AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* CHRISTIAN COPTS LIVING AS SLAVES TO MUSLIMS IN EGYPT
* CONGO’S FIRST LADY SAYS “WE NEED YOU LORD”
* THREAT TO BURN QURAN MAY INSPIRE HATE CRIME LEGISLATION
* PRAYER ALERT – VIOLENCE IN SOMALIA
* DISAFFECTED LUTHERANS CONSTITUTE NEW BODY
* U.K. TEACHERS RECOGNISE TOXIC CYCLE OF FAMILY
BREAKDOWN

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CHRISTIAN COPTS
LIVING AS SLAVES TO MUSLIMS IN EGYPT

Since a drive-by shooting by Muslims outside a church earlier this
year when 6 Copts were killed and 9 seriously wounded, the Coptic
Patriarchate in Cairo has become a Mecca for oppressed Copts from all
over Egypt. Following the shooting, Muslim mobs used swords, and
Molotov cocktails to loot and torch Coptic-owned homes, shops and
cars. Now every Wednesday, when Coptic Pope Shenouda III gives his
weekly sermon, Copts complain to the Pope and make known their
grievances to other Copts who never get to hear about those cases due
a media blackout.
They hope to meet with human rights activists attending the sermon
without fear of getting arrested by State Security for congregating
under the prevailing emergency laws. ¢â‚¬  Recently a group of nearly 50
Coptic men from the village of Azeem, came to expose
 ¢â‚¬Å“slavery-related ¢â‚¬  practices against Copts by certain radical Muslim
families in their village. They met with activists from Coptic NGOs
and appeared on US-based Coptic human rights channel Hope SAT TV,
which promised support through their lawyers in Egypt.
One IT graduate who attended the rally said  ¢â‚¬Å“We live in utter
slavery. If Copts disobey orders of the big Muslim families, they are
flogged. ¢â‚¬  He said that last year his 14-year-old brother was tied by
members of a Muslim family to a pole, beaten and tortured in front of
his father just because the father did not lend them his tractor.
 ¢â‚¬Å“Each time my father begged for mercy for his child, he was also
beaten. ¢â‚¬ 
Despite the family feeling  ¢â‚¬Å“broken inside ¢â‚¬  his father refused to
report the incident, fearing reprisals from the Muslim family. He
said young Christians work without pay on Muslim land. Another
protester said,  ¢â‚¬Å“We came out in the open because we cannot take this
injustice any longer. ¢â‚¬  He added  ¢â‚¬Å“We feel obliged to help our families
to change the circumstances under which they are living. ¢â‚¬  Nearly
1,000 Copts in the village of 3,000 live in servitude to Muslim
families.
Copts cannot sell their livestock on the market but have to sell it
to Muslims at a fraction of the fair price. They also are forced
to only hire agricultural machinery from Muslims at the highest
prices. If Copts do not obey, they are subjected to harsh
punishments. These include threats of killings, abduction of girls,
destruction of crops, burning of houses and beatings. Another
protester said that Muslims often stop Christians from going to
church services. After presenting a complaint at the Ministry of
Interior in Cairo, the group returned to their village.
There they presented their demands, among which was freedom to sell
their cattle, and properties to anyone, not to be prevented from
going to the cattle market or have their land torched, the freedom to
hire agricultural machinery from any source, not to interfere with
opening hours of Coptic small businesses, to stop subjecting Coptic
school children and youth to harassment while moving about in the
village or while going to religious services, pledging not to demand
that Copts of any age go to work without pay, and not to subject
Copts of any age to harassment, threats or beating.
Copts were threatened with more assaults after the Muslim Feast of
 ¢â‚¬Å“Eid, ¢â‚¬ . It is almost certain that they will carry out their threats,
since it is also certain that State Security colludes with
them. Nowadays Muslims force Coptic men to work for free, farmers
have to sell their livestock and property only to certain Muslims at
a fraction of their price, or prevent people from taking buses to go
and pray in another village is slavery. It is something that the
whole world needs to know is happening in our day and age in Egypt.

Source: Intercessors
Network
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CONGO’S FIRST LADY
SAYS “WE NEED YOU LORD”
She’s not well known in the West, but she’s a rising star in Africa.
Marie Olive Kabila is one of the youngest First Ladies on the
continent. Her husband, President Joseph Kabila, runs the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Mrs. Kabila is a strong Christian. She’s using her
belief in God to bring spiritual change to her country. On the
streets of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Marie Olive Kabila is a
rock star of sorts. When she’s out in public, which is very rare, the
crowds just can’t get enough of her.
She rarely does media interviews or speaks publicly. Her
participation in a recent Christian event drew national attention and
came as a surprise to many in her country. “People of God, this is a
very special day for me,” declared a confident Mrs. Kabila from the
pulpit. In the small church on the east side of the capital city of
Kinshasa, hundreds of people gathered as Mrs. Kabila declared three
days of nationwide prayer and fasting. “I am here to tell you that I
will never be ashamed of my Lord’s name,” said Kabila. “We need Him
desperately to heal our country.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is what some would say cursed
by its natural resources. It has everything — diamonds, copper,
gold, cobalt, zinc, the list goes on. However, for all its riches,
the DRC is a mess — politically, economically, socially and
according to Mrs. Kabila, spiritually dying. “Dear Father, our people
are suffering we need you Lord,” Kabila said, trying to hold back the
tears. According to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, more than 5
million people have died in the country since 1998 from famine,
violence and disease.
Eastern Congo, home to the majority of the country’s wealth, is also
ground zero of the worst war on the continent at the moment. Despite
a peace agreement, government troops are still fighting to ward off
rebel groups from taking control of the minerals. Hundreds of
thousands of people have been displaced, and tens of thousands of
women have been raped, tortured and mutilated. “We have all the
mineral wealth in the world. We are like the Promised Land, but we
are flowing with death and destruction,” said a lady participating in
the prayer and fasting campaign.
With the blessing of her husband, Mrs. Kabila launched a prayer
campaign placing billboards in all the major cities. She took to the
airwaves, pleading for her countrymen to join her. And the response
was overwhelming. For three days, Congolese around the country
gathered in their churches. “The First Lady is setting the example
and calling us to pray for each other,” said a Congolese woman. For
someone who is shy, reserved and often shuns the public spotlight, it
was the image of their First Lady raising her hands and crying out to
God that touched so many people.
“The First Lady is a strong person of faith,” said Theodore
Mugalu, the presidential couple’s spiritual advisor. “She knows that
it is only through prayer that we can face the goliaths of our
culture.” Three days after launching the prayer and fasting
campaign, tens of thousands of people gathered to worship and pray in
a football stadium. It was a significant moment. In the political
history of the DRC, no sitting head of state has ever called for days
of prayer and fasting. “The president is supporting us today even
though he is not here,” Kabila announced from the platform.
Even though the large outdoor service marked the end of the three
days of prayer and fasting, Mrs. Kabila urged her countrymen not to
stop, but to keep praying. “This is just the beginning,” the First
Lady said. “We want to be set free from the devil and the evil
spirits that run to and fro through our nation. I believe the walls
of Jericho are falling. God is going to set our nation free.” Once
again, to the surprise of so many, the First Lady, accompanied by a
famous Congolese Christian singer, ended the prayer campaign by
singing — asking for the Spirit of God to fall upon her nation.

Source: CBN
News
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THREAT TO BURN
QURAN MAY INSPIRE HATE CRIME LEGISLATION
As the Muslim world reacted to the recent threat by a Florida church
to burn the Quran, one ministry says the law of unintended
consequences could restrict the freedoms of Christians in the United
States and other western nations. President of Open Doors USA Carl
Moeller says just the threat to burn the Quran by Pastor Terry Jones
from the Dove World Outreach Centre had caused issues for Christians
abroad.  ¢â‚¬Å“Churches were threatened even though the burning did not go
ahead.”
Moeller says it ¢â‚¬â„¢s not just Christians in Muslim nations that will
feel the effects of these  ¢â‚¬Å“unintended consequences. ¢â‚¬  He said
Christians in the United States will feel it, too.  ¢â‚¬Å“The backlash in
the United States will probably produce a wave of sympathy for
Muslims and we could see local, state and national legislation
introduced that severely limits a Christian ¢â‚¬â„¢s ability to challenge
Muslims on theological grounds. ¢â‚¬  This pastor played right into the
hands of Satan. The enemy is delighted when people end up hating one
another.” Hatred is the law of the enemy. Love is the law of
Christ.
 ¢â‚¬ Islam is a religion that takes no prisoners, ¢â‚¬  Moeller says.  ¢â‚¬Å“It is a
religion of violence. Something like this really does provide ample
opportunity for the extremists to lash out against Christians. ¢â‚¬  How
does this affect evangelism? Moeller says,  ¢â‚¬Å“That ¢â‚¬â„¢s a hard question to
answer. ¢â‚¬  What I do know is that God is sovereign and He has a plan
for the Muslim world. However, controversies like this make it
difficult for Muslim outreach.  ¢â‚¬Å“It is much harder for them to hear
that message when they are blinded by hate-filled invectives against
them by Christians. ¢â‚¬ 
Moeller signed a letter that was published in the New York Times and
the Wall Street Journal saying,  ¢â‚¬Å“Christians don ¢â‚¬â„¢t behave this way.
It ¢â‚¬â„¢s a clear statement of unity among evangelical conservative
Christians and other Christian denominations. ¢â‚¬  Moeller asks for
prayer to arise that Christians in the Muslim world would be
protected from potential violence, that the anger of radical Muslims
would be quelled, and that Christians would begin to show love rather
than hate for Muslims.
Source: Intercessors
Network
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PRAYER ALERT –
VIOLENCE IN SOMALIA
Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist group, has carried out
another deadly attack on the government of Somalia killing 32 people,
including six parliamentarians, in the capital city of Mogadishu. The
nation of Somalia has been without a central government for 19
years. Terrorist organizations and rebels have used this time
of lawlessness to wreak havoc, murdering at will and instituting a
very harsh form of Sharia law. At present, the interim government
controls only a few blocks of the capital city of Mogadishu and even
that zone is not safe from terrorist attacks.
PRAY FOR:
* an immediate end to the reign of terror being conducted by
al-Shabaab. Ask the Lord to protect the citizens of Somalia from
this demonic organization and their efforts to steal, kill and
destroy. Pray for key members of al-Shabaab to encounter the Living
Christ. Pray for the Gospel to be made known to them and for their
hearts to be softened, their spiritual eyes opened to see and receive
the Truth.
* the people of Somalia, especially those who are struggling to
survive in Mogadishu, to call out to the Lord for help. Petition the
Lord to use this time of turmoil and anarchy to draw them into a
relationship with Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Pray the
Somalians will come to understand that only the Lord can rescue them
from this horrendous work of darkness. Pray for the Lord to comfort
all who have lost family members and loved ones through acts of
brutality.
* Christian Believers in Somalia to be encouraged by the Word of God
and to seek the Lord in prayer. Ask the Lord to strengthen them with
His joy. Pray for the Prince of Peace to bring His Kingdom to Somalia
with great power, signs and wonders.
Source: Windows International
Network
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DISAFFECTED
LUTHERANS CONSTITUTE NEW BODY
More than 1,100 Lutherans have split from the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA), and established a new denomination. The
North American Lutheran Church was born after an overwhelming vote.
Conservative Lutherans began forging the new body after the ELCA gave
the green light in 2009 for non-celibate homosexuals and lesbians to
serve as clergy. Over the last year, hundreds of congregations
have severed ties with the ELCA, which experienced its biggest-ever
drop in membership last year, with 90,000 less members than the year
before.
The vote to forge a new body took place during the annual
Convocation of Lutheran CORE, a group that seeks the renewal of
Lutheran churches according to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran
Confessions. CORE leaders say that the problems in the ELCA are not
about sexual behaviour but rather the ongoing movement away from the
authority and teaching of the Bible throughout the ELCA. But
they note that the vote on sexuality “opened the eyes of many to how
far the ELCA has moved from Biblical teaching.”
Source: Christian
Post
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U.K. TEACHERS
RECOGNISE TOXIC CYCLE OF FAMILY BREAKDOWN
Members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers are demanding
that society and the government recognize the impact the breakdown of
the traditional family is having on education. Teachers claim that
the decline of marriage is leading to widespread underachievement and
indiscipline in schools, and that children with “chaotic” home lives
turn up at school too troubled to learn. The result often leads to
behaviour and mental health problems including eating disorders and
suicidal thoughts. Family stability is an important determinant of a
child’s education outcomes.
Teacher Phil Whalley said “No matter how brilliant the lesson, or how
much has been spent on rebuilding the school, if a child comes in
angry and in emotional turmoil they will not learn. Consequences of
an unstable family background are felt long into adult life. As a
society we are in danger of creating an expanding, perpetuating and
toxic circle. If we are not careful we could reach the point when no
matter how much we invest in education, and no matter how hard
schools and teachers try, they will not be able to overcome the
negative impact of broken and dysfunctional families.
Source: Intercessors
Network

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