Forced marriages outlawed in UK
The UK has today brought into effect a law which marks forced marriage as a criminal offence. New legislation means that anyone found guilty of forcing another person into marriage in England and Wales faces a prison sentence of up to seven years, and the law also applies to British nationals forced into marriages without their consent abroad. A proposed change in law was first announced in 2012, when Prime Minister David Cameron declared: ‘Forced marriage is abhorrent and little more than slavery. To force anyone into marriage against their will is simply wrong.’ He continued: ‘I want to send a clear and strong message: forced marriage is wrong, illegal and will not be tolerated’. Home Secretary Theresa May, who has condemned forced marriage as ‘a tragedy for each and every victim’, has now welcomed the new legislation, saying the UK is at the forefront of the campaign to end the practice, which is particularly prevalent in South Asian cultures.
‘Sinister’ Scottish law puts State in place of parents
The Scottish NHS has written to parents saying that all future correspondence and medical reports about their children will be shared, without their consent, with a ‘Named Person’ appointed by the State to oversee their children’s interests, reports Christian Concern for our Nation. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill has been described as ‘sinister’ for introducing a 'Named Person' scheme to take effect in 2016, which it is claimed will potentially criminalise good parents and undermines the family. The Archbishop Cranmer blog makes the accusation and says SMPs have ‘effectively passed a bill which nullifies parental rights and endows the state with higher baby-sitting authority’ than parents.'
Myanmar: God hears children's prayers
When children pray, God seems to move more powerfully. John Robb, chairman of the International Prayer Council, shares this observation with confidence. He witnessed it when he was director of prayer at World Vision, a large international development and child-care organization. ‘Staff often observed the Lord’s miracles when our project children prayed. We actually surveyed this phenomenon in five very poor countries where staff asked the kids to pray for specific infrastructural changes, such as the resolution of community splits, and many other needs. They did this for two years, and all were astonished by the miracles that occurred. When the children prayed, the parents got healed from terminal illness, governments chose those villages for the wells or the clinics, or the terrorists were kept out of those communities where the kids were praying.’
Iraq: Refugees amid total chaos
Canon Andrew White, affectionately known as 'the Vicar of Baghdad', says Iraq is in total chaos. 500,000 fled Mosul and the emergency has stepped up dialogue between the US and Iran (see item below). Iraq was already coping with large-scale displacement and pressing humanitarian needs resulting from Syria’s civil war sending tens of thousands to seek shelter in Iraq, including Iraqi refugees who fled there after the US-led invasion. Please pray for the refugee agencies already in Iraq to be equipped and able to meet the needs of those who are in despair and have lost everything. Pray for the Red Cross who are there now distributing food, water, shelter and healthcare; for ASUDA providing safe shelters in northern Iraq for women at risk of violence, especially those threatened with ‘honour killing’; for REACH helping communities in northern Iraq engage with the local civil authorities; and for Christian Aid supporting communities badly affected by conflict. William Hague stated the Iraqi government carries the 'heavy responsibility of bringing the situation under control.' See also: http://www.christiantoday.com/article canon.andrew.white.things.have.moved.from.terrible.to.desperate.in.iraq/38148.htm
