Syria

Hope Is Lost. Still We Have One Chance Left. The Living Hope

Eastern Ghouta is considered one of the largest strongholds of those factions making up the Syrian opposition. It is controlled by organizations like “the Army of Islam,” the “Rahman Corps” of the Free Syrian Army and the “Sham Liberation Organization,” which includes the former “Nusra Front.”
Most of the fighters in these movements are local citizens, according to the Syrian Observatory. The Syrian regime targets these “terrorist” organizations, as it claims, with military campaigns and other attacks. However, most of the victims are civilian and consist of women and children. Eastern Ghouta is considered important because of its strategic location, being adjacent to the capital of Damascus and close to the international airport. Read more

Palestine-Israel

We Must Learn to Identify and Counter the Discourse that Justifies Violence on Any Side of a Conflict, Especially when Expressed through Religious and Ritual Justification

It is not difficult to find Israeli or pro-Israel justifications for violence, often extreme, within the Israeli and international press. The following are but a sample:
Fighting Amelek Again | IDF Ordered to Shoot Down Passenger Planes to Kill Arafat | Israel’s Sports Minister Posts Video with Genocidal Chants by Fans | Chief Rabbi: Gentiles Can’t Live in the Land of Israel | Ethnic Cleansing Justified by Jewish Law | Israeli Lawmaker Tells BBC He’d Put Ahed Tamimi “In The Hospital” by Kicking Her Face | “We Should Exact a Price” from Ahed Tamimi “In the Dark,” Israeli Journalist Says | Why These Palestinians Are Desperate to Be Declared “Clean” by Israel. Read more

Jordan-Syria-Iraq

The Closed Borders of Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, and Their Implications on Economics and Trade, May Represent a Path to Peace at the Expense of a Grieving Population

One aspect of the Syrian and Iraqi wars that is seldom talked about in the news is the question of closed borders and its impact on the economies of Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Jordan has been the primary party concerned with the closure of its borders with Syria and Iraq. Before the Syrian war, billions of dollars’ worth of goods annually and thousands of trucks daily made their way across borders into Jordan. Cross-border trade has dropped down to close to nil since the closing of the borders as a result of the war. With an 8% increase of its population due to refugee influx, accompanied by a significant hike in rental prices, and the rise of unemployment among its local population, Jordan’s economy has suffered greatly. Read more

Egypt

Responding Prophetically to Sisi’s Stance on the Ability of the Egyptian People to Critique the Army

Recently in Egypt, there has been a growing split between supporters and opponents of President Sisi’s stance and subsequent statement on the Egyptian people’s condemnation of the army and recent acts by the police. During a visit to the new town of Alamein, Sisi declared that the army and the police are making many sacrifices to defend the country, but the Egyptian people do not appreciate the high price paid by these two national forces. He particularly addressed the media, saying: “I will not allow any insult to the army and police as long as I exist […] insulting the army or police is not ‘freedom of opinion’.” The Egyptian president added that insulting the army is considered high treason and will be confronted by law. Read more

South Sudan

In Response to the Terrible Horrors Occurring in South Sudan, the Global Church Must Mobilize Itself Like Never Before

Kidnapped at gunpoint, Bakhita was recruited by force to be a slave within one of South Sudan’s rebel groups. She was raped repeatedly over the course of two years. If she resisted having sex with one of the soldiers, she would get beaten and punished with additional chores to carry out.
Released at the age of 14, Bakhita is one of 311 children who were handed over to the United Nations in February 2018. This was the largest release of children by armed groups since 2015. Bakhita was not the only young woman in this group. In fact, about a third of the children released that day were female. Read more

Algeria

The Global Church Is Called to Stand with the Persecuted Algerian Church and Pray for the Algerian Government in its Decision-Making

Beneath the watchful and caring eyes of the global Body of Christ, the church in Algeria is undergoing a time of persecution as its houses of worship are being shut down by the government. Under the pretext of lacking official registration, they are being declared illegal as places to hold worship services.
According to a recent World Evangelical Alliance report, the Algerian authorities formed a committee in November 2017 to inspect the churches on their compliance with safety standards. The committee has further escalated the inspections, asking churches for their permits allowing them to hold religious services. Several churches and a bookshop have already been closed down, with the authorities demanding that these churches apply to their governorate for registration. Read more