Burundi: violence ignited and exploding
18 Dec 2015
87 people were killed when violence broke out at three military sites in Burundi last Friday. Eight of the dead were security officers, and 49 people were captured. Residents who found a further 34 bodies in the street accused police of taking revenge. Unrest has hit Burundi since April with continued protests after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his decision to seek a third term in office following a disputed July election result. On Sunday the US government urged its citizens to leave Burundi immediately. African Union military observers are already on the ground assessing the situation. Hundreds have been killed since April, mostly in Bujumbura. ‘We can observe today in Burundi a clear manipulation of ethnicity by both the government and the opposition,’ the UN's special adviser on genocide told the BBC last week. Activists have gone into hiding, fearing attack. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35083823
Israel: a typical day of violence
18 Dec 2015
One day’s edition of the Times of Israel reported that a 39-year-old West Bank resident with ‘nationalistic’ motives attacked an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem with a hammer in two separate attacks. Also, border police officers arrested a Palestinian woman who had planned to carry out a stabbing attack in Jerusalem with a screwdriver. The police, alerted by her suspicious behaviour, they stopped her for questioning. When they found the screwdriver, she admitted that she intended to carry out a stabbing attack. Palestinians have used screwdrivers in stabbing attacks several times in recent months. Abed el-Muhsen Hassuna, a car-ramming terrorist who injured fourteen people the previous day, lived in Hebron and possessed an Israeli ID card but was also a member of Hamas. Doctors are fighting to save the foot of a baby who was one of those hurt.
Sarmed Ozam, a 24-year-old Iraqi Chaldean Christian forced to flee Mosul by IS, has appealed to the Prince of Wales for help with his failed asylum application. The Home Office rejected his bid for safety and told him to ‘go to Baghdad’. Mr Ozam said, ‘I can't go back to Iraq, I will be killed there. If I go there I would be a number in the subtitles of the news, no one would care about another one on the list of killed people. I would be left dead in the street for the animals.’ At an Advent reception hosted by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Mr Ozam told Prince Charles how his family had left the besieged area after militants left them with nothing. He thinks that the heir to the throne believes his personal story was really important. 'Prince Charles promised to pray for me’, he said.
66 mission agency staff must leave UK
18 Dec 2015
One of the world’s largest mission agencies will lose 66 staff from its British office after UK Visas and Immigration officials removed its licence to sponsor visas. Following an inspection by officials, Operation Mobilisation can no longer bring in missionaries from outside the European Union to staff its UK office: non-European employees and volunteers must leave the UK within two months. Expectations and requirements on visa sponsors have increased dramatically in recent years, and unfortunately, as with many similar organisations, OM can’t keep up with those requirements quickly enough. They respect the decision, and will realign protocols and internal procedures to ensure they are in full compliance with current legislation; then they will reapply for their licence in twelve months’ time. Last year YWAM had 300+ missionaries and their families removed from Britain, and in 2014 Wycliffe Bible Translators had the same challenge.
Using Star Wars to spread the gospel
18 Dec 2015
As people flock to see the latest episode of Star Wars, The Force Awakens, churches are hosting Star Wars-themed Christmas services, making Star Wars-themed videos and dressing up as Star Wars characters. This is a good example of what the church was born to do: take what is culturally relevant and use it to talk about Jesus. All Hallows Church in London is led by self-professed Star Wars geek Rev Cris Rogers. It is home to a Jedi training school and has a monthly Star Wars-themed family service. He says, ‘The rebel alliance fought against the empire, and kids are asked how - as Christians – we can live in the world and challenge it.’ However ‘the force’ is not a good analogy because the Holy Spirit is a person, not a strange cosmic thing.
The three-day trial of Pastor James McConnell had moments of theology, ideology and comedy. At first people in the public gallery were struggling to hear the defence barrister, so the judge asked him to speak up, saying, ‘Pretend you're a preacher.’ There were 120 supporters of the 78-year-old pastor filling the public gallery. He was on trial for words he used about Islam in a sermon to his congregation that was later published online. Although he described Islam as satanic, heathen and spawned in hell, the prosecution focused on his words, ‘People say there are good Muslims in Britain. That may be so - but I don't trust them’, which were considered a breach of the Communications Act. The judge will decide whether the sermon broke the law or not and deliver his verdict on 5 January.
‘Stop the Traffik’ on Christmas chocolates
18 Dec 2015
This month, people will be feasting on Christmas chocolates and buying sweet treats for friends and family. Christmas is a time of year when chocolate sales soar and it means big business for chocolate companies! But for the many children trafficked and made to harvest cocoa beans, December is just another month of back-breaking, dangerous forced labour. Consumers have the power to make a difference and Stop the Traffik are urging us all to join their Christmas in campaigning to protect vulnerable people by buying chocolate that is traffic-free.
Vulnerable young people homeless
18 Dec 2015
Three months ago the Guardian reported, ‘Homeless young people are being given bus tickets to allow them to sleep on London’s night buses as the number of young people sleeping rough in the capital soars.’ Young and Homeless research into the situation in 2015 says the problem is growing across the UK. This week police launched an appeal to find three runaway London schoolgirls, 13-year-old Fardowsa Hassan, and sisters Abir Salah, 16, and Ahlam Salah, 15. It is thought that the trio have not left the country:, but are sleeping on buses or elsewhere on the transport network. Young people make up nearly half of those accessing homeless accommodation services. They are one of the most vulnerable groups in society. Without the right support homelessness can have a serious impact on a young person’s life. See http://www.homeless.org.uk/sites/default/files/site-attachments/201512%20-%20Young%20and%20Homeless%20-%20Full%20Report.pdf