In this mailing:
- Uzay Bulut: Africa: Alarming Rise of Christian Persecution
- Majid Rafizadeh: Will Iran's Attacks on the US and Allies Escalate?
by Uzay Bulut • June 26, 2019 at 5:00 am
"In some regions, the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN." — The Independent Review of FCO support for Persecuted Christians.
"The assailants asked the Christians to convert to Islam, but the pastor and the others refused. They ordered them to gather under a tree and took their Bibles and mobile phones. Then they called them, one after the other, behind the church building where they shot them dead." — World Watch Monitor, May 2, 2019.
As the British report demonstrates, persecution against Christians and other non-Muslims is not about the ethnicity, race or skin color of either the perpetrators or the victims; it is about their religion.
If these crimes are not stopped, it is highly likely that the fate of the African Continent will be like that of the Middle East: Once it was a majority-Christian region; now, Christians are a tiny, dying, defenseless minority.
According to Lindy Lowry, writing for Open Doors, "In the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern province of North Kivu, leaders of the church have been targeted and killed. Reportedly, at least 15 armed extremist groups were known to be operating in the area." Pictured: The town of Beni, in North Kivu, where dozens of Christians were murdered in an attack on September 22, 2018. (Image source: Razdagger/Wikimedia Commons)
According to a recent interim report published in the U.K., "it is estimated that one third of the world's population suffers from religious persecution in some form, with Christians being the most persecuted group."
Although the full report -- commissioned by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and conducted by the Bishop of Truro, the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen -- was due to be released by Easter this year, "the scale and nature of the phenomenon [of Christian persecution] simply required more time," according to the report. As a result, Mounstephen explained, the "interim" findings released in April are incomplete, and the final report will be published at the end of June.
According to the "overview" section of the interim "Independent Review of FCO support for Persecuted Christians":
by Majid Rafizadeh • June 26, 2019 at 4:00 am
Iran's actions are clear; there has been virtually no attempt on its part to disguise hostile intentions. Why is there no international outrage? The mainstream media continue to fail to report adequately Iran's attacks. There has been no focus placed on the increase over the past two months of these attacks.
On several occasions, the Trump administration invited Iran to the negotiating table in an attempt to deescalate tensions. It is Iran that rejects the talks and continues to act aggressively, all while openly threatening the U.S. and its allies.
How many people must be threatened, tortured, or slaughtered, before Trump's response will be deemed warranted?
On June 13, 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for the attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, saying, "This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication." (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Criticism continues to fly at the Trump administration in response to the White House's attempts to deter Iran's threats. Despite increasing acts of violence, and aggressive behavior towards the US, President Trump is criticized by some people for his determination to hold the Iranian government accountable.
By using its military to attack the US and its allies, the Islamic Republic has been unabashedly resorting to hard power tactics. Iran's actions are clear; there has been virtually no attempt on its part to disguise hostile intentions. Why is there no international outrage? The mainstream media continue to fail to report adequately Iran's attacks. There has been no focus placed on the increase over the past two months of these attacks.
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