Finland: Asylum seekers situation chaotic
30 Jul 2015The number of asylum seekers entering Finland this year has already surpassed the average for previous years. Officials in southwest Finland had processed over 600 asylum applications by the beginning of July, compared to 400 for all of 2014. Many applications are successful, but even unsuccessful applicants remain in Finland if their security elsewhere cannot be guaranteed. So they receive subsidiary protection on humanitarian grounds. Asylum seekers entering Finland come from the conflict and destruction of Islamic State or their migration might involve family feuds or political persecution. Some Albanians say they are seeking better living conditions. More often than not there is some kind of persecution behind many of the applications. There is increasing overcrowding at reception centres. The high demand for asylum services has caused police in southwest Finland to redirect resources from other police responsibilities to help ease the bottleneck in the system.
Athletes publicly speak of their Christian faith
30 Jul 2015Zach Johnson, winner of this year's British Open, told reporters of his Christian faith and the encouragement the Bible gave him during the tournament. ‘I’ve been reading bits of scripture to myself all week. I thank God for the talent he has given me and I take it seriously.’ On 18 July Jason Robinson, a former rugby international, told ITV News how he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He described how he considered suicide but through the life and testimony of a New Zealand player was drawn to Jesus. ‘The very reason that I became a Christian is because I'm not perfect, I need help, and I can't do it on my own.’ On 24 July Paris Saint Germain, defender and ex-Chelsea player David Luiz, was baptised in a team-mate’s swimming pool and said on Instagram that he will abstain from sex until after he is married to girlfriend Sara Madeira. He captioned his Instagram post quoting 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Restoring worth in Kenya
30 Jul 2015In August one hundred women will gather in Eldoret and Meru, Kenya. These women are wives of pastors and missionaries, the support behind the public face of native missions. They don’t often get much attention, but for a few days they will get all the attention from a Ministry Mates Matter (MMM) team. Advancing Native Missions sends these MMM teams of staff and volunteers to encourage and refresh women who face many hardships without relief. God esteems such women as ‘far above rubies.’ Ministry Mates Matter teams travel around the world to encourage the unsung heroines of missions - native missionary wives and women in ministry. These women are the forgotten ones.
A private member’s bill to legalise same sex marriage is expected to be presented to Federal Parliament in the week beginning Monday 10 August. In response to this move Christian ministries and organisations are asking Christians across the nation to defend their faith and make a visible statement to Australia’s national leaders of their desire for the definition of marriage to remain as being between a man and a woman. Christians are asked to say ‘Thank you with Flowers’ to Australian PMs who are valiantly defending the existing Biblical Covenant of Marriage between a man and a woman. Flowers are used to express thanks for life from the heart and Christians are going to take steps to set in place a carpet of flowers at Parliament House, Canberra on 10 August as a united expression of prayer and thanks to our Prime Minister and those supporting traditional marriage in Parliament.
United Nations human rights experts, the European Union, UK, US and others have expressed concern regarding the detention of over 200 lawyers and activists in China since 10 July. (See Prayer-Alert 15July)
On 16 July, five UN independent experts called on the Chinese authorities to stop harassing and intimidating lawyers and their colleagues, stating that ‘Lawyers are essential to ensure the rule of law; they need to be protected not harassed’. The British Embassy in Beijing expressed deep concern about the detentions. The US strongly urged China to release all those who have recently been detained for seeking to protect the rights of Chinese citizens. Last week, the UK’s Law Society wrote to the Chinese Premier raising concerns about the situation. The US Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said the ‘wave of repression constitutes an undeniable setback in US-China relations’.
Last month we reported on a Canadian Church having very little information about their founding pastor, Hyeon Soo Lim, detained in North Korea since early March. On 2 August North Korea released video footage of him confessing that he had committed crimes against the state. Dressed in a dark blue suit and tie Lim appeared to be reading from a script. ‘The worst crime I committed was to rashly defame and insult the highest dignity and the system of the republic.’ Last week he appeared before the media confessing to crimes aimed at overthrowing the state and was quoted saying he had travelled to North Korea in the guise of humanitarian work to gather information that he used outside the country to drive the regime to a collapse. Lim, a Canadian citizen, has over the years visited North Korea and established an orphanage and a nursing home.
Christians forced to flee Islamic State last year are still living in refugee camps and losing hope of ever returning home. Mosul-born Chaldean Catholic Sahar Mansour is now living in the refugee camp at Ankawa after being driven from his home by militants last year. There are more than 1,700 Syriac Catholic families living in the camp, ministered to by priests including Father Bashar Kthea, who himself fled from Qaraqosh last August. Qaraqosh was once home to Iraq's largest Christian community. It was overrun by Islamic State jihadists in 2014. Writing on behalf of Father Kthea to Catholic News Service Mansour said there is growing discontentment and frustration in the camp, particularly among young people for whom there are few prospects. ‘The majority of the young people are thinking not to stay in Erbil anymore and they do their best to flee,’ Sahar said.
Israel: Things happening in Israel right now
06 Aug 2015Last week there was a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. An orthodox Jewish man rushed into the parade and stabbed six people, wounding two seriously and one very seriously. The Supreme Court ordered that some homes built illegally in Beit El (Jewish settlement in Samaria) should be destroyed. This took place on the anniversary of the expulsion of the settlers from Gaza. Riots ensued that pitted Jew against Jew. On Monday a delegation of Jewish and Muslim religious leaders convened outside the Department of Pediatric Intensive Care at Sheba Medical Centre, to pray for the well-being of the victims of the Jewish firebomb terror attack on a Palestinian family last Friday morning. Also far-right activist Meir Ettinger was arrested for heading a cell planning to commit a series of violent acts against Palestinians. As part of the plan he branded ‘the revolt’ which would light the flames of conflict and anarchy in Israel. See also: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4687342,00.html