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Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, declared Libya a liberated nation in a ceremony in Benghazi on Sunday, three days after the death of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi and said ‘Islamic Sharia law will be the basis for the country’s new government.’ He called Libyans to show patience and tolerance as the transitional government begins rebuilding the country after eight months of civil war, promising all legislation will be based on Sharia law, and any laws that contradict Sharia will be nullified. The country's banking system will also be run according to Islamic principles. Jalil also encouraged anti-government protesters in Syria and Yemen to carry on until they ‘achieve their hopes.’
Pray: a new democracy to be birthed that would acknowledge and treat justly all religions in Libya. (Ps.119:45)
More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/October/Libyas-Transitional-Leader-Declares-Liberation-/
Unrest spreading across North Africa has hit a mighty resistance in Libya. An Open Doors’ contact in Libya reports, ‘It is much worse than the news items. There are no police in the streets, no safety or protection.’ See:http://www.opendoorsusa.org/pray/weekly-prayer-alert/2011/February/Revolution-in-the-Middle-East-Libya While president Muammar Gaddafi threatens major violence against protestors and anyone who demands he step down and hundreds already killed in attempts to silence protestors. Mission workers are saying, ‘Time is now for the Arab world to hear the Gospel’ and ‘usually we say hardship is difficult and we are scared of it, but hardship has brought blessing it has made us stronger in our faith, hopefully it will make the church bold enough to share the Gospel with the majority people.’ see For insights to aid prayer into the roots of Libya’s identity click the ‘More’ button. Pray for an end to bloodshed and that the unrest in Libya would pave the way for a Christian and democratic revival. (Hab.3:13) More: http://www.prayer-alert.net/info/libyablue.pdf
8:32am - 3,000 Turkish citizens boarded two ferries at Benghazi early on Wednesday, The Orhan Gazi ferry left at 3:30 am with fifteen hundred and the Osman Gazi left an hour and a half later with another fifteen hundred. 20,000 Turks remain in Libya. 8:38am Libyan internet is blocked but a UAE-based columnist and prolific Twitter user has tweeted images grabbed from Al Jazeera Arabic showing images of street battles between security forces - he calls them ‘mercenaries’ - and civilians to be spread by Libyan cell phone. 8:41am Video emerged of regime backers rampaging through a Libyan city on YouTube by Muttardi, who describes them as, ‘mercenaries’ attacking. The screams of terrified onlookers are chilling. 9:09am Australia's ABC Radio phoned a man named Abdul in Tripoli this morning describing, ‘Black Africans’ in army clothes driving around in jeeps; jets and helicopters circling the city. Regime backers were distributing guns to anyone who said they supported Gaddafi. Pray: in this fast unravelling of events that God’s Kingdom will break through in power to those who call out. (Ps.116:4 & 8) More: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/africa/2011/02/22/live-blog-libya-feb-23
Candidates for Libya's first national election will have 18 days to campaign from June 18 until July 5 ahead of July 7 polls to choose a national assembly. During his 42-year rule Gaddafi banned elections calling them bourgeois and anti-democratic. The UN envoy for Libya said, ‘In a post-conflict situation it would be unrealistic to believe there would be no security problems, but I am encouraged that there were no serious security incidents around voter registration.’ However gun battles raged on Monday between fighters supporting the revolution and former Gaddafi loyalists, killing 60+ people. Elsewhere on Sunday troops imposed a ceasefire as fighting spilled into a seventh day. Other clashes this month centred on the southern city of Kufra and in the Nafusa mountain region west of the capital Tripoli. Libya has also witnessed a series of attacks on Western targets in recent weeks, mostly in the eastern city of Benghazi.
Pray: for fair and peaceful campaigning and elections that enable Libya to have the future God purposed for them. (Pr.11:3)
More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/06/201261813164556680.html
Following last week’s announcement that ‘Islamic Sharia Law will be the basis for the country’s new government.’ (See Prayer Alert 43-2011) Open Doors report, ‘For now the small minority of local Libyan Christians will continue to keep a low profile.’ While Gadhafi was in power Christians were apprehensive and didn’t know whom they could trust. If they shared with a friend or relative that they had become a Christian, they might go to the security service or would even take action themselves. In addition to the few local Christians, there are many foreign Christians from sub-Saharan African countries who became targets for revenge attacks, because they were thought to be mercenaries. It is not very likely that the situation for the Christians will quickly change. Christians are asking for humanitarian aid, Christian literature and Bibles.
Pray: that God will protect and strengthen our brothers and sisters in Libya and release many Christian NGOs to help rebuild the nation. (Is.32:17-18)
Our prayers have been requested following the arrest of Sherif, an Egyptian Christian businessman, who runs a bookshop in Benghazi, eastern Libya. His stock includes Christian books, intended for sale to the many expatriate Arabic speaking Christians living and working in Benghazi and the surrounding areas. He was arrested on 10 Feb. and remains detained but not charged before a court. He has been physically mistreated repeatedly. Other Christians in Benghazi have also been arrested, including several Egyptians and three non-Arab expatriates working as language teachers or businessmen. They are accused of proselytising no formal charges have yet been made against any of them. This month several communities of Catholic nuns have left the country following threats against their safety. One group located in Benghazi chose to remain. Christians supporting Sherif request our prayers that, ‘Sherif will know the presence and peace of Jesus each day, and be released soon’
Pray: for Sherif's wife and the others detained to know the close presence and healing of Jesus both physically and psychologically. (Ro.16:20)
Pope Benedict urges Christians in the Middle East to be peacemakers at an open-air mass in Beirut attended by hundreds of thousands of people. He urged Christians in the Middle East to work for peace to counter ‘the grim trail of death and destruction’ in the world, in a sermon delivered in Lebanon as civil war raged in neighbouring Syria. The open-air mass was held on Beirut's Mediterranean seafront and attended by 350,000 worshippers and leaders of Lebanon's Christian and Muslim communities. Peace between warring factions and among the many religious groups in the Middle East has been a central theme of the Pope's visit to Lebanon, along with his call to Christians not to leave the region despite war and growing pressure from radical Islamists.
Pray: for the volatile situation in the Middle East and for the Christians who live and work there. (Ps.85:8)
1,000 Syrians are now fleeing the country daily for Lebanon. Pontifical Mission Societies in Lebanon expressed the Church’s response, ‘We have Christian families who have fled Syria from violence or the oppression of the regime. There are families who have relatives in Lebanon who have fled here and want to change their lives looking for work. The Church's response in Lebanon has been hospitality and care of these people. We host them in parishes, provide food and clothing, assist them at an economic level and insert them into the social fabric. As a Church we reiterate that we are against violence, we want to promote peace and encourage dialogue. As for the Christians, the danger that looms is a scenario like Iraq, where Christians are forced to flee the country. The risk is that a dictatorial regime is replaced with an Islamist type which imposes the Sharia.’
Pray: God’s provision for those in desperate fear, leaving behind everything as they look for new beginnings. (Jos.1:9)
More: http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=13580
Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Saudi Arabia has ceased being a mediator in Lebanon’s political crisis. This decision means a key US ally won't be involved in efforts to ease tensions in a dangerous situation. Many fear the political crisis could lead to street protests and violence that have been the scourge of Lebanon for years, including the1975-1990 civil war and sectarian battles between Sunnis and Shiites in 2008. According to Lebanon's current power-sharing system, the President must be a Christian Maronite, the Prime Minister a Sunni and the parliament speaker a Shiite. Each faith makes up about a third of Lebanon's population of 4 million. Lebanon’s political crisis stems from a UN court investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. The Iranian and Syrian sponsored Shiite group, accused of being behind the assignation deny any role in Hariri's killing. They also caused the collapse of Lebanon's Western-backed government last week. See Observers say, ‘the undeniable reality is that the Iranian-sponsored Shia Islamist movement is the strongest force in the country and will remain.’ Pray: that a peaceful co-existence will be established and maintained in Lebanon. (Da.2:21-22) More: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=204313
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, who is backed by the Hezbollah led March 8 coalition, is optimistic about forming a government capable of uniting the Lebanese and ending rival factions. He said he was continuing contacts with all parties, including leaders from the March 14 coalition, in an attempt to reach an agreement that evokes satisfaction among all Lebanese. Mikati refuses to make commitment to any single party, stressing that conflicting demands by rival factions could be solved through dialogue. Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi said, ‘I reaffirm that the Iranian position is to stand at the same distance with all the Lebanese and call on them to reach agreement and close ranks in order to serve this country.’ UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon hoped that a new government would be formed soon. Pray: for an inclusive Lebanese government to be formed More: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=124444#ixzz1CniZRrN1