Displaying items by tag: Politics

Christians in Parliament is an all-party group which exists to support all MPs and staff in their work in the Houses of Parliament through Bible study and prayer groups, one-to-one contact and chapel services, speaker events and discussion groups examining the truth and relevance of the Christian faith to personal and political life plus policy discussions and briefings informed by the Bible and Christian theology. Through lockdown our Christians in Parliament have still been functioning with the help of technology. Their online Tuesday lunchtime services are now operating via video-conferencing. On Tuesday 5 May Sir Gary Streeter MP will be preaching on ‘How to be right with God’, from Matthew 5:6. Please pray for more members of staff to join these meetings and be inspired to walk with God through troubled times.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wants India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria and Vietnam to be put on a religious freedom blacklist and join the ranks of ‘countries of particular concern’. That would make them subject to sanctions if they do not improve their records. Countries already on this list include China, Iran, and North Korea. The commission noted that India’s nationalist government ‘allowed violence against minorities and their houses of worship to continue with impunity and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence.’ Minority Christians have been among those targeted. It remained unclear whether the state department would follow the USCIRF's advice because India is an increasingly close US ally. The USCIRF's annual report is watched worldwide as an independent way of monitoring, analysing and reporting on threats to religious freedom abroad.

‘It will disappear one day like a miracle’ is how Donald Trump originally described coronavirus. For weeks he assured Americans it was ‘totally under control’. However, the US now has the largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases (644,188). Healthcare workers have medical shortages. Hospitals are overwhelmed. The president is accused of ignoring crisis warnings and misleading Americans. Trump insists he is ‘doing the job right’, using daily briefings to promote his achievements. He has now made the controversial decision to halt funds to the World Health Organisation, accusing it of mismanaging the virus spread. America is WHO’s largest donor. The UN said, ‘It is not the time to reduce resources for any humanitarian organisation in the fight against the virus’. Trump is suspected of attempting (in the lead-up to the presidential election for his second term) to make a case that his previous optimistic statements had been based on inaccurate information from WHO: see

For the first time since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the country will soon have two prime ministers. Benjamin Netanyahu will be the active premier over the coming eighteen months, while Benjamin ‘Benny’ Gantz will be the ‘designated prime minister in rotation’ and replace Netanyahu in September or October 2021. Both Benjamins will enjoy the same government perks: an official residence underwritten by the government, a fleet of official automobiles, a Shin Bet security detail, and more. To prevent Netanyahu from reneging on the rotation agreement, an unprecedented ‘rotation law’ will codify the process and put it on automatic pilot. When voting on the government, Knesset members will authorise the process, including blocking the possibility of changing it. Netanyahu and Gantz will both be sworn in as prime minister, the only difference being that one will begin work immediately and the other one later.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, currently on temporary release from a five-year jail sentence, is, for the first time, under formal consideration for clemency. A decision will be made by the highest level of Iran’s multi-layered government. There is no guarantee that clemency will be granted, or that she will be allowed to return to the UK. The supreme leader will present a recommendation to the deputy prosecutor. He could either approve clemency or recommend to the supreme leader not to grant it; or it could just sit on his desk for a bit. Now is the time to pray that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei releases a strongly worded recommendation to the prosecutor general’s office for her immediate release. Pray also that the prosecutor-general will decide that now is the time to allow Nazanin to take the steps towards freedom. 

The European Union is showing major evidence of stress thanks to the pandemic. Every member state considers its own national interests over those of the rest of the EU. Economist Branko Milanovic called the crisis ‘a huge test of European solidarity’, as countries close borders and hoard medical equipment. When Italy requested help from other member states to fight the coronavirus not one responded, but China did. Germany and France were condemned for blocking the export of vital medical supplies, calling into question the bloc's solidarity in times of crisis. Pray for humility and compassion to replace nationalist dialogue, and for members to return to the founding principle of unity.

On 2 March Israel held its third election in a year. Already huge Likud roadside billboards bearing the faces of Blue and White and the Arab Joint List leaders have been erected, stating, ‘Yes to a Jewish and democratic state, no to supporters of terror.’ Israel’s elections are not over. The party headed by Benjamin Netanyahu continues its campaign against the formation of a minority government by Blue and White with the support of the Joint List. Foreign minister Katz called members of the Joint List ‘terrorists in suits’. 64% of Arab voters support the Joint List joining the government, but the right-wing/ultra-Orthodox and many of the general public, including Blue and White voters, don’t. Knesset members are receiving constant curses and insults by those against such cooperation. Is Israel prepared for real cooperation between Jews and Arabs at the highest level?

Security agencies are using ‘Yarovaya Law’ to impose harsh restrictions on evangelical Christians to tackle ‘extremist’ activities. The law demands permits to enable meeting outside registered religious buildings - outlawing house churches and prayer meetings. The law gives security agencies access to private phone conversations and text messages. There are few Protestants who have not been impacted by the law. A Moscow pastor with a congregation of 50 who are interrupted most Sundays by police said, ‘Authorities dressed as civilians knock on our door, asking to come in and “pray”. If we refuse they film us turning them away and use the footage against us. If we let them in they take pictures inside the church to identify ways that we are violating the law and must pay fines for “illegal missionary activity”’. Meanwhile President Putin’s revised constitution wants gay marriage to be forbidden. It will be put to a public vote. See

A migrant crisis on the Turkey/Greece border is entwined with Idlib, the last stronghold of Syrian rebels backed by Turkey. Russia supports Syria and intends eradicating rebels from Idlib. When 34 Turkish soldiers died in Russian airstrikes, Turkey withdrew from an agreement to prevent refugees from crossing Turkey’s borders with Greece and Bulgaria, so by 5 March 25,000 refugees and migrants had gathered on the Greek border, seeking to cross into Europe. But they faced Greek troops repelling them with tear gas and water cannons on the land border and denying landing permission at the coast. EU leaders voiced unwavering solidarity with Greece, pledging to deploy urgent border guard reinforcements on land and at sea, and to disburse immediately some €350 million in aid, sending a message to the EU's 440 million citizens that they will prevent a new wave of arrivals at a time when the continent is struggling to prevent a coronavirus epidemic. See

On Monday 2 March, Israelis will, for the third time in a year, cast votes for a government. Proverbs 16:9 says ‘In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps’. Lord we ask you to encourage the hearts of the electorate to vote in line with your will. Since two elections with no final results did not take you by surprise, we ask for your purposes to be fulfilled in a clear undisputed election result. Also, Hamas has threatened to restart the weekly riots soon. Israel is supposed to have a cease-fire with Hamas but still rockets are fired and incendiary devices are flown against the Israelis living in that Western Negev area. Father, during this ‘lull,’ do not allow the IDF to become complacent. Protect the young ones from the fire balloons coming across the border which are specifically aimed at killing or maiming Jewish children.