On 2 July 1994 the body of the Reverend Tatavous Michaelian, Chairman of the Council of Protestant Ministers in Iran was found with several gun shots to the head. The GIA has claimed responsibility for the death of Berber singer Lounes Matoub. The largest Christian community of the Middle East is found in Egypt , which has ten to twelve million Copts. Egypt is also a major recipient of U.S. foreign aid, despite blatant violations of religious freedom which occurs weekly in this country. The Southern Sudanese are about six million.
Christians are the largest monotheist group.
Among the Lebanese Christians, the largest group is the Maronites, which are Catholics which follow Rome. Other smaller religious entities include the Melkites and Orthodox Christians. Around one million in Iraq with large concentrations in the Kurdish zone. There are small but significant Christian communities in other countries such as Iran, Jordan , Israel , and less significant in Turkey, Algeria. By law there are no Christians in Saudi Arabia .