Al-Qaeda Iraq Bombings Make Dormition Bloodiest Day of 2011

Today marks the bloodiest day in Iraq this year, with some 31 bombings, presumed to be the responsibility of al-Qaeda, taking place in the country. One of the bombings targeted St. Ephraim's Syriac Orthodox Church in Kirkuk, but thankfully the bomb went off well before new style Dormition celebrations at the church. More here and here.

Syria Appoints New Defense Minister

In an effort to accelerate the repression of Sunni Muslim uprisings across Syria the country's President Bashar al-Assad has dismissed his defense minister and replaced him with General Daoud Rajiha. The appointment comes as a surprise as the key position in the Syrian government has normally been reserved for members of al-Assad's Alawi Muslim minority. (General Rajiha is an Antiochian Orthodox Christian.) More here.

Prizren Bishop Calls for Calm in Northern Kosovo

Bishop Teodosije of Raska and Prizren has called on the Kosovar authorities and his flock in northern Kosovo to refrain from resorting to violence in the wake of fighting over the control of border crossings between Kosovo and Serbia, saying that all of the outstanding issues between the Serbian and Kosovar governments should be resolved by negotiation. More (in Serbian) here.

Clashes Break Out in Cairo Suburb

Muslims and Copts have clashed today in Cairo's Shubra al-Kheima district. The violence comes after a Copt shot and killed two Muslims on Sunday and the area's Muslims found out the suspected killer was hiding in a church in the district. Police have cordoned off Shubra al-Kheima's churches while an investigation into the killings and clashes is undertaken. More here.

Ukrainian President Calls for Investigation of Lviv Incident

President Viktor F. Yanukovych of Ukraine has called for an investigation into an attack on yesterday's Victory Day celebrations by ultranationalists in the city of Lviv. More here and here.

Serbian Orthodox Church Against Pride Parade in Belgrade

The recent statement of the Serbian Orthodox Church against the upcoming Pride Parade in Belgrade is a good example of how badly misrepresented the Church of Serbia has been in Western media. I don't think anyone's surprised to find out that the Patriarchate of Pech is against the normalization of homosexuality in Serbia (what a shock indeed! ;-) ), but the fact that in its statement on Pride the Serbian Orthodox Church also spoke out against those who would violently disrupt the parade in the name of Orthodoxy is both praiseworthy and more representative of the reality of the Serbian Orthodox Church today than the image of it that is common in the West. Whether the statement will actually have any effect on the parade's protesters remains to be seen unfortunately :-/.