The Briefing – October 2017
October 2017A controversial referendum for Kurdish independence in Northern Iraq dominated the region’s headlines and triggered the rapid deployment of Iraqi forces to Kirkuk. As expected, on 25 September Kurds in Northern Iraq held a referendum for independence from Iraq. Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Kurds have enjoyed a de-facto regional governance and since then have aspired to create an […]
The Briefing – September 2017
September 2017The deep conflicts and crises of the region continue, even as the region is poised for an historic new development in northern Iraq. In Syria, so-called Islamic State (IS) continued to relinquish control of more of its territory, including parts of its self-declared capital of Raqqa. IS forces in Deir El-Zour are now under severe pressure from two sides, from […]
The Briefing – August 2017
August 2017Simmering tensions and long-held mistrust have come to the surface this month in mass protests in Israel and continuing deadlock in the Gulf. After two months of sanctions on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, there has been no sign of a resolution. Despite previous tensions with Qatar, the current rift is the deepest ever. Diplomatic relations have […]
The Briefing – July 2017
July 2017After three years of waiting and nine months of relentless conflict, the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) has seen two major breakthroughs in the last couple of weeks. News from the Church in the region, meanwhile, revealed differing pressures and examples of believers showing great perseverance and responding to adversity with compassion and careful reflection. Iraq’s second city […]
The Briefing – June 2017
June 2017Just when we might have thought the Middle East had seen it all in terms of possible crises, a move by several members of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) to bring the small but ambitious country of Qatar into line has triggered another. After last month’s visit to Saudi Arabia by President Trump of the USA, and his apparent support […]
THE BRIEFING – May 2017: Solidarity with a Church under fire
May 2017As the military war against so-called Islamic State enters a new phase, on the Church front, Christian leaders made bridge-building visits to the region’s beleaguered church communities. The Syrian civil war entered a new phase this week, with the decision of President Trump to arm the Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) with heavy weapons in preparations for the campaign to […]
The Briefing – April 2017
April 2017This Easter, as we remembered the death and resurrection of our Saviour, world events continued to present us with the sharp contrasts of suffering and hope – the darkness of the present moment and the promise that all things will be made new in Christ. It’s a message that is more important than ever for the people of the Middle […]
The Briefing – March 2017: Seismic shifts and fresh persecution
March 2017The region continues to see seismic shifts, the campaign against Islamic State, persecution of Christians, and worrying signs of famine in Yemen. The fighting in Syria grows ever more complex. Turkish troops and Turkish-backed groups recaptured the border town of Al-Bab from so-called Islamic State (IS), also achieving Turkey’s aim of interrupting the line of territory held by Kurdish forces along its […]