According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency seen by Reuters on Wednesday, Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium has increased in the past three months even though Tehran is supposed to reduce it significantly under a deal with major powers. This isn't the only recent piece of mixed news. Last month October Iranian state media announced that the country had tested a new model of the Emad missile, a mid-range ballistic missile with the ability to deliver a nuclear warhead. The test violated a UN resolution. Iran also released five high-value al-Qaeda prisoners in September, including the interim head of the global terrorist network. Also, Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, a US-Iranian dual citizen, was convicted of espionage by a secret court in October, while Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi was arrested in Tehran in mid-October.
USA: proposal to promote Judeo-Christian values
20 Nov 2015
Republican presidential candidate John Kasich has called for the formation of a new government agency to promote Judeo-Christian values and defeat radical Islam. Kasich said, ‘We need to beam messages around the world about what it means to have a Western ethic, to be a part of a Judeo-Christian society - it means freedom, opportunity and respect for women.’ He compared the idea of the new agency to when America used to beam messages to the former Soviet Union. The new agency would promote Judeo-Christian values to China, Russia, and the Middle East. When questioned about the implications this agency would have on Americans who do not ascribe to the Christian faith, Kasich responded that this agency would also benefit them because supporting Judeo-Christian values ‘involves building up tolerance’. He also implored the West to begin again to embrace our Jewish-Christian ethic rather than running from it.
On Thursday anti-globalisation protesters were calling for APEC (American-Pacific Economic Cooperation) to be dismantled. They are accusing the trade bloc of taking advantage of poorer countries. The protests are taking place on the streets of Manila, where leaders are attending the APEC regional trade summit. Hundreds of people from indigenous, student and labour groups clashed with police, who deployed water cannon. Some protesters managed to break through police barriers. A protest leader, Renato Reyes, said, ‘APEC and globalisation have only benefited the rich countries while further impoverishing developing countries like the Philippines.’ At the time of writing, tens of thousands of soldiers and policemen are in place in the sprawling city to guard against disruptions and attacks while demonstrators carrying big placards under the hot sun are chanting slogans such as ‘down with APEC, down with America’.
Nigeria: blast in Nigeria kills 32, wounds 80
20 Nov 2015
Not long after IS terrorists hit Paris, Boko Haram terrorists hit Nigeria. An explosion hit a fruit and vegetable stand in the city of Yola in northeastern Nigeria. Thirty-two people lost their lives and eighty were wounded, according to reports from the Red Cross and the National Emergency Management Agency. The attack bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, who have killed thousands in Nigeria and surrounding countries in its quest to enforce Sharia law. Just as President Obama had commented that IS had been ‘contained’ days before the Paris attacks, a few days before the Nigerian attacks President Muhammadu Buhari visited Yola and stated that Boko Haram was losing strength and would soon be defeated. Both attacks serve as a reminder that terrorism remains a real threat that must be addressed. According to Christian Today, Boko Haram began its military campaign in 2009 and has recently joined IS as its African arm.
Pakistan: a prayer request
20 Nov 2015
A Christian brother in Pakistan writes, ‘If you are asking for prayer requests from Christians in Pakistan, one of the first things mentioned is the repeal of the blasphemy law. The easiest way of persecuting Christians is to simply accuse them of saying something against the prophet Muhammad, which results in the death penalty with no possible pardon or waiver. Please pray for the safety of people in Pakistan. As tragic as the Paris incident was, is it only when terror happens in western nations that it makes headline news? Who heard of what happened in Lebanon at the same time? or in Pakistan where three busloads of people were blown up and there were several other attacks throughout the country? Most Pakistanis, particularly Christians, live with daily fear of going out of their homes on the street. Please pray for your Christian brethren in Pakistan. Thank you.’
Sana Bibi, aged 13, was abducted on her way to school by a Muslim man, Waheed Akhtar, known locally as Rambo. Her sister noticed her absence and, with her family, went to Akhtar's house with the police but received no response. Later Bibi's father, Shahid Jaan, received a call from Akhtar who told him, ‘I am married to your girl and she is Muslim now so you can do nothing. The law is on my side; you are just kaffir (non-Muslim).’ Bibi is below the legal age of consent for marriage in Pakistan, which currently is 14 years. Every year about 700 Christian girls are forcibly converted into Islam by rapists who use Sharia Law to act with impunity. Sadly these cases go to Sharia courts where Christian lawyers are not allowed to defend victims and Muslim lawyers notoriously provide shallow prosecution services, meaning Bibi is more than likely going to remain in an abusive relationship for the rest of her life.
The western hemisphere: IS wakeup call
20 Nov 2015
‘What we have to come to realise is IS has a stated purpose,’ said David Curry, the president and CEO of Open Doors USA. ‘They’ve told us what they’re all about. We’ve got to believe them; they are carrying out their plan to make extremist Islam the religion of this world. These are desperate times, but Christians can make a difference. It’s important for Christians to make their voices heard, especially for their persecuted brothers and sisters.’ Meanwhile Franklin Graham reiterated the same theme on his Facebook page, ‘Islam has declared war on the world, and it’s high time we acknowledge it and respond decisively. We must take IS at their word. They have told us what they plan to do. Their goal is world domination. They want to control and destroy us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live under Islam. I will bow my knee to no one except God. See https://www.facebook.com/FranklinGraham
Nigel Farage has said that some British Muslims are ‘conflicted in their loyalties’ between the UK way of life and what some elements within their faith are telling them. He said there must be a battle for hearts and minds within the Muslim population, and there was a problem with some Muslim communities in this country. He said, ‘Research suggests that British Muslims experience a tremendous conflict and a split of loyalties. The thing that makes me angry about what happened in Paris is frankly the fact that it was so utterly and entirely predictable. I think we’ve reached a point where we have to admit that in Britain, France and much of the rest of Europe, mass immigration and multicultural division have been a failure.’ He also claimed there was rising public concern about immigration, partly because people believed there were some Muslims who wanted to form ‘a fifth column and kill us’.