Iran: Christian arrests and interrogations increasing
Robert Duncan of Middle East Concern reports: ‘This summer, arrests and interrogations have been unusually frequent. The exact numbers are difficult to give, but we know of twenty arrests in Kermanshah, Tehran, Shiraz and Karaj over July and August. The number could be much higher. Generally, house churches have been targeted; it is believed that a government agent was able to infiltrate several house churches and gather information about members and church leaders, which led to the arrests. It illustrates just how careful house churches need to be in accepting newcomers and that security is a big issue. When security forces raid a house church they do it quickly, without attracting attention. This summer, however, there were several examples of arrests being unnecessarily violent and witnessed by neighbours. Treatment during interrogation depends very much on the interrogator, but this summer there have been consistent reports of people being beaten.’
North Korea: State media condemns ‘Bible balloons’
North Korea’s state media has released a proclamation condemning Voice of the Martyrs (VoM) for their balloon launches into North Korea this year. These brightly-coloured, helium-filled balloons either deliver Bibles in the North Korean language in electronic form or have scriptures printed on them. The balloons are released from outside North Korea’s borders. Prayers are whispered, then they are released across North Korean airspace, letting Christian brothers know that they are being supported and prayed for. Despite ongoing tensions between the two countries, VoM Korea say their work is not antagonistic, and they have never endangered citizens of either country. ‘As a Christian ministry we distribute Bibles because the Bible teaches us that all people are valuable and deserve to eat and live in peace; not because of their loyalty to a particular government, but because God created each one of us in His image’.
Kenya: Schools shut amid financial challenges
Kenya’s teachers vowed to continue their strike, which began on 31 August. The government is appealing a court ruling granting teachers a salary increase. President Kenyatta ruled out giving in to teachers’ demands, saying that to do so would ‘seriously distort’ public finances. Meanwhile Kenyan children across the nation are missing out on their education. The Kenya National Teachers’ Union said its members won’t go back to work until the government complies with last month’s Industrial Court order to raise their pay. Kenya’s main opposition party held a rally in Nairobi on Wednesday to back the teachers’ demands. Kenyatta said that agreeing to wage demands would necessitate pay reviews across the public service, inflating the government wage bills and causing it to borrow money or suspend development programmes. ‘This will raise the cost of living, slow down our economy and increase unemployment and poverty. None of these options is tenable’, Kenyatta said.
Israel: Christian schools shut amid financial challenges
Heads of churches in Jerusalem are calling for authorities to respond to ‘modest and just demands’ by Christian schools for financial support. In a statement they said, ‘We are distressed that our schools in Israel have been on strike for more than two weeks. It hurts to see 33,000 students from all faiths and denominations out of their classrooms, while hundreds of teachers and employees are watching their schools empty. This situation is a grave inconvenience to the parents as their children remain at home, while education is a basic human right that no child should be denied. The struggle started almost two years ago, after serious budget cuts imposed on our schools caused a financial deficit. Negotiations between the Office of Christian Schools in Israel and the Ministry of Education failed; all solutions presented by the Ministry were unrealistic and would place further financial burdens on parents.’
Canada: Parents across Ontario stand against inappropriate sex education
A groundswell of concerned parents is making their voices heard regarding a controversial sex education curriculum. Parents' rights and pro-family groups say that the Liberal government's controversial curriculum violates children's innocence by introducing them to age-inappropriate explicit information and by pushing a dangerous sexual agenda. Pro-family analysis of the curriculum reveals that it introduces children to homosexuality in Grade 3, masturbation in Grade 6, and oral and anal sex in Grade 7; it also teaches there are six genders, rather than two biological sexes. A parent spokesperson said, ‘A time of darkness calls for no compromise whatsoever, especially when the innocence of our children is at stake.’ Parents across Ontario are pulling their youngsters out of school in the next two weeks as they protest against the Liberal government's curriculum.
Australia: Prime Minister’s stance on marriage led to his ousting
Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott was cut down by one of his Liberal Party cabinet ministers, Malcolm Turnbull, last Monday. A major issue was same-sex marriage. Abbott had held back a relentless campaign to change the definition of marriage in recent years. However Australia’s same-sex marriage political movement went into overdrive, cheered on by the media. After much debating to try to resolve the issue Abbot managed to block the introduction into the Australian Parliament of yet another bill to change the definition of marriage. This infuriated the opposition in the party and led to Turnbull telling parliament last week that he would honour the people’s vote on same-sex marriage after the 2016 election. ‘Poll-driven panic’ produced the Prime Minister’s departure. In his gracious concession speech, Abbott said, ‘My love for this country is as strong as ever, and may God bless this great Commonwealth.’
UN Post Millennium Development Goals 2015
Many have not heard of the United Nations’ eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They were a blueprint agreed by all the world’s countries and leading development institutions. The aim was to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by halving extreme poverty rates, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by 2015. There is now a post-MDG agenda - the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were proposed with the intention of finishing the job in the areas of Poverty, Hunger, Health and Well-Being, Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Affordable Clean Energy, Work and Economic Growth, Industry Innovation, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life below water, Life on Land, and Peace and Justice. See also http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
Teenage suicide
It’s hard to say how many young people attempt to take their lives each year. The way the data is reported and collected also means that exact figures for teen suicides are not readily available. We do know that more than 1,600 people below the age of 35 kill themselves each year, according to suicide prevention charity Papyrus. For many, suicide is still a taboo subject but Papyrus says we need to create opportunities for teenagers to talk more openly about it. Suicide remains a major gender and social inequality and is a devastating event for families and communities. The Samaritans have produced a strategy, ‘Working together to reduce suicide 2015-21’, which outlines their commitment to work to reduce suicide rates by reaching more people who may be at risk of taking their own lives. This can be achieved only by understanding which groups of individuals are particularly at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. See also: http://www.samaritans.org/sites/default/files/kcfinder/branches/branch-96/files/Suicide_statistics_report_2015.pdf