Meriam Ibrahim re-released

Latest reports suggest that the Christian Sudanese mother-of-two who was sentenced to death for apostasy, released, and then detained at the airport yesterday, has been freed once more. Meriam Ibrahim was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging on May 11. Though she was brought up as a Christian her whole life, Meriam was found guilty of converting from Islam and was also accused of adultery after marrying a Christian man - a union deemed invalid under Sharia law. Her punishment gained international attention, and campaigners from all over the world called on the Sudanese government to allow her to walk free. Her shock release from prison on Monday was therefore welcomed after the courts found her to be innocent of all charges. However, the BBC reported yesterday that Ibrahim had been arrested and taken into custody at Khartoum airport while trying to leave the country.

Praise:

God for the final release of Ibrahim. (Ps.18:3)

UK Muslims gather to promote tolerance

Thousands of British Muslims are gathering at a mass peace rally in Surrey aimed at promoting religious tolerance and rejecting extremism. An estimated 5,000 members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA), considered the biggest Muslim youth group in the United Kingdom, will participate in the three-day event starting on Friday to promote dialogue about peace and rejection of religious extremism. ‘The Ahmadiyya Youth at the rally will be reminded of their duty, as Muslims, to serve their country and play a positive role in society,’ the AMYA said in a press release on Friday. Rafiq Hayat, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, said that the community was ‘troubled by the violence and terrorism that is based on a highly toxic extremist ideology that uses religion to further a fascist agenda. We share Prime Minister David Cameron's concern about how events in Syria and Iraq can have a potential impact on the UK,’ Hayat said.

Praise:

God for this event and pray that it will promote lasting peaceful results. (Ps. 34:14)

Schools 'burying’ Christian values

Schools are increasingly burying their Christian values to appeal to growing numbers of atheist families and those of other faiths, a leading headmaster has warned. James Whitehead, the first lay person to lead Downside School in Somerset, said many schools were at risk of becoming ‘ideologically bland’ because they do not want to alienate anyone. He said a number of private schools had dropped any reference to Christianity from their mission statements on the advice of marketing officers to boost enrolments during the economic downturn. He added that many state and independent schools are also growing in size to such an extent that they have become ‘quite impersonal’, shunning pupils’ moral and spiritual needs in favour of boosting exam results. Figures show a rise in the number of pupils attending faith schools in recent years but critics fear that religion itself – particularly Christianity – is declining in importance.

Pray:

for schools of all types to recognise the importance of faith and Christian principles in the life of a school and its staff and pupils. (2Tim.4:3-4)

Fewer people believe that Christianity is important

New statistics indicate that fewer Brits than ever believe Christianity to be an essential part of our cultural and national identity. The recently published annual Social Attitudes Survey, which also found that levels of racial prejudice are ‘on the rise' across the UK, reveals that just 24 per cent of 3,000 individuals polled said that having a Christian faith is an important element of being British. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said recently, ‘It is clear that, in the general sense of being founded in Christian faith, this is a Christian country, It is a historical fact (perhaps unwelcome to some, but true) that our main systems of ethics have been shaped by and founded on Christianity.’ Farooq Murad, of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, said: ‘No one can deny that Britain remains largely a Christian country, we respect that.’

Pray:

for revival and growth in the Church. (Ps.85:6)

UK boys 'lured to Syria to fight'

The father of a British teenager who travelled to Syria to join jihadists believes his son was radicalised by an imam at a UK mosque. Rahim Kalantar told the BBC his son Ali, 18, travelled to Syria with two friends from Coventry in March, and he believed he was now fighting with ISIS. He said he believed Ali - who was planning to study computer science at university - had been radicalised during classes at a mosque after evening prayer. ‘He [the imam] encouraged them and sent them down this road,’ he said. The iman has denied these allegations. Up to 500 Britons are thought to have travelled to the Middle East to fight in the onflict, officials say.

Pray:

against the radicalisation of young Muslims and that they will receive a revelation of God’s truth. (Jn.8:32)

Thousands of mothers involved in repeat child care cases

Thousands of mothers over the past seven years have had successive children removed by family courts in England, the BBC has learned. Court records for that period show 7,143 mothers were involved in repeat care cases - affecting 22,790 children. The research was carried out by the Universities of Brunel and Manchester and funded by the Nuffield Foundation. This is the first time such data has been produced. It backs up what judges have observed in their own courts for many years - that many mothers are stuck in a destructive cycle of pregnancies and care proceedings. The courts remove a young child or baby from a mother, owing to abuse or neglect, only to see the same mother return to court a year or two later, with a new baby, and unable to care for that one either. Most misuse drink or drugs - or both.

Pray:

for a new approach to intervene in order to break this repetitive and unfortunate cycle. (Ps.127:3)

UK law is 'intolerant' towards Christians, says cardinal

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor warns that UK law does not protect the rights of Christians, branding it ‘intolerant’. The former Catholic Archbishop has called for greater religious freedom in Britain, insisting that the law has done ‘too little’ to protect and promote the rights of Christians. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has written an open letter to The Telegraph in response to its leader article which declared: ‘It is obvious that there is a growing conflict between religious freedom and legislation on equality, and that a new balance has to be struck’. The Telegraph itself was responding to a recent speech given by Baroness Hale, the UK's most senior female judge, who suggested that the law may be discriminatory against Christians. Speaking before the Law Society of Ireland in Dublin, Hale highlighted the case of Christian hoteliers Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who were found guilty of discrimination against a gay couple after instituting a policy that only married couples were allowed to stay in their double bedrooms.

Pray:

that a balance will be achieved by the law givers as they give judgements. (1Cor.1:20)

John Sentamu condemns businesses that underpay workers

Dr John Sentamu has condemned businesses that pay less than the living wage, calling on the government to put an end to the harsh reality for millions of UK workers: ‘Low wages equals living in poverty.’ The Archbishop is the chairman of the Living Wage Commission, an independent inquiry into the rise of low pay and working poverty across Britain. Its first report, published in February, found that 6.7 million of the 13 million people in poverty in the UK are in working households – the first time that the figure has reached over 50 per cent. The report also revealed that 21 per cent of the workforce, 5.24 million Brits, are paid below a Living Wage, while housing costs have tripled in 15 years and bills have increased by a staggering 88 per cent since 2009.

Pray:

that businesses will pay a fair wage and not be greedy. (Col.4:1)

Fresh travel chaos as emergency passports may not be accepted

Fresh travel chaos emerged today as ministers admitted emergency passport extensions are not accepted in dozens of holiday hotspots. Nearly three quarters of countries will not accept passports given 12-month extensions under plans to alleviate the crisis. Popular travel destinations including Australia, China, India and Brazil are excluded from the list. The USA, Cyprus and Turkey – which were last year on the list of the seven most popular overseas holiday destinations for Britons – are also not allowing the passports. It’s another hugely embarrassing blow for Home Secretary Theresa May who last week announced that expat Britons who need to renew their passports would be given one-year extensions. The emergency move was supposed to ease the pressure of the recent surge in demand for the documents that has seen up to 55,000 people at risk of missing their holidays. But now the government has admitted only 50 countries have confirmed they will accept the extended passports.

Pray:

for all parties in this troubled situation and a means to resolve the problem will quickly be found.

Spanish police break up alleged jihadist recruitment network

Spanish police broke up what they said was a jihadist recruitment network in Madrid, led by a former detainee at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, that sent volunteers to fight in Syria and Iraq with al Qaeda-inspired rebels. Police detained nine people who allegedly fought alongside the Sunni militia Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, officials said. A person familiar with the probe said the suspected leader of the network is Lahcen Ikassrien, Moroccan by birth and nationalised Spanish. He spent four years at Guantanamo after he was captured in 2001 in Afghanistan, where he allegedly fought with the Taliban. He has denied being a Taliban member. Mr Ikassrien's detention is the latest chapter in a complex legal saga. Along with two other Spanish citizens, in 2005, he was handed over to the custody of Spain's authorities but released shortly thereafter due to lack of evidence that he belonged to any criminal groups.

Pray:

that the authorities will have even more success in foiling jihadist networks. (Ps.25:2)

Ukraine: Rebels agree to Poroshenko ceasefire

The separatist leaders of two regions in eastern Ukraine say they will now respect a Kiev ceasefire called last Friday by President Poroshenko until June 27th. They also indicated that they were willing to consider Poroshenko’s peace plan, which includes a buffer zone, decentralisation, and early elections. ‘We hope that, during the time of bilateral ceasefire, we can agree to at least start consultations on the peaceful resolution of the conflict,’ said pro-Russian rebel leader Alexander Borodai. Present for the announcement was former president Leonid Kuchma, who opposes any breakup of his country. ‘We resolved one of the most important issues, and that is to stop the military actions from both sides,’ he said. Outside, however, a crowd was protesting against Kuchma and appeared in no mood to compromise. They angrily surrounded his car and it was several minutes before he was able to leave.

Pray:

for lasting peace amongst the people of Ukraine. (Ps.34:14)

Iraq: 20 facts you need to know to understand the crisis

Iraq: This article, written by In Context Ministries, gives many helpful insights into all that has been going on in Iraq. The crisis in Iraq that broke out in June 2014 is hugely important from regional, political, financial, resource (oil) and spiritual perspectives. Fighting between the Iraqi government and ISIS (a Sunni Islamist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is tearing Iraq apart and has the potential to transform the spiritual dynamics of the wider Middle East. The fact that the conflict in Iraq is a direct result of a spiritual movement (Islam) makes it critical for the Church to be aware of what is happening. It's also extremely complicated. So this link outlines the 20 most important things we need to know to understand the issue, starting from the beginning.

Pray:

for the people of Iraq using the ‘More’ link.

West Africa: Ebola crisis 'out of control'

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is ‘totally out of control,' a senior official for Doctors without Borders has said. Bart Janssens, the director of operations for the group in Brussels, told Associated Press on Friday that the medical group was stretched to the limit in its capacity to respond and that more help was needed if the outbreak was to be stopped. ‘The reality is clear that the epidemic is now in a second wave,’ Janssens said. ‘And, for me, it is totally out of control.’ The outbreak, which began in Guinea either late last year or early this year, had appeared to slow before picking up pace again in recent weeks, including spreading to the Liberian capital for the first time. Ebola has been linked to around 330 deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization.

Pray:

that the health authorities will find ways of controlling this disease. (1Sam.25:6)

India: Uttar Pradesh women targeted in latest killing spree

Another wave of violence is rising in India. Uttar Pradesh women are living in fear following at least four brutal killings in two weeks. At the end of May, teenage Dalit sisters in were raped and hung from a tree. A 45-year-old woman was killed in a similar manner soon after; last week’s victim was a 19-year old found hanging in the Moradabad area, according to BBC News. ‘The majority of adult women in India feel harassed or abused in one way or another so, it’s a very serious problem,' notes Dave Stravers, President of Mission India. ‘We believe that the plight of women has to do with values and the understanding of how God created us.’ While violence against women is a major problem worldwide, India took the spotlight in 2012 following a brutal gang-rape in Delhi.

Pray:

that women in India will be protected against harassment and abuse. (Ps.5:11)

India: Christian couple hacked to death

Police in eastern India were investigating Saturday, June 21, why a Tibetan couple was hacked to death after converting to Christianity. The investigation came while a funeral was under way for Dominic Bhutia, 45, and his 35-year-old wife Christina who were hacked to death in Git Dabling village in India's West Bengal state. One of the couple’s two daughters, Rinjee, 12, was seriously wounded, Christians said. Masked assailants also gouged out the eyes of the victims in front of Rinjee, Indian media reported. A younger daughter, aged seven, was spared as Rinjee hid her under a bed, local Christians said. The attack, 28 kilometres (17 miles) outside the town of Kalimpong in Darjeeling Hills, underscored concerns about a lack of security for minority Christians in India. Christians and churches have been attacked in several parts of India, often by Hindu and other radical religious groups opposing the spread of Christianity.

Pray:

for God’s protection over His people. (Ps.5:11)

Nigeria: Sixty more schoolgirls and women kidnapped, plus 31 boys

At least 91 people – including 60 schoolgirls and young women, plus 31 schoolboys – were kidnapped last week by Boko Haram extremists, two months after the same group kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in northeastern Nigeria, according to the Los Angeles Times. They were also abducted from villages in that part of the country, an area where such attacks have been happening almost daily, while Nigeria’s army appears to be unable to enforce security in most of the country. Many have criticised Nigeria’s government and military for their slow response to the abductions of more than 200 schoolgirls from their school in Chibok on April 15: several dozen of the girls had been able to escape. About 30 people were reported to have been killed by the extremists in the latest attack. Elderly residents fled their homes, trudging 15 miles to get help.

Pray:

that the authorities will find ways of stopping Boko Haram’s ongoing attacks and release for all those kidnapped. (Ps.86:14)

USA: Don’t talk about faith, Christian student told

A Christian high school student was told he would be violating the US constitution if he mentioned his faith in his graduation speech. Officials from Brawley Union School District in California told Brooks Hamby, 18, that “reference to religious content” was inappropriate, and opposed “government case law”. But Hamby said he did not want to compromise his values by removing all references to God or Jesus. Three drafts of his speech were rejected by officials, and he had received no reply about his fourth version by the time he delivered it. Despite the district telling him that the sound would be cut off if he talked about religion, Hamby quoted from the Gospel of Matthew and mentioned God during his graduation speech. A lawyer for Liberty Institute, an American religious liberty organisation, confirmed that Hamby was well within his legal rights to deliver a speech containing references to God.

Pray:

for the end to such misinformed, petty bureaucratic meddling with the freedom of speech enshrined in the US constitution and human rights around the world. (Gal.5:1)

Central Asia: Persecution threatens summer ministry

Preparations are under way for summer Bible camps in several nations formerly belonging to the Soviet Union. At the same time, in Central Asia persecution is on the rise. ‘For example, in Kazakhstan, one of the largest Central Asian countries - we see that new laws that regulate religious affairs [have] been tightened.’ says Sergey Rakhuba of Russian Ministries. In Uzbekistan, ‘authorities are scared of any evangelical activity,’ Rakhuba continues. Believers are doing whatever they can to overcome persecution and share Christ with the needy. ‘We are preparing for the summer and summer camps – sports camps, community camps – in Central Asia that have become one of the most effective ministries today,’ Rakhuba states. Part of the training students receive from Russian Ministries involves the planning and execution of summer Bible camps in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and the countries of Central Asia.

Pray:

that persecution will cease and the Bible camps will be free to share the Gospel among the needy. (Mk.14:9)