Christians in the Islamic world

Fear lingers in an ancient community

In the predominantly Christian town of Maaloula, residents hold differing views on al-Sharaa and the safety of their community in the new Syria. For many, memories of the 2013 Nusra Front attack remain—and mistrust runs deep.

Multi-religious life in the Jewish Quarter of Damascus

Syrian author Moussa Abadi depicts peaceful coexistence in the Jewish Quarter of 1920s Damascus in ‘The Queen and the Calligrapher’. The characters may be quirky and the stories bizarre, but they show us that the Damascus of yesterday could be a model for our own time.

Bethlehem: Gaza war mars Christmas festivities

Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, the supposed birthplace of Jesus, is usually busy over the Christmas season. This year, however, most festivities were cancelled because of the Gaza conflict.

Christmas muted in 'grieving' Bethlehem

Outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity in the Palestinian West Bank, the throngs of tourists and pilgrims who normally rub shoulders with costumed Santas and marching bands are missing this year

"Genocide is a feminist issue"

Dots, crosses, lines: tattoos like these were inked on surviving Armenian women after the genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Historian Elyse Semerdjian uses the tattoos to tell their story. Interview by Anna-Theresa Bachmann

Who are the Pakistani Islamists vowing 'death to blasphemers'?

An outlawed Islamist political party with the main objective of protecting Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws and punishing blasphemers has been linked to violence against Christians and the burning of several churches

The Iraqi Christian turned radical

It was an Iraqi with Christian roots – Salwan Momeka – who staged the burning of the Koran in Stockholm last week. In doing so, he wanted to get even with his countrymen. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad

The determination and resilience of Antakya

The multicultural, historical city of Antakya was devastated by the earthquakes that struck the region on 6 February, but its inhabitants are fighting to save its heritage and community. Ayse Karabat reports from south-eastern Turkey

Christians celebrate Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, striving to maintain presence

Culture war over the Christian holiday

Christmas is becoming increasingly popular among secular Israelis. It spreads a festive atmosphere that promotes understanding between people of different faiths. Orthodox Jews, however, view the holiday as a threat. By Joseph Croitoru

An exhibition to remember

A new exhibition, "Syria – Against Forgetting", at Cologne’s Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum focuses on Syria's artistic and cultural heritage and pays tribute to the country before the war. By Torsten Landsberg