As Christmas approaches, the town of Shaqlawa in the Kurdistan Region is marked by lights, church decorations, and a renewed sense of unity among its Christian community, even as Christians from Sinjar continue to voice frustration over prolonged displacement and neglect eleven years after fleeing their homes, following ISIS attack.
Kuwait -- The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) announced on Wednesday the discovery of significant archaeological finds at Al-Qusur Monastery in the center of Failaka Island, including pottery inscribed with Syriac writings and evidence dating to the Umayyad and early Abbasid periods.
Christians in Lebanon have declined from a demographic majority to a minority. Lebanon was majority-Christian starting from the first century (when Christianity was introduced by figures such as St. Peter and St. Paul) until the mid-20th century. Mount Lebanon, which remains the Christian heartland of the country, is frequently mentioned in the Bible.
DEM Party Mardin MP George Aslan submitted a legislative proposal to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) requesting an amendment to the Law on National Holidays and General Holidays. The proposal requested that December 25, symbolizing the birth of Jesus Christ, be declared a public holiday under the name "Christmas Day.
Christianity has a long and intricate history in Iran, predating many other regions of the world. Iranian Christian communities have preserved their faith and cultural identity for centuries. Today, Iran hosts one of the oldest continuous Christian presences in West Asia, with Armenian, Assyrian, and other Christian minorities contributing significantly to Iran's diverse religious landscape.
As conflicts continue to scar large parts of the Middle East and beyond, leading Christian patriarchs from the region used their Christmas messages this year to emphasize faith as a source of light, urging peace, reconciliation and renewed commitment to human dignity in a time of global upheaval.