In a strategic gathering of Middle Eastern, European and American Christian leaders, westerners were given an inside view of the Middle Eastern Church’s struggle in a war-torn land.

Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding’s (EMEU) Sounds of Hope II conference was held in Amman, Jordan on Oct. 15-18. It was a time for over 70 select individuals from various ministries to hear from 11 speakers with experience in the Middle East Church.

According to Dr. Ray Bakke, EMEU chair, the conference was held out of a concern that ignorance in the West was negatively influencing the worldwide Church. “We had people who are evangelical who thought that every Arab was a terrorist or a fat oil sheik,” he said.

Press Release by Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding, October 23, 2008

Thousands of Iraqi Christians living in the northern city of Mosul fled for their lives this past week, many leaving behind everything and, as one refugee put it, taking “only our souls”.

At least 744 Christian families, or about 3,750 people, fled the city dubbed by US and Iraqi commanders as the last urban stronghold of Al-Qaeda for refuge with relatives in churches and at Christian centres in several towns and villages to the north and east of Mosul, according to the UK-based persecution watchdog ministry, Barnabas Fund. Some are even sleeping in their cars.

These displaced Iraqi Christians are said to be in desperate need of food, clothing, bedding, personal hygiene items and other basic necessities.

by Michelle A Vu, Christian Post, October 14, 2008

Thousands of Christians from around the world are gathering in Jerusalem this week to celebrate the Biblical festival of Succoth.

More than 7,000 Christians from about 100 nations are attending the International Christian Embassy’s annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration, which coincides with the Jewish holiday and is Israel’s largest single tourism event each year. The pilgrims will spend an estimated $18 million here.

By Julie Stahl, CNS News, Oct 15, 2008

Transcript of the speech given by Botrus Mansour on Friday the 10th of October 2008 in Advocates International and Christian Legal Society conference in Washington DC for 1000 lawyers and judges from 106 countries around the world.

Botrus Mansour is a Human rights lawyer, General Director of Nazareth Baptist School and co-editor of the “Come and See” web site who lives in Nazareth, Israel.

Special For Come and See, October 13, 2008

When Shady Bishay, a sales executive for a Boston high tech firm and a native of Egypt, tells American friends he belongs to an Arabic evangelical Baptist church in West Roxbury (Near Boston, Massachusetts, the United States) the information often doesn't compute.

"The first thing is that they are shocked that I'm a Christian," said Bishay, who lives in Foxborough with his wife, a native of Palestine. "They have trouble understanding. It's definitely not the norm."

The Boston Globe, Sep 28, 2008

Haaretz writes in its editorial section about its own responsibility in solving disputes between different Christian groups in Jerusalem.

"Israel's responsibility for the holy places in Jerusalem sometimes involves it in disputes and power struggles between religious communities. There is no better example than the centuries-old dispute between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church over the control of the Deir al-Sultan Monastery on the roof of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City"

Haaretz, October 10, 2008

Director of the The Palestinian Bible Society (PBS) writes to his friend Rami Ayyad one year after he was murdered for his faith in Gaza City. The PBS launched a web site to honor Rami.

"In this day and despite the fact that our eyes are full of tears, we remember that you are in the pastures with the Redeemer Jesus, and we are happy for you, Rami, because you walked the same path as HE did. We promise you not to stop or to weaken on the road, knowing that with us is the most precious of companions leading the way in every struggle, and we will be victorious and win, my friend"

Nashat Filmon, The Palestinian Bible Society, Oct 7, 2008

It's great to note that a United Kingdom (UK) Immigration court has, for the very first time, granted asylum to a Syrian Christian couple who are persecuted for their conversion from Islam to Christianity.

In a report by Open Doors UK, it noted that this is unprecedented for a UK court and, as such, is a recognition of threats to Christian converts who suffer for accepting Christian faith in Syria.

It described the ruling which was facilitated by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) as a victory, "The court recognized that the couple would face real physical threats, including death, if they returned to Syria, the husband's country of origin. Their appeal was granted on both asylum and human rights grounds."

By Success Kanayo Uchime, ANS, Oct 5, 2008

Two Christian men were killed Saturday in Mosul, contributing to a "climate of panic" among the small community there, reports AsiaNews.it.

Hazim Thomaso Youssif, 40, and Ivan Nuwya, 15, were both killed in the Iraqi city, contributing to a long list of attacks against Christians in the war-torn country. Youssif was ambushed in front of his clothing store, and Nuwya was shot to death in front of his home, located near the local mosque of Alzhara.

Zenit, Iraq, OCT. 5, 2008