Israel: Watching Middle East and North Africa with concern.
The Golan Heights are watching the protest wave and wonder what it could mean for Israel. Recently 1,000 Syrian Druze living under Israeli occupation took to the streets in Boqata in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Israel’s Druze minority has close religious and political links to Syrian’s leadership. Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said the situation with Syria is complex. ‘Syria is an enemy neighbour that keeps the border quiet, it is supportive of Damascus terrorist groups and is an ally of Iran. But we are not in the business of telling other countries how to rule themselves. We see a big wave throughout the whole Arab world and we don't know where it will end’ (see Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt story below. (For years Syria has fought Israel by proxy through militant groups) Israel and Syria have fought three wars but there has been no direct confrontation for decades. Pray:for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps.122:6)
INSIGHT ARTICLE: Syria - Escalating unrest
* EU has announced an arms embargo on Syria and sanctions against 13 officials while turning a blind eye towards President Bashar al-Assad’s role in overseeing violence against his people. *The UN demanded humanitarian access to 30,000+ Palestinian refugees in Deraa desperate for medical supplies. Deraa was cut off two weeks ago by troops and tanks ‘restoring government control’. *Hundreds have been arrested in house raids with 400+ rounded up in Banias since Saturday. *Banias has a power station and oil refinery. It is predominantly Sunni Muslim but also home to many Alawites (the sect of the ruling Assad family and many senior officials).* 7,000+ are detained in overcrowded prisons, schools and public buildings *An agency caring for 120 Palestinian patients unable to get insulin supplies need help. * Exiled Syrian opposition members from across the political spectrum including activists affiliated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood are attending a Cairo conference later this month. Source: For Christian roots in Syria click 'Info'.
Pray: pray this will not be turned into a religious uprising between Christians and Muslims. (Jer.29:11)
Info: http://www.prayer-alert.net/info/Syria1.pdf
Prime Minister under pressure to boost religion GCSEs
David Cameron is facing calls to revise exam league tables to ensure that religious education is at the heart of the secondary school curriculum. A campaign to include RE in the new English baccalaureate has won the support of 110,000 people, including faith leaders and 100 MPs. Before last year’s election, Mr Cameron said any petition with more than 100,000 signatures would be eligible for debate in the House of Commons. The RE. ACT campaign is calling on the Prime Minister to honour his pre-election pledge and allow MPs to discuss revising the school reforms. The Coalition’s new English baccalaureate was introduced in an attempt to address years of ‘dumbing down’ in which pupils have been able to opt for so-called soft courses at the expense of traditional academic subjects. (See also Prayer Alert 04 & 11-2011) Pray: that the results of this campaign will lead our government to include RE in the baccalaureate. (Dt.32:2)
Think tank questions Government’s commitment
A think tank has criticised the Government’s record on supporting marriage and the family. The Centre for Social Justice gave the Government a score of just two out of 10 for its efforts to reverse high and damaging levels of family breakdown. Its new report has been published to coincide with the first anniversary of the formation of the Coalition. It says that pre-election promises by Prime Minister David Cameron to reinstate a tax break for marriage have ‘moved off the radar’ as a result of deals done with the Liberal Democrats. ‘Some of the vital measures committed to by the Conservative Party in opposition appear to have been watered down during Coalition negotiations,’ the report says. The report describes as ‘paltry’ the £7.5 million committed to relationship support, in spite of the evidence linking marriage and positive child development.
Pray: that the government would reconsider its strength of support for marriage and family. (Jer.29:6)
