AUSTRALIAN   PRAYER   NETWORK   NEWSLETTER

• NEW BILL IN THE NETHERLANDS TO END MULTICULTURALISM
• SOME UNWELCOME RESULTS OF THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION
• INDONESIAN VOLCANO ERUPTS
• MORE ANSWERED PRAYER IN THE MEXICAN DRUG WAR
• TENSION MOUNTS AS HUNGER HITS THE NORTH KOREAN ARMY
• PRAYER ALERT FOR SUDAN
• GRASSROOTS REVIVAL TAKING PLACE IN INDIA
• IRANIAN GOVERNMENT CRACKS DOWN ON BELIEVERS

NEW BILL IN THE NETHERLANDS TO END MULTICULTURALISM

A new parliamentary bill has been presented to the Dutch government to end the multiculturalism that has encouraged Muslim immigrants to create a parallel society in Holland. Under the new integration bill, which the Dutch Interior Minister Piet Hein Donner presented to parliament, immigrants would be required to learn the Dutch language, and a tougher approach would be taken against those who ignore Dutch values or break the law. Extra measures will also be introduced, if necessary, to remove residence permits from immigrants who fail their integration course.

The bill reads in part:

“The government shares the social dissatisfaction over the multicultural society model and plans to shift priority to the values of the Dutch people. In the new integration system, the values of the Dutch society play a central role. With this change, the government steps away from the model of a multicultural society. A more obligatory integration is justified because the government also demands that from its own citizens. It is necessary because otherwise the society gradually grows apart and eventually no one feels at home anymore in the Netherlands. The integration will not be tailored to different groups.”
The government also plans to outlaw forced marriages and as of 1 January 2013 will impose a ban on face-coverings. There are also plans to stop offering special subsidies for Muslim immigrants, because, according to Donner, “it is not the government’s job to integrate immigrants.” The umbrella Muslim group Contactorgaan Moslims en Overheid (Muslims and Government Contact) says that although it agrees that immigrants should be better integrated into Dutch society, it is opposed to a ban on burqas. Polls show that a majority of Dutch voters support the government’s scepticism about multiculturalism.

According to a Maurice de Hond poll published by the newspaper Trouw, 74 percent of Dutch voters say that immigrants should conform to Dutch values. And 83 per cent of those polled support a ban on burqas in public spaces.Commentators say that the proper integration of the more than one million Muslims now living in Holland has been a major political issue ever since Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was assassinated in 2002 for his views on Muslim immigration and Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was stabbed to death in 2004 for producing a film that criticised Islam.

There are now an estimated 1.2 million Muslims in the Netherlands, which is equivalent to about 6 per cent of the country’s overall population. Muslim immigrants have become increasingly assertive in carving out a role for Islam within Dutch society. For example, a documentary aired by the television programme Netwerk in June 2009 reported that Dutch law was being systematically undermined by the growth of sharia justice in the Netherlands.

In December 2004, the Dutch Ministry of the Interior published a 60-page report titled From Dawa to Jihad. Prepared by the Dutch intelligence agencyAIVD, the report says that the Netherlands is home to up to 50,000 radical Muslims whose key ideological aim is to target the Western way of life and to confront Western political, economic, and cultural domination. It concludes that Dutch society is poorly equipped to resist the threat of radical Islam because of “a culture of permissiveness” that has become synonymous with “closing one’s eyes” to multiple transgressions of the law.

Source: Barnabus Fund

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SOME UNWELCOME RESULTS OF THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION

A respected Christian leader from Cairo reports: “When a million ordinaryand non-violent Egyptians from all walks of life camped for 18 days in Liberation Square, the world was mesmerized by their remarkable and unprecedented show of courage and willingness to suffer for the human rights of all Egyptians. Yet none of those who were in Liberation Square could have imagined that their defiance would not only result in undermining most authority in the country, but would also pave the way for radical Muslim groups to begin restricting true freedom and equality for all Egyptians.
If you challenge the President and win, you no longer fear any authority. One logical – yet unintended – result of this successful show of defiance is that nearly every sector of society is now challenging those in authority above them.  .

Students challenge their teachers or educational administrators.

Employees challenge their bosses.

Ordinary citizens challenge civil authorities.

There is little respect for the police.
Even the respected and formerly- feared Army is now being challenged
The many acts of violence, burning of churches, shops, and factories – not to mention the spate of kidnappings for ransom and increased petty theft -are partly the result of a misunderstanding of freedom and a lack of fear towards anyone to whom these people could be held accountable!
A sad example of this is when criminals are arrested to await trial, their friends and relatives come in the hundreds, storm the jail, overcome the police, and free the prisoners.   In the past, respect – or fear – of the police’s authority would have made such acts inconceivable.   Now, they are frequent occurrences. Another example is that the two men who plotted to assassinate President Sadat in 1981 have been released from jail and are now popular talk show guests! Another unintended result of the Revolution has been the paving of the way for the new Parliament to be overtaken by the well-organized Muslim Brotherhood.

Having officially renounced violence, this group will protect Christians from the violent attacks experienced lately.   But in establishing an Islamic state, they will undoubtedly seriously curtail what Christians can do outside their Churches.   Undoubtedly they will also limit the level of religious freedom previously available for Muslims. The increasing violence and danger has led to a general spirit of fear with many Christians yearning to leave Egypt.

Please pray for Church leaders to know how to comfort and encourage oppressed believers and yet challenge them to hold on to their faith and live according to Christian principles of love and forgiveness “even in the face of injustice.”

Source: International Prayer Council

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INDONESIAN VOLCANO ERUPTS

Mount Lokon, located on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, began erupting last week for the first time since 1991.   Thousands of people living near the volcano were evacuated.   Residents in the city of Manado, just 12 miles away, reported respiratory problems because of the smoke and ash. Although no damage and just one fatality were reported, 5,000 people were evacuated from the area. Mount Lokon is one of about 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia which is “prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. Scientists who have studying Mount Lokon are hopeful the latest eruption “helped ease pressure up behind the magma dome” and will result in a reduction in activity.

PRAY FOR:

* the eruptions to stop without further damage to property or lives. Pray the Lord would comfort those who have been evacuated from their homes and provide them with food, clean water and shelter. Pray for their emotional and spiritual needs to be met also.

* leaders in Indonesia to use wisdom in dealing with this volcanic eruption. Pray for the Euroclydon winds of the Lord to blow through this area, clearing away the smoke and ash.

* the people of Manado and all of Indonesia to cry out to God for help.   Pray for Christians in the area to proclaim and demonstrate the love of God in their words, actions, and deeds. Pray for a great harvest of souls in this mostly-Muslim nation. Pray for God’s Kingdom to come to Indonesia in power and truth, demolishing the powers of darkness.

Source: Windows International Network

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MORE ANSWERED PRAYER IN THE MEXICAN DRUG WAR

Drug cartel leaders have been responsible not only for the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Mexico but also the enslavement of many others through drug addiction as a result of shipments to the USA and other parts of the world. God however is answering the prayers of many in Mexico and elsewhere with the interception of many drug shipments and by turning one cartel against another in fights for dominance. He often did this in the Old Testament with the enemies of Israel as they attacked His people. On June 21, Mexican authorities arrested one of the seventeen most wanted men, known popularly as the “El Chango” (the monkey).
In addition 91 police officers have been arrested in one state alone on charges of robbery and collusion. More than 3 tons of methamphetamines were found in Queretaro state. Four Salvadorans were arrested in El Salvador in relation to a massacre last year that left 72 immigrants dead. Finally Mexican Police captured alleged gang leader Albert Gonzalez Pena, who was linked to various criminal activities in Veracruz state. Encouraged by these developments, Mexican Christians are continuing to pray that all the remaining “most wanted” drug barons will be removed from circulation and that the drug shipment routes and networks will be destroyed!

Source: International Prayer Council

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TENSION MOUNTS AS HUNGER HITS THE NORTH KOREAN ARMY

Jiro Ishimaru has been observing food and economic conditions in North Korea for more than 15 years. He regards the present situation as the worst he  seen since the famine of the late 1990s.   Ishimaru organised secret filmings inside North Korea. The footage confirms there is poverty, starvation, despair and fear; there are scavenging, homeless, orphans whose parents have died either of starvation or in concentration camps; and work is being done by malnourished slave labourers. However, the footage also reveals many uniformed soldiers weak from hunger and malnutrition.

This is significant, because if the regime cannot feed its military to secure its loyalty — then the regime’s grip on power could be tenuous. As Ishimaru notes: “This footage is important because it shows that Kim Jong-il’s regime is growing weak. It used to put the military first, but now it can’t even supply food to its soldiers. Rice is being sold in markets but they are starving. This is the most significant thing in this video.” As the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s Mark Willacy rightly observes: “Kim Jong-il’s grip on power depends on the military and if some of its soldiers have growling empty bellies, that’s bad news for the dictator and his hopes for a smooth transition to his son.”

Source: Religious Liberty Monitoring

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PRAYER ALERT FOR SUDAN

Tanks and aircraft controlled by the North Sudanese Government have been attacking the Nuba people of South Kordofan in Southern Sudan.   At least 64people have been killed in air strikes. According to reports the assaults have targeted civilians. Attacks against the indigenous Nuba people have accelerated, both on the ground and from the air. Humanitarian conditions are deteriorating rapidly, aid workers are fleeing the region, essential supplies have been looted. One eye witness described the situation as chaotic and tragic.

PRAY FOR:

*   the Lord to arise and contend with those who are attacking and murdering the people of South Sudan. Pray that warring angels be stationed along the border between these two nations, turning back enemy troops and all who desire to do harm and destroy lives. Pray for peace to be restored. Pray for the Lord to keep this from escalating into a civil war.
* the Lord’s plans and purposes for South Sudan to be fulfilled. Pray for the government of North Sudan to fulfil their promise to allow South Sudan to govern itself without interference.

Pray for Christians in South Sudan to stand firm in the Lord. Pray for them to rise up in their God given authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and all the work of the evil one. Pray for the Lord to place watchmen on the wall who will cry out to Him day and night on behalf of South Sudan. Pray for the Lord to help them remember our fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Source: Windows International Network

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GRASSROOTS REVIVAL TAKING PLACE IN INDIA

Researchers reveal that revival, growing out of miracles, healings, and answers to prayer on a grassroots level, has been growing in India. It began primarily among the Dalits and the “Tribals” (or “broken people”) who constitute the lowest of classes of people in the country. Statistics list these souls at numbering around 140 million or more. But lately, Christianity has been spreading to the “middling” classes and those under 35. Tim Stafford, who observed revival during a lengthy journey across India said: “To be a Dalit is much worse than being poor, for no matter how much education or wealth a Dalit accumulates, he or she remains polluted, a shame on the face of the earth.

Stafford said “Dalits are like Biblical lepers, except that in mainstream Indian culture, they cannot be healed. They have begun to shake the foundations of India’s social order, and the stats are nothing short of astonishing. “They think in ways their ancestors never could have imagined. More of them are following Christ than at any other time in India’s history, and the Church has grown and is getting larger. It now comprises over 70million members, according to Operation World. That makes it the eighth largest Christian population in the world, just behind the Philippines and Nigeria, bigger than Germany and Ethiopia and twice the size of the United Kingdom.”

Source: Christianity Today

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IRANIAN GOVERNMENT CRACKS DOWN ON BELIEVERS

Iranian police have launched a crackdown on “social corruption” throughout the Islamic Republic. A Voice of the Martyrs spokesman says a   law that makes the death penalty mandatory for people convicted of leaving Islam to follow another faith is causing concern.   The law defines an apostate as”any Muslim who clearly announces that he/she has left Islam and declares blasphemy.” It is clearly aimed at stopping conversion from Islam. It also means that those thought to be involved with proselytism face consequences ranging from the death penalty to social ostracism. Recently, authorities have been rounding up church leaders.
Over the last 60 days, about a dozen Christians have been arrested. Most of them have been interrogated and held for a little while, and then released after paying a heavy bail.   The church in Iran is growing at an absolutely phenomenal rate. Muslims are coming to know Christ; they’re getting involved with house church groups which is causing concern to the government which is why the crackdown has been implemented. Pray for strength, wisdom, and grace for Iranian Christians as they continue to spread the Gospel despite sustained pressure from the Islamic government of the nation.

Source: Intercessors Network