Displaying items by tag: Europe

Teachers are afraid and practise self-censorship. For ten years, they have not taught about the Holocaust and have given up on addressing secularism, tolerance and the right to criticise religions. Discussing evolution or Charles Darwin in biology is unsafe. Throughout France, Muslim students openly threaten teachers by telling them that they are ‘risking a Samuel Paty’ (a teacher who was savagely beheaded in 2020 for speaking against the Islamist movements in French schools). Teachers have been resigning in increasing numbers, and recruiting new ones is a problem. The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist movements in France use social media and mosques to incite Muslim children and adolescents to challenge the education provided in high schools, and to force the French educational system to submit to their vision of Islam. The authorities are aware of what is happening, but won’t take any risks as 750+ no-go zones exist and riots frequently erupt.

South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa has told Vladimir Putin the war in Ukraine must end. His remarks came when he met Mr Putin on 17 June as part of an African peace mission of seven African countries. President Volodymyr Zelensky had already told the delegation that he would not enter talks with Russia while they occupied Ukrainian land. Mr Ramaphosa also called for both parties to return their prisoners of war, and said children removed by Russia should be returned home. As the African delegation called for the return of children to their families, Putin interrupted their speech, claiming, ‘Children are sacred. We moved them out of the conflict zone, saving their lives and health’. Mr Ramaphosa also warned Mr Putin of the impact of the war on Africa and said it should be settled by diplomacy.

On 13 June President Zelenskyy said, ‘I thank our guys for every Ukrainian flag that is now returning to its rightful place’, as Kyiv’s forces were retaking villages in a counteroffensive against Russian troops and Ukrainian air defence systems repelled Russian air attacks in the Kyiv region. However, a Russian missile attack overnight on the city of Kryvyi Rih killed at least ten and wounded 28 in a residential building. See On 14 June, 22 Ukrainian prisoners including eight women went on trial for being terrorists. On the 15th Australia blocked the continuation of a Russian embassy being built near Canberra’s parliament because of security concerns. Ukraine is highly adept at masking strategic moves with feints, disinformation, and shuffling troops from one area to another, keeping Russia guessing their next move. Having promised to begin their counteroffensive in the summer, Kyiv’s forces are now stepping up attacks.

Greece is one of the main routes into the EU for migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. On 14 June the deadliest shipwreck this year happened, fifty miles from Pylos. Survivors say up to 100 children may have been locked in the hold. 78 people are confirmed dead and about 100 survived. About 750 people were aboard the vessel. The air and sea search for survivors continues, but hopes of finding more survivors are now dwindling. Greece's coastguard said the boat was in international waters when they were spotted by an EU border agency aircraft. None were wearing life jackets. A few hours later the boat capsized, and strong winds complicated search and rescue operations. Last month the Greek government came under international criticism over video footage showing the forceful expulsion of migrants who were set adrift at sea. Over 70,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe's frontline countries this year. 70,000 is also the number of recent fatalities overall in this part of the Mediterranean.

Kakhovka hydropower dam in Russian-controlled Ukraine has been destroyed, unleashing floods of water on either side of the Dnipro river. So far, thousands have been evacuated from local communities; but as water continues to gush, it is a race against time. The UN humanitarian aid chief warns of grave, far-reaching consequences for thousands. Pray for the safety of families threatened by floating mines, disease, and hazardous chemicals in the floodwaters. Fears of vast swathes of grain-producing land flooding caused global grain prices to rise. NATO’s secretary general said the ‘outrageous’ destruction of the dam showed ‘the brutality of Russia's war in Ukraine’. EU’s council president said, ‘Russian destruction of civilian infrastructure is a war crime’. The Red Cross reported that huge numbers of landmines have washed down downstream, threatening rescue operations. Pray for rescuers to be cautious. Water is being transported by drones to the stranded. May boats reach them soon. 

When Putin announced ‘military mobilisation’, thousands of Russians rushed to the border. Hundreds of thousands have left since the invasion began. Many were against the war, so not wanting to be drafted they left. Poor training and insufficient kit for new soldiers prompted more men and their families to flee. Estimates of how many have left vary from hundreds of thousands to up to seven million. Leaving is easy; finding somewhere to stay is hard. Countries have changed their laws to block Russian immigrants. They limit how many days Russian tourists can stay. Unable to return home, Russians must apply for residency to work in the countries they settle in. In 15 months 155,000 Russians received temporary residence permits in the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia. 17,000 applied for political asylum in EU countries, but only 2,000 received it. Russia’s interior ministry says 40% more have applied for foreign passports in 2022 than 2021.

On 8 June, in a shocking incident, four children, aged between one and three, were stabbed in a playground in Annecy.  Police overpowered and arrested the knifeman, who also stabbed two adults.  The victims are in hospital; three are in a critical condition.  The suspect is a 31-year-old Syrian who had refugee status in Sweden. He has no criminal or psychiatric record, and there is no sign of terrorist motivation. When applying for asylum in France in 2022, he said he was a Christian, and seemingly invoked the name of Jesus during the attack.  In recent years, France has become accustomed to knife attacks, often carried out by solitary young men with backgrounds in petty crime and some Islamist connection. It is clear that this attack is of a different nature. So far, most politicians are being careful not to leap to conclusions, but it is inevitable that the attack will feed into the debate on immigration.

Lisbon’s rent is €2,000+. The minimum wage is €760. There are more houses than people, but prices don't go down. Comedian Diogo Faro posted a social media video about high rent. His inbox was flooded with messages like divorced couples who can't afford to move out, the elderly choosing between paying rent or buying medication; shortening their lives to have a roof. Lisbon's mayor said that housing is the biggest crisis in our lifetime. 1/3 of Lisbon's historical centre is unoccupied due to ‘touristification’ - holiday rentals diverting homes from residential use to tourism. Foreign investors with Golden Visas can reside in Portugal, renovate a house, and then allow it to remain empty. Houses are being sold over and over again, creating a distortion in the housing market.

The Sunni Zaza are nomadic shepherds and farmers who practise mysticism. Years of repression leaves them crying out to God for help. Their Sunni Muslim mystical faith is rooted in shamanism and Zoroastrianism – spirituality not easily broken. Yet God is overcoming spiritual obstacles and a few dozen believers have emerged among Zaza speakers. Zaza has almost no literary tradition except a specimen of a poem praising Muhammad. Recently two magazines written in Zaza have emerged. See This little but growing church worships in Turkish - as they wait for biblical resources in their own dialects. The spoken word is more natural to Zazas than the written word, pray for workers to know how to develop fruitful oral resources.

NATO is deploying 700 additional troops to its peacekeeping mission in Northern Kosovo after clashes with local ethnic Serbian protesters left dozens injured on both sides. Majority-Albanian Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but neither Serbia nor ethnic Serbians in Northern Kosovo recognize Kosovo’s independence. Tensions often flare over which government is legitimate. 4,000 NATO troops are keeping the peace as an agreement giving local Serbs autonomy was never implemented. Recent elections in Northern Kosovo were boycotted by the ethnic Serb majority and Kosovo won but Serb protesters prevented leaders' access to their offices until riot police and NATO dispersed them, injuring 30 peacekeepers and 50 protesters. Serbia is on alert to defend ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. Belgrade’s Moscow allies blame Kosovo and the West for the crisis. America and the EU have called for de-escalation.