Myanmar: Flooding fails to stop local Christians
13 Aug 2015
Myanmar flooding has killed over 100 people in the last 14 days. Fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters left behind are trying to survive without access to food or clean water. People are crying out to their Buddhist and animist gods for help. One million people have been affected by Myanmar’s severe flooding that has never happened on this level before. Houses are underwater, landslides are destroying any remaining roads and people are staying in schools and monasteries. Six indigenous ministries assisted by Christian Aid Mission are responding – sending teams of church members to remote villages. They’re often the first ones to arrive with supplies; making a major difference with food, tarpaulins, clothing and sharing the Truth of the Gospel. Survivors want to know, ‘Why are you helping me? You’re in the same boat as me.’ It’s a powerful testimony, and many come to Christ as a result of it.
Hindu nationalists have converted 39 people from Dalit Christian families to Hinduism in a controversial ceremony aimed at making them eligible for a government benefits programme. ‘We are moving ahead with our initiative and more families from other religions will be reconverted to Hinduism soon. Many people want to come back to their original faith,’ said the District Chief. The Dalits, known as the ‘untouchables,’ make up India's lowest caste and are eligible for certain government benefits if they identify as Hindus. International Christian Concern (ICC) noted that Christians from low-caste backgrounds are soft targets for Hindu nationalists seeking to take advantage of the government benefits programme and lure people of other faiths into Hinduism. ICC said as many as 25 million poverty-stricken Dalits who have converted to Christianity are being forced to choose between their Christian faith and eligibility for benefits.
On Monday President Barack Obama met Nigeria's new leader Muhammadu Buhari and discussed ongoing plans to defeat Boko Haram. Obama praised Buhari's integrity and Buhari claimed to have a very clear agenda in defeating Boko Haram extremists inside his country. The Obama administration has pledged $5 million to Nigeria's military since Buhari's election earlier this year. Obama said Nigeria is ‘one of the most important countries’ in Africa and he and Buhari discussed combatting corruption, public health concerns and climate change. On Wednesday it was discovered that the US Leahy Law which prevents the government selling arms to countries which fail to tackle human rights abuses applies to Nigeria. However the Nigerian military does not possess appropriate weapons and technology to address the ‘human rights violations’ and the two president’s agreement would have released this technology to Nigeria. On Thursday President Buhari said, ‘Unwittingly, and I dare say unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law Amendment by the United States government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorists.’
Lebanon: Reaching ‘an unreached people-group’
29 Jul 2015
Deaf children in the Middle East are neglected because of their impairment. They miss out in family life, education and economic opportunities. Many Muslim parents believe deaf children bring shame to the family. There are an estimated 21,000 deaf Lebanese to whom no one is proclaiming Christ. Now, by introducing sign-language into existing outreaches to the Muslim people in Lebanon, 90 deaf people have already come to Christ. Last year the same mission group were involved with a child protection programme that exposed the need for education to protect children from various forms of abuse. The ministry plans to hold five conferences to educate deaf children, their parents and schoolteachers about sexual abuse, kidnapping, child protection resources and children's rights. They also intend translating their highly successful leadership training into sign-language. Those who come to Christ would then be equipped to reach other deaf people with the message of Christ. See also: http://www.finishingthetask.com/about.html
Congresswomen and activists demonstrated in front of Mexico's Interior Ministry in Mexico City by lying on the ground, imitating a crime scene, with chalk outlines around their bodies and chanting ‘gender alert in the State of Mexico’. The ‘gender alert’ was created after reports of widespread violence against women. The initiative hopes to reinforce protection and provide more help for victims. The protesters called for the setting up of a ‘gender alert’ mechanism across Mexico State. Mexico is among the world’s twenty worst countries for violence against women with endless crimes of passion and unidentified female body parts floating in sewage canals. Six women are killed in Mexico every day. Only 24% of 3,892 ‘femicides’ the group identified were investigated by authorities, and only 1.6% led to sentencing.
Liberia / Sierra Leone: Ebola orphans
29 Jul 2015
Ebola has left 18,000+ children in West Africa without one or both parents. Many are destitute because of the stigma attached to Ebola. One team of charity workers in Liberia found almost 200 children abandoned and alone after their parents died of Ebola. The volunteers fed, clothed and cared for them. Orphans in rural areas have survived against all odds, but are traumatised and facing stigmatisation. There is still a great deal of fear and suspicion around survivors. ‘We have cases of children being rejected from their communities, especially survivors of Ebola,’ said Isatu Kamara of Unicef. ‘People are scared of them. They just don't trust that these children are safe to touch and go near so they drive them far away. See also: http://awoko.org/2015/07/21/sierra-leone-news-for-rescuing-200-ebola-orphansbuild-on-book-appreciate-donors/
Israel: IS reach Jerusalem
29 Jul 2015
Stories are breaking of a group linked to IS distributing anti-Christian leaflets in the east of Jerusalem. Part of an English translation of the original leaflet reads, ‘Our people, Muslims, salute your resistance and your jihad and we ask you to report the location of Christians living among you who are working clients for the Zionists and the west, spreading debauchery and secularism and keeping Muslims away from their religion. Islamic State knows where some of these Christians live, and strike forces will work to cleanse the Islamic neighbourhoods of Christians.’ The above was translated by a local man from Jerusalem who says that it is important that the world realises that yet another threat is visiting the Christian community in the only Middle East state that has true religious freedom.
Ukraine: US general backs lethal weapons
29 Jul 2015
The United States should ‘seriously consider’ providing Ukraine with lethal weapons and putting US air strike controllers near combat areas in Iraq, said General Mark Milley (who is nominated to be the next US Army chief of staff) on Wednesday. He agrees with Marine Corps Commandant Joe Dunford that Russia poses the greatest threat to the United States because of its large nuclear arsenal and its ‘very, very aggressive’ behaviour. Milley said, ‘I would be in favour of providing Kiev with lethal defensive equipment.’ The United States has resisted equipping Ukraine with lethal weapons due to concerns about escalating the conflict, but Milley's statement is a sign that the Pentagon may now be considering it. On Wednesday the Ukrainian President appointed a new head of Luhansk ‘military-civil administration’ and Russia said it is working on developing a heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, with surface-to-air tests starting in 18 to 24 months. See also: http://www.worthynews.com/20930-russia-us-political-crisis-may-intensify-further-with-kremlin-testing-new-heavy-intercontinental-missile-in-two-years