St. Mina's Church in Port Said was the site of a deadly police shootout with thieves, who had previously stolen a container containing an estimated two million Egyptian pounds.

The suspects stormed the courtyard of the church to take shelter from security forces as they demanded safe passage. Security forces disappeared from the area around the church as the members attempted to protect the church from the suspects.

The priest of the church attempted to calm the suspects to avoid any potential disaster, given recent clashes between security forces and members of the local population. more >>

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in three north-eastern states of the African country after Islamic extremists took control of a number of villages and towns.

"It would appear that there is a systematic effort by insurgents and terrorists to destabilize the Nigerian state and test our collective resolve," Jonathan said, according to The Associated Press.

Army troops have been ordered to the affected states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, while politicians have been told to remain at their posts. The announcement was made across Nigeria's radio and television networks, with the president warning that any buildings believed to be housing Islamic extremists would be "torn down." more >>

The mass exodus of millions of Christians from one part of the Islamic world to another as the result of persecution by Muslims has reached epidemic proportions, says a Middle East and Islam expert. In fact, Christians may completely disappear from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt, warns the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

"This matter of Muslim persecution of Christians is a humanitarian crisis at this point," said Raymond Ibrahim in a recent interview with Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch. Ibrahim is the author of the recently released book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians.

"It's something that is little known of or heard of or acted upon. In fact, not only is the Obama administration ignoring it, but it is actually exacerbating it, making it worse, a la the Arab Spring and other matters," said Ibrahim, who is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum. more >>

Correction Appended

As Christians in Syria continue to suffer persecution in the midst of an ongoing civil war, Open Doors USA is encouraging Christians worldwide to pray for the war-torn country on May 11.

"As Christians in Syria continue to suffer from the devastating effects of the two-year-old civil war including killings, kidnappings, homelessness, lack of food and shelter and closing of schools; they are also seeing that God's hand is at work as all denominations are joining in passionate prayer," Open Doors USA interim President/CEO Steve Ridgway said in a recent statement. more >>

A joint statement from the Sothern Baptist's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission North American Missions Board has been issued on religious freedom on the military.

Following the recent reports about a potential court martial for proselytizing, a virulent atheist military consultant, and "extremism" claims, many were wondering what problem was coming next. Were our chaplains about to be handed a copy of Good Housekeeping or Psychology Today in place of their own sacred book?

Two national religious leaders, Russell Moore of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and Kevin Ezell of the North American Mission Board, have issued the following statement. This is an excerpt: more >>

At least 10 people were killed and nine others were injured on Sunday when gunmen attacked a church and a village market in Adamawa state in northern Nigeria before fleeing across the border to Cameroon.

Four people were killed around the church and six were killed in the market in the Njilan village near the Cameroon border, Reuters quoted Adamawa state police spokesman Muhammad Ibrahim as saying. Nine others were injured and were in the hospital for treatment on Monday.

While the official said the motive for the attack was not known, the area is a stronghold of the Islamist group Boko Haram, which translates as "Western education is sin." more >>