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Ten years ago religious symbols were banned from state schools, this included girls' headscarves. A French protest group called Mamans Toutes Égales has blocked school coaches, boycotted outings and staged street demonstrations in protest of mothers in headscarves being barred from school trips, saying it’s an attack on freedom and democracy in state schools. ‘They seem to want to wipe Muslim women off the landscape,’ said an activist. A Paris suburb suffered two nights of rioting and car-burning at the weekend after a police identity check on a French woman wearing a full-face Muslim veil raised questions about the law banning the niqab from public places. Tension has been rising for months over the broader issue of Muslim headscarves, including the simple hijab. The current Socialist government is considering tightening laws on standard headscarves, despite France having some of the hardest-hitting legislation on veils in Europe. The French Republic is built on a strict separation of church and state.
Pray: against further violent clashes and for positive dialogue that leads to equality for all private beliefs rather than stigmatism any religion. (Ro.12:17-18)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/22/frances-headscarf-war-attack-on-freedom
The atmosphere is like a pop concert in the Montparnasse area of Paris. Hundreds of young people sing catchy songs, waving their arms in the air, while a group plays booming music on stage. This isn't a pop gig. The Australian-born Pentecostal church ‘Hillsong’ planted a Paris church in 2005 and its congregation’s grown from a few dozen people to around 900 at each of its two weekend services conducted in French and English. On a recent Sunday, the 1,000-seat Théâtre Bobino (where the church holds its main services) was nearly full. This youthful, enthusiastic, multi-ethnic crowd is in sharp contrast to the diminishing French Catholic churches and represents the rise of the evangelical movement as a whole in a country that is officially secular. Census figures report 600,000 French members of evangelical churches, with 460,000 regularly practicing their faith - a ten-fold increase from 1950.
Pray: God will reproduce His message of truth and life to the youth of Paris across all of France. (Ro.10:14)
French government policy towards the Roma community has provoked the anger of the Catholic Church – from the Vatican itself to individual priests like Father Arthur Hervet. A renowned defender of Roma rights, Father Arthur is returning the Order of Merit he was awarded by way of protest. Describing current policy he said: ‘For the last three months this minority has had a real war being waged against it.’ Pope Benedict XVI has also spoken out. Although he did not actually name France, he chose to make the following address in French: ‘Scripture tells us again and again that all men are called to salvation, and the Scriptures are also an invitation to receive amongst us all legitimate human differences, as did Jesus who gathered together people of all nations and all languages.’ The French government has intensified its deportation of illegal Roma people since a violent incident involving the Roma community last month. Pray: that this policy will not be forced upon them but the authorities would show compassion. (Eph.4:32) More: http://www.euronews.net/2010/08/23/church-anger-over-french-roma-policy/
The Protestant Federation of France General Assembly on 21 and 22 January in Paris examined the issues chaplains face in hospitals, prisons, and the military and urged member churches to take steps to support chaplains' work. A key concern was the tensions in some sectors between Protestant chaplains and those from the Catholic Church, as the number of practicing Catholics is declining andtheir Church is losing its traditionally dominant position in the area of chaplaincy. 64 percent of French people identify themselves as Catholics, but less that 10 percent practice their religion. three percent identify as Protestants. Protestant Hospital Chaplains visit patients, counsel the dying and contribute to ethics policies as they work alongside representatives of the Catholic, Jewish and Muslim faiths. They are hoping for greater teamwork. ‘Spirituality is a great part of health-care, and we want to put in place meetings between the national chaplaincy services’ said a spokesperson for the Assembly.
Pray: for God’s blessings to be poured over the hospitals, prisons, the military and wherever people are in stress, pain and trauma, that they might turn and focus on the living God. (Ps.3:8)
The French Prime Minster has told his parliament that marriage will be redefined and same-sex adoption brought in by the ‘first half’ of 2013. Under the previous administration redefining marriage was voted down, but the recent elections saw a change in power with the Socialist Party now holding a majority. Newly-elected President François Hollande, of the Socialist Party, made an election pledge to redefine marriage. In the UK the Westminster Government is ploughing on with plans to redefine marriage – despite it not being in any of the major parties’ manifestos. There has also been massive opposition to the plans. The French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, told parliament: ‘In the first half of 2013, the right to marriage and adoption will be open to all couples, without discrimination’. Last year members of France’s lower house voted 293 to 222 in favour of traditional marriage.
Pray: that the traditional form of marriage will once again be upheld. (Heb.13:4)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/france-wants-to-redefine-marriage-by-next-year/
French President Francois Hollande has said that he is taking threats made by al-Qaeda against his country seriously. He was responding on Tuesday to threats made by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in a video message posted on April 25. ‘We are taking seriously the threat by AQIM,’ Hollande said in Paris, adding that despite considerable losses inflicted on Islamists in Mali, ‘the terrorist threat has not disappeared’. So we believe we must continue the operation in Mali for as long as it takes, even if we reduce our presence, and stay vigilant around Mali to continue the fight against terror.’ So we believe we must continue the operation in Mali for as long as it takes, even if we reduce our presence, and stay vigilant around Mali to continue the fight against terror’. Hollande said he had ordered measures to protect French installations abroad.
Pray: that those who threaten peace will be thwarted. (Act.4:29)
More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/05/201357201852923861.html
France has banned child beauty pageants in a bid to curb the ‘hyper-sexualisation’ of children. The new law decrees it illegal for anyone to organise a beauty pageant for under 16-year-olds, with a penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine equivalent to £25,000. French Senator Chantal Jouanno, who authored the report ‘Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality’, proposed an amendment to an equality bill introduced by women’s minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem. Senator Jouanno said: ‘Let’s not let our daughters think from such a young age that they will be judged according to their appearance. Let’s not let commercial interest impact on social interest’. The amendment received 196 votes for and 146 against. But an amendment pushing for better regulation of child models was rejected. Senator Jouanno was said to be particularly concerned about a Vogue magazine shoot in 2010 which featured provocative pictures of a ten-year-old girl.
Pray: that this move will lead to children being freed from sexualisation. (1Pet.3:3-4)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/france-bans-childrens-beauty-contests-to-curb-sexualisation/
Christians who lost employment tribunals for discrimination in the workplace took their fight to the European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday. Their stories centre around whether religious principles have a place in the modern British workplace. When civil partnerships were legalised in 2004, Marriage registrar Miss Lillian Ladele refused to conduct them saying it was against her religious beliefs. Relationship councillor Mr McFarlane was sacked by Relate after objecting to giving sex therapy guidance to same-sex couples. Ms Eweida went home from a job with British Airways after she refused to conceal her silver cross necklace which breached uniform policy. Former nurse Mrs Chaplin was also asked not to display her cross necklace by the NHS Trust because the necklace breached health and safety guidelines. Mrs Chaplin had worn the cross necklace on the wards for 30 years.
Pray: that the judgement of the European Court will be led by the Holy Spirit and not by man. (Pr.1:5)
Europe’s first Christian Share Index was launched lat week by Stoxx Limited, a global index provider and creator of the leading European equity indices. The Stoxx Europe Christian Index will measure the performance of 533 companies selected from the Stoxx Europe 600 Index according to the values and principles of the Christian religion. According to The Financial Times, companies in the index include HSBC, Nestlé, Vodafone, Royal Dutch Shell and GlaxoSmithKline. It has been formed to enable investors to participate in the performance of European companies which are compliant with Christian moral and social doctrines. ‘With the launch of the index, Stoxx acknowledges the growing number of Christian market participants who wish to invest in accordance with their religious beliefs,’ said Hartmut Graf, CEO. ‘The new index provides a broad representation of European companies who act responsibly on an ethical, environmental, social and economical level; and are therefore inline with Christian values.’
Pray: for Christians everywhere that they will be wise with their finances as thay seek God’s guidance. (Pr.1:5)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/first.christian.share.index.launched/25798.htm
The Samson Committee investigating the abuse of children in state care in the Netherlands since 1945 is accusing the entire system - from the government to the foster care service to care homes themselves - of failing to do enough to protect children against sexual abuse. In releasing its final report on Monday, tellingly titled ‘Surrounded by care, still not safe‘, the committee said it would send 42 sexual abuse files to public prosecutors for consideration - this out of the 800 claims it received in the two years since it’s been investigating sexual abuse cases of children in care. ‘We don’t have any insight into the criteria they used for sending cases to the public prosecutor, but they must have reason to think they can still make cases after all these years,’ says Jolien Verweij, spokesperson for the Dutch NGO Defence for Children International. ‘But any chance to do something is good.’
Pray: that the care system in the Netherlands would be upgraded to enable it to meet the needs of those they serve. (1Pe.5:2)
More: http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/final-report-care-system-failed-protect-dutch-children-0