Displaying items by tag: Politics

With the defeat of IS and Kurdish independence ambitions thwarted, many see a positive mood in Iraq. Yet major obstacles of corruption, sectarianism, and nepotism limit Iraq’s capacity to recover from war and destruction. As soon as campaigning began on 14 April for parliamentary elections, people pulled down pictures of fighters killed in combat and replaced the images with their own posters, causing major controversy. The following day a car bomb targeted an election candidate in Kirkuk, killing one and wounding eleven. Iraq elections have typically been accompanied by violence since the removal of Saddam Hussein. 7,000 candidates have registered to stand for 329 parliamentary seats, in the fourth election since 2003. Iraq is the 12th most corrupt country in the world. On 15 April the US defence secretary accused Iran of funnelling money into Iraq to sway election outcomes, calling it part of a broader pattern of destabilising Iranian actions across the Middle East. See also

Freedom of religion and belief without state permission is currently prohibited - even though the Uzbekistan constitution legally provides for freedom of religion. Baptists refused to register their congregations with the state, insisting international law states, ‘registration is not necessary to meet for worship.’ Baptists said police ‘watch us, follow us, and threaten us with court cases and fines to stop us attending church’. We are told that, if members continue to share their beliefs with others, criminal cases will be opened against them. In an Urgench court authorities tried to coerce two Baptists to ‘repent and ask for forgiveness’ during their court hearing - then the judge ‘would lessen the punishment.’ They saw TV cameras and realised it was a show trial so they witnessed about their faith instead. They were then fined 100 times the minimum monthly salary. Even an 8-year-old was taken from school without his parents’ permission to face ‘official’ questioning.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered along Israel's border for a six-week protest. The situation has escalated, and Israel has doubled its troops. Multiple deaths and hundreds wounded make this the deadliest conflict since 2014. Palestinians have long demanded their right to return to the land they claim. Gaza Strip and West Bank are some of the world's most contested lands. But take a minute to look beyond politics, land, and religion. Stop to see the millions who call this land home - people Jesus loves and died to save. Life in Gaza is dominated by conflict, war and extremist violence. In addition to viewing Israel as their oppressor, their own leadership oppresses them, but, above all, they suffer immense spiritual oppression. Yet Hope was born in the West Bank a little over 2,000 years ago. His name is Jesus. Peace is only possible through Him in some of the most contested and contentious lands on earth.

This week, Viktor Orbán was elected for a third consecutive four-year term as Prime-Minister of Hungary.  In 1989, he addressed 250,000 people in Budapest calling for free elections and the withdrawal of Soviet troops. He became famous in Hungary and abroad overnight. The right-wing populist now leads Hungary towards the return of ethnic nationalism and deep-rooted corruption. He eliminated constitutional safeguards, successfully reshaped the state in his own image, and is considered to be a potential threat to the EU. He has been described  by the European Stability Initiative as the ‘most dangerous man in the European Union’. A Pew Research poll in 2016 ascertained, ‘Hungarians were the most likely to believe ‘refugees would increase terrorism in their country’. Orban pioneered what scholars describe as either ‘half democracy in decline’ or ‘soft autocracy;’ merging crony capitalism with right-wing rhetoric. He flatly rejects accusations of impropriety of the sources of his allies’ enrichment. Opposition speakers in parliament repeatedly complain that he has become not only the most powerful but also the richest millionaire in Hungary.

The following was posted online by Passion for the Nation on 9 April. ‘So be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves’. In the Name of Jesus, we declare the political figures, the diplomatic service and the intelligence services in this nation will be marked out by their wisdom, authority and compassion, that they will be wise as serpents, carrying no self-serving agenda. Even as ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.’ (Proverbs 15:1) we declare our government will be slow to speak, slow to anger and their words will produce the fruit of righteousness for this nation and the nations. Now, in the Name of Jesus, over the current confrontation between Russia and the UK, we declare truth will emerge, ungodliness will be revealed.

In the midst of a depressing and sometimes frightening diplomatic crisis, with international media and government accusations and statements, the UK police issued a positive statement on 5 April. It was a message from Russian spy Sergei Skripal's daughter Yulia: ‘I woke up over a week ago now, and am glad to say my strength is growing every day.’ She also said she was grateful for the many messages of goodwill and the care she had received. Mr Skripal, 66, remains critically ill but stable.

When IS took over a Dominican convent in the Nineveh plains, Sister Ban Madleen fled to Erbil and set up kindergartens for the refugees’ children there. She has a sister living in the UK who has now become sick. To visit her, she needs a Home Office entry visa. However, immigration officials refused the visa because she had not provided confirmation that the Dominican sisters would fund her visit, and they were not satisfied that she is ‘genuinely seeking entry for a permissible purpose’. Rather than allowing her to provide the necessary evidence, they said, ‘There is no right of appeal or right to administrative review’. They acknowledged the importance of family visits, and agreed that when she last visited the UK (in 2011) she complied with visa terms. However, they also noted that she had not visited since then, failing to recognise that there might be valid reasons for this.

The deadline for registering to vote in this year’s local elections is 17 April, and many young people who could not vote in the last election are now eligible to do so. There are young adults in our churches, families and towns who do not yet understand the times we are living in. They do not realise the potential for change that can be achieved through understanding local issues, or how their votes can influence the lives of many.

The ‘March of Return’ in the Gaza Strip began on Good Friday. 30,000 Gazans overwhelmed the border security fence, and the resultant clashes with Israeli forces resulted in 18 dead and 1,400 injured. Israel has been accused of using disproportionate force against what became a vast violent march. Hamas has called for mass demonstrations to continue for seven weeks. There are fears that this could turn into war on several fronts. Hamas is indebted to Iran. If major conflicts erupt in Gaza, Iran might order Hezbollah in Lebanon and in Syria to attack the Jewish State. The march goes beyond resistance. A situation is erupting, and political issues in the region have resurfaced. Violent Israel-Gaza border activity was described locally as ‘peaceful protests being infiltrated by terrorists’ and ‘Israel exercising its right to defend its sovereignty and protect citizens from terrorism’.

Proposals for dialogue between North Korean and American national leaders in the midst of increasing tensions, conflicts, and fear of war have inspired International Prayer Connections (IPC) to call on Christians to pray for a just and peaceful resolution. Pray for wisdom for political, diplomatic and military leaders as they work through differences toward a goal of peace, security and freedom. Ask God to bless the efforts of citizens who seek to bridge the vast differences between these countries. Pray that, however profound the differences between their governments, Americans and North Koreans will not view each other as enemies, but on the contrary desire only the best for each other. May the decades of business, humanitarian and education contact between the two countries now bear fruit by putting a human face on those who are characterised as enemies.