AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* SECULAR ISLAMIC STATES THE ANSWER SAYS PETER COSTELLO

* CHURCHES SEEK TO END POVERTY AMONGST ABORIGINES

* NOW YOU CAN MAKE A STAND ON VITAL ISSUES

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SECULAR ISLAMIC STATES THE ANSWER SAYS PETER COSTELLO

Peter Costello says Ataturk’s creation of a secular Muslim state in Turkey is a model that should be adopted by the modern Islamic world. The Treasurer, in a speech delivered to the Australian Christian Lobby National Conference held in Canberra recently dismissed Islamic extremists’ efforts to create caliphates bound by religious law.

He told delegates the Muslim world has an “outstanding example” of a secular state created last century in the nation of Turkey established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who commanded the Turkish victory at Gallipoli. “He should be held out as a model of leadership for the modern Islamic world,” Mr Costello said.

Movements such as al-Qa’ida and its Southeast Asian affiliate Jemaah Islamiah are engaged in a violent struggle to create Muslim caliphates, often dominated by sharia law. “They have a vision of a caliphate stretching across the Middle East toppling what they see as corrupt nation states and enforcing a more ‘pure’ version of Islam,” Mr Costello said. “In our own region, the ambitions of Jemaah Islamiah is to create a pan-Islamic state stretching down and encompassing the southern Philippines, Malaya and Indonesia.” Mr Costello argued the separation of church and state is good for society and should be embraced by the Muslim world. “I believe that a secular national state can be adopted by Muslim societies and, what is more, that doing so will lead to greater economic technological progress,” he said.

Mr Costello said Jesus Christ rejected any opportunity to seize political power, while Mohammed, who was persecuted for his religious teaching, formed an army, defeated those who had forced him out, made peace and instituted a government.

The Treasurer, who has previously sparked controversy by condemning “mushy multiculturalism” and warning Muslim migrants who want sharia law to leave Australia, also accuses critics of a recent speech by Pope Benedict XVI of lacking “proportionality” in their response. Earlier this month, the Pope triggered condemnation when he discussed Islam’s tendency to justify violence. The Pope had quoted criticisms of the prophet Mohammed by 14th-century Byzantine Christian emperor Manuel II Paleologos.

Mr Costello said he “will not repeat the sentence because it would thoroughly detract from what I have to say”. “But it was said 700 years ago,” he says. “Read the speech and wonder at the reaction. In response, we are told, seven churches were set on fire on the West Bank and Gaza, and effigies of the Pope were hung and burned in Pakistan. No doubt the fire bombers on the West Bank and the demonstrators in Pakistan would claim that their actions were incited by the ‘insult’ of the Pope’s speech.”

One can’t help thinking that there are some people who love to find an insult and have no concept of proportionality when they do so. “We are moved to think that there are other agendas here. And one of those agendas is to stifle free speech and legitimate open inquiry.”

Source: Edited speech by Peter Costello at ACL National Conference

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CHURCHES SEEK TO END POVERTY AMONGST ABORIGINES

A coalition of Australian churches has set an ambitious goal – to eradicate poverty among Aborigines by 2015. The National Council of Churches in Australia doesn’t expect to reach the target, but Graeme Mundine says it’s important to have goals.

Mr Mundine travelled to Canberra recently to meet with federal politicians and promote the Make Indigenous Poverty History campaign. “While we’re sitting here, my brothers, my uncles, my aunts are all passing away from diseases that should not be killing these people,” he told a small gathering of MPs and reporters. Every Australian needs to take personal responsibility for the state of indigenous affairs, he said.

“Indigenous affairs isn’t in the right place … It’s Australia’s shame that indigenous people are the way they are.” Seventy per cent of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders die before the age of 65, compared with only 20 per cent of non-indigenous Australians. Death rates among infants and children remain about three times higher than for other Australians, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory problems, injury and cancer are the five leading causes of death among indigenous people, and are responsible for nearly three-quarters of deaths.

The National Council of Churches in Australia launched its indigenous poverty campaign last year, but there was a poor showing by politicians at its forum in Canberra. A smattering of Labor MPs turned up, along with Independent MP Peter Andren. Mr Mundine, the executive secretary of the Sydney-based National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission, said church groups had sought meetings with government representatives this week, to no avail.

Indigenous Affairs minister Mal Brough said it was important to open up indigenous communities to economic opportunities to combat poverty.

“Notwithstanding improvements in life expectancy and reduced mortality rates, there is no question that considerable further work is required yet and I have acknowledged that publicly,” he said.

“There is no doubt that to make poverty history, not only in the short-term but also in the long-term, the most important first step will be to open up real opportunities through access to the wider market economy.”

Source: Compiled by APN from various media reports

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NOW YOU CAN MAKE A STAND ON VITAL ISSUES

A new website has been created which greatly assists Christians in having their say on vital issues being addressed by our Federal Parliament. The Australian Christian Lobby has created the excellent website http://www.makeastand.org.au/ which we encourage our readers to familiarise themselves with.

The first issue covered by the website is the human embryonic stem cell research and cloning debate. The website gives visitors the ability to electronically sign an e-petition on the subject, or by entering your postcode, your local members email address comes up so that you can give your opinion to him/her in a more personal and expanded form.

Christians cannot loose any more time in informing our representatives of what we think about this issue. Those who are in favour of such research are well organised, well financed, and have already commenced their campaigning, particularly through the media.

Log-on to this excellent website and make your voice heard. If we do not make a stand now, the strong lead Australia has taken in protecting human life may be lost. Organisers are aiming for 10,000 signatures on the petition. Lets see if we can get it there. Become a regular visitor to the site as subject matter requiring a Christian voice will be updated as new issues arise from time to time.

Source: Compiled from information given by Australian Christian Lobby

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