As Syria's war rages, region's Christians hold their breathChristians in the Middle East have faced greater persecution as a result of political change in recent years, and now Syria's Christians feel they're in the cross hairs. By Christa Case Bryant, Staff writer @ Christian Science Monitor / September 8, 2013 Syrian citizens walk in the Christian village of Judeida, in Idlib province, Syria in February. Yacobiyeh and its neighbors, Judeida and Quniya, are some of the first Christian villages to be taken by the rebel Syrian Army. The villages are largely empty due to the fighting, with a few mostly elderly Christians living among Sunni Muslim refugees. Hussein Malla/AP Syrian rebels linked with Al Qaeda have reportedly taken over the historic Christian town of Maaloula, deepening concerns that without the protection of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s Christians, roughly 10 percent of the population, could be left vulnerable to mass emigration or persecution. | Ads by Google | Stunning Pictures of Princess Kate
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Weekly Digital Edition “I want [Mr. Assad] to stay in power because he was very good to Christians,” said Athraa, a young Syrian mother who recently fled from her village on the Syria-Iraq border to Jordan with her husband and two sons. “There was religious freedom for Christians with Bashar…. We were not missing anything,” she said, speaking several days before Maaloula fell in her simple Amman apartment, with suitcases teetering atop a rundown armoire. “We are expecting what has happened in Iraq to happen in Syria as well.” Indeed, from Egypt to Lebanon to Syria, many Christians are worried that the rise of political Islam and heightened militancy could have a disproportionate impact on already beleaguered Christian minorities – just as in Iraq over the past decade. Roughly half of Iraq’s 1 million Christians left the country, constituting at times 20 percent of Iraqi refugees though they made up only 5 percent of the overall population. At a conference on challenges facing Arab Christians hosted by Jordan last week, more than 50 prominent Christian leaders as well as a handful of top Islamic scholars pushed for interfaith dialog to help quell rising sectarianism. They emphasized the key role Christians have played in Arab societies for 2,000 years, including well before the advent of Islam, and the danger not only to Christian individuals but to the societies as a whole if Christians were to be pushed out altogether. “This [Christian] presence throughout these ages is [now] aced with so many challenges that shake the pillars and the foundation of Arab culture and the Christian component within it – especially with the rise in emigration, which negatively affects Arab Christians,” said Armenian Patriarch Nurhan Mannougian of Jerusalem. Jordan’s King Abdullah, who invited the conference participants to lunch in the Royal Court, said in a short address beforehand that Jordan stands as a model of coexistence and fraternity between Muslims and Christians – not out of benevolence, but necessity. “We also believe that the protection of the rights of Christians is a duty rather than a favor,” said the king. “Christians have always played a key role in building our societies and defending our nations.” Iraq's diasporaIn a hilly neighborhood of Amman, a final hymn wafts out of the softly lit windows of the Jesuit Fathers church as the evening breeze picks up. After the service, dozens of Iraqi refugees file out between the simple blue chairs, touching or kissing the cross on their way out. Among them is Mofed, who owned a photo shop in Baghdad. One day, he says, some men came to his shop and gave him three options: become Muslim; pay $70,000 as a tax levied on non-Muslims, known as jizya; or be killed along with his family. So nine months ago he and his wife fled to Jordan, and have found refugee in this church, run by Father Raymound MoussAlli of the Chaldean Catholic church. Androus from Mosul, Iraq, and another member of Father Raymond’s congregation, says he received a similar demand via telephone. “Because you are infidels, you have to pay jizya,” he recalled being told over the phone. “Either you pay jizya, or we will kill you or your son.” Mofed and Androus, together with their families, are awaiting visas, hoping to start a new life in the West. And Syria'sIn the nearby neighborhood of Germana, Ridda and Shafiqa are also waiting – to go home to Syria. They sit on a few thin mattresses and plastic chairs. A small calendar on the bare walls proclaims, “I the Lord do not change.” Anas, their son, says he got threatening messages back in Syria: “Your money is for us to take, your wife is for us to sleep with, and your children are for killing. This is all halal,” or permissible under Islamic law. He escaped with his wife and children to Jordan, but not before his liquor store had been burned down. Ridda, the husband, was kidnapped by rebels for a week until the Syrian Army got close, prompting the rebels to flee. He went home to Damascus to pack his bags and discovered that during his captivity, his house had been hit in a rocket attack. He packed his bags for Amman, where his family was already waiting. They’ve been here for a year now, but are hoping to return as soon as there is security – no matter who is in power. But they are clearly concerned by the examples of other countries, where Islamist forces gained power after the secular regime was toppled. “We see the countries in front of us – Iraq, Libya, Egypt – the Brotherhood took charge and look what happened in one year,” says Ridda. Egypt’s Copts, which comprise roughly 10 percent of Egypt’s 90 million citizens, have faced escalated kidnappings, killings, and church burnings since the 2011 uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. “If the Brotherhood took over in Syria, it would not be the same,” adds Ridda. “We would be like Lebanon, living in cantons – every sect with its own area.” Equal rightsIndeed, one of the most pressing questions is where Christians would fit in a state that draws more heavily on Islamic law. Arab Christian leaders at last week’s conference repeatedly emphasized the need for equal citizenship rights and fear some Islamist interpretations of the concept of the ummah – a global nation of Muslims across political borders – would preclude that. “Ummah would cancel the concept of a home country and the pluralistic nature of a country,” said Gregorios III Laham, Melkite Greek Patriarch of Antioch, in a panel on Syria. Bishop Munib Younan of the evangelical Lutheran church in Jordan and the Holy Land encouraged his fellow Christians to “battle with political Islam and not to be afraid of it,” emphasizing the need for engagement with all Muslims not just for religious understanding but to discuss the “proper relation of religion and state.” As both Muslims and Christians grapple with the tremendous upheaval in the region, Sheikh Ali Gomma, grand mufti emeritus of Egypt and one of four senior Muslim scholars who attended last week’s conference, condemned the attacks, church burnings, and humiliation of Christians in Egypt. “This is a huge violation not only on the humanitarian level but on the Islamic level as well,” he said, contrasting the heightened bitterness with the calmer days of his youth, when he would play soccer with Christian boys and share food with their families. “It is incumbent upon us to eliminate this bitterness and tension which is victimizing our brethren in Egypt.” He said Friday sermons pose a key challenge for Islamic leaders espousing better relations between Muslims and Christians. “Sometimes our Islamic colleagues would curse Christians and that would be transmitted to Christian neighbors,” he said. “Muslims need to change their Islamic discourse.” Amid all the upheaval, the same faith that has made Christians something of a target has also provided comfort for some. “I believe in Christ. … The peace of Jesus is in my heart,” says Athraa, the young mother of two, wearing pink Crocs and hot-pink nail polish. “Always the Bible is open. What else will give me power? The Word of God gives me power.”
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Photos APTN/AP Photo This image from video that was released by a U.S. government official and shown to senators during a classified briefing on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 shows a child apparently suffering from continuous, uncontrolled limb movement consistent with nerve agent exposure in Ain Tarma, a suburb of Damascus, Syria, following the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack. The child was one of many shown lying on the floor of the same facility for treatment.  APTN/AP Photo This image from video that was released by a U.S. government official and shown to senators during a classified briefing on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, shows a man apparently struggling with uncontrolled limb movement consistent with nerve agent exposure, lying on the floor of a facility with many others there for treatment in Duma, near Damascus, Syria, following the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack.  Media Office Of Douma City, File/AP Photo FILE - This Aug. 21, 2013, citizen journalism image provided by the Media Office Of Douma City which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian man mourning over a dead body after an alleged poisonous gas attack fired by regime forces, according to activists, in Douma town, Damascus, Syria. The U.S. government insists it has the intelligence to prove a connection between the government of President Bashar Assad to the alleged chemical weapons attack last month that killed hundreds of people in Syria_but in the absence of such evidence, Damascus and its ally Russia have aggressively pushed another scenario: that rebels carried out the Aug. 21 chemical attack.  APTN/AP Photo This image from video that was released by a U.S. government official and shown to senators during a classified briefing on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, shows a man foaming at the mouth, lying on the floor of a large room with many other people apparently struggling with symptoms of nerve agent exposure in Eastern Gutah in Damascus, Syria. The video was part of a DVD compilation of videos showing victims of the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus.  Shaam News Network, File/AP Photo FILE- This Aug. 21, 2013, file image provided by Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, purports to show bodies of victims of an attack on Ghouta, Syria. The U.S. government insists it has the intelligence to prove a connection between the government of President Bashar Assad to the alleged chemical weapons attack last month that killed hundreds of people in Syria_but in the absence of such evidence, Damascus and its ally Russia have aggressively pushed another scenario: that rebels carried out the Aug. 21 chemical attack.  Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo A Syrian refugee has his passport checked at the Turkish Cilvegozu gate border, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013. The U.S. tried to rally support on Saturday for a military strike against Syria, running into resistance from the American public and skeptics in Congress and from European allies bent on awaiting a U.N. report about a chemical attack they acknowledge strongly points to Bashar Assad's government.  Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo Syrian refugees arrive at the Turkish Cilvegozu gate border, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013. The U.S. tried to rally support on Saturday for a military strike against Syria, running into resistance from the American public and skeptics in Congress and from European allies bent on awaiting a U.N. report about a chemical attack they acknowledge strongly points to Bashar Assad's government.
AMMAN, Jordan — Rebels including al-Qaida-linked fighters gained control of a Christian village northeast of the capital Damascus, Syrian activists said Sunday. Government media provided a dramatically different account of the battle suggesting regime forces were winning. It was impossible to independently verify the reports from Maaloula, a scenic mountain community known for being one of the few places in the world where residents still speak the ancient Middle Eastern language of Aramaic. The village is on a UNESCO list of tentative world heritage sites. The rebel advance into the area this week was spearheaded by the Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front, exacerbating fears among Syrians and religious minorities about the role played by Islamic extremists within the rebel ranks. It was not immediately clear why the army couldn't sufficiently reinforce its troops to prevent the rebel advance in the area only 43 kilometers (26 miles) from Damascus. Some activists say that Assad's forces are stretched thin, fighting in other areas in the north and south of the country. Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Nusra Front backed by another group, the Qalamon Liberation Front, moved into the village after heavy clashes with the army late Saturday. "The army pulled back to the outskirts of the village and both (rebel groups) are in total control of Maaloula now," he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. He said pro-government fighters remain inside the village, in hiding. Initially, troops loyal to President Bashar Assad moved into Maaloula early Saturday, he said, "but they left when rebels started pouring into the village." Now, Abdurrahman said, the army is surrounding the village and controlling its entrances and exits. A Maaloula resident said the rebels, many of them sporting beards and shouting Allahu Akbar, or God is great, attacked Christian homes and churches shortly after moving into the village overnight. "They shot and killed people. I heard gunshots and then I saw three bodies lying in the middle of a street in the old quarters of the village," said the resident, reached by telephone from neighboring Jordan. "So many people fled the village for safety." Now, Maaloula "is a ghost town. Where is President Obama to see what befallen on us?" asked the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal by the rebels. Syria's state SANA news agency said the army reported "progress" in its offensive against the rebels in Maaloula. "The army inflicted heavy losses in the ranks of the terrorists," it said, using a government term to describe the rebels. "Military operations are continuing in the vicinity of Maaloula and its entrances," SANA said. State-run TV reported that all churches in Maaloula were now safe and the army was chasing gunmen in the western hills. The development came as President Barack Obama's administration pressed ahead with efforts to win congressional backing and international support for military strikes against Syria over an alleged chemical attack in August outside Damascus. The U.S. says Assad's forces fired rockets loaded with the nerve agent sarin on rebel-held areas near the capital before dawn on Aug. 21, killing at least 1,429 people. Other estimates put the death toll from the attack at more than 500. Back in Washington after a trip to Europe that included a two-day visit to Russia to attend a Group of 20 summit, Obama will intensify his efforts to sell a skeptical Congress and a war-weary American public on a military strike against Syria. A passionate debate is already underway in Congress and the administration's lobbying campaign culminates Tuesday, as Obama gives an Oval Office speech the evening before a critical vote on the possible Syria action is expected in the Senate. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius questioned in a television interview Sunday Assad's willingness for a political solution to the Syrian crisis. "No one is for war," Fabius told France 3 TV. "The question we ask is if we want to get to a political resolution, will Bashar Assad accept if nothing is done? My opinion is no. There has to be a firm response to push toward a political negotiation." Fabius said that a military intervention didn't require every country to be behind it. He said: "We must be vigilant against barbarity." Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report.
Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/09/08/2988381/syria-al-qaida-rebels-control.html#storylink=cpy
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Teresa Neumann-Commentary @ Breaking Christian News (Sep 6, 2013) Threatening to kidnap, rape and kill the children of American officials, including President Obama's daughter, exposes the true nature of our enemy. If you've never prayed for President and his family before, maybe now is the time to start doing it.  (Iran)—In a shocking display of just how diabolical extremist leaders in Iran are, a former Iranian official has warned that if America attacks Syria, they will—according to a Daily Callerreport—conduct "mass abductions and brutal killings of American citizens around the world and the rape and killing of [one of President] Obama's daughters."
The official, Alireza Forghani, is said to be an analyst and strategy specialist for Iran's Supreme Leader. "Hopefully," he said, "Obama will be pigheaded enough to attack Syria …in just 21 hours [after an attack on Syria] a family member of every US minister, US ambassadors, US military commanders around the world will be abducted. And then 18 hours later, videos of their amputation will be spread [around the world].'"  Forghani was specific in regards with an attack on the First Family, saying that Sasha would be raped by someone who has been able to "get close" to the Obama family.
This is the enemy we face, folks. Brutal. Barbaric. Infiltrating. Ruthless. Without a conscience. I suppose if every nation on the face of the earth (including peace-loving, non-extremist Muslim countries) were to band together to stop the current gassings and genocides being inflicted on innocent people under the heels of ruthless despots, something would be achieved. Without a broad coalition of the willing, however, it's nearly impossible. History, I fear, repeats itself (think WWII) not because we haven't studied it and learned from it, but because it's in man's nature to both bully and revert to cowardice and self-preservation in the face of bullying. Which is why Jesus is the only solution to this crisis. |
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Teresa Neumann (Sep 5, 2013) A family struggling with a special needs child in public is undone by kindness and note of blessing by stranger.  (China Grove, NC)--When Ashley England and her family went out to eat at Stan n Doe Pizza recently, they had no idea they would leave the restaurant incredibly blessed--especially after their 8-year-old special needs child, Riley, acted up in public. (Photo Credit: WBTV-TV)
The past few weeks had been very hard on the family, said Ashley, noting that at the restaurant "Riley was getting loud and hitting the table and I know it was aggravating to some people." Perhaps, but not to everyone.  Before leaving the restaurant, their teary-eyed waitress notified the England family that a "mystery" customer had paid for their meal. Not only that, but the person had left a note of blessing they wanted delivered to the England's. It has since gone viral.(Photo Credit: WBTV-TV)
It read: "God only gives special children to special people." "To have someone do that small act towards us," said Ashley, "shows that some people absolutely understand what we are going through and how hard it is to face the public sometimes. They made me cry, blessed me more than they know--I felt like out of all the rude, negative comments that we are faced with, this outweighs them." |
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Teresa Neumann (Sep 5, 2013) "Most patients don't have as spectacular a response [to cancer treatment] as Hal has had. And, absolutely, the power of prayer is an important part of this picture." -Dr. Tammy Young, oncologist. "He comes back with a PET scan that is completely normal. That is unheard of. He credits the Lord with this, and I think that's rightly so." -Dr. Jay O'Mara  (Jackson, MS)--In 2008, Hal Hart--after becoming gravely ill--was diagnosed with lung cancer. By 2011, the cancer had spread throughout his entire body. It was, he was told, inoperable. (Photo: Joe Ellis / The Clarion-Ledger / Gannett)
"I have never communed with God as much as I did then," recalled Hart. Reports detailing Hart's subsequent journey say that his wife was an incredible shoulder of faith for him. As their family prayed, the Harts decided to reject chemotherapy and told one of his doctors that God was going to heal him. He did, however, agree to take a chemo alternative called Tarceva--a drug that, at best, only promised to postpone the inevitable. What happened as a result "astonished" his doctors. His oncologist, Dr. Tammy Young, said, "He [Hart] has a lung cancer that has a mutation that is very responsive to Tarceva ...He took it for a few months and had a very good response from the treatment. Most patients don't have as spectacular a response as Hal has had. And, absolutely, the power of prayer is an important part of this picture." Hal, who credits God solely with the miracle, is of course, elated. "I give my pictures [scans] out every day to somebody," he said. "It's the X-ray that shows I am healed. I thank God for it every day. I wake up and do my prayers in the morning. My life has got to be up to par because God allowed me to get through this." |
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Aimee Herd (Sep 5, 2013) "With the new math standard in the Common Core, there are no longer absolute truths. So 3 times 4 can now equal 11 so long as a student can effectively explain how they reached that answer." -Glyn Wright  With the implementation of the new Common Core curricula in America's public schools, the case for private and homeschooling options may be stronger than ever.
When the Stanford professor tapped to provide input on the math portions refuses to sign off on it because its content is so severely lacking, it's time to take a closer look. The course of study in question--the Common Core State Standards initiative--was formulated by governors throughout the country, and backed by the Obama administration. Its purpose is to provide a "uniform standard for grades K-12" so all children in America can reach the same minimum level of learning, according to the FOX News report. However, some warn that the literary classics have practically been dropped from the English section, and the math employs a kind of "anything goes" approach to answers known as "investigative math." The only mathematician included on the Common Core Validation Committee, according to the FOX News report, was Stanford Prof. James Milgram.  Prof. Milgram would not sign off on the math standards, citing the input from other sources which seemed to dumb-down the standards so much that there were a "number of extremely serious failings" within the curriculum.
"A number of these sources were mainly focused on things like making the standards as non-challenging as possible," said Milgram. "Others were focused on making sure their favorite topics were present, and handled in the way they liked." The Eagle Forum's Glyn Wright explained that "With the new math standard in the Common Core, there are no longer absolute truths. So 3 times 4 can now equal 11 so long as a student can effectively explain how they reached that answer." One of those supporting the curriculum, Linda Gojak--with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics--disagreed with the objections, stating that the Common Core math learning process could actually encourage critical thinking. "The assessment is that it is more about kids making sense of what they are learning instead of memorizing a step-by-step process," said Gojak. Ironically--and perhaps it's just me--the best I ever did in math is when I had a teacher who taught things "old-school," emphasizing memorization and the rules of computation. At any rate, parents of students attending schools using the Common Core Curriculum may want to be ready to at least supplement their child's learning at home. Read about some of the other aspects of Common Core by clicking Here. |
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Home Depot practices reflect change; AFA suspends boycottSeptember 5, 2013
Dear Min. Bob,When AFA called for a boycott of Home Depot three years ago because of its support of homosexual activist groups, I knew we were taking on a huge task. After all, Home Depot is a huge company. But I knew we had a lot of friends who would stand with us. Now, I'm glad to report to you that we are suspending the boycott of Home Depot. After monitoring the company for several months, AFA is satisfied the company has withdrawn its major financial contributions to gay activist groups and events. I truly believe this is a direct result of your willingness to become involved. In fact, more than 750,000 people signed the Boycott Home Depot Pledge. Although Home Depot has made changes, we will continue to monitor their behavior. We suspect Home Depot will publicly deny having made changes, but their actions speak louder than words. Your AFA will continue to challenge major U.S. companies to remain neutral in the culture wars rather than to use their resources to promote anti-family issues. Thank you for standing with us. Our efforts are making a difference! Sincerely,
Tim Wildmon, President
American Family Association |
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| I don't think closing your business is the answer. I think this is just another tactic of the enemy to isolate and beat down and destroy. We are to follow the laws of the land and baking a cake for a specific occasion id not anything else but making a cake for business. You are not saying you believe anything other than that. We are I am sure paying for things that would astound us if we knew so this is not a way of dealing with this issue, it may be an opportunity for you to witness! |  | Source: charismanews.com Many Americans were shocked that a family-owned Christian bakery has been forced to close its doors after a vicious boycott by militant homosexual activists. But why should we be surprised by gay bully tactics? |
| I don't think closing your business is the answer. I think this is just another tactic of the enemy to isolate and beat down and destroy. We are to follow the laws of the land and baking a cake for a specific occasion id not anything else but making a cake for business. You are not saying you believe anything other than that. We are I am sure paying for things that would astound us if we knew so this is not a way of dealing with this issue, it may be an opportunity for you to witness! | | Source: charismanews.com Many Americans were shocked that a family-owned Christian bakery has been forced to close its doors after a vicious boycott by militant homosexual activists. But why should we be surprised by gay bully tactics? | |
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Aimee Herd (Sep 3, 2013) The Kleins have decided to close the doors of their shop, citing a serious backlash in revenue, but say they will continue to do business from their home instead.  (Oregon)—After weathering all sorts of horrible threats, ill wishes and harassment against them—not to mention frequent protests—Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Christian owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, have been forced to close their doors. (Sweet Cakes website photo)
Back in May, they turned-down a request for a wedding cake by a lesbian couple, saying that it went against their Christian beliefs to support a same-gender wedding in that way.  Ever since the couple has undergone a barrage of angry phone calls and badgering emails; the least of which contained attacks against their business, and others hurling vicious words at them and their family members. (Facebook Photo)
Co-owner Aaron reportedly told The Oregonian that they provide service to anyone "regardless of sexual orientation" but that they would not bake a wedding cake for a same-gender wedding since it would be contrary to their Christian beliefs. The Kleins have decided to close the doors of their shop, citing a serious backlash in revenue, but say they will continue to do business from their home instead. |
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Aimee Herd @ Breaking Christian News (Sep 3, 2013) "We are in Egypt to serve. We are in Egypt to demonstrate the Christian love. We do every effort to be self-restrained and to show the Christian love that the Lord has taught us to show."  (Minya, Egypt)—Jesus is recorded in the Bible as saying, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."(Matthew 5) (Photo: CBN News)
Believers in Egypt are putting Jesus' words into practice after attacks by the Muslim Brotherhood left many Christian churches, bookstores and even a Christian orphanage, charred beyond recognition. One expert called the violence against Christians, the "worst in nearly 700 years," according to a CBN News report. As horrendous as the attacks are, Christians there have been meeting the hate with Christ's love. After the attack by the Brotherhood on a Coptic Christian orphanage left around 200 children without any shelter, the ones running the orphanage reportedly left a message for the attackers on an exterior wall which read:  "You meant to hurt us, but we forgive you. God is love. Everything works out for good." (Photo: CBN News)
And, "Love your enemies." While members of the Muslim Brotherhood targeted the Christians, with attacks on over 60 of their churches, Christian Believers in the area note that some of their Muslim neighbors actually defended and protected them from the violence. The Christians, according to the CBN News report, are "responding with forgiveness and pressing on in the face of persecution." They are also continuing to meet together for prayer and teaching, in what remains of their burned-out buildings, and the children are seeing their Sunday School stories and teachings of love, come to life. "They see their church burned," teacher Marka William told CBN. "They see how they are treated all the day. They see us forgive our enemies." Ehad Tana, Bible Society of Egypt Vice President, added, "We are in Egypt to serve. We are in Egypt to demonstrate the Christian love. We do every effort to be self-restrained and to show the Christian love that the Lord has taught us to show." And they noted that Christians there are asking fellow Believers to pray for them and the Middle East. |
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