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This is the last International News for 2011.

• ISLAMIC RIOTERS ATTACK CHRISTIAN BUSINESSES IN NORTHERN IRAQ
• PRESIDENT OBAMA PUSHES SUPPORT FOR HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS AS OFFICIAL U.S. INTERNATIONAL POLICY
• INDIA AIDS STRATEGY FOCUSES ON ABSTINENCE
• ELEVEN YEAR OLD GIRL HEALED OF MASSIVE BRAIN TUMOUR AFTER PRAYER
• CHURCH OF SCOTLAND REJECTS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE PROPOSALS
• MOBILE EUTHANASIA TEAMS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE NETHERLANDS

ISLAMIC RIOTERS ATTACK CHRISTIAN BUSINESSES IN NORTHERN IRAQ

Attacks against Christian Assyrian businesses in northern Iraq believed to have been organized by a pro-Islamic political party, marked the first such destruction of Christian establishments in the Kurdish region. The rampage threatens the frail security of Iraq’s dwindling Christian population, sources said. A group of young men attacked and burned mostly Christian owned shops in the northern town of Zakho. “The thing with this incident is the place where it happened,” Archdeacon Youkhana of the Assyrian Church of the East said. “KRG [the Kurdish Regional Government] is mostly safe and secure, and all inhabitants enjoy prosperity and security, until now at least.

The future is bleak for Christians living there.” Some of the assailants waved banners stating, “There Is no God but Allah.” Sources said local authorities were slow in responding, resulting in heavy financial losses. Thousands of Christians had fled to the Kurdish region since the U.S.-led military intervention in Iraq in 2003. Violence also erupted the following day on the outskirts of Dohuk in two Christian neighbourhoods, where groups attacked stores and burned a Christian cultural club. In Zakho, near the border with Turkey, owners of properties that were burned and vandalized found leaflets on the walls of their destroyed shops threatening to kill them if they re-opened.

The attacks were reportedly organized by the Kurdistan Islamic Union party,which is inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the region’s oldest Islamist parties. The Muslim Brotherhood strives to influence governments in the region toward more Islamic values. The unrest in the last few days is a reflection of the unrest in the region, and Christians were caught in the middle as innocent victims, Christian sources said. “Unfortunately, it’s always the Christians who pay the price.” Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako said. The motives of the mobs in Zakho were not purely religious, according to General Secretary of the Chaldo-Assyrian Student and Youth Union Kaldo Oghanna.
Some of the young men may have attacked the mostly Christian establishmentsout of religious motives, but Oghanna said many of them joined the attacksout of frustration toward the government. Others probably joined forpersonal benefit, as some members of the mob stole money and other goodsfrom the shops they destroyed, he said.   Most importantly, however, theattacks reflect the attitude of intolerance and discrimination that threatenthe stability, safety and democratic process of the Kurdish region, Oghannasaid. “This attack is not a normal attack,” Oghanna said. “It threatened ourbusinesses, and it is threatening the situation in Kurdistan.”

They attacked the safety and security of the Kurdish region. We think there are international and domestic influences that made this situation escalate, but we also think this is in the mentality of those people: they do not tolerate those who are different. This is our real struggle here.” Oghanna said.   The greatest challenge of Iraq’s Christian Assyrian community since 2003 has been its dwindling population. The Christian exodus from Iraq has usually come after violent attacks on their communities. Archbishop Sako said he fears this attack may inspire more to leave. “Christians are shocked and afraid, and they may start to emigrate” he said.   “We are encouraging them to stay.”

Source: Compass Direct News

PRESIDENT OBAMA PUSHES SUPPORT FOR HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS AS OFFICIAL U.S. INTERNATIONAL POLICY

Recently a memorandum was sent to the heads of Departments and Agencies of the US Government which outlined a policy that President Obama wants implemented as official USA policy on homosexual “rights”. In it President Obama said that he was deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons around the world. Obama said “No country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.”   Under my Administration, our agencies abroad have begun taking action to promote the rights of LGBT persons everywhere.

In the memorandum Obama directed all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promoted and protected the human rights of LGBT persons.   Specifically he directed Agencies engaged abroad to strengthen existing efforts to effectively combat the criminalization by foreign governments of LGBT status or conduct and to expand efforts to combat discrimination, homophobia, and intolerance on the basis of LGBT status or conduct. He also directed that Agencies offer protection to all LGBT persons who seek refuge from violence and persecution or face daunting challenges, by expediting resettlement of such persons.

He instructed Agencies involved with foreign aid, assistance, and development to enhance their efforts to build respect for the human rights of LGBT persons around the world and ensure a meaningful response to serious incidents that threaten their human rights. Further agencies engaged abroad were instructed to strengthen their work to counter discrimination on the basis of LGBT status; broaden the number of countries willing to support and defend LGBT issues in the multilateral arena; strengthen the role of civil society advocates on behalf of LGBT issues and strengthen the policies and programming of multilateral institutions on LGBT issues.

Source: CBNnews.

INDIA AIDS STRATEGY FOCUSES ON ABSTINENCE

One of the only national programs to effectively combat HIV/AIDS was the Ugandan ABC program, which focused on abstinence and being faithful to one partner. Now the Indian national AIDS committee is adopting this same approach in their effort to curb HIV/AIDS rates. A spokesperson for India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) said that sex-education taught to students will focus on abstinence and fidelity, not condoms and ‘safer sex.’ This announcement came after a meeting involving officials from NCERT and the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), who, under the guidance of director-general Sujatha Rao, have advocated fighting AIDS with values, not condoms.

“There will be no mention of condom or safe sex in the revised module. But we will be focusing on the aspirations of the youngsters and will also talk about being faithful to one’s partner and abstinence. There should be no hypocrisy on the subject,” said Rao. “The youngsters need to get the right information. The children are growing in an unsafe environment,” she added. Originally a module was created to introduce sex-education into Indian schools in order to fight the spread of AIDS that promoted condoms and ‘safer sex’ techniques. The module, which included a flip chart with graphic illustrations of the human anatomy, was met with a nationwide uproar that led to seven states rejecting it.

The module was formulated under the direction of the UN Children’s Fund(UNICEF), which is known for dumping condoms into developing nations as a means of fighting AIDS, despite hard data that shows no country has ever significantly reduced their AIDS rate using this method. Before the new module receives final revisions, secretaries of state, NGOs, as well as teachers and parents will be given a chance to review its contents and provide feedback. The Indian decision, rejecting the usual intense pressures to adopt failed UN and other international agency strategies, could have major international repercussions on AIDS programs in other nations.

Source: Intercessors Network

ELEVEN YEAR OLD GIRL HEALED OF MASSIVE BRAIN TUMOUR AFTER PRAYER

Eleven year old Kayla Knight has received a miraculous healing after an MRI showed a tumour that was covering nearly one-fourth of her brain. “We prayed,” said her mother Amy, who described the severe headaches her daughter had been experiencing. “We both hit our knees and we were praying. That was actually on a Wednesday so when we got to church we had a good 30 people or more lay hands on her and it just happened. You could feel the power of God. I can’t say we prayed as much before. I mean we did..but not like we did that day. Not like we do now.” Two days later, doctors sent Kayla to Hospital where she had another MRI.

Kayla’s mother said the doctor told her the tumour had disappeared. “He said it’s got to be a mistake, it has to be. We are going to schedule another test, there is no way it’s just gone and just the whole time he is stuttering and there is just this look on his face like ‘I don’t understand. I don’t know.’ We did another one and it was gone and his words were it was truly a miracle, this has to be the act of God,” said Amy. The single mother added, “I have never been as comfortable in my faith as I am right now. The best way to describe it was that I was a mediocre Christian. I   went to church, the mundane thing. You think,’ Okay, I’m going to Heaven.’ Looking back now, I don’t know that I would have, but I know I will now.

Source: Intercessors Network

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND REJECTS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE PROPOSALS

The Church of Scotland has given an unequivocal ‘no’ to the Scottish Government’s proposal to redefine marriage. In its response to the Scottish Government’s consultation, the Kirk said the proposal ‘fundamentally changes’ the historic understanding of marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman. ‘Scriptural references to marriage, whether literal or metaphorical, all operate under this understanding,’ it said. ‘To redefine marriage to include same-sex unions may have significant and, as yet, inadequately considered repercussions for our country, for the wellbeing of families, communities and individuals.’

The Church said it was concerned by the speed at which the Scottish Government is proceeding with the issue, saying that the debate had so far been ‘patchy, undeveloped and exclusive of both ordinary people and the religious community’. The Church also went on to reject the Government’s proposal to legalise the registration of civil partnerships on religious premises.

Source: World Prayer Centre

MOBILE EUTHANASIA TEAMS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE NETHERLANDS

Plans to introduce mobile medical teams that can euthanasia people in their own homes are being considered by the Dutch government. The teams of doctors and nurses would be sent out from a clinic following a referral from the patient’s doctor. In a written answer to questions from Christian Union MPs the Dutch Health Minister said that mobile units ‘for patients who meet the criteria for euthanasia but whose doctors are unwilling to carry it out’ was worthy of consideration. In her written answer the Minister suggested that ‘extra expertise’ could be summoned in cases involving mental health problems or an inability to consent to euthanasia because of dementia.

Source: World Prayer Centre