Nigeria: aid workers killed, hostages held
Hauwa Liman, a midwife with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was killed days after her kidnappers set a deadline. Ms Liman was taken with two others in the northern town of Rann last March. Fellow-midwife Saifura Ahmed Khorsa was killed last month. Ms Loksha remains a hostage. A 15-year-old schoolgirl is also still being held by the same group, which is affiliated to a faction of Boko Haram. Most of the other 110 students who were kidnapped have now been freed but the girl, who reportedly refused to convert to Islam, remains in captivity. The ICRC's regional director said there was no justification for the execution of innocent young healthcare workers, and feared for its implication on their work in the region. The information and culture minister said that the government would ‘keep the negotiations open’ and continue to work to free Ms Loksha and the schoolgirl. Pray for this work.
Brazil: a new style of president?
Amid rampant political corruption and a crime epidemic in Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro is on the verge of becoming Brazil’s next president on 28 October. He has expressed enthusiasm for former military rulers (particularly Carlos Brilhante Ustra, a colonel who ran a military torture squad in the 1970s). His chosen deputy president, a former general, said that the military may be needed to clean up corruption. For many years former army captain Mr Bolsonaro was a marginal Congress figure, known for defending the military dictatorship and making offensive comments about women, blacks, gay men and lesbians. Earlier this year he was investigated for inciting hatred and discrimination. His critics accuse him of racism and misogyny, and tens of thousands of women organised protest marches with the slogan #EleNão - or #NotHim. But he came out of the first round of voting with a strong lead, thanks to last-minute backing from the evangelical lobby and powerful business and commerce groups.
One thousand New Testament translations!
The thousandth New Testament translation, completed with involvement from SIL and Wycliffe Bible Translators, was launched on 11 August in a celebration in northwest Uganda. The translation is for the Keliko people and represents the first time they can hear and read the New Testament in their own language. The Keliko, whose homeland is in South Sudan, travelled from all around to be present. Many came from local refugee camps in Uganda; others hitched rides from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The event was attended by church leaders and local government dignitaries, as well as by international visitors from across Africa, Europe and North America. The translation represents a triumph over adversity. Twice translation efforts were interrupted by civil war. The translators are Episcopalian pastors, very godly men, and they pressed on. Although SIL provided technical and advisory support throughout, this project belongs to the Keliko church.
Christian bakers win Supreme Court fight
Daniel and Amy McArthur from Ashers Baking Company told activist Gareth Lee they would not make a cake supporting gay marriage, and they were prosecuted for their decision. After a long-running legal battle over whether they had broken discrimination laws, on 10 October the five Supreme Court justices unanimously found them not guilty. The court’s president, Lady Hale, said that the McArthurs did not discriminate against the customer by refusing to make the cake. They refused because the message was offensive to them, not the person requesting the message. She said, ‘It is an affront to human dignity, to deny someone a service because of that person's race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. But that is not what happened in this case.’
Peace on our streets
Tens of thousands of young people are caught up in criminal activity and violence every year. The recent upsurge in knife crime is both terrifying and heart-breaking. It is time now for Christians to fight this battle with prayer. Following a popular prayer campaign held just before the summer holidays (a time traditionally when violence increases), Christians from across the country and across denominations are being called to harness the power of prayer to reduce knife violence. A recent survey revealed that although few youths admitted to owning a knife 15% said that they have friends who carry knives. The Peace on our Streets campaign encourages people to sign up to receive a daily prayer by text and then pray every day at noon using either the text or the downloadable prayer information sheet as a prompt to their prayers. To watch a video by a youth and children’s worker explaining the issues, click the ‘More’ button.
Transgender - concerns over damage to girls
Therapists fear losing their jobs if they attempt to help a child explore why they may feel they were ‘born in the wrong body’. Therapists can only affirm a patient’s confusion or face being found guilty of ‘conversion therapy’. Meanwhile concerns are growing that teenage girls are turning to transgenderism as a coping mechanism in the same way many have with anorexia and self-harm. An anonymous child protection officer said, ‘If I have concerns about a child who says they identify as transgender, I can’t pass them on, as I could be labelled a bigot. But I have spoken off the record to GPs, education psychologists, and social workers, and many of us are questioning why so many young women are doing this to their bodies. We should at least be allowed to ask: “Are you sure?” It is a growing issue that needs to be addressed in a fair and balanced way.’
Bishop challenges Government on climate change
Following a report by a UN panel (see article ‘New UN report on climate change’ in world section), the Bishop of Salisbury said that the evidence shows that climate change risks are now critical. Ours is the first generation to know and understand this, and probably the last to be able to do something meaningful towards climate justice. ‘We have a narrow window now to act if we are to protect God’s creation for generations to come.’ He challenged the Government to lead in this change. ‘Building on the ten-year anniversary of the Climate Change Act, an ambitious UK Government would seek to be a world leader by committing to a target of net zero emissions by 2050.’ Christian Aid reported recently that major cities in the world including Houston, Shanghai, Jakarta, and London are in danger of being flooded if sea levels continue to rise at the current rate.
Aasia Bibi: dementia and court appeal
Reports from Pakistan have prompted fears that British Christian mother-of-five Aasia Bibi, held in prison there for over nine years, is displaying symptoms of dementia. The British Pakistan Christian Association (BPCA) cited a recent visit to Bibi by a Pakistani journalist who suggested her memory, mental sharpness and judgement were in decline. Found guilty of insulting Muhammad and drinking from the same water source as Muslims, she has been in solitary confinement - sentenced to death, despite support from high-profile figures including the Pope. On 8 October a special three-member Supreme Court reserved its judgment on her final appeal against execution. The chief justice warned media against commenting on or discussing the case until the court's detailed judgment has been issued. No date has yet been given for when the verdict will be announced. See
Brexit: PM urges MPs to put national interest first
Mrs May has faced the Commons for the first time since the EU rejected her Brexit plan. We can pray for a plan to be agreed that respects the United Kingdom’s 2016 vote. There is mounting pressure from some Tory MPs to change course in the run-up to a crucial meeting of EU leaders next week. Pray for God to inspire Theresa May and her cabinet to recognise and agree on a good strategy that will ‘put God’s agenda for the national interest first’ in all talks and future votes. Mrs May recently said she had a duty to voters to ensure the UK left the EU in March in a way which protected jobs. May God help her fulfil that duty. The DUP's ten MPs could vote against the Budget if they consider any Brexit deal breaks their ‘red line trade barriers’.
Over half of detained immigrants ‘at risk’
There are ten immigration removal centres in the UK, housing roughly 2-3,000 people at any one time. A survey of seven of the centres by law firms and charities showed almost 56% of the detainees were defined as ‘adults at risk’. Such individuals are only supposed to be detained in extreme cases, suggesting that Home Office guidelines on detention have been breached. The survey also found that a third had dependent children in the UK, 84% had not been told when they would be deported, and almost half the detainees had not committed a crime. The majority had lived in the UK for five years or more, and some had been in the country for over 20 years. Pray for the home secretary, Sajid Javid, to change our immigration system to something that has compassion on the vulnerable and end indefinite detention.