In the Democratic Republic of Congo soldiers march through the night hunting for women who are hiding in the bushes. 2,000 young soldiers fire gunshots in the air. The commander orders, ‘Go and rape women.’ The soldiers obey. Research from the American Journal of Public Health says that ‘in DRC 1,152 women are raped every day - 48 women every hour). Despite conflict officially ending in 2003 fighting has never stopped, claiming more than five million lives. Throughout this time, sexual violence has continued as a weapon. A total of 12% of the female population of the DRC have been raped at least once. DRC’s reputation is ‘the most dangerous in the world for women’. War Child UK, a charity working to reduce rape in the Congo, says sexual violence rises in conflict because men lose their role in society, are mentally scarred, and commit crimes with little consequence. Pray for the 4-day conference ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ being held this week in London.
Musalaha’s Israeli-Palestinian Children’s Summer Camps provide a framework for Israeli and Palestinian children to meet together in a fun and friendly atmosphere. They have the opportunity to build relationships with children from the other side, whom they would otherwise not have the chance to meet, and learn to counter many of the stereotypes they have learned. The children learn about the reconciliation process as they build relationships with each other. This is done through sitting together at meal times, playing water games, engaging in activities and studying the Bible together. They walk away from these camps having learnt new phrases and songs in Hebrew and Arabic; having shared cabins, they potentially become agents of change at a young age after having made new friends. Sudanese refugee children also participate as the children learn to be around other groups of people who are living in both Israeli and Palestinian societies.
Brazil: The World Cup's biggest secret
19 Jun 2014While its popularity is renowned across the world, its notoriety goes deeper than you may expect. It’s an industry that engages almost every country on the planet; captivating countless numbers of male and female clientele alike and making more money annually than Nike, Starbucks and Google put together. Sadly, this industry isn’t football - it's human trafficking. The World Cup brings a mass influx of tourists and traffickers are preparing for a month of the highest demand they’ll encounter. In business when demand increases, so does the supply - and unfortunately sex-tourism is no different. 20% of Brazil’s population live below the poverty line, with one of the largest disparities in the world between rich and poor. The economic imbalance is increasing and the poor are vulnerable to exploitation and violation. 120 years after slavery was abolished in Brazil an estimated 40,000 people are still trapped by it. 12-year-old children are sold for a night for less than the price of a cup of coffee.
Nepal: Calls to outlaw religious conversion
19 Jun 2014Religious freedom groups have expressed concern after reports that the Vice President of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged Nepali leaders to outlaw religious conversion. Bhagat Singh Koshiyari reportedly spoke to senior leaders including Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Chairman of Maoist party Pushpa Kamal Dahal, claiming that Western countries had been promoting proselytising in Nepal since it was declared a secular state in 2008. Koshiyari called for an immediate stop to religious conversions, particularly from Hinduism to Christianity, Christian Solidarity Worldwide's CEO Mervin Thomas expressed concern that Nepali leaders were being persuaded to exclude the rights of the people to freedom of religion in the new constitution of Nepal. In the past, Christians faced persecution and harassment from both the government and society, but have experienced a period of calm in the last few years. According to OM, Nepal has the fastest-growing Christian church in Asia. Hinduism remains the major religion with over 80% of the population.
Iran: Pastor persecuted in prison
19 Jun 2014Pastor Behnam Irani was sentenced to six years in prison in 2011 on charges of offences against national security. He has been badly treated during his imprisonment and his health suffered to the extent that he needed an operation in February to stop internal bleeding. On 7th June, Behnam was summoned to appear before the head of a revolutionary tribunal in Karaj. The summons was irregular and Behnam wrote a letter protesting against the order. In response, intelligence agents arrived at the prison, beat him and brought Behnam before the prison governor. They then took him by force to the head of the revolutionary tribunal and he was then transferred to an unknown location. We are asked to pray that Behnam and his family will know the Lord's presence and support; Behnam's whereabouts will become known; and he will experience God's physical healing, including injuries sustained during the beating.
Armed men stormed a church at Attagara village in Gwoza at 9:30 on Sunday morning and opened fire. The church had members working as a security group outside the church when a service was going on. Nine of the men in the church security group were shot dead. The killing led to a reprisal by the villagers and the community mobilised. They succeeded in killing four of the attackers according to a police source. A further three insurgents were arrested. At 6:30 the same day a bomb exploded in Admawa, targeting fans leaving a football field after watching a local club match. The bomb also affected women and children within the blast area and 40 people died. Nigeria’s military on Monday said it had made an arrest in connection with the bombing. See also http://www.360nobs.com/2014/06/football-match-bombing-military-makes-first-arrest/
STOP PRESS: Following the Sunday incident, on Tuesday, insurgents dressed in army combat clothing carrying rifles and riding on army trucks re-entered the villages of Attagara, Agapalawa and Aganjara. They opened fire on villagers and burned houses and churches to the ground. African Spotlight reported dozens killed, BBC Radio 4 reported hundreds killed. This latest incident continues a pattern of almost daily deadly violence. More at: http://africanspotlight.com/2014/06/04/boko-haram-opens-fire-villagers-burns-houses-churches-gwoza/
A 25-year-old pregnant Pakistani woman was stoned to death on 26 May by her family in an ‘honour killing’ because she married the man she loved. On 30 May, two cousins aged 14 and 16 were gang-raped and left hanging from a mango tree in an Indian village. After an international media outcry two police officers were sacked for refusing to help search for the missing Dalit ‘low caste’ girls. In the Sudan, Meriam Ibrahim was jailed and sentenced to 100 lashes and the death sentence for marrying a Christian. She gave birth to their daughter in chains last week (There are un-confirmed reports that she is about to be freed). In Nigeria many are still waiting for the abducted schoolgirls to be found and re-united with their families. These stories are the tip of an iceberg of vicious treatment of vulnerable women in many parts of the world. It was only because of media cover of these incidents that there has been international outrage.
Lebanon: Father kills 18-year-old daughter
19 Jun 2014On Wednesday 4 June, a father opened fire on his 18-year-old daughter in Lebanon's northern region of Akkar, killing her immediately, a source close to the family said. The father, Mustafa Soufan, hails from the Akkar town of Bibnine. The killing of his daughter, Walaa, took place shortly after noon. The source said the alleged crime might be related to disputes between the girl and her fiancé who were set to get married later this month. The source said the girl no longer wanted to get married, which provoked her father's anger. The source described the father as a nervous and short-tempered man. Residents classified the killing as an ‘honour crime.’