Myanmar: Website launch ahead of elections
10 Sep 2015
A website has been launched dedicated to Wirathu, a controversial Mandalay monk, and his hardline Buddhist monk group, Ma-Ba-Tha, dedicated to the primacy of all things Buddhist in Myanmar. Buddhist nationals could powerfully impact Myanmar’s November election. The site promotes principles of Buddhism but its main content so far is the republishing of reports and opinion pieces siding with the recent Race Protection laws which criticise any other faith group. As Myanmar’s election nears, mainstream political parties such as the NLD and the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party have been careful not to distance themselves from the outspoken monk and his followers, such is their influence over Buddhist voters. President Thein Sein warned parties and citizens to maintain harmony and act responsibly during the campaign period, which begins next week, and he specifically urged politicians to ‘take great care to not cause damage to social harmony or harm our diverse religious beliefs’.
Syria: IS issues list of rules for Christians
10 Sep 2015
‘Our entire ancestral homelands have been completely taken and now they won't even allow us to sustain our religious faith in one God and His Son Jesus Christ.’ IS has issued a ‘safety contract’ for Christians living in al-Qaryatain. It comprises eleven specific commandments, including one which prohibits praying out loud to Jesus Christ under penalty of death. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Christians in the captured town will have to pay the jizyah tax imposed on non-Muslims, in addition to the other commandments issued by the extremist group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.The stipulations prohibit the establishment of churches, the displaying of crosses, making Muslims hear Christian prayers or rituals of worship, the hiding of spies, offending Islamic religious beliefs, the carrying of weapons, the sale of pork or wine to Muslims, and failing to dress modestly.
Saudi Arabia: Hajj 21 to 23 September
10 Sep 2015
The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage for Muslims to go to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and seek forgiveness for their sins. Young Khaled wanted to be prepared for the prayers he would pray on the Hajj. But he was also very excited to watch cartoons. His favourite was the one about Isa al-Masih (Jesus), shown on a Christian satellite television station. He skipped down the hall, calling to his mother who was also waiting for the show. She first met Isa in a dream during last year's Hajj, and longed to know Him more. Saudi Arabia is a country completely closed to Christianity. No church is open to Saudi citizens, and talking about Jesus as Saviour is illegal. Yet Jesus Christ pursues Saudis who seek Him. Christian intercessors focus their prayers during the Hajj on Muslims coming to Christ. (See also praise article 2)
Nigeria: 500 days since Chibok abductions
10 Sep 2015
The president of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria said that 176 of the girls kidnapped from Chibok by Boko Haram last year are from families in his denomination. Reverend Samuel Dali’s revelation coincided with a Global Week of Action to commemorate 500 days since their abductions. Reverend Dali said that 8,000+ members of his church had lost their lives, and 70% of church facilities in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno States had been destroyed during the Boko Haram crisis. In addition 90,000 church members have been displaced by terrorist violence. Last week the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign had a Global Week of Action commemorating the 500th day since the Chibok girls disappeared. The week included prayers, tree planting in honour of the girls, meetings with the Chief of Defence Staff and the National Human Rights Commission, and a march and candle-lit procession in Abuja.
Global: Prayer Week for refugee crisis
10 Sep 2015
This week 24-7 Prayer International are inviting the global church to pray in one-hour slots, wherever they are, for the refugee crisis. The prayer week is running from midday Monday 7 until midday Monday 14 September. Readers of Prayer Alert are invited to join this initiative. Praying into such an enormous situation can feel overwhelming, but we can’t let that silence our prayers. Instead we can trust the promise of Ps 34:17 that God hears and answers prayer. According to Lev.19:34, pray that our reaction to refugees will always be love and not fear and that we will always love the one in front of us; regardless of background or status. Pray according to Ps. 11:28 for God’s rule over the nations in war and crisis, for problems to be solved with major changes in countries of origin - Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Eritrea, Afghanistan. Pray according to Mic.6:8 for the hard-pressed agencies working on the borders of land and sea. For helpful resources click the ‘more’ link.
Vincent Nichols: we will rise and host refugees
10 Sep 2015
On Tuesday Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, called on UK Catholics to respond ‘in prayer and in real practical action’ to the call to house the 20,000 refugees coming to Britain. This follows Pope Francis' call on Sunday to the Catholic Church: ‘May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe host a family - starting with my diocese of Rome.’ The Vatican will house two Syrian families. Nichols said the Church will work to ‘ensure the effective reception and long-term resettlement of these desperate people.’ Nichols said that the Church would work with the government and other authorities in its response. Specific details about how the parishes will carry out the hosting programme will be released in the future.
After two British citizens who fought for IS were deliberately killed in an RAF targeted drone strike in Syria a human rights group, Rights Watch (UK), said it will issue judicial review proceedings in the High Court unless the government publishes the legal advice it received from the Attorney General to justify the drone strikes. They believe there is insufficient information to know whether the drone strikes were done lawfully and said, ‘These strikes set a dangerous precedent for UK government activity. The UK government can now kill at will with no oversight.’ Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the government would take similar action again against other terrorists involved in other plots. Some are saying Cameron's drone strike in Syria means that the death penalty has returned to Britain, while Mr Cameron says it was an act of self-defence as the terrorists were known to be planning attacks in the UK.
Reverend Dr George Carey believes that Germany opening its doors to the influx of refugees could turn Europe into a more attractive magnet for economic migrants, mostly young men travelling alone. ‘We don’t even know how many were combatants in the civil war’. He added, ‘If what I say sounds harsh, let me make it clear that I welcome David Cameron’s announcement to allow thousands more to enter Britain through refugee camps in Syria’s neighbouring countries. But the frustration for those of us who are calling for compassion for Syrian victims is that the Christian community is yet again left at the bottom of the heap. Christians are the most vulnerable and repeatedly targeted sufferers of this conflict. Britain should make Syrian Christians a priority. We are a Christian nation with an established Church, so Syrian Christians will find no challenge to integration. The churches are already well-prepared and eager to offer support and accommodation to those escaping the conflict.’