Do you think that you’re having a bad week?
Been worrying about COVID? [Which isn’t going away no matter what any so-called notable or expert might say — it’s a virus. Learn about them. Take 10 minutes and learn some facts, please] Stressed out from all that running around for Christmas? Did you break a nail? You weren’t happy with that meal at that restaurant? Did you stub your toe? Your car battery died, you fell and broke a hip, an arm, your back? Sure, not very pleasurable, but…
Think on these folks, folks, think on these [3 short articles below].
Pastor Decapitated by Islamist Extremists in Mozambique
December 21, 2021
Reprinted from Barnabas Aid
A pastor in the Macomia district of Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, was abducted and decapitated by Islamist extremists on 15 December.
The Islamists then ordered the pastor’s widow to carry the head in a sack to a district police station and report the murder.
The incident is the latest act of brutality in a region that has suffered much from shocking violence in recent years.
In March 2021 dozens of people were killed and thousands forced to flee after hundreds of Islamist militants attacked a coastal town in Cabo Delgado, a province rich in oil and gas reserves.
The militant Islamic State-affiliated organisation Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama, known locally as Al Shabaab (not the Somali-based group of the same name), effectively gained control of an area of Cabo Delgado in 2017.
Beheading, skinning and cutting off the limbs of their victims are the group’s typical methods, with one expert commenting, “What they do to the people they capture and kill I have never seen anywhere in Africa.”
It is only in the last few weeks that Mozambican, Rwandan and South African forces have started to drive the Islamists back.
December 21, 2021
Reprinted from Barnabas Aid
An estimated 2.38 billion people are facing food insecurity as we approach the beginning of 2022, owing to a lack of reliable access to food in many parts of the world.
Among the worst-affected areas of the world, according to economist Dr. Maximo Torero Cullen, are Afghanistan and sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar.
Lack of access to food could have devastating consequences, with an estimated billion worldwide at risk of malnutrition and, of those, 45 million already on the brink of famine.
Vital supplies of dry food are being collected at our food.gives warehouse in Swindon, U.K. ready to be shipped to our hungry brothers and sisters in other countries
The main drivers of food insecurity before the pandemic were conflict, economic downturns and environmental disasters, explained Dr. Cullen. “Lockdowns and Covid-19 have exacerbated those problems,” he adds.
Food prices are rising, along with the cost of transportation. The result is a lack of access to food in the most impoverished regions of the world.
“We still have food availability,” said Dr. Cullen, “but the problem today is of food access.”
Asked how those in the worst affected areas can access the food they need, Dr. Cullen suggests, “At this point, it has to come from aid.”
While famine is an issue that affects all people, Christians who are already persecuted and impoverished are often among the first to suffer.
Reports also indicate that famine and food insecurity increases the likelihood of violence and conflict, which could include an increase in the anti-Christian violence already experienced by believers across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Barnabas Aid’s food.gives initiative is like an international foodbank, distributing dry food to our hungry brothers and sisters across the world.
Millions of people are facing malnutrition and even death because they cannot access enough food. We can help provide the food aid that is so desperately needed.
Will you join others by making a donation for our hungry brothers and sisters? Please visit https://www.food.gives/ to see how you can help.
House Set on Fire, Women Abused as Muslims Gatecrash Wedding Celebration in Farooqabad, Pakistan
December 17, 2021
Reprinted from Barnabas Aid
A Christian pre-wedding celebration on December 10 was gatecrashed by a group of Muslims in Farooqabad, near Faisalabad in Punjab, Pakistan.
The mob proceeded to abuse the women present, steal money and jewelry and set the house on fire.
The event, hosted by Christian sanitation worker Wazir Masih at his home, was to celebrate the forthcoming marriage of his son, Ahsan. A Muslim neighbor, Tahir Pehlwan, interrupted proceedings by entering the house uninvited and harassing the women.
Police have registered a case against ten people after intruders set fire to a house where a Christian wedding celebration was being held in Punjab, Pakistan [Image credit: AsiaNews]
After being ejected, Tahir Pehlwan returned with several others, physically attacking the male guests and attempting to strip the women.
During the ensuing mayhem shots were fired by the intruders, causing alarm among those in neighboring houses.
The groom, Ahsan Masih, called the police, prompting the intruders to leave. However, they later returned, stealing jewelry and cash intended for the bride and groom, and setting the house on fire.
The Masih family submitted a First Information Report, recorded on December 12. Subsequently police registered a case against ten people: Tahir Pehlwan, Sajid Pehlwan, Goga Pehlwan, Kaku Pehlwan, Billa son of Mokha and 5 unidentified individuals.
These ten are accused of several offences. They are answerable for theft, trespass with intent to assault, arson and using “criminal force to any woman” with the intent to “outrage her modesty”.
An unconfirmed number of suspects have been arrested and subsequently released on bail.
Local human rights activist Robin Daniel lamented that Muslims are able to attack Christians “for their faith, and do not consider them worthy of equal rights”. He vowed, “We shall not remain silent and will fight for justice.”
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