Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 004 | Wed 13 May 2009
CHRISTIANS: TRAPPED AND DISPLACED BY WAR
Warfare between a weaker force and stronger force is described as 'asymmetric'. To compensate, the militarily inferior, weaker forces generally rely heavily on Psychological Operations (PsyOps) including terrorism, the use of human shields and propaganda. These tactics are especially effective in influencing the policies of democracies, especially when sensationalist journalism and popularist politics are more highly valued than discerning research and uncovering truth. It is very difficult to defeat a militarily weaker force so immoral as to use human shields because the cost of the stronger force's military victory is usually deemed unacceptable.
North Vietnamese communists, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Balkan Islamists all used PsyOps to their advantage. Al-Qaeda (and its affiliates), the Taliban, Hezballah, Hamas, MILF (Moro jihadists, South Philippines) and LTTE (Tamil Tigers, Sri Lanka) all wage war this way. These conflicts always involve high civilian casualty rates and refugee crises. Amongst the victims are numerous Christians. In fact, in places where there are Christians they will generally be the terrorist's pragmatic choice for human shields as they are not only despised and considered expendable, but their deaths can be exploited as propaganda to the 'Christian' West. In some places, whole Christian communities have been eliminated through death and displacement.
At this time, the largest Christian refugee population is Iraqi. When American troops withdraw and the sectarian war resumes (the Shi'ites are presently showing restraint), the need will be even greater than it is now. Elsewhere, some half-a-million Pakistanis have fled their homes in Swat, Buner, Shangla and Lower Dir districts of North West Frontier Province as Pakistani forces pound Taliban positions. 'Minorities Concern of Pakistan' reports that some 60 Christian families reached Rasalpur (near Peshawar) on 9 May.
As they are religious minorities, the disempowered and marginalised Christian refugees often struggle to be able to access the aid and support offered by local and international aid agencies. Christian groups such as Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, Baroness Cox's 'HART' (Humanitarian Aid and Relief Trust), the World Evangelical Alliance, Barnabas Fund and many others work sacrificially and amidst danger to get aid and relief directly into the hands of traumatised and displaced Christians, as well as to the local churches that struggle to care for them. All that is needed is for free churches to embrace a spirit of generosity in obedience to the word and in brotherly love for our own brethren, our own 'flesh'. For the Church has a special responsibility to tend the wounded body of Christ.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* Christian individuals and communities that are presently trapped in war zones -- may the Lord be their fortress and deliverer, the rock in whom they take refuge; may he be their shield and stronghold and may every trapped believer look to him and know his salvation. (Psalm 18:1-19).
* Christians who are displaced -- may the Lord provide their every need and protect and restore them according to his generous and tender mercy. (Psalm 23)
* the Spirit of God to stir up a spirit of generosity in the churches so that Christian refugees will not be left without food or shelter simply because of lack of funds. (Matthew 6:3,4; Matthew 25:31-40; Philippians 4:15-20)
True fasting: 'Is this not the fast that I choose . . . to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?' (Isaiah 58:7 ESV)
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CHRISTIANS TRAPPED AND DISPLACED BY WAR
As violence escalates in Iraq and conflict rages against the Taliban in Pakistan as well as against the LTTE in Sri Lanka, many Christians are amongst the multitudes of civilians trapped in war zones or being used as human shields. These trapped Christians are in great need of divine protection and deliverance. Many other Christians have become displaced and homeless. They urgently require aid and shelter. Yet, as they are religious minorities, the disempowered and marginalised Christians often struggle to be able to access local and international aid. Pray that the Christian aid organisations specialising in delivering aid directly to Christians will have all the funds, supplies and volunteers they need to tend the wounded body of Christ.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
003. Egypt: pig cull inflames religious tensions
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 003 | Wed 06 May 2009
EGYPT: PIG CULL INFLAMES RELIGIOUS TENSIONS
Although Egypt has no recorded cases of 'Swine Flu' (influenza A [H1N1]), Egyptian authorities have begun to cull all of Egypt's estimated 300,000 pigs. The cull was initially launched as 'Swine Flu' prevention, but after the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN condemned it as 'totally unnecessary', Egyptian authorities said the cull was actually part of a general health measure. Health Ministry spokesman Abdelrahman Shahine explained (AFP 3 May): 'The authorities took advantage of the situation to resolve the question of disorderly pig rearing in Egypt.' Pig owners have been promised what is a totally inadequate compensation. However, some are reporting they have lost their sties and entire herds and received nothing in return. Faced with the loss of their livelihood, pig owners have rioted against the police who have been responding with force.
This issue has a strong religious element. Egypt's pigs belong almost exclusively to Egypt's indigenous Coptic Christian community. According to Islam, pigs are 'unclean' so observant Muslims do not eat or touch pigs. Christians, however, being under no such restriction, are free to enjoy pork, bacon, ham and suchlike in their diet. The Islamic social order renders Jews and Christians as 'dhimmis': subjugated, second-class citizens. Hence Egypt's indigenous Copts, who remained Christian after the Islamic conquest, are crippled by dhimmitude's systematic religious discrimination (a condition very similar to that of 'untouchability'). Most of Cairo's Copts live in slums and work as garbage collectors (Arabic: 'zabaleen'). Their pigs consume the organic waste and are slaughtered for meat. Egyptian human rights lawyer Nadia Tawfiq told Compass Direct the pig slaughter was doubtless a form of attack on Christians. Whether it is the case or not, the Copts view the pig cull as an act of aggressive forced Islamisation. Religious tensions are soaring.
According to the Qur'an (which also associates Jews with pigs), on the Day of Resurrection Jesus will bear witness against those who say Christ was crucified (Sura 4:156-159). The nature of this judgment is expanded in the Hadith -- the sayings of Muhammad -- which says that when Jesus (Isa) returns he will destroy all crosses, kill all pigs, and abolish the jizya/protection 'tax' (Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Number 656). Thus, according to Muhammad, Jesus will remove the 'heresy' of Christians, the food of Christians, and the protection of Christians. According to the Islam Web Fatwa Centre it is always absolutely impermissible to domesticate or benefit from pigs in any way. Some Islamic scholars say killing pigs is merely permissible but others regard it as a Muslim obligation (Wajib).
Associated Press (AP) reports that pigs are banned entirely in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Libya. According to Voice of the Copts, Egypt's Parliament has been debating a plan to eliminate pigs from Egypt for the past three years. The decision to cull was passed on 28 April 2009 only hours after the Muslim Brotherhood -- controlling the largest opposition bloc in the parliament -- declared 'swine flu' to be 'more serious than the hydrogen bomb' (Deutsche Presse Agentur, 30 April). Sheikh al-Sayed Askar told a Muslim Brotherhood-sponsored symposium on the virus: 'It is God's grace in his Islamic Sharia to permit all that is good for us and to ban what is bad. . . . eventually time proves the truth of God's words to us.'
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* God to give all Egypt's Coptic and Christian leaders great wisdom and authority in leading a threatened, persecuted and fearful people.
* a spirit of calm to descend on Cairo's Copts; may all Egypt's persecuted Christians be drawn, not to anger or despair, but to prayer as cross-bearing disciples of Jesus Christ.
* God to intervene on behalf of his people in answer to the prayers of many (2 Corinthians 1:11); may advocates rise up and the Egyptian authorities relent.
'Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.' (Proverbs 31:8,9 ESV)
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EGYPTIAN PIG CULL INFLAMES RELIGIOUS TENSIONS
Islam deems pigs unclean so observant Muslims do not touch or eat pigs. Many Islamic states ban pigs altogether and Islamic scholars differ only on whether killing pigs is permissible or obligatory. Egypt's pigs are kept by Egypt's Coptic Christian community. Due to Islamic systematic religious discrimination, most of Cairo's Copts live in slums and work as garbage collectors. Their pigs consume the organic waste and are slaughtered for meat. For three years the Egyptian parliament has been debating eliminating pigs, and the outbreak of 'Swine Flu' in North America has provided an opportunity. A cull has begun which will cripple the livelihoods of numerous Coptic Christian families who regard it as forced Islamisation. Tensions are rising. Please pray for Egypt's persecuted Christians.
EGYPT: PIG CULL INFLAMES RELIGIOUS TENSIONS
Although Egypt has no recorded cases of 'Swine Flu' (influenza A [H1N1]), Egyptian authorities have begun to cull all of Egypt's estimated 300,000 pigs. The cull was initially launched as 'Swine Flu' prevention, but after the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN condemned it as 'totally unnecessary', Egyptian authorities said the cull was actually part of a general health measure. Health Ministry spokesman Abdelrahman Shahine explained (AFP 3 May): 'The authorities took advantage of the situation to resolve the question of disorderly pig rearing in Egypt.' Pig owners have been promised what is a totally inadequate compensation. However, some are reporting they have lost their sties and entire herds and received nothing in return. Faced with the loss of their livelihood, pig owners have rioted against the police who have been responding with force.
This issue has a strong religious element. Egypt's pigs belong almost exclusively to Egypt's indigenous Coptic Christian community. According to Islam, pigs are 'unclean' so observant Muslims do not eat or touch pigs. Christians, however, being under no such restriction, are free to enjoy pork, bacon, ham and suchlike in their diet. The Islamic social order renders Jews and Christians as 'dhimmis': subjugated, second-class citizens. Hence Egypt's indigenous Copts, who remained Christian after the Islamic conquest, are crippled by dhimmitude's systematic religious discrimination (a condition very similar to that of 'untouchability'). Most of Cairo's Copts live in slums and work as garbage collectors (Arabic: 'zabaleen'). Their pigs consume the organic waste and are slaughtered for meat. Egyptian human rights lawyer Nadia Tawfiq told Compass Direct the pig slaughter was doubtless a form of attack on Christians. Whether it is the case or not, the Copts view the pig cull as an act of aggressive forced Islamisation. Religious tensions are soaring.
According to the Qur'an (which also associates Jews with pigs), on the Day of Resurrection Jesus will bear witness against those who say Christ was crucified (Sura 4:156-159). The nature of this judgment is expanded in the Hadith -- the sayings of Muhammad -- which says that when Jesus (Isa) returns he will destroy all crosses, kill all pigs, and abolish the jizya/protection 'tax' (Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Number 656). Thus, according to Muhammad, Jesus will remove the 'heresy' of Christians, the food of Christians, and the protection of Christians. According to the Islam Web Fatwa Centre it is always absolutely impermissible to domesticate or benefit from pigs in any way. Some Islamic scholars say killing pigs is merely permissible but others regard it as a Muslim obligation (Wajib).
Associated Press (AP) reports that pigs are banned entirely in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Libya. According to Voice of the Copts, Egypt's Parliament has been debating a plan to eliminate pigs from Egypt for the past three years. The decision to cull was passed on 28 April 2009 only hours after the Muslim Brotherhood -- controlling the largest opposition bloc in the parliament -- declared 'swine flu' to be 'more serious than the hydrogen bomb' (Deutsche Presse Agentur, 30 April). Sheikh al-Sayed Askar told a Muslim Brotherhood-sponsored symposium on the virus: 'It is God's grace in his Islamic Sharia to permit all that is good for us and to ban what is bad. . . . eventually time proves the truth of God's words to us.'
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* God to give all Egypt's Coptic and Christian leaders great wisdom and authority in leading a threatened, persecuted and fearful people.
* a spirit of calm to descend on Cairo's Copts; may all Egypt's persecuted Christians be drawn, not to anger or despair, but to prayer as cross-bearing disciples of Jesus Christ.
* God to intervene on behalf of his people in answer to the prayers of many (2 Corinthians 1:11); may advocates rise up and the Egyptian authorities relent.
'Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.' (Proverbs 31:8,9 ESV)
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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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EGYPTIAN PIG CULL INFLAMES RELIGIOUS TENSIONS
Islam deems pigs unclean so observant Muslims do not touch or eat pigs. Many Islamic states ban pigs altogether and Islamic scholars differ only on whether killing pigs is permissible or obligatory. Egypt's pigs are kept by Egypt's Coptic Christian community. Due to Islamic systematic religious discrimination, most of Cairo's Copts live in slums and work as garbage collectors. Their pigs consume the organic waste and are slaughtered for meat. For three years the Egyptian parliament has been debating eliminating pigs, and the outbreak of 'Swine Flu' in North America has provided an opportunity. A cull has begun which will cripple the livelihoods of numerous Coptic Christian families who regard it as forced Islamisation. Tensions are rising. Please pray for Egypt's persecuted Christians.
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