Germany: Why young Germans are answering call to holy war
Hundreds of young German Islamists have travelled to Syria to fight with the terrorist group Islamic State. Der Spiegel explored the extremist scene in Germany and the fascination with jihad in order to find answers about what drives people to join the murderous cult. Whenever Ismail Cetinkaya runs into one of those young men who want to leave Hamburg to fight in Syria, he asks: ‘Have you ever slept without heat in the winter? Do you know what it's like to live without electricity and running water? Do you think a Kalashnikov works like the controller for your PlayStation 4?’ He also asks whether the young man is leaving his mother behind. And then he quotes the words of the Prophet Mohammed, and says: ‘Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.’ The implication being that those who leave their weeping mothers behind won't enter paradise.
Denmark: Muslim gangs enforcing Sharia in residential areas
Islamic supremacists are becoming increasingly violent in Europe. If we do not stop them effectively, where will it end? ‘Immigrant gangs’ is Danish media's euphemism for Muslim gangs. Islamic extremists use immigrant gangs to enforce religious Sharia laws in residential areas throughout Denmark. There is an unholy alliance is between religious extremists and hardcore criminals in residential areas where especially younger people are to behave in certain ways and women are to dress in particular ways. Gang members typically support individual extremist imams and mosques with a strict interpretation of Islam. People are more afraid of the extremists when they are backed by gang members. This can be seen for example in Tingbjerg. The consequence is that people do not dare to stand up against the extremists, because they know that they will get beaten up by hardened criminals. National Police Research Centre (NEC), which monitors gang activity at home, confirms that the gangs are flirting with religious environments.
Germany: Protests against growing ‘Islamisation’
A new type of anti-immigration appears to be taking hold in Germany with protests against what’s been called the ‘growing Islamisation’ of the country. In Dresden members of PEGIDA or ‘Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West’ held a rally against extremism and perceived abuses of Germany’s asylum system. 'Political refugees are very welcome, but look at our asylum seekers’ homes here. There are only men living there. Where are their families? They are criminals who left their families behind in the war,’ said one PEGIDA demonstrator. Critics of PEGIDA who held their own counter demonstration accused the group of drawing support from the far-right Neo-Nazis. PEGIDA says it is not against Muslims in general but wants to preserve the country’s Judeo-Christian culture. Germany is now the second most popular destination for migrants after the US and is struggling to cope with an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers.
Germany: Petition against gay ‘Education Policy’ rejected
In the middle of October the petition ‘No Education Policy under Rainbow (Gay) Ideology’ signed by 192,000 supporters was rejected by the petition commission for no good reason and the state parliament (in Stuttgart) confirmed this rejection in the middle of November with its ‘green-red’ majority. However protest action is now gaining further momentum and has entered a new phase. 3000 citizens in Stuttgart took a stand for the protection and strengthening of the family at one of the ‘Demo for everybody’ demonstrations which are now taking place regularly. Last month significant articles appeared in the media exposing the background to this ‘Pornographisation’ of the school system. The link between today’s sexual education and the thinking of paedophiles was disclosed to a shocked public. Radical unchristian teaching, to be incorporated into the new Education Policy is now increasingly coming under criticism. Give thanks for growing resistance. (1 Pe.5:8-9)
Germany: Why young Germans are answering call to holy war
Hundreds of young German Islamists have travelled to Syria to fight with the terrorist group Islamic State. Der Spiegel explored the extremist scene in Germany and the fascination with jihad in order to find answers about what drives people to join the murderous cult. Whenever Ismail Cetinkaya runs into one of those young men who want to leave Hamburg to fight in Syria, he asks: ‘Have you ever slept without heat in the winter? Do you know what it's like to live without electricity and running water? Do you think a Kalashnikov works like the controller for your PlayStation 4?’ He also asks whether the young man is leaving his mother behind. And then he quotes the words of the Prophet Mohammed, and says: ‘Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.’ The implication being that those who leave their weeping mothers behind won't enter paradise.
Denmark: Muslim gangs enforcing Sharia in residential areas
Islamic supremacists are becoming increasingly violent in Europe. If we do not stop them effectively, where will it end? ‘Immigrant gangs’ is Danish media's euphemism for Muslim gangs. Islamic extremists use immigrant gangs to enforce religious Sharia laws in residential areas throughout Denmark. There is an unholy alliance is between religious extremists and hardcore criminals in residential areas where especially younger people are to behave in certain ways and women are to dress in particular ways. Gang members typically support individual extremist imams and mosques with a strict interpretation of Islam. People are more afraid of the extremists when they are backed by gang members. This can be seen for example in Tingbjerg. The consequence is that people do not dare to stand up against the extremists, because they know that they will get beaten up by hardened criminals. National Police Research Centre (NEC), which monitors gang activity at home, confirms that the gangs are flirting with religious environments.
Germany: Protests against growing ‘Islamisation’
A new type of anti-immigration appears to be taking hold in Germany with protests against what’s been called the ‘growing Islamisation’ of the country. In Dresden members of PEGIDA or ‘Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West’ held a rally against extremism and perceived abuses of Germany’s asylum system. 'Political refugees are very welcome, but look at our asylum seekers’ homes here. There are only men living there. Where are their families? They are criminals who left their families behind in the war,’ said one PEGIDA demonstrator. Critics of PEGIDA who held their own counter demonstration accused the group of drawing support from the far-right Neo-Nazis. PEGIDA says it is not against Muslims in general but wants to preserve the country’s Judeo-Christian culture. Germany is now the second most popular destination for migrants after the US and is struggling to cope with an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers.
Surprise! Arabs and Jews unite to proclaim Messiah's return
A new generation of Arab and Jewish followers of Jesus met together last week to strategise on how to ‘turn Israel upside down.’ Two hundred and sixty Messianic Jewish and Arab pastors, youth leaders, evangelists, Bible-school teachers and ministry leaders gathered for a three-day council to discuss, study, pray and work together to effectively bring the Word of God in power to Arabs and Jews throughout the whole Land of Israel. These seasoned men and women of faith embody decades of labour proclaiming the Gospel to local Arabs and Jews. Most have given up everything to preach Messiah to their unbelieving Muslim and Jewish families and friends. Despised because of their faith, they have lost jobs, suffered rejection and endured multiple other hardships, yet their passion to bring the Good News to their people remains unquenched. ‘We will keep preaching and teaching the Word of God until it changes the people of Israel,’ declared one leading pastor.
Law Society withdraws controversial Sharia guidance
In a significant policy shift, the Law Society has issued an apology and withdrawn controversial guidance for solicitors on how to draft ‘Sharia-compliant wills’ that would deny women an equal share of inheritance and exclude non-Muslims entirely. The advice, released in March this year, was intended to ‘assist solicitors who have been instructed to prepare a valid will which follows Sharia succession rules’. But today Andrew Caplen, the President of the Law Society, has apologised and announced the withdrawal of the guidelines: ‘Our practice note was intended to support members to better serve their clients as far as is allowed by the law of England and Wales,’ he said. ‘We reviewed the note in the light of criticism. We have withdrawn the note and we are sorry.’ The guidelines attracted severe criticism when they were published.
Philippines: Missionaries attacked, prayed and survived
A gunman shot a Filipino pastor in the foot, pointed a handgun at his head, and demanded to be taken to the American missionaries’ complex. Missionaries Daniel and Colleen Jaquith were woken by gunshots, then the gunman burst into their room, with the pastor as hostage, demanding money. In response the Jaquiths dropped to their knees and began to pray. ‘Stop praying! Stop praying!’ the intruder yelled. They paid no attention and continued to pray. Then the pastor started a scuffle, Dan was shot in the arm, Colleen bound the bleeding arm with a pillow case while the pastor wrested the firearm from the gunman who then fled into the night. Later police arrested the gunman, who had a long history of drug use and law breaking. Their brush with death was terrifying but Dan is filled with gratitude for God’s protection and His answer to their prayers. Dan said he gives the Lord praise for His mighty deliverance during desperate times of trouble.