Islamic State one year on - consequence on communities
On 9 June 2014, IS militants invaded Mosul in Iraq. All residents who didn't conform to their brand of Islam had to convert, pay a high tax or be killed. 120,000 Christians and other minorities fled and for the first time in 1,600 years there were no church services held in the city. Many families were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs, as IS militants stripped them of their belongings as they fled. Mariam, a gynaecologist who is a Christian, had to flee Mosul as the city fell. Her house was confiscated by IS and marked with the letter 'N' for Nasrani - a word used by IS to refer to Christians. Her precious library was emptied onto the street. Secret footage obtained by the BBC showed what life had become for those who stayed. Open Doors has been working through local churches and partners to provide relief to these refugees. In the past twelve months they have helped some 80,000 with immediate needs of water, food, medicine, hygiene kits and mattresses. They also work with the children, many of whom are deeply traumatised by their experiences.
The Islamic State one year on - foreign fighters
Thousands of foreign fighters have travelled to Iraq and Syria in the year since Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL) lightning sweep through the two territories. According to the most recent publicity available Tunisia has contributed the largest contingent, with some estimates putting the figure as high as 3,000.The foreign loyalists can expect to join fighting battalions, or even take up positions in the extremist group's extensive bureaucracy, which implements Islamic law and harvests taxes across its territory. Saudi Arabia - a country battling IS terrorism against Shia residents in its eastern province - is thought to be the second most prolific source of foreign fighters, with up to 2,500 people believed to have joined the fray in Iraq and Syria. IS will be more violent than ever in order to survive. Nearly a fifth of fighters are residents or nationals of western European countries, and an estimated 1,200 people have travelled from France alone.
New South Wales: Secularists discredit religious education
Scripture books promoting ‘dangerous’ messages about sex and male power are being used in NSW public schools according to a parent-run lobby group, Fairness in Religions in Schools (FIRIS). FIRIS targeted the publication ‘Teen Sex By the Book’ and its companion manuals, produced by Australia's biggest evangelical Christian school curriculum publisher. FIRIS claims the book describes homosexuality as ‘misplaced sexual desire’ and warns that girls wearing short skirts and low-cut tops might tempt their Christian brothers to lust. The battle to remove Christianity from public school curricula is not a new one. A spokesman for the Anglican Church said Christian Special Religious Education (SRE), an optional course, teaches what the Scriptures say about the forgiveness of sins, hope for life after death and wisdom for living now. SRE teachers teach children to honour their parents and love their neighbour. One Sydney Christian leader asked, ‘What is wrong with Christians teaching the children of parents who select Christian SRE that we believe monogamy is God's good purpose, and that sex is best reserved for marriage?’
Turkey: Man attacks church with Molotov cocktail
A man attacked a church in the Kadıköy district of İstanbul with a Molotov cocktail on Tuesday, setting the building's door on fire. In a video purporting to show the attack, the man is seen shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great) and ‘Revenge will be taken for Al-Aqsa Mosque’ as he throws a bomb at the Aya Triada Orthodox Church in the Bahariye area of Kadıköy. The door of the church caught fire, but the blaze was extinguished shortly after the attack. The man was detained by police. A recent report by the Gatestone institute stated, ‘Churches in Turkey on the Verge of Extinction’ as cathedrals are having Qu'ran recitations and being turned into museums. See also
