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

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, received an annual salary of $824,000 last year, according to a tax return that the nonprofit organization filed in the United States.

The IFCJ, founded by Eckstein in Chicago 27 years ago, raises millions of dollars each year from the evangelical Christian community, mostly in the U.S., for Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz, October 2, 2008

The young John Lennon may have once irreverently boasted that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus. But not, it seems, in Jesus's birthplace and among some Palestinians at least.

Before Sir Paul McCartney turned up genuinely unannounced at the Church of the Nativity here yesterday, a bemused policeman, Mohammed Itmazi, 26, confessed that he hadn't heard either of him or of the band that made him world famous. Yes, there had been many famous people coming through, such as Nicolas Sarkozy and, he added, prompted by a companion, Gordon Brown. But Sir Paul, well no, he was not sure who he was.

Donald Macintyre in Bethlehem, the Independent, Sep 25, 2008

Violence against Christian evangelical and Messianic Jewish communities in Israel increased significantly during the period between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008, according to the US State Department's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom.

The report, released last week, put blame for the "tensions" on "certain Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities."

By Matthew Wagner, The Jerusalem Post, Sep 23, 2008

“Why did you come back?” It’s a question people ask my wife and I when they find out that we used to live in the U.S. until we came back to live in our hometown, Nazareth.

If I put a dollar into my savings account every time someone asked us this question, we would not be millionaires, but at least a $1,000 richer. I always try to tell them in a way or another that living abroad is not all that simple and fun. My wife Gosayna tells them that the fact we came back says something!

But why did we come back?

by Habib Karam and Gosayna Karam, Special For "Come and See"

The need to "re-frame the religious dimensions" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a key goal of a 4-day international theological conference starting today in the Swiss capital, Bern. The conference involves some 65 theologians and church leaders from all over the world who are focusing on the issue of "Promised Land".

World Council of Churches Web site, Sep 17, 2008

“Ramadan is the biggest TV viewing time in the Middle East and North Africa. As soon as sunset comes and Muslim families break their day-long fasts, many sit for a big meal and watch TV. Local TV channels compete to capture the biggest audience share, and they know that violent and controversial films can help,” says David Harder, SAT-7’s Communications Manager.

SAT-7 is offering Christians a positive alternative of Bible-based programmes, 80 per cent of which are made in the region by Middle Eastern Christians.

Christian Today, Sep 4, 2008