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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[Handel’s ‘Messiah’ performed at site associated with John the Baptist’s beheading in Jordan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/handels-messiah-performed-at-site-associated-with-john-the-baptists-beheading-in-jordan</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Jordanian soloist Dima Bawab sings during a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at Mukawir, Jordan, Sept. 12.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of EU JO Project ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Jordanian soloist Dima Bawab sings during a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at Mukawir, Jordan, Sept. 12. The concert paired a Hungarian orchestra with Arab instruments, including the oud and qanun. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A Hungarian orchestra, choir and soloists perform Handel’s “Messiah” at Mukawir, Jordan, Sept. 12.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of EU JO Project ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A Hungarian orchestra, choir and soloists perform Handel’s “Messiah” at Mukawir, Jordan, Sept. 12. The hilltop fortress traditionally associated with the beheading of John the Baptist is in the background, with the Dead Sea beyond. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Audience members at the performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at Mukawir, Jordan, Sept. 12.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of EU JO Project ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Audience members at the performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at Mukawir, Jordan, Sept. 12. More than 2,500 tickets were sold for the outdoor concert, which was held at the site traditionally associated with the beheading of John the Baptist. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:41:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A performance of Handel’s “Messiah” blending Western and Eastern music took place Sept. 12 at Mukawir, the hilltop fortress in Jordan traditionally associated with the beheading of John the Baptist. The concert was held under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A performance of Handel’s “Messiah” blending Western and Eastern music took place Sept. 12 at Mukawir, the hilltop fortress in Jordan traditionally associated with the beheading of John the Baptist. The concert was held under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal.
The event featured a Hungarian orchestra, French and Jordanian soloists and oriental instrumentalists. It was held outdoors at the fortress, in an area believed to be connected to where John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas.
Organized by Friends of Jordan Festivals under the theme “Echoes of Faith, Voices of Heritage,” the performance was presented as the start of a broader cultural and spiritual journey toward the global commemorations of St. John the Baptist in 2030.
The event was part of the European Union’s continued support for preserving and promoting Jordan’s cultural heritage, and its commitment to fostering cultural exchange and bringing Jordan’s historic sites to life through public engagement.

Dima Bawab, the Jordanian soloist, told Christian Daily International (CDI) that when her mother, Souha Bawab, executive director of Friends of Jordan Festivals, contacted her about performing a classical outdoor concert, she knew exactly what would work.
“I wanted a popular, well-known musical which is easy to hear, and appropriate for the location that the Jordanian tourism ministry wanted to promote,” Bawab said.
She had performed “Messiah” 10 years earlier, but this time she faced a few challenges. The concert was allotted 70 minutes, and performing the entire “Messiah” would take more than three hours.
She therefore suggested limiting the performance to the first and second parts, which cover the birth and life of Jesus, and ending the program with the famous “Hallelujah” chorus. She also believed that including parts three and four would not be uplifting and might not be appropriate for an outdoor event.
Bawab told CDI that preparing this mixed act across a long distance and in a short time was not something she was used to, but modern technology helped. “We were able to exchange recordings and hold a number of rehearsals on Zoom.”
She said she had worked with Jordan’s lead instrumentalist, Tareq Jundi, on a performance of “Messiah” 10 years earlier, and she asked him to play the oud. She also contacted Rula Barghouti, who plays the qanun, a harp-like instrument that rests flat on a table.
The plan was to let them improvise on the hijaz scales before the orchestra re-entered with “Messiah,” and to give them an opportunity to support the concert, especially in the final “Hallelujah” chorus.
Jundi, the oud player, said the team from Jordan worked together virtually for months on the concert and even held rehearsals online. “But the actual rehearsals with the entire team from Hungary and Jordan only occurred in the last two days before the concert.”
He said he had performed “Messiah” 10 years earlier, and that he and the Jordanian soloists who live in France, including Bawab, were in regular touch to prepare for the concert.
Jundi said he was proud to be part of a performance that showed real harmony between his oud and Barghouti’s qanun, alongside the full Hungarian orchestra.
“I studied music in the West, and I am familiar with their classical music, and I was delighted to be able to present a joint Western classical instrument with Oriental ones to produce a great musical effort in a historic biblical location,” he said.

Bawab described how the Jordanian musicians achieved musical harmony while preserving the beauty of the Arab instruments. “They would do an improvisation, let’s say, in C major, which then blended seamlessly with the following parts of the orchestra.”
She also noted a technical difference in how the music is tuned. “When Handel created this masterpiece, the tuning standard was closer to A=415 Hz, while modern classical music is performed at A=442 Hz.” She said Arab instruments such as the oud, and performers such as Jundi, can tune to either frequency with ease.
Logistics were complicated. Many people arrived on hired buses, with many leaving at 4 p.m. to be seated by 7 p.m., when the concert started on time to catch the sunset.
“It was a wonderful scene of the orchestra and musicians, and the background was the hill where John the Baptist lost his life, with the Dead Sea further behind,” Bawab said.
More than 2,500 tickets were sold, though some estimates put attendance at 3,000. Large screens displayed text and images telling the story of John the Baptist.
Bawab said that while “Messiah” is about the life and death of Jesus, the concert focused on the life and mission of John the Baptist.
“Remember that this was happening in Jordan, and the goal was to have a wonderful, moving musical like ‘The Messiah,’ but also to promote a location many around the world and even in Jordan didn’t even know about.”
The choice of Mukawir was central to the initiative. The site, traditionally associated with the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, forms part of Jordan’s cultural and religious tourism landscape.
“The European Union has a longstanding commitment to supporting the preservation, protection and sustainable development of Jordan’s cultural heritage, including the historic site of Mukawir,” said European Union Ambassador Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas.
He said the EU remains committed to advancing culture as “a driver of sustainable development and community engagement.”
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Emad Hijazeen described the initiative as the launch of “a cultural and spiritual journey towards the global commemorations of St. John the Baptist in 2030.” He said it contributes to preserving shared heritage and strengthens Jordan’s position as a destination for Christian pilgrimage, cultural tourism and international dialogue.
The Rev. Nabeeh Abbasi, president of the Jordanian Baptist Convention, told CDI that attending the performance at Mukawir was a historic and deeply moving experience.
He said the location gave the event a profound spiritual dimension, given John the Baptist’s direct connection to the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River, as preparations continue for the 2,000th anniversary of that occasion.
Abbasi, who is also the Baptist World Alliance’s ambassador to the Middle East and North Africa region, said the performance stood out for its superb organization, high-quality execution and evocative use of visuals.
He said the work’s message — “Christ — the King of Kings and the Risen One” — made it an occasion that instilled pride and strengthened the Christian faith.
Abbasi applauded the Jordanian government for its commitment to “highlighting this authentic Christian heritage, reflecting Jordan’s mission to preserve holy sites and foster values of coexistence and openness.”
Bawab said stage fright is part of the job. “Usually when I return home, this fright is multiplied because of the pressure of having to excel in front of family members and friends, but this time it had a different taste, a mixture of joy and excitement that carried me through the performance with ease.”
She said she was happy with the event, although the biggest challenge was getting the sound right despite the outdoor winds.
“We musicians are perfectionists, and we are used to calibrated indoor settings, so sound was a challenge, but I would love to come back to Jordan, maybe Easter 2027, to do more performances possibly outdoors — but we will need to pay close attention to the sound systems in challenging outdoor settings.”
The event was supported by the European Union, the Jordan Tourism Board, Royal Jordanian, the Goethe-Institute Jordan and the Embassy of Hungary in Jordan.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Daughter of Christian jailed in Syria urges U.S. action]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/daughter-of-christian-jailed-in-syria-urges-us-action</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Natalie Khalil at In Defense of Christians office before advocacy for her jailed father, Suleiman Khalil, on Sept. 15, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot from Facebook video ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Natalie Khalil at In Defense of Christians office before advocacy for her jailed father, Suleiman Khalil, on Sept. 15, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The daughter of a Christian detained in Syria without charges since February 2025 on Tuesday (Sept. 15) called on the U.S. administration to use its influence to secure his release.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The daughter of a Christian detained in Syria without charges since February 2025 on Tuesday (Sept. 15) called on the U.S. administration to use its influence to secure his release.
As representatives of Christian advocacy groups prepared to meet with administration officials and congress members to urge action on behalf of Suleiman Khalil, a Syriac Orthodox Christian who as mayor of Sadad led the defense of the town against the Islamic State in 2015, his daughter, Natalie Khalil, called on President Donald Trump to help.
“President Trump, please use your influence to bring my father home,” Khalil said in a press statement. “He is a father to me and my siblings, but because of his sacrifice and leadership, he is also a father and hero to our entire Christian village, Sadad.”
The statement came as part of an effort on Capitol Hill by advocacy groups In Defense of Christians (IDC) and Christian Solidarity International (CSI) to urge Washington to defend religious freedom and protect Christians and other minorities in Syria.
The 52-year-old Khalil, who was allied with no political side amid Syria’s civil war, has not been charged with a crime, granted access to a lawyer or allowed regular visits from his family since the new Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former member of Al Qaeda, imprisoned him on Feb. 8, 2025.
“Suleiman Khalil’s continued detention is a test of whether Syria’s new government will guarantee constitutional rights equally to all of the country’s religious and ethnic communities, and whether Christians and other religious minorities can have confidence in their future in Syria,” Richard Ghazal, IDC’s executive director, said in a statement. “A man who risked his life to defend his town against ISIS should not languish in prison without charge. As the United States reengages with Syria, Congress and the administration must make religious freedom, equal citizenship, and the protection of vulnerable minorities central to U.S. policy.”
Congress removed sanctions against Syria last December, and in August the U.S. administration rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism without any evidence that its removal was merited, Ghazal told a briefing of advocates earlier on Tuesday.
While the Syrian Transitional Government of Al-Sharaa has distanced itself from attacks on Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities, the new government is directly or indirectly linked to the violence due to “this culture of impunity they’ve created, where Islamist groups can carry out these attacks, and the Syrian government is, ‘hear nothing see nothing,’” Ghazal told the advocates.
“So impunity, no accountability, is what allows these things to happen,” he said. “And it will continue that way until Western governments, in this case the U.S. government, has higher expectations and demands higher deliverables from them.”
Natalie Khalil told EWTN News on Monday (Sept. 14) that Syrian authorities prohibited the family from enlisting an attorney for her father and did not specify any charges against him.
“They came to our house and said, ‘He was wanted,’” she said.
Suleiman Khalil’s organizing defense of Sadad against the Islamic State assault in 2015 is credited with saving 9,000 lives.
Khalil received an early warning that the Islamic State militants were approaching Joel Veldkamp, CSI director for public advocacy, told EWTN News, adding that is appears the widely known Christians was being punished for those actions.
“For the new Syrian government, which has only been in power for about two years, to tell the United States that they’re joining their fight against terrorism, and then to put a man like this in prison, it sends a very confusing message to the U.S.,” he told EWTN. “It sends a terrible message to Christians in Syria who are really uncertain about their future under this new government.”
Natalie Khalil told the outlet that, during limited visits to her father, the Islamist government restricted expressions of their Christian identity, and that she was prohibited from giving him a Bible.
“We were asked to wear hijab to cover the head and hair. We were to cover the whole body,” she told EWTN. “My brother went wearing a necklace with a cross – they took it off his neck. We weren’t allowed to be Christians in that place.”
CSI, IDC and others sent an open letter in June to Ambassador Tom Barrack, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq.
“Mr. Khalil’s actions in defending his town against ISIS should be celebrated by all Syrians, especially the new government, which has officially joined the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS,” the letter writers stated. “Instead, Syria’s government appears to be punishing him for it.”
Barrack has been a strong advocate for U.S. support for the new Syrian government, which came to power after the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad collapsed in December 2024.
“We respectfully ask you to intervene with the Syrian authorities to secure Mr. Khalil’s immediate release,” the letter writers stated. “By calling upon the Syrian government to immediately release Mr. Khalil – or, at a minimum, to provide him with access to legal counsel, necessary medical care, full and transparent notice of any charges against him, and the due process protections required by law – you would contribute powerfully to President Trump’s goal of protecting Christians in the Middle East, underline the United States’ and Syria’s shared commitment to fighting terrorism, and help ensure that the ‘new Syria’ will, indeed, be for all Syrians.”
The letter was signed by John Eibner for CSI, Ghazal for IDC, Brownback, Nadine Maenza of the Institute for Global Engagement, Charmaine Hedding of the Shai Fund, Robert Ozgun of the American Syriac Union, and Morhaf Ibrahim, president of the Alawite Association of the United States.
There has been no official response from Barrack to the letter, although his office immediately acknowledged receipt and affirmed U.S. commitment to the protection of Christians in Syria, Veldkamp told Christian Daily International.
CSI is campaigning for Khalil’s immediate release. Supporters can send a message on his behalf directly to the Syrian Foreign Ministry through the CSI website.
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[Michael Youssef preaches in Amman as ministry reports more than 500 professions of faith]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/michael-youssef-preaches-in-amman-as-ministry-reports-more-than-500-professions-of-faith</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Attendees fill the courtyard of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary during the Christ Our Hope evangelistic service in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Leading The Way ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Attendees fill the courtyard of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary during the Christ Our Hope evangelistic service in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. Organizers said more than 1,600 people from across Jordan attended the three-hour outdoor gathering, which was carried live on the KINGDOM SAT satellite channel. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:18:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[An open-air evangelistic service led by Egyptian-American pastor Michael Youssef drew a crowd of more than 1,600 to the campus of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in a suburb of Amman on Sept. 4]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
An open-air evangelistic service led by Egyptian-American pastor Michael Youssef drew a crowd of more than 1,600 to the campus of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in a suburb of Amman on Sept. 4, according to the Jordanian Christian news site Milh il Ard. Leading The Way, the ministry Youssef founded, said in a statement released Sept. 9 that more than 500 Jordanians made professions of faith during the evening.
The gathering, held under the banner "Christ Our Hope," was organized by Al Malakoot Sat TV, known in English as KINGDOM SAT, the Arabic-language satellite channel Youssef established. It was hosted by by Imad Maayah, a retired major general and former member of the Jordanian parliament who serves as president of the Jordan Evangelical Council.
For Youssef, the event opened what he has described as a redirection of his ministry toward the Middle East. In an interview with Christian Daily International published the day before the service, he said he had stepped down from the pulpit of the Atlanta congregation he led for nearly four decades and had been urged by his son Jonathan to give his remaining working years to the Arab world. "I want to start in Jordan," he said.
Youssef preached on the account in Matthew 19 of the wealthy man who asks Jesus how to obtain eternal life, speaking through an interpreter, Rev. Yousef Hashweh. Leading The Way said the address was titled "Arms Wide Open."
"I've had the privilege of traveling around the world 78 times in the last 50 years and I've seen the problem of humanity is the same everywhere," Youssef said in remarks distributed by the ministry. "We live in a time filled with deception, and there are consequences to each of the choices we make."
The service ran about three hours and combined the sermon with hymns performed by a Jordanian choir and band alongside Egyptian singers, Milh il Ard reported. Hundreds of those present responded to an appeal to follow Christ, the site said. Munther Nimat, director general of the Jordan Bible Society, said 400 copies of the New Testament were distributed free of charge afterward.
Imad Shehadeh, president of the seminary, said he had first invited Youssef to the campus 12 years earlier and called the service an unforgettable event. He told the crowd that the ministry's motto shared its sense with the seminary's own text, inscribed in Greek on its prayer tower: "Christ in you is the hope of glory," from Colossians 1:27.
Organizers presented the evening as a point of convergence for a Christian community divided along denominational lines. Speaking to Milh il Ard afterward, Youssef said he had been struck by the unity of spirit among the church leaders he met the previous day and by the response to his message. Leading The Way's statement quoted two denominational leaders, one describing the gathering as unique among Jordanian church events and another saying it had given the church "a fresh breath."
Youssef told Christian Daily International before the service that reconciliation among divided Christians was "the joy of my life," and said he would take part in preparations for Jordan's planned 2030 commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism at Bethany Beyond the Jordan if invited to help.
The service was carried live on KINGDOM SAT and streamed on the ministry's online platforms. Farid Garas, a senior director at the channel, said further "Christ Our Hope" events are scheduled for Luxor, Egypt, on Nov. 6 and for the Mokattam district of Cairo on Nov. 15.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[European Parliament to host conference on future of Christians in Syria]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/european-parliament-to-host-conference-on-future-of-christians-in-syria</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/european-parliament-to-host-conference-on-future-of-christians-in-syria</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[European Parliament]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Marius Oprea / Unsplash ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 06:54:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The future of Christians in Syria will be the focus of a conference at the European Parliament on Tuesday (Sept. 8), bringing together church leaders, European Union policymakers and Syrian representatives.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The future of Christians in Syria will be the focus of a conference at the European Parliament on Tuesday (Sept. 8), bringing together church leaders, European Union policymakers and Syrian representatives.
"The event comes at a critical moment in Syria's transition, with major political and diplomatic changes underway and continuing concerns over security, minority rights, sectarian tensions, property rights, displacement and the future constitutional order," said Thibault Van Den Bossche, an advocacy officer for religious freedom at the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). "For Syria's Christians, years of war, persecution, displacement and emigration have weakened communities and raised urgent questions about their ability to remain in their historic homeland."
Titled "The Future of Christians in Syria: Religious Freedom, Political Representation, Common Future," the event runs from 10 a.m. to noon and will be moderated by Van Den Bossche. Participants will address the need for freedom of religion or belief, equal citizenship, constitutional protection and political participation in Syria.
"The conference will stress that Syria's Christians cannot be secured through sectarian quotas or special privileges, but through a democratic, non-religious and constitutionally neutral state in which all citizens enjoy equal rights and protection before the law," Van Den Bossche said.
Keynote addresses will be delivered by Mairead McGuinness, EU special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief, and Nadine Maenza, co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable and former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Hosted by members of the European Parliament from the European Conservatives and Reformists and European People's Party groups, the event is co-organized by the European Syriac Union (ESU), the ECLJ, Syriac Cross Belgium, Sallux ECPP Foundation and Jubilee Campaign Netherlands.
The conference will feature two panels. The first, on religious freedom and the situation of Christians in Syria, will be moderated by Van Den Bossche. Speakers include Johannes de Jong, director of Sallux ECPP Foundation; Bishop Georges Assadourian, Armenian Catholic bishop of Damascus; the Rev. Vasilios Khamis, priest of the Antiochian Orthodox Church; and Archbishop Georges Masri, Melkite Greek Catholic metropolitan archbishop of Aleppo.
The second panel will focus on political representation and the future of Christians in Syria. Moderated by Metin Rhawi of ESU, it will feature Sanharib Barsom, president of the Syriac Union Party in Syria; Waddah Al Khoury, president of the Levantine National Council; Ninous Icho, president of the Assyrian Democratic Party; and Sarah Aphram, head of Syriac Cross Belgium.
Van Den Bossche said Syrian Christians are not seeking "special privileges or confessional power-sharing."
"Their future depends on a constitutional system that protects fundamental rights equally for all Syrians, regardless of religion, ethnicity, language, gender, political opinion or regional background," he said.
EU institutions and member states are urged to place two principles at the center of their engagement with Syria, Van Den Bossche said: fundamental rights and equal citizenship, and meaningful political participation.
"The survival of Syria's historic Christian communities will be an important test of whether the country can become a genuinely pluralistic and democratic state for all its citizens," he added.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef on hope, reconciliation, and the role of Christians in Jordan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/michael-youssef-to-visit-jordan-talks-zionism-and-hope</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/michael-youssef-to-visit-jordan-talks-zionism-and-hope</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef, right, with Rev. Dr. Imad Shehadeh, president of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef, right, with Rev. Dr. Imad Shehadeh, president of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Prominent Christian leader Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef will visit Jordan to take part in a public ministry event Sept. 4 at the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) in Amman. The event is sponsored by retired Maj. Gen. Imad Maayah, a former member of the Jordanian parliament and president of the Jordan Evangelical Council.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Prominent Christian leader Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef will visit Jordan to take part in a public ministry event Sept. 4 at the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) in Amman. The event is sponsored by retired Maj. Gen. Imad Maayah, a former member of the Jordanian parliament and president of the Jordan Evangelical Council.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview ahead of his travel, Youssef said his focus is renewed hope in Jesus Christ, reconciliation among divided Christians, and a faithful commitment to truth and justice amid regional tensions. "At this stage in my life… I'm only two years away from 80," Youssef said, noting that after nearly four decades of preaching every Sunday, he has stepped down from the pulpit. "My son Jonathan… said, 'We need you to come now, dedicate those years to the Arab world,' and I said, 'I want to start in Jordan.'"
Youssef, an Egyptian-American pastor who founded the Al Malakoot satellite television station, has preached for more than 52 years and written 57 books. He described a long history of ministry across the Middle East and around the world, including decades of radio and television outreach. "Whenever you lift up Jesus, there is hope," he said. "We live in a world that is losing hope—whether in the West or the East. I will continue to travel… because I'm seeing there's a loss of hope everywhere I go. And so… I want to spend [my time] bringing hope, and the only one who brings hope is Jesus."
He also spoke about serving communities in the region through sharing the gospel, encouragement and faith-based unity — especially as Jordan prepares for the 2030 commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism at Bethany Beyond the Jordan. The UNESCO-recognized site on the east bank of the Jordan River is where John baptized Jesus and where Christ's public ministry began. Asked whether he would encourage Christians to take part, Youssef said: "If I'm invited to help, I will be there."
On Christian Zionism and Israel
Asked about views often linked to Christian Zionism and dispensationalism, Youssef described himself as Reformed in theology with a preference toward preaching "peace and reconciliation."
"Israel has the right to exist and has the right to defend itself," he said. But he added that he does not endorse unchecked violence on either side.
Asked whether Palestinians are "Amalek" in biblical terms, Youssef said: "No… not any more than Israel is the old Israel." Amalek was a people the Israelites were commanded to destroy in the Hebrew Bible, and the reference has been invoked by some in rhetoric following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
Youssef, who has hosted Rev. Dr. Imad Shehadeh, the president of JETS, in Atlanta, said he is happy to support efforts related to reconciliation and peace. He called reconciliation "the joy of my life" and said he would be ready to engage if asked.
On the Church's identity
Youssef addressed political and religious pressures affecting the Christian community in Jordan, including concerns about full recognition, ecclesiastical authority and the protection of Christians in the region.
In his message to Christians and communities in Jordan, Youssef said that the Church, and not any other body or group, maintains continuity with Israel's biblical identity, citing the biblical language used by Paul and Peter. "The Church… is the center," he said, referencing passages about the "holy nation" and "royal priesthood."
He said Christians should respond more courageously to violence and persecution, and he condemned attacks against Christian clergy anywhere in the world. He said he would speak against attacks on Christians "in a heartbeat," saying that "anybody who loves the Lord… loves justice, mercy, and truth" must respond. He encouraged leaders to address grievances at the highest levels.
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Youssef said he hopes for a move toward negotiation rather than military solutions, citing Jesus' words in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. "Blessed are the peacemakers," he said.
Youssef urged that faith must be protected from distortion. "Our faith is being abused or misunderstood," he said in response to concerns that some Christian voices are perceived as justifying conflict.
Youssef also gave his position on ministry roles, saying, "Scripture is very clear. A woman can minister in any area except being the senior pastor." He linked that view to biblical leadership structures and to church life as an extension of family order: "The church is nothing but the extension of the family… the head of the household… has to be a male."
Youssef said he does not believe the question should divide Christians, and pointed instead to faithfulness and mutual understanding.
His visit is expected to include ministry engagements with local church leaders. Youssef said he wants to bring hope, and that Jordan is where he chose to start.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[US slams 'golden door' on world’s persecuted Christians, report says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-slams-golden-door-on-worlds-persecuted-christians-report-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-slams-golden-door-on-worlds-persecuted-christians-report-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5222.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor, long a symbol of refuge for those fleeing persecution, its pedestal bearing Emma Lazarus’ sonnet welcoming immigrants through a “golden door.” Fiscal Year 2026 will likely close Sept. 30 with no persecuted ]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ iStock/kasto80 ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor, long a symbol of refuge for those fleeing persecution, its pedestal bearing Emma Lazarus’ sonnet welcoming immigrants through a “golden door.” Fiscal Year 2026 will likely close Sept. 30 with no persecuted religious minorities resettled in the United States, according to a Sept. 3, 2026 report by World Relief and Open Doors US. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5224.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Arrival of Christian refugees from the 50 countries of Open Doors 2026 World Watch List.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ State of the Golden Door Report ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Arrival of Christian refugees from the 50 countries of Open Doors 2026 World Watch List. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5225.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Number of Christian refugee arrivals from selected countries: 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ State of the Golden Door Report ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Number of Christian refugee arrivals from selected countries: 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The U.S. government’s 2026 Fiscal Year ending on Sept. 30 likely will be the first in a quarter century in which no refugees enduring religious persecution are resettled in the United States, according to a report by two Christian aid agencies.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The U.S. government’s 2026 Fiscal Year ending on Sept. 30 likely will be the first in a quarter century in which no refugees enduring religious persecution are resettled in the United States, according to a report by two Christian aid agencies.
“Barring a significant change in U.S. policy in the final month of the federal fiscal year, we anticipate that FY2026 will be the first year in at least a quarter century, and likely in the entire history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, in which persecuted religious minorities have been completely shut out,” concludes the report released today (Sept. 3) by humanitarian organization World Relief and Christian support group Open Doors US.
Amid unprecedented levels of persecution of Christians worldwide, the experience of seekers of asylum in the United States in 2025 and 2026 has been unpredictable and chaotic, states the report, “State of the Golden Door: Evaluating U.S. Refugee Resettlement and Asylum in Light of Global Christian Persecution.”
“While the leaders of both World Relief and Open Doors US affirm the need to ensure secure borders and the need for reforms to the asylum system, those goals cannot come at the cost of legitimate asylum applicants’ safety and right to a fair process,” it states. “The combination of changes outlined here have together, functionally discontinued the asylum system in the U.S. This means, in turn, that for those asylum seekers with legitimate concerns of persecution on account of their faith, the U.S. may not offer the safety it has for many years promised to provide.”
In a letter introducing the report, Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief, and Ryan Brown, president and CEO of Open Doors US, state that their organizations are politically non-partisan but that, as all human beings are created in God’s image with inherent dignity, they believe they are worth protecting.
“We also take seriously the Old Testament command to welcome the stranger, as well as Jesus’ admonition to care for the neighbor, illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan, as extending beyond those who happen to share the same ethnic or religious characteristics,” they write.
Many Christians agree with them, they stated, that the U.S. should keep open refugee access, termed the “golden door” as referenced on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Recent polling by Lifeway Research found that 70 percent of evangelical Christians believe the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees, regardless of whether those refugees are Christian. Even more recently, 82 percent of Protestant pastors agreed, they stated.
Greene said at a briefing in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (Sept. 3), “The U.S. has taken this golden door and closed it.”
Ara Torosian, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Iran, pastors Cornerstone Church in West Los Angeles, which includes other Iranian refugees. He said at the briefing that persecuted Christians trying to attain asylum are trying to save their lives and are not a danger to the United States.
“America has always been a place of refuge for Christian people,” Pastor Torosian said.
The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump in early 2025 halted all refugee resettlement via executive order with very narrow exceptions, and while the program was never officially restarted, the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 set a new precedent, the report notes.

“Disregarding the traditional international legal definition of a refugee, individuals identified outside of their country of origin who have a well-founded fear of persecution, it instead made a provision for resettling 7,500 white South Africans, mostly of the Afrikaner heritage, whom it describes as ‘victims of unjust racial discrimination,’” the report states, noting that the ceiling increased to 17,500 in June but with the same singular focus on one group. “Notwithstanding the hardship that some South Africans have experienced, South Africa is not known to be a country which restricts religious liberty, so any hardship experienced is unlikely to be religiously motivated. Because the three individuals resettled this fiscal year who were not from South Africa were not members of religious minorities in their country of origin, we can confidently conclude that, thus far in FY2026, no refugees experiencing religious persecution were resettled in the U.S.”
Since the Refugee Act of 1980 established the foundations of the modern resettlement program, the U.S. has accepted nearly 3.7 million refugees primarily through the Refugee Admissions Program, the report states. The law draws on the international definition of a refugee, determining that those fleeing credible threats of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular group could qualify as a refugee with proper documentation and screening.
“On average, the nation has resettled an [annual] average of about 73,500, with more than 200,000 arriving in a single year in 1980 and several other years exceeding 100,000,” it states. “In recent years, this number has plummeted.”

The administration has also begun efforts to send away immigrants already accepted as refugees. In November 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intention to reopen the cases of some 230,000 refugees admitted under the previous administration, while also pausing green card processing for refugees who entered during the same time period. DHS then in January announced Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening (PARRIS), claiming it would address fraud in the refugee resettlement program, the report states.
“They began in Minnesota, specifically targeting 5,600 refugees who had not yet received green cards,” it states. “Through Operation PARRIS, around 150 refugees were detained, some through door-to-door arrests, and transferred to Texas for re-interviews. A number of these refugees were released in Texas without transportation back to Minnesota, and in some cases without their documentation.”
A court case, U.H.A v Bondi, halted Operation PARRIS’s arrests and detentions in Minnesota, accusing DHS of detaining refugees for lacking green cards while at the same time preventing refugees from receiving them. Another lawsuit, Jean A. v Noem, seeks to prevent similar tactics nationwide; it is ongoing but led to a nationwide pause on the policy until the case is decided.
DHS has since shifted from detentions to call-in letters for re-interviews across the country.
“The policy continues to cause fear for refugees and their families, employers and communities, including for many whose refugee designation was based upon religious persecution,” the report states.
The report highlights the case of Saw Shining, who fled Burma (Myanmar) and first arrived in Minnesota more than 15 years ago as a refugee after decades in a Thai refugee camp. He became pastor of a church in Minneapolis that included Christian Karen people, a persecuted ethnolinguistic group from southeastern Burma. He also became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
“When he and the Karen community heard President Trump’s calls for aggressive immigration enforcement, they thought that those without a criminal record would be safe, especially given their legal status as refugees,” the report states. “However, as Operation PARRIS rolled out, it soon became clear that even some immigrants who were lawfully present and had not been charged with crimes were being targeted for detention. Overnight, the community became fearful of law enforcement, evoking memories of encounters with police in Burma and Thailand, where refugees were closely monitored and kept apart simply due to their status as refugees.”
Older members of the Karen community in Minneapolis or who those who spoke less English began to stay at home, even U.S. citizens like Saw Shining’s parents.
“Nevertheless, between 30 to 50 lawfully present Karen refugees who had not yet received their green cards were detained during Operation PARRIS,” the report states. “One member of his previous church was separated for three weeks from her 5-month-old baby – whom she had been breastfeeding prior to her detention – while she was being reinterviewed in Texas.”
While all members of the community have returned after the judicial orders, call-in letters have continued to arrive for reinterviews, the report notes.
“What happened [during Operation PARRIS] was really hard for our Karen people,” Pastor Shining said. “We are not Thai or Burmese citizens; we are U.S. citizens. This nation is ours, and we must love, care for and support our Constitution. We do not want to become stateless again.”
At this writing the Trump administration had yet to respond to a request for comment on the Golden Door report.
Approval Rate Plummets
In the Refugee Act and as a party to an international convention, the U.S. has pledged not to turn away people who can demonstrate they meet the necessary conditions for asylum. Unlike refugees, there is no legal limit on the number of asylum seekers that can be approved each year.
The two main avenues for asylum are an “affirmative” claim, when applicants submit a claim to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and a “defensive” claim, when the DHS seeks to deport someone and the person pleads asylum at a removal hearing in front of an immigration judge.
“While data is not publicly available on the religious demographics of those who seek asylum defensively, it’s clear that as the overall asylum approval rate has plummeted, Christians fleeing religious persecution are much less likely to be approved as well,” the report states.
In FY2023, immigration judges granted asylum to 17,157 people of all religious backgrounds from countries on the World Watch List of the 50 countries with the worst persecution, accounting for 58 percent of all asylum decisions for those from those countries, according to the report. In FY2025, the approval rate declined to 26 percent for those from those 50 countries.
“During the first nine months of FY2026, the approval rate for these countries had declined further, to just 10 percent,” the report states. “Specific countries that rank high on the World Watch List for Christian persecution such as Iran (#10), India (#12) and China (#17) have been particularly affected by the stark decline in asylum approval rates in immigration court.”
For each year from FY2020 to FY2024, at least 62 percent of asylum decisions for Indian nationals were approvals, but for FY2026, the asylum approval rate has dropped to just 6 percent. Iran has historically had very high rates of asylum approvals before immigration judges, above 80 percent from FY2020 through FY2024, but for FY2025 and FY2026 year-to-date, it has fallen to just 38 percent, with most Iranian asylum applicants being denied, according to the report.
Rates of asylum approval for Chinese nationals fell from as high as 88 percent in FY2022 to just 29 percent thus far in FY2026, it states.
“The decrease in approved asylum cases coincides with a dramatic increase in the number of asylum claims being adjudicated,” the report notes. “FY2025 saw 121,936 decisions, the highest ever, likely due to the speed at which cases were being decided.”
Refoulement
The principle of non-refoulement, established in international law and in U.S. statute, states that countries will not deport anyone (especially refugees and asylum seekers) back to countries where their “life or freedom would be threatened” due to “race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”
To avoid explicitly violating the principle of non-refoulement, the Department of State has made arrangements with third countries to allow the U.S. to deport would-be asylum seekers to those other countries rather than back to the asylum seeker’s home country, the report states.
“As a result, over 21,000 people have been deported to countries to which they have never been, have no connections in, and in some cases, do not even speak the language,” it notes. “The U.S. currently has third-country removal agreements with 35 nations, most of which are in Africa or Central America. Since these agreements are not public, the exact details of this process is unclear, but some agreements have resulted in people being repatriated by the third country back to the country where they initially fled persecution.”
Those removed have included asylum seekers at the southern border, those with pending cases in immigration court and others who have been granted protection from removal, the report states.
“Credible reports suggest that in transport, Non-refoulement & Deportation Agreements individuals have been shackled, held in primitive conditions and threatened with being sent back to their home country,” it states. “Furthermore, when people are being sent to countries where they have almost no resources, it renders them extremely vulnerable to abuse and injustice.”
These third-country deportations have impacted persecuted Christians. In February 2025, an Iranian woman who converted to Christianity and fled fearing persecution made it into the U.S. only to have her claims for asylum ignored, according to the report.
“She was subsequently sent to a detention camp in Panama’s jungle. There, she was held, along with several other Iranian Christians who had sought asylum in the U.S., only to be turned away,” it states.
These policies have been repeatedly challenged in court, both in the U.S. and in the third countries themselves, but as of this year, the deportations continue, according to the report.
“World Relief and Open Doors US firmly believe that returning someone to a place of persecution – however indirectly – is a stark violation of the principles on which our nation was founded, and in direct contradiction to our beliefs as Christians.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Palestinian Christian denied Bible in detention released after 32 months]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/palestinian-christian-denied-bible-in-detention-released-after-32-months</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/palestinian-christian-denied-bible-in-detention-released-after-32-months</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rami Fadayel with daughter Maisa after his release from Israeli detention on Aug. 20, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of family ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Rami Fadayel with daughter Maisa after his release from Israeli detention on Aug. 20, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:38:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Looking frail after 32 months in an Israeli jail, a Palestinian Christian prisoner from the Ramallah area was released on Aug. 20.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Looking frail after 32 months in an Israeli jail, a Palestinian Christian prisoner from the Ramallah area was released on Aug. 20.
Rami Fadayel served a 32-month detention without charge or trial. While in detention, he was denied an Arabic-language Bible until the day before his release.
Following legal intervention, an Israeli judge ruled earlier this year that he should be able to get a copy of the Holy Bible and asked the Israeli attorney general to explain why a Bible a visit by his religious leader was barred.
Rami Saleh, director of Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), said that last April, after months of intervention, JLAC finally received court approval to make a Bible available to Fadayel.
Speaking from Ramallah, Fadayel told Christian Daily International that conditions in jail were extremely difficult.
“The situation is beyond explanation. Food was rationed, beating was a daily occurrence, and the ability to have a shaving blade was denied,” he said.
On June 8, nearly two months after the court decision to receive a Bible, a Torah (Old Testament) in Hebrew was given to him, even though he has only beginner-level knowledge of Hebrew, he said. On July 21, even this Hebrew Bible was confiscated when he was transferred to a different section of the Beersheva Prison. 
Fadayel again submitted a legal complaint, and on Aug. 19, a day before his release as the extended administrative detention expired, he was given an Arabic Bible.
He said his favorite Bible verse Matt. 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.”
His lawyer, Rami Saleh, had noted earlier in a report that he began legal intervention in December, making two requests: access to the Holy Bible and access to a priest.
“According to his faith, a Christian is to be administered the sacrament by an ordained priest and is to be allowed a confession to a priest at least once a year,” Saleh said.
Bishop William Shomali of the Jerusalem Latin Patriarchate had affirmed to Christian Daily International that getting a Bible to a prisoner and visiting him is part of Christian belief.
“The Lord Jesus specifically talked about the need to visit prisoners,” Bishop Shomali said. “In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus emphasizes that visiting prisoners is a direct act of service to Him. He identifies with the ‘least of these,’ stating that helping – or neglecting – those in prison is equivalent to doing so to Him.”
Saleh said that Nafha Prison, a high-security Israeli prison in the Negev about 200 kilometers from Jerusalem, had refused both requests. The Israeli prison authorities have agreed to allow the Bible but not the priest’s visit.
Despite being released, the Israeli attorney general is still expected to reply to the Israeli court as to why a Bible and a visit by a priest were denied. Saleh said he doesn’t expect much from the attorney general’s office’s reply, due Aug. 29, but that it could be helpful in further litigation. 
Another detained Palestinian Christian, Nael Halabi, has let it be known that he wants access to the Bible in Arabic. Saleh’s office is handling that case.
“Palestinian prisoners have had access to their religious books, but since Oct. 7, 2023, all were confiscated,” Saleh said. “The Islamic Quran was returned to prisoners after some time, but not the Bible.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Museum of the Bible to host 'Dawn of Christianity' exhibit on Jordan's biblical heritage]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/museum-of-the-bible-to-host-dawn-of-christianity-exhibit-on-jordan-s-biblical-heritage</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/museum-of-the-bible-to-host-dawn-of-christianity-exhibit-on-jordan-s-biblical-heritage</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/51/5161.jpeg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Al-Maghtas, the UNESCO World Heritage Site on the East Bank of the Jordan River traditionally identified as the baptism site of Jesus Christ, is among the Christian heritage sites featured in Jordan: Dawn of Christianity, coming to the Museum of the Bib]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Jordanian Embassy ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Al-Maghtas, the UNESCO World Heritage Site on the East Bank of the Jordan River traditionally identified as the baptism site of Jesus Christ, is among the Christian heritage sites featured in "Jordan: Dawn of Christianity," coming to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., in 2027. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 08:50:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., signed an Aug. 1 agreement with Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to host "Jordan: Dawn of Christianity," an international exhibit tracing key biblical sites in modern-day Jordan.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., signed an Aug. 1 agreement with Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to host "Jordan: Dawn of Christianity," an international exhibit tracing key biblical sites in modern-day Jordan. Ambassador Dina Kawar signed on behalf of the ministry, alongside museum President and CEO Dr. Carlos Campo.
"We are excited to share the importance of locations in Jordan and their ties to stories from the Bible," Campo said in an exclusive interview with Christian Daily International. He added that the museum expects the exhibit to encourage visitors to view Jordan as "a country full of history and deep significance."
The exhibit, which was previously shown at the Vatican and later in Assisi, Italy, features a collection of rare archaeological artifacts tracing the history of Christianity in Jordan from its earliest beginnings to the present day, according to an announcement by the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Washington D.C. on social media.
Sites represented include Bethany Beyond the Jordan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site identified as the baptism site of Jesus Christ; Machaerus, associated with John the Baptist; Umm Qais; the ancient churches of Rehab; the Aqaba Church, regarded as one of the world's earliest purpose-built churches; the churches of Petra; Um er-Rasas, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and Madaba, known for its mosaic heritage.
Among the items featured will be a replica of the Madaba Map, a historic pilgrimage guide used to direct travelers along routes associated with biblical events. "This pilgrimage map served as a roadmap for walking the path of those individuals who are in the Bible," Campo said. He noted the exhibit is intended to inspire visitors to see the original map at St. George's Church in Madaba and explore other locations it highlights.
In addition to displaying artifacts, it will offer educational programming centered on Jordanian history and the care of Christian pilgrimage sites.
Beyond the exhibit itself, the museum framed the project as a broader effort to strengthen cultural and historical cooperation. "We see this as more than just a partnership with Jordan," Campo said. "We see it as an opportunity for our countries to work together and highlight the deep, rich archaeological history that supports the Bible."
The exhibit also aligns with Jordan's preparations for the global commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, a milestone that is expected to draw international attention to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, also known as Al-Maghtas.
Campo said the museum will highlight John the Baptist's role in Jesus' early ministry, including the site of Machaerus, where John the Baptist was killed. "This archaeological site is one of the best-preserved sites directly connected to the Bible anywhere," he said.
Media access is expected to be available, with the museum saying members of the press are always welcome to visit its exhibitions. Campo also indicated that U.S. officials may show interest in attending, describing the partnership as "an important connection between our two countries."
The exhibit is expected to open during the first quarter of 2027. Campo said visitors should plan to attend from that period through the summer.
The museum anticipates large public engagement, estimating tens of thousands of visitors will come to learn — many for the first time — about how Jordan has helped preserve significant biblical sites.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['Thou shalt not steal,' Huckabee says in warning to settlers targeting Palestinian Americans' West Bank properties]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/thou-shalt-not-steal-huckabee-says-in-warning-to-settlers-targeting-palestinian-americans-west-bank-properties</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/thou-shalt-not-steal-huckabee-says-in-warning-to-settlers-targeting-palestinian-americans-west-bank-properties</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/51/5160.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks during an interview with Reuters at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Aug. 20, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Video screenshot/Reuters ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks during an interview with Reuters at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Aug. 20, 2026. Huckabee warned militant Israeli settlers against seizing properties owned by Palestinian Americans in the occupied West Bank, calling such actions a violation of both civil and divine law. ]]>
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                                                    </media:content>
                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:29:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has warned militant Israeli settlers against seizing properties owned by Palestinian Americans in the occupied West Bank, calling such actions "a violation of God's law" and raising the prospect of U.S. sanctions against those responsible.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has warned militant Israeli settlers against seizing properties owned by Palestinian Americans in the occupied West Bank, calling such actions "a violation of God's law" and raising the prospect of U.S. sanctions against those responsible.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister and the first evangelical Christian to serve as U.S. ambassador to Israel, told Reuters in a Jerusalem interview that settlers found to have taken part in the ongoing siege of homes in the West Bank village of Qusra could face consequences both in Israel and from Washington.
"Thou shalt not steal," Huckabee said, citing the Ten Commandments. "You don't take something that doesn't belong to you."
The remarks come as Israeli settlers have encircled at least three homes in Qusra since Aug. 9 in what human rights groups describe as an attempt to seize privately owned Palestinian land. Among the properties targeted is a home belonging to Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American from Toledo, Ohio, who flew to the West Bank last week to defend his property after watching settlers encircle it via security camera from the United States.
The Israeli military has deployed troops to the area and pushed the settlers back from the homes, but Ridi told Reuters from Qusra on Thursday that settlers remain nearby and that he continues to be harassed. Israeli police have not announced any arrests in connection with the siege, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly commented on the incident.
A growing crisis for Palestinian communities
The Qusra siege reflects a broader pattern of escalating settler activity across the West Bank that has affected Palestinian communities of all backgrounds — Muslim and Christian alike. Christians make up a small but historic portion of the Palestinian population, with communities in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah and other West Bank towns that have faced land pressures from settlement expansion for decades.
U.N. bodies and the vast majority of countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law governing military occupations. Israel rejects that characterization, viewing the territory as disputed rather than occupied. Despite international objections, the settlement enterprise has expanded continuously, with the Netanyahu government accelerating construction and territorial designations in recent years.
U.S. officials estimate that tens of thousands of Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, many of them in a cluster of villages between Ramallah and Nablus, the region where Qusra is located.
Huckabee, who last week described the perpetrators as "Israeli terrorists," said the families targeted in Qusra were victims of "inexcusable and repugnant" criminal activity. He said anyone found to have participated could face significant legal consequences in Israel, and potentially U.S. sanctions including a ban on entering the country, though he added he was not aware that any such measures were under active consideration.
Huckabee's position carries tensions
The ambassador's condemnation is notable given his long and public record of support for Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Huckabee refers to the territory by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, a term used by the Israeli government but not formally adopted by the U.S. government.
In the same interview, he offered a qualified defense of the broader settlement movement, telling Reuters that violent settlers represent a minority who do not speak for settlers in general, who he said "just want to raise their families in Judea and Samaria peacefully and with a level of security."
Palestinians and international legal bodies reject that framing. Critics argue that settlements — regardless of the behavior of individual settlers — systematically displace Palestinian communities, fragment territory Palestinians seek for an independent state, and are maintained through military enforcement.
A senior settler leader has separately condemned the actions taken against the Qusra homes, according to Reuters.
Ridi built his home on land his grandparents owned and his family farmed for generations, beginning construction three years ago. He told Reuters he wanted his daughters to have a connection to their roots in Qusra. He said his property sits in an area that Israeli-Palestinian peace accords reached in the 1990s placed under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction.
"The message is bigger than just even the Trump administration," Huckabee said. "It's a message of basic civility and civilized behavior."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christian jailed without charges in Syria; others threatened with arbitrary arrest]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-jailed-without-charges-in-syria-others-threatened-with-arbitrary-arrest</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-jailed-without-charges-in-syria-others-threatened-with-arbitrary-arrest</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/51/5153.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Suleiman Khalil, Syriac Orthodox Christian jailed without charges in Syria since Feb. 8, 2025.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ CSI ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Suleiman Khalil, Syriac Orthodox Christian jailed without charges in Syria since Feb. 8, 2025. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:13:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Syria has jailed a Christian – a former mayor who led the defense of an Islamic State assault on his town 11 years ago – without charges since February 2025, rights groups say.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Syria has jailed a Christian – a former mayor who led the defense of an Islamic State assault on his town 11 years ago – without charges since February 2025, rights groups say.
The detaining of Suleiman Khalil, a Syriac Orthodox Christian who as mayor of Sadad led the defense of the town against the Islamic State in 2015, is one of various actions against Christians under the new government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former member of Al Qaeda.
Khalil, 52, imprisoned by the new Syrian government since Feb. 8, 2025, has not been charged with a crime, granted access to a lawyer or allowed regular visits from his family, according to an open letter to Ambassador Tom Barrack, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq, by advocacy groups such as Christian Solidarity International and In Defense of Christians and others, including former international religious freedom Ambassador Sam Brownback.
The letter, sent in June, noted there are serious concerns about Khalil’s health and well-being.
“Mr. Khalil’s actions in defending his town against ISIS should be celebrated by all Syrians, especially the new government, which has officially joined the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS,” the letter writers stated. “Instead, Syria’s government appears to be punishing him for it.”
Barrack has been a strong advocate for U.S. support for the new Syrian government, which came to power after the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad collapsed in December 2024, the rights groups noted.
“We respectfully ask you to intervene with the Syrian authorities to secure Mr. Khalil’s immediate release,” the letter writers stated. “By calling upon the Syrian government to immediately release Mr. Khalil – or, at a minimum, to provide him with access to legal counsel, necessary medical care, full and transparent notice of any charges against him, and the due process protections required by law – you would contribute powerfully to President Trump’s goal of protecting Christians in the Middle East, underline the United States’ and Syria’s shared commitment to fighting terrorism, and help ensure that the ‘new Syria’ will, indeed, be for all Syrians.”
The letter was signed by John Eibner for Christian Solidarity International (CSI), Richard Ghazal for In Defense of Christians, Brownback, Nadine Maenza of the Institute for Global Engagement, Charmaine Hedding of the Shai Fund, Robert Ozgun of the American Syriac Union, and Morhaf Ibrahim, president of the Alawite Association of the United States.
There has been no official response from Barrack to the letter, although his office immediately acknowledged receipt and affirmed U.S. commitment to the protection of Christians  in Syria, CSI Director for Public Advocacy Joel Veldkamp told Christian Daily International.
CSI is campaigning for Khalil’s immediate release. Supporters can send a message on his behalf directly to the Syrian Foreign Ministry through the CSI website.
Pretexts for Arrests
Other Christians in Syria have been subject to arbitrary arrests, as well as kidnappings and killings.
Many Christians served in the National Defense Forces (NDF), a network of local militias set up by the former government of Bashar al-Assad to defend villages against rebel attacks, including jihadist offensives. One such Christian was Fadi Abdo al-Shaer of Kafrbo, Hama Province.
Al-Shaer was abducted along with his 7-year-old daughter on July 7, Veldkamp said. The child was released, but Al-Shaer’s body was discovered on July 9; he had been shot to death, Veldkamp said.Some NDF members have been implicated in serious crimes, but there was no evidence that Fadi was, he added. No further details on the case were available, but Veldkamp said the kidnapping and killing have has been confirmed by multiple sources, including pro-government sources.
Christians in Syria believed to be wealthy are regularly arrested on flimsy pretexts and are released only after their families pay local officials large ransoms, according to CSI, citing sources within the country.
One source told CSI, “Christian business owners are getting targeted, where the government will say: ‘Oh, we had a complaint or we have evidence that you are doing forbidden or haram things,’ and they take the people with them to prison so their families pay money to get them back.”
This practice is especially frequent in Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, Wadi al-Nasara (The Valley of the Christians) in Homs Governorate, and in Saydnaya, considered a Christian holy town north of Damascus, according to CSI.
“Multiple local sources have confirmed to CSI that in the Christian-majority town of Saydnaya, four men were arrested on June 13,” the group reported.
George Mansour, Rabee Moussa, Boutrous al-Sheikh and Shihab Yacoub were arrested in connection with their participation in the defense of Saydnaya when it came under rebel attack in January 2014, according to CSI.
“As of July 8, they were being held for questioning in the Ministry of Interior prison in al-Nabek,” the group stated.
Leaders in Saydnaya of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic churches recently decided to cancel all public events related to religious holidays this year, limiting them to prayers inside the churches, advocacy group Coptic Solidarity reported this month, citing journalist Ashraf Helmy, who resides in Australia.
“This decision was made in protest against the continued detention of several residents of the town and other areas, the mistreatment of Christians, the incitement and threats they face on social media, and the increasing incidents of theft and kidnapping,” Coptic Solidarity stated. “Helmy called on Western countries and international human rights organizations to put pressure on the Syrian government to release the detained Christians, reveal the fate of the kidnapped and ensure their return, to judge those behind the blatant violations against Christians, impose economic sanctions on Syria if there won’t be respond to the Syrian churches demands, and apply social justice to everyone in accordance with the laws and constitutions of the United Nations.”
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.
“Syria is now at its most dangerous since so-called Islamic State occupied significant swathes of territory,” according to the WWL report. “Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Christians have waited to see what the impact on the faith community would be – and, despite some promising signs, the situation is now incredibly dangerous. The country has been mostly controlled by forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This is an Islamist extremist group with roots in Al Qaeda.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Jordan’s PM to supervise preparation of Baptismal Millennium sites; four projects totaling $120 million signed]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordans-pm-to-supervise-preparation-of-baptismal-millennium-sites-four-projects-totaling-120-million-signed</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/jordans-pm-to-supervise-preparation-of-baptismal-millennium-sites-four-projects-totaling-120-million-signed</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Jordanian officials sign four project agreements totaling $120 million for development of lands surrounding the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Al-Maghtas), Aug. 12, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Jordanian officials sign four project agreements totaling $120 million for development of lands surrounding the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Al-Maghtas), Aug. 12, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 06:49:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Jordanian government has taken a significant step to intensify preparations for the second millennium celebration of the Baptism of Jesus Christ at the Baptism Site, the government announced Aug. 11.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Jordanian government has taken a significant step to intensify preparations for the second millennium celebration of the Baptism of Jesus Christ at the Baptism Site, the government announced Aug. 11.
The steering committee will be chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who will also chair the high-level national committee alongside senior cabinet ministers, church leaders, tourism-related officials, private-sector professionals, and Christian civil society.
Plans for the site on the east bank of the Jordan are expected to include developing land adjacent to the Baptism Site into an authentic, biblical-style village for Christian pilgrims and visitors, a museum of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, a green corridor, and the development of the site's infrastructure.
Senator Michael Nazzal, chairman of the Tourism Committee in the Senate, told Christian Daily International that the prime minister's decision elevates official interest and encourages all Jordanian state institutions to participate in ensuring the success of this historic event.
Four agreements were signed Aug. 12. During the signing of agreements for the implementation of key projects within the National Project for the Development of the Lands Surrounding the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Al-Maghtas), Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin commented, "We view these agreements as more than just cooperation documents; they represent a shared commitment, a national responsibility, and a strategic partnership that contributes to the success of this national project, strengthens Jordan's presence on the international stage, and highlights its unique cultural and human heritage."
The agreements include implementing a package of projects totaling approximately $120 million on land adjacent to the Baptism Site, covering an area of 1,400 dunams (140 hectares or 346 acres). This includes the design of the Baptism Site Museum at a cost of $50 million, designs for a comprehensive pilgrim and visitor village at a cost of approximately $40 million, infrastructure work at a cost of $27 million, and the construction of a green corridor at an estimated cost of $3 million.
Tharwat Al-Masalha, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site Development Corporation, told CDI that these projects aim to create a global event befitting the site's spiritual and historical significance and Jordan's humanitarian mission. He added, "Today, we are taking an important executive step by signing a number of agreements related to the project."
Al-Masalha said that funding for the village has been secured from Abu Dhabi, while the Church of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) has agreed to cover 50% of the cost of the Baptism Museum.
The Baptism Site Museum project will be built on a 5,500-square-meter site (1.36 acres). The project also includes establishing an integrated village for pilgrims and visitors, enhancing the experience of visiting the Baptism Site. The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature will be responsible for designing the green corridor.
According to the project timeline, preliminary work for the museum and the integrated village for pilgrims and visitors will begin at the end of the first quarter of 2027, with main construction work commencing at the end of the second quarter of the same year. The projects are expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2029.
Biblical references of the Baptismal site
Senator Nazzal framed the milestone not as a regional affair but a global one, describing it as a celebration of a central event in Christianity "which is the 2,000-year celebration of the baptism of Jesus Christ."
Nazzal referred to the Bible, stating that John the Baptist was based in "Bethany beyond the Jordan." He said that while people may have access to the river, the site itself and the river's course have changed over centuries. "The Israelis have access to the river, but the site itself and the river were not there 2,000 years ago."
"The riverbeds change locations," he explained, adding that the Jordan River passed differently during the period when Christianity's early churches were built. "And it passed actually on the Jordanian side… in front of one of the old churches in the site itself." An exhibition, Jordan, the Dawn of Christianity, is due to open at the Bible Museum in Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2027.
The Jordanian tourism expert and member of the Senate said that the continued construction of churches on the Jordanian side strengthens the case. "Confirmed by the Vatican, by the Greek Orthodox Church, and by all other churches that have built new churches on the site itself. So yes, the baptism site is on the Jordanian side of the river."
Senator Nazzal described the reality of early Christian persecution and exclusion. "2,000 years ago, Jesus was not welcome on the west side of the river or in Jerusalem. And that's why all the old churches and all the antiquities that relate to Christianity started in Jordan and not in Palestine."
Hope for increased tourism, especially from the US
While Jordanian tourism has been severely hurt by the war in Iran, Nazzal sounded optimistic about the return of American pilgrims and tourists. He called the United States market "lucrative," noting that marketing Jordanian Christian sites must be made to a broad Christian audience.
"Marketing the baptismal site and Christianity and the Dawn of Christianity to all denominations is of utmost importance." He described Jordanian air service as enabling growth, noting that Royal Jordanian flies to multiple U.S. destinations. "Royal Jordanian now is flying to five destinations in the U.S., and we hope to add more destinations, specifically LA and Florida."
In a portion of the interview framed as an address to church pastors in America, Nazzal emphasized Jordan's openness and historic role in early Christianity. He recalled historical ties to the United States via air travel and framed early visitors as Christian pilgrims. "Our first tourists that came were Baptists and were Southerners and were people that came to visit the holy sites."
And Nazzal repeated his argument that "Christianity started on the east bank of the Jordan River."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[‘My uncle was martyred’: How Shahbaz Bhatti’s sacrifice shaped his nephew’s calling]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/my-uncle-was-martyred-how-shahbaz-bhattis-sacrifice-shaped-his-nephews-calling</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/my-uncle-was-martyred-how-shahbaz-bhattis-sacrifice-shaped-his-nephews-calling</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[David Bhatti]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[In today's episode of Faith Without Frontiers podcast, Bhatti discusses how his family’s history, his Christian faith and the assassination of his uncle, Shahbaz Bhatti, shaped his commitment to religious freedom and public service.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
For David Bhatti, religious freedom is not simply a political issue. It is part of his family story.
The 29-year-old Canadian lawyer was born in Pakistan and immigrated to Canada with his family when he was about a year old. His parents wanted to raise their children in a country where they could practice their Christian faith without fear. Yet they also made sure David and his sister maintained close ties to their Pakistani heritage, returning regularly to visit relatives and preserving their Urdu and Punjabi languages.
In today's episode of Faith Without Frontiers podcast, Bhatti discusses how his family’s history, his Christian faith and the assassination of his uncle, Shahbaz Bhatti, shaped his commitment to religious freedom and public service.
Shahbaz Bhatti began advocating for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities as a teenager. At 12, during a Good Friday service, he told his parents he felt called to stand up for persecuted Christians. He later founded organizations that brought together Christians and members of other minority faiths, seeking to promote unity and human dignity across religious communities.
In 2008, Shahbaz Bhatti became Pakistan’s first Christian to serve in a federal cabinet position when he was appointed Minister for Minorities Affairs. During his time in government, he pursued reforms aimed at strengthening the rights and representation of religious minorities, including measures related to employment, political representation and national recognition of minority communities. Among his achievements was the establishment of Aug. 11 as National Minorities Day, a day that continues to recognize the contributions of religious minorities to Pakistan.
Bhatti was also known internationally for his opposition to the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which he sought to reform because of their vulnerability to abuse and their impact on religious minorities.
The threats against his uncle intensified as he continued his advocacy. Despite being offered opportunities to leave Pakistan for his safety, Shahbaz Bhatti refused, telling others that he could not abandon his “suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.” He was assassinated in March 2011. David was 15 at the time.
His uncle’s example became a defining influence on his own path. David began volunteering in Canadian politics as a child and eventually became involved with the Conservative Party, believing political engagement could provide a means of advancing religious freedom and human rights.
He recently ran for a federal Conservative nomination in Edmonton but was unsuccessful. The experience, however, has not diminished his interest in public service. “My end goal is not just to have political office, just for the sake of it,” he says, explaining that he wants to pursue issues involving international human rights and religious freedom.
Having worked and studied in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and having engaged with lawmakers and international organizations, Bhatti says he wants to see Canada reclaim a stronger role in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide.
The conversation also offers a challenge to Christians who may be hesitant to enter politics: engage, understand policies and hold elected representatives accountable.
Bhatti’s story demonstrates how one family’s commitment to serving others, together with the example of a martyred uncle, can shape a lifelong calling to defend the freedom and dignity of others. The full conversation with David Bhatti is featured in today’s episode of Faith Without Frontiers.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Head of Evangelical Kurdish Church in Beirut released from detention in Syria]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/head-of-evangelical-kurdish-church-in-beirut-released-from-detention-in-syria</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/head-of-evangelical-kurdish-church-in-beirut-released-from-detention-in-syria</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pastor Nihad Hassan (L) after his release with attorney Nazir Sheik Mohammad.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Facebook ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Pastor Nihad Hassan (L) after his release with attorney Nazir Sheik Mohammad. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:54:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Pastor Nihad Hassan, head of the Evangelical Kurdish Church in Beirut, was released on Monday (Aug. 3) from detention in Syria, which also coincided with his birthday.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Pastor Nihad Hassan, head of the Evangelical Kurdish Church in Beirut, was released on Monday (Aug. 3) from detention in Syria, which also coincided with his birthday.
Hassan, originally from the Afrin Region of Syria, was arrested on July 19 and was held initially at Afrin Central Civil Prison. His case was later referred to judicial authorities in Aleppo. The pastor was detained over allegations involving an alleged violation of Syria’s cybercrime law tied to comments made on social media in 2021 during the rule of the Assad regime, Hassan’s Syrian lawyer, Nazir Sheik Mohammad, told Christian Daily International.
The lawyer added that such violations were included in an amnesty declared by the government of Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa.
Hassan was treated well in detention, Mohammad said. He said Hassan was transferred to Aleppo because it was the nearest major city with judicial expertise to handle the case. After all relevant issues were presented to the court, the judge in Aleppo ordered Hassan’s release and the return of his car and personal belongings, the attorney said.
Mohammad denied that the outcome was the result of any outside interference, saying the case was handled according to proper legal standards and in line with the rule of law.
WEA Welcomes Release
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) welcomed Hassan’s release, noting that the pastor is widely known for spiritual leadership and for providing humanitarian assistance and pastoral care to displaced communities in both Syria and Lebanon.
The detention raised concerns about religious freedom and freedom of expression, the WEA stated in a press release, but acknowledged the positive role of officials and institutions in ensuring the case proceeded through legal channels.
“We recognize the significant challenges facing the new government in Damascus and appreciate the complexity of maintaining civil harmony in a deeply polarized society,” The WEA stated. “The release of Pastor Hassan has reassured the local and international public and has demonstrated the government’s commitment to justice and fundamental freedoms.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[How a Texas church hosted a cultural and archaeological event around Jordan's World Cup game]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/how-a-texas-church-hosted-a-cultural-and-archaeological-event-around-jordan-s-world-cup-game</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/how-a-texas-church-hosted-a-cultural-and-archaeological-event-around-jordan-s-world-cup-game</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/49/4901.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Thousands attend the Visit Jordan Experience, where performers in traditional dress appear onstage before a screen showing Petra.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ FBC Arlington ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Thousands attend the "Visit Jordan Experience," where performers in traditional dress appear onstage before a screen showing Petra. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Rev. Dennis Wiles, center, meets with members of the planning team during the churchs partnership with Jordans World Cup delegation.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ FBC Arlington ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Rev. Dennis Wiles, center, meets with members of the planning team during the church's partnership with Jordan's World Cup delegation. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Rev. Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, wanted to do something special for the World Cup. Nine tournament games were scheduled at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and the church owned space downtown, not far from where they would be played.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Rev. Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, wanted to do something special for the World Cup. Nine tournament games were scheduled at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and the church owned space downtown, not far from where they would be played.
Wiles, who will mark his 25th anniversary at the church, told Christian Daily International that the goal was simple: an outdoor gathering that felt welcoming to families, with activities to draw people in. The congregation was still working out what its role could realistically be during the tournament, he said, especially without a direct connection to any team. Still, its leaders believed they could create a space for community, hospitality and faith in action.
Then Arlington City Hall called with an unexpected opportunity. Jordanian officials were looking for space for their delegation during the World Cup, and the city thought the church's property might meet their needs. The delegation wanted a venue that could handle tents, stages and a market-style setup, along with the logistics to run it safely. Once the church understood the request, Wiles said, the decision came quickly.
What began as a World Cup celebration for local families grew into something larger — a partnership with Jordan's delegation that drew thousands of visitors over three days and turned into a cultural and spiritual exchange.
Wiles saw the opportunity right away. "I think their party is better than our party," he said. The church canceled its own celebration and redirected its plans to support the Jordanians. "We canceled our party and used the Jordanians," he said.

Planning meant close attention to safety. The church coordinated with city leaders and made sure local authorities knew its plans. Organizers expected a sizable crowd — perhaps 1,000 people — and wanted to serve visitors as well as residents looking for a place to gather.
The church handled the practical work, including insurance, coordination and security. Volunteers and leaders moved quickly on setup and operations. Wiles said the Jordanian team was organized and positive about working together. "It was pleasant all the way around," he said.
First Baptist Church in Arlington, founded in 1871, had planned its community event for June 27. The date suited the Jordanians: it was the day Jordan faced the current World Cup champions, Messi's Argentina.
In the meantime, the Rev. Elijah Brown, president of the Baptist World Alliance, connected Wiles with the Rev. Nabeeh Abbasi, president of the Jordanian Baptist Convention. The two exchanged emails, and Wiles said Abbasi's messages were encouraging and confirmed for him the value of cooperating with the Jordanian delegation.
Church leaders and members spent the day with their Jordanian counterparts, laughing and learning about one another before watching the World Cup match together on a big screen.
"We were planning for about 1,000 people for the event we had planned. Between Thursday and Saturday, around 3-4,000 people attended every day. It was incredible," Wiles said.
He was struck by the visitors. "The leaders of Jordan could not have been any more positive," he said, adding that the team was "competent, gracious." Their "professionalism and hospitality," he said, kept the collaboration smooth.
The church was grateful for the experience, Wiles added, and hoped it would lead to something lasting. "We hope it will be a developing friendship," he said.
The hospitality grew into a cultural and spiritual exchange. Five hundred people attended presentations on Jordan's biblical and Christian significance, including a talk on Thursday by Sarah Winner, an archaeologist working in Jordan. "It was a beautiful experience of biblical significance, and the plans of the 2000 celebration of the baptism of Jesus were informative and sweet," she said.
The lecture resonated, Wiles said; people wanted more than entertainment. The event also made room for conversation and new relationships — in the formal programming and in everyday exchanges among volunteers, guests and delegation members.
For Wiles, the experience showed that the church's mission is not limited to its first plans. He hopes to build on the connection, and is considering leading a group from his church on a tour of Jordan in place of its annual trip to Rome.]]></content:encoded>
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