Lebanon

Lebanon is not merely a country; it is a message

The repercussions of President Trump’s announcement, on the 6th of December 2017, regarding Jerusalem and the transfer of the American Embassy, have held prominent place of late in the Lebanese political arena. The announcement is widely viewed as having cancelled all previous efforts of peace initiatives, as well as any aspirations Palestinians have had to establish a Palestinian state on the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – both of which were occupied in 1967. Read more

Palestine-Israel

Our Theology Matters When It Comes to Our Views of US Foreign Policy on Israel and Palestine

Recently, Christianity Today highlighted the results of a LifeWay Research survey on American evangelical attitudes toward Israel in an article titled, “Millennial Evangelicals on Israel: ‘Meh’.” After questioning “Americans with evangelical beliefs about a wide range of issues involving Israel—from its place in the Bible to its treatment of Palestinians,” the survey underscores a massive generational shift in evangelical attitudes and beliefs as they concern Israelis and Palestinians. According to the report: Read more

Jordan

The Western Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital Has Dramatic Implications on Christians in the Middle East

On Sunday 17 December, King Abdullah of Jordan met with top leaders of Christian churches from Jerusalem and Jordan, during a Christmas celebration that took place at the Jordan River’s baptismal site. The status of Jerusalem, following President Trump’s formal “recognition” of the city as Israel’s capital, was the focus of the gathering. The importance of rejecting any changes to the city’s status quo, pending a comprehensive peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, was reaffirmed in the remarks of both royal and clerics. Read more

Egypt

The Rafah Border Crossing: Egypt’s Release Valve for the World’s Largest Prison is to be Viewed from an Eye of Compassion and Justice

The Egyptian government brokered an agreement between two rival Palestinian factions—Hamas, located primarily in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Government backed by the Fatah movement and led by President Mahmoud Abbas. The agreement was reached after two days of talks in Cairo in October 2017. The merger created the possibility of opening the Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza.

One incentive for the merger of the two factions is the deplorable living conditions in the Gaza Strip. Since Hamas took over the territory in 2007, Israel has restricted the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip. Water and electricity are limited. Basic health services and medicines are often inaccessible. The unemployment rate in Gaza for 2016 was 42% (the highest in the world) and 58% unemployment for youth. A UN report predicts that Gaza will be “unlivable” by 2020. Read more

South Sudan

On Fourth Anniversary of Civil War, Effective Church Leaders Continue to Etch their Way through Displacement, Harm, and Danger in South Sudan

This month marked a grim fourth year anniversary for the civil war in South Sudan. In mid-December 2013, a political power struggle broke out between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his former Vice President Riek Machar Teny. As fighting broke out, the initial gunfire quickly ignited what soon became a full-scale civil war.
Over the years, attempts to build a lasting peace agreement were made but have thus far failed miserably. In August 2015, President Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar signed the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS), but the deal fell apart in July 2016, following days of heavy fighting between their respective troops. Read more

Algeria

The Berber Elevation of Amazighi Culture May Not Do So at the Expense of Gospel Universality in the Algerian Church

Algeria’s Parliament has rejected a proposal to finance the teaching of the Amazigh (Berber) language as part of the government’s 2018 budget. This decision was received with protests of anger and demonstrations throughout Amazigh regions of the country.
At the end of November, a proposal was presented to amend the draft Budget Law 2018 in order to ensure the teaching of the Amazigh language in all public and private schools. The Finance Committee rejected the amendment proposal, clarifying that the state had already made significant efforts in teaching the Amazigh language. As a response to the rejection, thousands of students and trade unionists took to the streets to demonstrate in several Berber-majority cities. The state of Bouira witnessed clashes between the police and the students, demanding the elevation of the Amazigh language and funding its education in schools. The Berbers had expressed their discontent with the marginalization of their language and culture in the past, specifically after the Algerian government adopted the Arabization measures which led the government to discourage and repress various aspects of Berber identity, culture, and language. Read more