 |  | March 14th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | | Hundreds of Christians Killed in Syria Amid Rising Islamist Attacks Relevant “In recent days, Syria has been engulfed in a surge of violence that has resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 individuals, including hundreds of Christians. The coastal province of Latakia, predominantly inhabited by Alawites and Christians, has become the epicenter of these brutal attacks. The escalation began on March 6, 2025, when clashes erupted between Syrian security forces and loyalists of the deposed president Bashar al-Assad in Latakia. The conflict quickly intensified, leading to over 200 fatalities of civilians caught in the crossfire. The violence subsequently spread to neighboring regions, with reports of atrocities such as village stormings and revenge killings. There have also been unverified reports of mass civilian executions." | | | | | | | | Syria’s new government strikes deal to integrate powerful Kurdish rival in landmark agreement CNN "Syria’s interim government says it has reached a landmark agreement with Kurdish-led forces to integrate them into state institutions as it tries to unify the country’s diverse communities after a decade of civil war. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced the deal on Monday, saying the agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is aimed at “ensuring the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process and all state institutions based on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.” | | | | | | | | Syrian leader signs constitution that puts the country under an Islamist group’s rule for 5 years AP News "Syria’s interim president on Thursday signed a temporary constitution that leaves the country under Islamist rule while promising to protect the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional phase. The nation’s interim rulers have struggled to exert their authority across much of Syria since the Islamist former insurgent group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, led a lightning insurgency that overthrew longtime President Bashar Assad in December." | | | | | | | | Armenia and Azerbaijan agree treaty terms to end almost 40 years of conflict Reuters "Armenian and Azerbaijani officials said on Thursday that they had agreed the text of a peace agreement to end nearly four decades of conflict between the South Caucasus countries, a sudden breakthrough in a fitful and often bitter peace process. The two post-Soviet countries have fought a series of wars since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan that had a mostly ethnic-Armenian population at the time, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia." | | | | | | | | Call to Prayer: Layan Nasir We remember the 10 months Layan spent under Administrative Detention in Israeli prison and pray that on April 23, 2025 her case will be completely resolved and that she will not return to Israeli prison. Join on on Wednesday's for our weekly prayer sessions where we will pray for Layan as well as peace in the Middle East. | | | | | | | | | |  | CMEP's 2025 Advocacy Summit Washington, D.C. March 19-20, 2025 Join Churches for Middle East Peace in Washington, DC at our annual Advocacy Summit March 19-20th, 2025. Day one of the summit, Wednesday, March 19th will include remarks from several expert speakers, updates from CMEP staff, and advocacy training. On Day Two, Thursday, March 20th, you will have the opportunity to put all you've learned into action on Capitol Hill, as you meet with the offices of your senators and representatives.
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent" (Acts 18:9)
This year, our Advocacy Summit recognizes the tremendous work our constituents and coalitions have done to speak out for justice and calls upon each of us to "keep on speaking" and working for a just peace for all people in the Holy Land. | | | | Meet some of our Featured Panelists & Speakers! | |  | | | Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Book Launch in Washington, DC Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is pleased to invite you to join us on April 1-2, 2025 for the Washington DC launch of Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac's new book "Christ in the Rubble" in Washington DC/ In this impassioned and incisive book, Munther Isaac challenges mainstream Christians’ uncritical embrace of the modern State of Israel.
Writing from Bethlehem with close-up knowledge of conditions on the ground, and rooted in a commitment to nonviolence and just peace, Isaac challenges readers to realign their beliefs and actions with Christ—who can be found not among perpetrators of violence, but with victims buried under the rubble of war. | | April 1: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Book Launch- Busboys & Poets | | | | April 2: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Book Launch- The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church (will be live streamed- link to be shared later) | | | | | | | | Come, Walk With Us Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is pleased to present this Lenten devotional series entitled “Come, Walk With Us” which is available for a suggested donation as a downloadable PDF for you or your church group. This devotional collection contains stories and reflections written by participants in the recent Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages for Ash Wednesday, each Sunday of Lent, and each day of Holy Week. Each devotion will also be on our Prayers for Peace blog throughout the Lenten holiday season: https://cmep.org/p4p-blog/ #CMEPLent2025
As you participate this Lent, share about your calls and prayers on social media using #GCPilgrimages and tag @ChurchesforMEP | | | | | | Archon Religious Freedom Symposium at the University of South Carolina His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America (Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate), His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre (Apostolic Nuncio to the United States from the Holy See of Rome), and the Reverend Dr. Mae Elise Cannon (Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace, Ordained Pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church) will address a Religious Freedom Symposium, “God Created Us to Live In Harmony (Romans 12:16)” at the University of South Carolina’s Pastides Alumni Center, (900 Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29201) on March 22nd, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The symposium mission is to look through the lens of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant faith teachings to better understand how our loving God has protected His flock and the issues facing Christians today. Get your FREE ticket on EVENTBRITE. For additional information, please visit www.archons.org/2025USC. For questions, please contact Symposium322@gmail.com. | | | | Mark your Calendar: April 27th "Faith, Remembrance, and Resilience: Standing Together for Justice and Peace in Commemoration of the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide." Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) will be hosting a commemorative event at St. Mary's Armenian Church in Washington, DC on April 27th. The event will have an ecumenical service starting at 1pm followed by speakers and a children's performance including dance and song. Mark your calendars! Registration page and more information coming soon! | | | | | | | | UN experts accuse Israel of sexual violence and 'genocidal acts' in Gaza BBC "UN experts have accused Israel of increasingly using sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians and carrying out "genocidal acts" through the systematic destruction of maternal and reproductive healthcare facilities. A report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council documents alleged violations, including rape, in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war." | | | | | | Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water AP News "Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas called it part of Israel’s “starvation policy.” Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of the war. Israel is pressing the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce." | | | | | | | | I Was a Columbia Student Journalist. Here’s What to Know About Mahmoud Khalil. Politico "Last year, I was a student at Columbia University, where I covered tense campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war for the college newspaper and for POLITICO. So I’m familiar with Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student who I’ve chatted with in the past and appears to be the first target of the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on student protesters." | | | | | | | | What to know about tensions between Iran and the US as Trump sends a letter to its supreme leader AP News "A letter U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme leader in an attempt to jump-start talks over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program has arrived in the Iranian capital. While the text of the letter hasn’t been published, its arrival comes as Trump levied new sanctions on Iran as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign targeting the country. He also suggested military action against Iran remained a possibility, while emphasizing he still believed a new deal could be reached." | | | | | | | | | | Contact Us Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 505
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
(202) 543-1222 info@cmep.org | | | | | | | |
