Faith schools will be shut down if they teach intolerance
Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference David Cameron announced plans to force all religious schools to register and be inspected. ‘If an institution is teaching children intensively then, whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so that it can be inspected - and, be in no doubt, if you're teaching intolerance, we will shut you down.’ he said. He promised the country that it was his duty to keep Britain safe and that it was time to ‘really confront extremism’. David Landrum, director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said, ‘It is right that we actively rebuild Britain as an even greater country and take stringent measures to eradicate extremist ideology. However, it is vital that committed Christians are not labelled as extremists by those who may disagree with aspects of their faith.’
Watchman Intercessors – a word in season
Steve Botham, Director at the World Prayer Centre writes, ‘This is a time of many warnings - of danger from terrorists, of severe economic collapse, of God’s judgement on nations and situations. We can become very concerned, but all watchmen are subject to God - He is the ultimate watchman. Psalm 121 tells us ‘He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep’. God has called forth watchmen at this time – but ultimately it is up to all of us to weigh up the warnings and ask - is this God’s voice to us at this time? He warns us for a serious purpose - to lead to repentance, prayer, practical action.’ Watchmen and intercessors serve out of love for their community and church. God is looking for a servant attitude.
Migrant crisis will reveal Europe’s true colours
As hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war, repression and poverty cross Europe’s borders, the continent is struggling to cope. There is growing consensus that the EU’s legal framework and individual member states are poorly equipped to confront the problem. Politicians will have to act fast if they want to avoid a humanitarian emergency this winter. They should also be aware that quick solutions will not make the bigger issue go away. The migrant crisis is, in fact, about Europe’s identity. The coming weeks and months will be a test of European unity in the hardest times, with nationalist and extremist voices gaining ground and EU leaders strengthening border controls. So Europe's open door is soon to be closed in face of the tide that has overwhelmed Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia and created problems throughout Europe.
Germany: Netanyahu cancels Germany trip amid terror wave
Thursday’s meeting to strengthen diplomatic progress between Angela Merkel and Benjamin Netanyahu has been postponed due to a surge in Palestinian terror attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank. (see this week’s Prayer-Alert world article) Prayer is needed for a strengthening of Israel’s relationships with Germany. In the middle of his address to the UN General Assembly Benjamin Netanyahu stood silently for 44 seconds and glared at all the representatives assembled as a protest against an absence of criticism of threats against Israel. Thursday’s cancelled consultation meeting took on a special significance. In 2008 Chancellor Merkel’s speech to the Knesset said that ‘the historical responsibility for Israel’s security is part of our raison d’état’. It would remain unchanged and continue to be one of the foundations of Germany’s foreign policy.
Witness of Christian workers in Syria
The sorrow of the ministry team leader who lost 11 workers and one of their children last month has been deep, but he takes heart that their faithfulness could help change the hearts of persecutors. ‘They kept on praying loudly and sharing Jesus until their last breath,’ he said. ‘They did this in front of the villagers as a testimony for others.’ He asked for prayer for surviving family members and for himself.
‘These things have been very hard on me,’ he said. ‘What wrong did those people do to deserve to die? However, what is happening is more and more people are being saved. The ministry is growing and growing. In the past we used to pray to have one person from a Muslim background come to the Lord. Now there are so many we can barely handle all the work among them.’
Pakistan: asylum needed for Christians
The president of Pakistan’s Christian Congress has urged Western nations to open its doors to persecuted Pakistani Christians. According to the Daily Pakistan, Nazir Bhatti said Christians seeking asylum should be accommodated in the USA, the UK, and other European countries. Bhatti’s plea comes after the announcement that refugees from Syria will be welcomed by both the UK and Germany. Thousands of Pakistani Christian asylum-seekers are not economic immigrants but persecuted Christians who can’t afford to pay human traffickers to reach the shores of Europe, wrote Bhatti. Christian asylum-seekers in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and other Southeastern Asian countries have been waiting years for word on their immigration cases, without any support from the UNHCR, IRC or other international NGOs.
Mexico: ‘Where are our boys?’ protest march
The parents of 43 missing college students have led a march of thousands of people in Mexico City, marking one year since the students’ disappearance. In January Mexico's government said the students had been handed over to a drug cartel by police and then killed and burned to ashes. Independent experts suggest they were killed because they unknowingly took control of a bus carrying illegal drugs and the government did nothing to protect them. Forensic teams said the government's conclusion is not supported by evidence. Protesters called the march ‘a day of indignation’, allowing people to show their anger over the handling of the students’ disappearance. They carried posters saying ‘No more disappearances and no more deaths’. ‘We came with a thirst for justice. Behind the 43 are thousands of disappeared’, student Sofia Rojas said. An anti-crime activist said the protest ‘sets an example for all Mexicans to wake up, and not be silent.’ See also: http://prayer-alert.net/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=4152:mexico-missing-students-mysterious-developments&Itemid=168
Afghanistan: can government keep Kunduz secure?
After losing control of Kunduz to the Taliban on Monday, the government says it has now reclaimed most of the city. Shockwaves of the Taliban's sudden seizure of this strategic hub on the main trade-route between the Afghan capital and Tajikistan continue to reverberate. On Thursday insurgents were still in various parts of Kunduz, and the Taliban insisted they had not yet finished fighting in the city. Questions remain about Afghan ability to protect Kunduz in future. To help you visualise the terror of residents in the area, the following is part of an email which Prayer Alert received on Monday. ‘Mobile service has been cut off. Reports of fierce battles with security forces. T*lbn forces broken into main Kunduz prison, freeing hundreds -1 hour ago. More than half of Kunduz seized -12 minutes ago - now marching on airport. This would be a major disaster for Afghanistan and the first district main city falling back into the hands of the T*lbn.’
Pakistan: floods, Taliban and prayer warfare
A Christian in Pakistan writes, ‘The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray. It is not the only thing, but it is the chief thing.’ Some heavy flooding has taken place in the southern part of the Punjab as heavy monsoon rains have started again and India has let the water go in their own dams upriver. The government has helped many, but still hundreds of thousands are left desolate without homes, fields or livestock. PLEASE PRAY against Al-Qaeda as they have taken a new approach of offering help to people affected by the floods if the people will come and join them. A poor Pakistani without the money to go on Hajj can go to the central place of the ‘Prince of Death’, the central place of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan. They believe this will obtain the same merit; as many Pakistani people go to this stronghold as go to Mecca.
Vatican's new astronomer speaks out
Religion supports astronomy and religious people should not be afraid of the scientific study of celestial objects, according to the Pope's astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, the new director of the Vatican Observatory and a Jesuit. He says, ‘Religious people need to know that astronomy is wonderful and that they shouldn't be afraid of it. John Paul II said of evolution that 'truth cannot contradict truth; if you think you already know everything about the world, you are not a good scientist, and if you think you know all there is to know about God, then your religious faith is at fault.’ Dr Consolmagno said the Vatican supports astronomy because it is an important part of being human. Meanwhile Richard Dawkins told the Wall Street Journal that 'ignorant Christians’ are holding back science, and it was a wonder ‘that America is the leading scientific nation despite having this incubus around its neck of an uncultured ignorant almost majority’. See: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/richard.dawkins.ignorant.christians.are.holding.back.science/66207.htm