France: Showdown on Roma at EU summit
A row over France's crackdown on Roma (Gypsy) migrants from Romania and Bulgaria looks set to dominate a summit of EU leaders in Brussels. President Nicolas Sarkozy was furious after an EU official compared France's removal of Roma with the deportation of gypsies during World War II. EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding also threatened legal action against France. The EU leaders will also discuss ways to prevent a new financial crisis. And they will seek to co-ordinate their approach towards emerging powers like China and India. This was not meant to be a summit about the Roma, but Mr Sarkozy seems determined to go on the offensive in Brussels to defend France's reputation as the home of human rights. He is said to be scandalised by Ms Reding's criticism, mockingly suggesting the Roma should go to her country, Luxembourg. (See also Prayer Alert 3510) Pray: that the French government would consider the human rights of the Roma people and the injustice of current decisions. (2Ch.19:7)
France: Showdown on Roma at EU summit
A row over France's crackdown on Roma (Gypsy) migrants from Romania and Bulgaria looks set to dominate a summit of EU leaders in Brussels. President Nicolas Sarkozy was furious after an EU official compared France's removal of Roma with the deportation of gypsies during World War II. EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding also threatened legal action against France. The EU leaders will also discuss ways to prevent a new financial crisis. And they will seek to co-ordinate their approach towards emerging powers like China and India. This was not meant to be a summit about the Roma, but Mr Sarkozy seems determined to go on the offensive in Brussels to defend France's reputation as the home of human rights. He is said to be scandalised by Ms Reding's criticism, mockingly suggesting the Roma should go to her country, Luxembourg. (See also Prayer Alert 3510) Pray: that the French government would consider the human rights of the Roma people and the injustice of current decisions. (2Ch.19:7)
Russia: Prisons look to faiths for moral guidance
Russia's prisons, struggling with a growing crime rate, overcrowding and shortfalls in funding, are turning to religion to bring moral guidance to inmates. The move marks a dramatic change from the Soviet system, when clergy and believers were often imprisoned for their faith. ‘We have signed agreements with all of the leading confessions of our country,’ said Aleksandr Reimer, the Director of Russia's Federal Correctional Service, in an interview with the Rossiiskaya Gazeta, an official government newspaper. Although the Russian Orthodox Church has become increasingly close to the State in recent years, Reimer said that imposing Russia's largest religion on inmates was not the goal. Reimer said that the correctional service had started a pilot project with the Russian Orthodox Church in four regions of Russia to introduce prison chaplains. Pray: that the Church will take up the challenge and bring God’s wisdom and guidance to the prisoners.
Russia: Prisons look to faiths for moral guidance
Russia's prisons, struggling with a growing crime rate, overcrowding and shortfalls in funding, are turning to religion to bring moral guidance to inmates. The move marks a dramatic change from the Soviet system, when clergy and believers were often imprisoned for their faith. ‘We have signed agreements with all of the leading confessions of our country,’ said Aleksandr Reimer, the Director of Russia's Federal Correctional Service, in an interview with the Rossiiskaya Gazeta, an official government newspaper. Although the Russian Orthodox Church has become increasingly close to the State in recent years, Reimer said that imposing Russia's largest religion on inmates was not the goal. Reimer said that the correctional service had started a pilot project with the Russian Orthodox Church in four regions of Russia to introduce prison chaplains. Pray: that the Church will take up the challenge and bring God’s wisdom and guidance to the prisoners.
Israel - Palestine: Exchange fire as leaders talk
A Palestinian was killed by Israeli air strikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Wednesday as Israeli and Palestinian leaders were set to hold peace talks in Jerusalem. (See Prayer Alert 3610) One man was killed and two others wounded by strikes carried out on smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border, Palestinian medics and security officials said. The raids followed a morning of Palestinian rocket and mortar fire into Israel and came ahead of a new round of peace talks vehemently opposed by Gaza's militant Hamas rulers. The Israeli military confirmed that aircraft attacked tunnels but gave no details. One rocket and eight mortar rounds had earlier been fired from Gaza, a military spokeswoman said, with the rocket striking near the port city of Ashkelon. The Popular Resistance Committees, a small militant group, claimed responsibility for the attacks and like Hamas is also strongly opposes peace talks with Israel. Pray: that God will bring reconciliation and peace and bless the work of peace-makers. (Nu.10:9) More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jNE1lJtr1YzBKuhnaQxovjygI26A
Egypt: Security forces storm Monastery
Middle East journalist Mary Abdelmassih, reports that on Tuesday, September 7, a 300-man security force, backed by a large number of cars and armoured vehicles, attacked the Egyptian monastery of St Macarius of Alexandria in Wadi Rayan, Fayoum province. The monks in the monastery were assaulted with tear gas, batons and stones and three of the monks were seriously wounded. ‘The security forces prevented the delivery of limestone bricks to be used for the construction of cells for the monks within the grounds of the ancient monastery. The forces also attempted to confiscate bricks already delivered but the monks sat on the bricks and refused to move,' she said. The monks believe that the government wants to prevent any construction on the premises to hinder any increase in the number of monks living there, ‘though cells for the monks are badly needed,’ said Father Boulos. Pray: against these attacks on the Church. (Ps.20:1)
USA: Muslim wipes website of lawyer who helped convert
A US lawyer who successfully defended Rifqa Bary, a teenage Christian convert from Islam, has had his organisation’s website destroyed by a Muslim hacker. John Stemberger is also facing a $10 million lawsuit filed by the lawyer who represented Miss Bary’s Muslim parents. Mr Stemberger represented Rifqa Bary, who hit the headlines last year when she told US media that she would not be safe with her Muslim parents and feared an ‘honour killing’. Her father has denied the allegations. Earlier this week Mr Stemberger’s pro-family organisation, the Florida Family Policy Council, said that a Muslim hacker had managed to access their website, disabling parts of it and interfering with the inner workings of the site. The hacker left an ‘obscene message on the events page explaining in broken English who he was and why he was hacking the site’, according to Mr Stemberger. Pray: that God would put a spiritual firewall around Christian websites. (Pr.2:8) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/muslim-wipes-website-of-lawyer-who-helped-convert/
Indonesia: Church leaders attacked
The Sunday morning attack on the Rev Luspida Simandjunktak and church elder Hasean Lumbantoruan Sihombing left the former with a concussion and the latter with a knife wound to the liver. According to eyewitness reports, a gang of about seven riding on motorcycles ambushed the two church leaders. After stabbing Sihombing and striking Simandjunktak on the head with a wooden plank, the attackers fled the scene. Both church leaders were then rushed to Mitra Keluarga Hospital in East Bekasi for treatment. Following the attack, Indonesia's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, immediately called on authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible. Yudhoyono has been widely criticized in the media for failing to crack down on Islamic hard-liners, who were immediately suspected of carrying out Sunday's attacks. While most people in Indonesia practice a moderate form of Islam and abhor violence, attacks on religious freedom by hard-liners have been steadily increasing. Pray: for God’s protection around His people and for the government to have success over hard-liners. (Ps.32:7)
Africa: Peacemaking highlighted by Day of Prayer
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is inviting Christians to observe the International Day of Prayer for Peace with prayers and liturgies that give special attention to peacemaking projects in Africa. This year’s Day of Prayer for Peace, set for 21 September 2010, features African churches working to build cooperation and reconciliation within and between diverse communities. African church leaders and the WCC General Secretary will observe the day with prayer and worship in Nairobi. The peace prayer day, on the same date as the United Nations’ International Day of Peace (http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/2010/) is an initiative of the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence. It focuses on Africa this year as part of the final year of the decade. One of the African projects featured is a ‘Peace Village’ project in Uganda which supports the process of healing in communities marked by conflict, trauma and pain. Pray: that our prayers will be heard and God would bring peace where there is discord. (Ps.65:2)
India: 14 killed as anti Christian violence spreads
Tensions remained high on Wednesday, September 15, in several parts of India where reports of Qur'an burning in the United States sparked deadly attacks against Christian institutions. In the village of Tangmarg, in India's Kashmir region, at least 14 people were killed and scores injured over the weekend when thousands of angry Muslims took to the streets and torched a Christian school. ‘The students are not hurt, but the building has totally burnt down,’ said Bishop Pradeep Kumar Samantaroy of the Church of North India. He said officials were informed of a possible attack and that Christians requested protection, but that ‘no action was taken’. The demonstrations were fuelled by reports that although a Florida pastor called off his plans to burnthe Qur'an, Iran's state-run TV, which is widely available in India, showed footage of a different man destroying a Qur'an in Tennessee. (See also Prayer Alert 3710) Pray: that any further actions that would bring the Church into disrepute and cause outrage would be stopped at source. (2Pet.2:1-2) More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/13830-14-killed-as-anti-christian-violence-spreads-in-india