Rome: Pope urges governments to protect Christians
Pope Benedict XVI appealed to governments on Monday to protect Christians against violence and discrimination. He also called on Pakistan to reverse its blasphemy laws, saying they were a pretext for ‘acts of injustice and violence’ against religious minorities. He was addressing not only Muslim majority countries, including Egypt, Iraq and Nigeria, but also Europe and the West where religion is being marginalised. But most of the concerns he expressed surrounded the recent spate of attacks that have left dozens of Christians dead. Coptic Christians in Egypt were the latest victims of a New Year's Eve bombing. Just weeks before that, Nigeria's Christian population was targeted during Christmas and the Christian minority in Iraq continues to suffer in the months following the church siege in October that left 58 people dead as bombs explode near homes and businesses. ICC president Jeff King lamented that the rate of Christian persecution has accelerated around the globe.
Pray: that the Pope’s message will be well received by the leaders of the nations. (Ps.32:7)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pope.urges.governments.to.protect.christians/27343.htm
Denmark: Summit on Iraq sectarian violence opens
Some of Iraq's top religious leaders gathered in Copenhagen on Wednesday for a three-day closed-door meeting to try to end the recent violence against the country's Christian community. The emergency summit at a heavily guarded Copenhagen hotel comes on the heels of a string of attacks on Christians in Iraq, as well as in neighbouring countries. Eight of Iraq's ‘most influential’ Muslim and Christian religious leaders were taking part, according to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East a British NGO that co-organised the meeting with the Danish foreign ministry. The participants' identities have been kept secret for their own safety. Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen meanwhile stressed last week she had taken the initiative for the conference in a bid ‘to promote dialogue between religious groups in Iraq,’ following recent attacks on the Christian minority there.
Pray: that there will be a meeting of minds that will lead to peace and reconciliation. (Job.22:21)
More: http://www.france24.com/en/20110112-summit-iraq-sectarian-violence-opens-denmark
Denmark: Summit on Iraq sectarian violence opens
Some of Iraq's top religious leaders gathered in Copenhagen on Wednesday for a three-day closed-door meeting to try to end the recent violence against the country's Christian community. The emergency summit at a heavily guarded Copenhagen hotel comes on the heels of a string of attacks on Christians in Iraq, as well as in neighbouring countries. Eight of Iraq's ‘most influential’ Muslim and Christian religious leaders were taking part, according to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East a British NGO that co-organised the meeting with the Danish foreign ministry. The participants' identities have been kept secret for their own safety. Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen meanwhile stressed last week she had taken the initiative for the conference in a bid ‘to promote dialogue between religious groups in Iraq,’ following recent attacks on the Christian minority there.
Pray: that there will be a meeting of minds that will lead to peace and reconciliation. (Job.22:21)
More: http://www.france24.com/en/20110112-summit-iraq-sectarian-violence-opens-denmark
Protecting Christian beliefs
The legal system may have gone ‘too far’ in restricting the right of Christians to live out their faith, Britain’s former top judge has cautioned. (See Prayer Alert 5310.) Lord Woolf’s comments came after the Bishop of Winchester warned that the demise of ‘religious literacy’ had created an imbalance in the way Christians are treated by the courts. Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has urged the Prime Minister to review legislation which has been used to penalise Christians. Lord Woolf acknowledged that the Bishop of Winchester’s concerns had ‘a grounding in the facts’, saying ‘The law must be above any sectional interest even if it is an interest of a faith but at the same time it must be aware of the proper concerns of that faith. The law should be developed in ways that, wherever practicable, it allows that faith to be preserved and protected.’
Pray: for fairness in the law towards Christians acting out their belief. (Ps.136:16)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/ex-top-judge-warns-against-penalising-christian-beliefs/
