes the findings will help local churches and sending agencies identify barriers, manage expectations and better equip future candidates for long-term ministry.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Conflict, surveillance, disunity emerging as new religious freedom challenges, advocates say]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/conflict-surveillance-disunity-emerging-as-new-religious-freedom-challenges-advocates-say</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/conflict-surveillance-disunity-emerging-as-new-religious-freedom-challenges-advocates-say</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Wissam al-Saliby (right), president of 21Wilberforce, speaks during a panel on religious freedom advocacy at the Global Religious Freedom Gathering at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 29, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Wissam al-Saliby (right), president of 21Wilberforce, speaks during a panel on religious freedom advocacy at the Global Religious Freedom Gathering at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 29, 2026. Al-Saliby said armed conflict is weakening religious freedom and closing channels for international advocacy. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Panel at Global Religious Freedom Gathering at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Panelists Scot Bower of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Bob Fu of ChinaAid, Ted Vail of the Pentecostal Commission on Religious Liberty, Jeremy P. Barker of the Mustard Seed Foundation and Wissam al-Saliby of 21Wilberforce, from left, take part in a discussion on advocacy in times of conflict at the Global Religious Freedom Gathering at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 29, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:53:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Religious freedom advocates told a gathering in Texas that armed conflict and state surveillance are undermining the methods Christians have used to defend persecuted believers. They said a divided global church is poorly placed to respond.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Religious freedom advocates told a gathering in Texas that armed conflict and state surveillance are undermining the methods Christians have used to defend persecuted believers. They said a divided global church is poorly placed to respond.
The panelists spoke at Dallas Baptist University on Tuesday (Sept. 29), the second day of the Global Religious Freedom Gathering. They urged churches to work across denominational lines and to take on peace building as well as traditional advocacy. Scot Bower of Christian Solidarity Worldwide moderated the session, titled "Advocacy in a Broken World: Faithful Action in Times of Conflict."
War closes advocacy channels and divides churches
Wissam al-Saliby, president of 21Wilberforce, said 65 armed conflicts are active worldwide, counting both wars between states and civil wars. Many more regions face violence from armed or separatist groups that falls short of formal armed conflict, he said.
According to al-Saliby, war damages religious freedom in three ways. Inside a country, it weakens or destroys civil society, as in Sudan. States at war also tend to restrict freedom of religion together with freedom of expression, he said, naming Russia and Iran.
War also disrupts international advocacy. Al-Saliby described a campaign concerning a country he did not name. U.S. lawmakers had already taken positions because of a conflict involving the United States, he said, so they would not take up the religious freedom case.
His team turned to the Swiss parliament, which was seen as neutral, and persuaded it to send letters to that country's government. The approach worked for a time, he said, but the threat of war eventually closed that route as well.
The third problem, he said, is that the United Nations and similar bodies carry less weight than they did five years ago.
Conflict also divides Christians themselves. Soon after al-Saliby became president of 21Wilberforce in May 2024, he asked a Christian leader in a conflict region how the organization could help. "Our community is divided. As Christians, we are divided," the leader told him, asking for help with unity before anything else.
That conversation moved the organization toward peace building, healing and reconciliation, al-Saliby said. Conflicts often split churches along tribal and ethnic lines, he said, and the pattern repeats in more than one country.
He also warned against resentment toward other communities, calling it "anti-missional" and an obstacle to resolving conflict. In one country, he said, local Christian leaders chose to advocate jointly with Muslims. Not everyone accepts that approach, he acknowledged, but he said it has greater impact.
Jeremy P. Barker, director of programs at the Mustard Seed Foundation, works in societies emerging from conflict. Barker has lived in northern Iraq for five and a half years. He said people he speaks with describe neighboring Syria as close either to real renewal or to new mass killings.
Such settings raise questions about whether a country will make room for ethnic and religious difference, Barker said. He asked whether Christians have a public theology to bring to those questions, beyond responding to persecution.

Surveillance reaches beyond China's borders
For Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, technology is now the greatest challenge in religious freedom work. China, he said, has entered an era of "digital tyranny."
Fu led a house church in Beijing and was imprisoned there before going into exile in the United States. About 15 years ago, he said, police raiding house churches would register everyone present and demand passwords for their phones and computers during interrogation.
That step is no longer needed, Fu said. A witness to one recent raid told him officers already had the information before they arrived.
Authorities now identify people through facial recognition and, increasingly, through the way a person moves, Fu said. Combined with large data systems and the social credit system, he said, that lets them know which house church a person attends, where and when.
Fu said China is exporting the technology and monitoring people beyond its borders, a practice known as transnational repression. He said Chinese agents are present on university campuses in the United States, Canada and the European Union, and that their monitoring now reaches beyond Chinese nationals.
His most practical advice was to remove China-developed apps from personal phones, some of which are used by many foreigners who live or work in China, including missionaries. Fu said authorities can activate some apps remotely from thousands of miles away. "So that basically you are carrying your own surveillance machine with you," he said. 
Calls for unity across denominations
Ted Vail, chairman of the Pentecostal Commission on Religious Liberty, said the global church is growing in places few would have expected 10 or 20 years ago. Much of that growth is in non-Western movements that have no Western headquarters, he said, so they are disconnected from one another and from advocacy networks.
The gap is costly, Vail said. When a pastor is detained or a church leader killed, he said, many churches do not know whom to contact. Some local believers ask that authorities or foreign governments not be told, fearing it will make matters worse.
"There are suffering people all over that do not know you," Vail told the room of advocates.
He also warned against acting alone. Christians who use personal ties to a legislator to press a case abroad should recognize that other churches have people in the same country, he said. A government will not spare one denomination while punishing another, he said, so a single group's action can affect every Christian there.
"Today it's demanded of us to be in unity as the body of Christ," Vail said. Unity usually means unity within one's own structure, he said, but believers now need to know and trust one another across movements and denominations.
Western Christians, he added, should at times defer to believers elsewhere who understand local conditions. Church movements should also learn when to step back and let professional advocates work on policy.
Al-Saliby described a similar approach at 21Wilberforce. On the morning the panel appeared, he said, he received a petition circulating in the United States about one country. He said his organization would not sign it until its local partners there had seen and approved it.
"There is no right or wrong," he said of organizations that work differently, but he said his group is committed to following the local church.
During the gathering, al-Saliby said, he and Vail discussed how Baptists, evangelicals and Pentecostals could work together in particular countries. For Vail, the answer begins with relationships rather than business cards. He called for "more coffee, more tea, more breaking bread" among churches and advocates.
"I think this is our best chance forward," he said.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Archaeologists uncover Second Temple-era Jewish settlement from time of Jesus]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/archaeologists-uncover-second-temple-era-jewish-settlement-from-time-of-jesus</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/archaeologists-uncover-second-temple-era-jewish-settlement-from-time-of-jesus</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The purification bath as discovered on site.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The purification bath as discovered on site. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:30:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Archaeologists in southern Israel have uncovered evidence of a previously unknown Jewish settlement dating to the era of Jesus and the early church, highlighted by the successful extraction of an intact 2,000-year-old ritual purification bath (mikveh) weighing 25 tons.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Archaeologists in southern Israel have uncovered evidence of a previously unknown Jewish settlement dating to the era of Jesus and the early church, highlighted by the successful extraction of an intact 2,000-year-old ritual purification bath (mikveh) weighing 25 tons.
The excavation in the new Carmei Gat neighborhood, funded by the Israel Land Authority with 28 million NIS ($7.6 million), revealed what the Israel Antiquities Authority described as the first Second Temple-period Jewish community documented in the area between the Judean Lowlands and the northern Negev.
Alongside the ancient mikveh, Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeologists discovered stone measuring vessels. Such vessels were commonly used during the Second Temple period because, according to Jewish purity laws, stone was not considered susceptible to ritual impurity.
“The Jewish settlement we discovered here is the first and the only known one in this area,” said IAA excavation directors Dr. Elena Kogan-Zehavi, Maayan Margulis and Shira Lifshitz.
Findings indicate that the Jewish community abandoned the site during the Bar Kokhba Revolt in the second century A.D. The location was later resettled during the Byzantine period.
To protect the 4-meter-wide ancient structure from nearby construction, conservationists spent two weeks securing its delicate plaster with adhesives and foam. Engineers then drilled beneath the bath and placed steel support beams underneath it, allowing a 300-ton crane to lift the 25-ton structure onto a transport vehicle.
The ritual bath was temporarily moved under police escort to the National Treasures Department storage facilities in Beit Guvrin.
“If it falls apart, we’ve lost the mikveh,” said Eyal Kaho, senior conservator at the IAA. “There’s simply no price that can compensate for mistakes.”
Once residential development is completed, officials plan to return the ancient purification bath to Carmei Gat and incorporate it into an open public space at the heart of the new neighborhood.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Global evangelical body presses Israel at UN to stop settler violence in West Bank]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-evangelical-body-presses-israel-at-un-to-stop-settler-violence-in-west-bank</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-evangelical-body-presses-israel-at-un-to-stop-settler-violence-in-west-bank</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Israeli settlement of Kedumim stands in the occupied West Bank, Sept. 8, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Amir Levy/Getty Images ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Israeli settlement of Kedumim stands in the occupied West Bank, Sept. 8, 2026. The World Evangelical Alliance urged Israel at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Sept. 22, 2026, to stop settler violence and halt settlement expansion in the territory. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The World Evangelical Alliance urged Israel on Tuesday to rein in settler violence and halt settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, telling the U.N. Human Rights Council it was particularly concerned about Taybeh, which the group described as the territory's last predominantly Christian village.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The World Evangelical Alliance urged Israel on Tuesday to rein in settler violence and halt settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, telling the U.N. Human Rights Council it was particularly concerned about Taybeh, which the group described as the territory's last predominantly Christian village.
Speaking for its evangelical members in the Middle East, the alliance called on Israel to meet its obligations under international law, protect Palestinian civilians, prevent attacks by settlers, hold perpetrators accountable and stop the appropriation of Palestinian land, according to the text of the oral statement published by the WEA.
The Geneva intervention adds a global evangelical voice to recent criticism of settler actions against Palestinian landowners. Last month, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister and longtime supporter of Israeli settlements, warned settlers against seizing West Bank homes owned by Palestinian Americans, quoting the Ten Commandments.
Concerns in 'last predominantly Christian village' Taybeh
The WEA statement was delivered by Markus Hofer during the council's 63rd session, in a general debate on human rights situations requiring the council's attention. The alliance said settler violence and Israeli military operations were contributing to the dispossession and displacement of Palestinians, "including Christians."
Taybeh residents have reported repeated settler incursions, intimidation, property damage, fires and attempts to take over privately owned land, the WEA told the council. It said settlers reportedly set up a new outpost near the village in May. In August, according to the statement, residents again reported attacks on homes and property and said they were being blocked from reaching their land.
The alliance described a sequence in which settlers first pitch tents, then build houses and eventually expand settlements. It called "deeply troubling" what it said were credible reports that Israeli authorities and military forces supply settlers with vehicles, drones and weapons. The statement did not identify the source of those reports.
"These annexation plans are detrimental for Israelis and Palestinians alike," the WEA said.
"As Christians, we believe that every person has equal dignity and the right to live safely in peace on their land," the statement said.
Palestinian evangelical leader calls for justice and protection
In a press release accompanying the statement, the Rev. Jack Sara, director of the WEA's Middle East and North Africa region, said that as a Palestinian Christian he could not separate his faith in Jesus Christ from defending the dignity and safety of every person.
"The continuing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank — against families, homes, land, livelihoods and places of worship — demands the attention of the global church," Sara said. "Violence and injustice cannot be justified by religion, nationalism or claims to the land."
Sara pointed to biblical calls for believers to seek justice and to make peace.
"We therefore call for the protection of Palestinian civilians, accountability for acts of violence and concrete steps that allow both Palestinians and Israelis to live in security, dignity and a just peace," he said.
Huckabee's warning over Qusra
Huckabee's comments came in an Aug. 20 interview with Reuters in Jerusalem. Settlers had surrounded at least three homes in the village of Qusra since Aug. 9, including one belonging to Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American who returned from the United States to defend his property.
"Thou shalt not steal," Huckabee told Reuters. "You don't take something that doesn't belong to you."
He said anyone found to have taken part could face legal consequences in Israel and possibly U.S. sanctions, including a ban on entering the country.
U.N. bodies and most governments regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law governing military occupation. Israel rejects that position and considers the territory disputed rather than occupied.
Palestinian Christians are a small, long-established community concentrated in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah and other West Bank towns. Those communities have faced pressure on their land from settlement expansion for decades.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Hidden garden found beneath Jerusalem church matches gospel account of Jesus’ tomb]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/hidden-garden-found-beneath-jerusalem-church-matches-gospel-account-of-jesus-tomb</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/hidden-garden-found-beneath-jerusalem-church-matches-gospel-account-of-jesus-tomb</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Commons Wikimedia ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Church of the Holy Sepulchre and surroundings. Ancient tombs found in the church ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Excavations beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem have revealed an ancient garden and burial landscape that archaeologists say is consistent with the description of Jesus’ burial site in the Gospel of John.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Excavations beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem have revealed an ancient garden and burial landscape that archaeologists say is consistent with the description of Jesus’ burial site in the Gospel of John.
Francesca Romana Stasolla, an archaeologist at Sapienza University of Rome, spoke to the Daily Mail following the completion of investigations at the Jerusalem site.
The excavation took place beneath the site of the first church complex constructed by Roman Emperor Constantine in the fourth century and dedicated in A.D. 335. Constantine’s workers reportedly uncovered a rock-cut tomb identified as Christ’s burial place during the initial construction.
Although there is no direct archaeological proof of Jesus’ burial at the site, the deliberate Roman and Byzantine construction history around the tomb suggests that early Christian generations may have preserved knowledge of its location.
“The archaeological area beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre reveals the long history of a part of Jerusalem that, in the early fourth century A.D., underwent the monumentalization of Christological memory,” Stasolla told the Daily Mail. “In this case, I believe that the archaeological evidence should be used primarily to understand the places and contexts in which Christian memory took shape and became firmly established.”
The original Constantinian complex suffered extensive damage during the Persian Sassanid invasion in A.D. 614 and was later completely destroyed in A.D. 1009. The core of the structure standing today dates largely to 12th-century Crusader-era reconstruction.
The church is built over an abandoned stone quarry outside ancient Jerusalem, where cultivated plots and rock-cut tombs existed side by side. The discoveries stem from excavations beneath the church floor that began in March 2022 and concluded in 2025.
The findings provide archaeological evidence for the historical context of the Holy Sepulchre site, although they do not establish that Jesus was buried there. The site is one of several proposed locations associated with Jesus’ burial, including the Garden Tomb elsewhere in Jerusalem.
“We have found evidence of a funerary landscape, alongside small areas planted with vines and olive trees, as well as a pastoral landscape characterized by sporadic human activity,” Stasolla said.
Findings from the excavations were detailed in a 98-page report published in Liber Annuus, the journal of Jerusalem’s Studium Biblicum Franciscanum.
The excavations enabled researchers to reconstruct the site’s early topography, including cultivated plots, stone quarry faces descending nearly 20 feet below the current church floor and adjacent burial chambers.
As stone extraction gradually ceased, workers filled the deepest areas with soil and built low dry-stone walls to create small agricultural plots.
“Evidence of cultivation is provided by archaeobotanical and pollen remains, which have enabled us to reconstruct a landscape suitable for pastoralism, with natural vegetation used for grazing,” Stasolla said. “This type of Mediterranean landscape was widespread throughout the region and coexisted with the abandoned quarry area and the presence of rock-cut tombs.”
Archaeologists dated the cultivated landscape to a period spanning Jesus’ lifetime — after quarrying stopped but before Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the area in the second century. However, without direct radiocarbon dating of the plant remains, researchers cannot definitively establish that the garden was cultivated at the exact time of Christ’s crucifixion.
“The Church of the Holy Sepulchre gives monumental form to the sites where, since very early times, tradition has located the memory of Christ’s death and resurrection,” Stasolla said. “Archaeology undoubtedly attests to the enduring nature of this commemorative tradition.”]]></content:encoded>
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