News

     Turkey – todayszaman — The UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger lists languages whose survival is unsafe, definitely endangered, severely endangered, critically endangered — or already extinct. A total of 18 languages from Turkey made the list: three already extinct, four unsafe, seven definitely endangered, three severely …

     ANKARA – Hurriyet — One of the world’s oldest Christian monasteries, located near Turkey’s border with Syria, will be visited next week by a group of German lawmakers seeking to monitor progress in an ongoing land dispute. The visit demonstrates the German interest to make sure religious freedoms and …

By George Jahn VIENNA – AP — U.N. nuclear agency samples taken from a Syrian site suspected of being a secretly built reactor have revealed new traces of processed uranium, the agency reported Thursday. A separate report by the same organization — the International Atomic Energy Agency — noted a …

     LONDON – AFP — Syria has increased activity at a suspected chemical weapons production site, a move likely to increase tension with Israel, Jane’s defence information group said Wednesday. Satellite imagery of the Al Safir site in northwest Syria does not suggest that Damascus is arming for an offensive …

By Abdulmesih BarAbrahem Mor Gabriel, Turkey – AINA — For the third time Turkey has rescheduled the hearing for the different cases regarding the land dispute of St. Gabriel Monastery. The new hearing is set for March 4. International attention increased after the state escalated the issue (AINA 2-6-2009). The …

By Paul Isaac Iraq – IHT — To outside observers, the provincial elections recently held in Iraq were strictly a domestic affair, with internal groups vying for relative influence. For the Assyrian Christians of Iraq, however, the elections signified a desperate appeal to the international community. Amid the ongoing tragedy …

Iraq – indcatholicnews — Representatives of churches in Iraq confirmed their commitment to work together with all Iraqi citizens for reconciliation and rebuilding peace in the country. “The solution to current conditions lies not in emptying Iraq of its human resources,” said the participants at a 10-11 February meeting in …

Written question no 563 to the Committee of Ministers presented by Mr Omtzigt and others HOLLAND – CDA — The Mor Gabriel Monastery was founded in 397 AD. It is one of the oldest Christian Monasteries in the world. Apart from a number of short spells, it has been a …

     Södertälje, Sweden – AINA — Speaking during a ceremony on Sunday for the commemoration of Naum Faik, one of the founding fathers of the Assyrian movement, bishop Abdulahad Gallo Shabo said to an audiance of 600 Assyrians in the town of Södertälje they should not be afraid of Turkeys …

February 5, 2009 Provincial council elections were held in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces on Saturday 31 January. Because Iraqi politics is totally tribal the stakes are high and Christians, as a small minority, are inevitably marginalised. For various reasons the elections were generally peaceful. Also no voting was held …