* TRIBAL ETHNIC CLEANSING BREAKS OUT IN KENYA * CHRISTIAN CHILDREN IN CHINA REFUSE TO DENY JESUS * INDONESIAN CHRISTIAN VILLAGE HAS ZERO CRIME RATE * EUROPEAN BISHOPS CRITICIZE EUROPEAN UNION FOR INTERFERING WITH MARRIAGE * JUDICIAL CORRUPTION IMPEDES JUSTICE FOR ALL * KENYAN WOMEN VOW TO WEAR SACKCLOTH TO SIGNIFY REPENTANCE AND MOURNING FOR THEIR COUNTRY ----------------------------------------------- TRIBAL ETHNIC CLEANSING BREAKS OUT IN KENYA Thick black smoke billowed up from a neighbourhood in the quiet town of Naivasha. Young men carrying anything from wooden table legs, to stones and machetes cheered on as the fire rose and what once was a house turned into smouldering ashes. As the violence triggered by disputed polls spreads, Kikuyus, the tribe that has borne the brunt of the chaos, are taking revenge on rival Luos. "What has been done to our people is now being done to them," said one Kikuyu tribesman "We are for peace and they are not. Either they leave, or they die." The spreading violence has reached a point that neither President Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, nor Odinga, a Luo, may be able to stop it. Linda Ochiel, program director at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, said "Yesterday we watched on television as people with machetes were hacking people to death and the army was looking on." Kenya's Rift Valley province has been the epicentre of the violence that has convulsed the nation. After the Dec. 27 election, the Kikuyu, who are the same tribe as Kibaki have been under attack. But this past week the tables have turned. In Naivasha, dozens have been killed as Kikuyu gangs rampaged through the town. Over the decades, several tribes descended on the town of Naivasha to find work in the flower industry, a major export, and the town became a melting pot of different tribes. But after the month-long orgy of violence, angry Kikuyus now want their co-workers and neighbours out and threaten that if they don't leave by the end of the month, more chaos will be unleashed. Already some 800 people have been killed since the election and 250,000 displaced. The crisis has caused $1 billion damage to Kenya's economy. Kibaki and Odinga blame each other for the violence, trading accusations of "ethnic cleansing." Kibaki has said he is open to direct talks with Odinga, but that his position as president is not negotiable. Odinga says Kibaki must step down and new elections held. Intercessors inside Kenya have sent the following report: "What we see is horrendous. Houses are being burnt to ashes, homes looted, roads blocked and people killed. The main Trans-African highway has been blocked with youths putting large rocks and obstacles on the road. The Government seems to be losing control of the situation. We are very concerned that this could turn into a civil war. Already people of all tribes are talking about taking revenge. Please pray for the churches at this time. Many churches have themselves been divided. In a way, even though it is tragic, this whole thing is causing the church to wake up. Would Jesus have come in a twinkle of an eye and the rapture have happened, many "Christians" would not have been ready. Many church goers have been drawn into this conflict. People are waking up to the reality that their ties with the world are closer than their walk with the Lord. This is a wakeup call for us all. Thank you so much for showing concern and for uplifting us before the throne of the Almighty God." Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- CHRISTIAN CHILDREN IN CHINA REFUSE TO DENY JESUS Sister Jing, who has taught children and trained Sunday school teachers all over China, tells of how children in one province in China stood firm in their faith when they were arrested by officials. Sunday school was in full swing for more than 30 children when the sound of vehicles interrupted the class. Before the children even had time to put away their books, public Security Bureau officers burst into the room, confiscated 'incriminating evidence', and unceremoniously herded the children into a van. Their teachers had warned them it might happen one day and had taught them what to do. Now their time of testing had come. As the van sped toward the police station, the children clung together to steady themselves. Then one child started singing. Before long, the van was filled with song as all the children enthusiastically joined in - much to the annoyance of the officials in the van. Upon arrival at the police station, the children marched bravely into the interrogation room still singing, "In the name of Jesus, we have the victory." This was not the cowering group of children the police interrogator had anticipated! He began to threaten the children, telling them they would have to write "I do not believe in Jesus" one hundred times before he would release them. Instead, the defiant children wrote, "I believe in Jesus today. I will believe in Jesus tomorrow. I will believe in Jesus forever!" Unprepared for such a strong stand from young school children, the officials weren't sure how to respond. In exasperation, they called the children's parents. When the parents arrived, they were told the children would be released only if the parents said they were not Christians. Because many of the parents were not believers, they readily affirmed they didn't believe in Jesus and took their children home. But when a widowed believer came to pick up her twin sons, she refused to deny Jesus. The officers threatened her, "If you do not deny Jesus, we will not release your sons!" Unshaken, the widow replied, "Well, I guess you will just have to keep them, because without Jesus, there would be no way for me to take care of them!" Exasperated by continued, unexpected resistance to their threats, the officials said in disgust, "Take your sons and go!." Source: Open Doors ----------------------------------------------- INDONESIAN CHRISTIAN VILLAGE HAS ZERO CRIME RATE Indonesia's tropical paradise, Bali, is recovering from the stigma brought on by the 2002 and 2005 terrorist bombings. Over the past year, the number of tourists visiting the region has nearly tripled. But it's not just the sandy beaches attracting tourists. A unique village called Blimbing Sari is drawing visitors. The villagers there boast that the area has been 100% Christian since 1939, when their persecuted ancestors were given the land as a safe haven by the Dutch government. Rev. Ketut Suyaga Ayub, head pastor of the Protestant Christian Church in Bali explained. "Villagers are taught the value of hard work and rest. Every family gets two hectares of land from the government where they farm and raise cows. Even children in the orphanage are taught the value of work. Because of their prayer and hard work, the town is free from drugs and gambling and boasts a zero percent crime rate." Because the love of God is felt in the community, new settlers who are non-believers are attracted to the Christian faith. One of them is Giman, a former Muslim. "I was ill and a villager helped me get surgery," he explained. "I lived among Christian people. They are nice to me and help me a lot. I learned Christianity. I believe in Jesus Christ as my own saviour. Ni Ketut Sudarmiasih was a former Hindu who studied at the Christian orphanage. "When I was a Hindu, I was not sure about salvation, if I would be saved when I die. But when I believe in Jesus Christ I know I will be with Jesus in heaven," he said. Today, government and private organizations flock to Blimbing Sari to learn from its example. But they are yet to tap the key of her success: a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Source: CBN News ----------------------------------------------- EUROPEAN BISHOPS CRITICIZE EUROPEAN UNION FOR INTERFERING WITH MARRIAGE A report just released by the European Bishops Conference (COMECE) calls on the European Union (EU) to focus on the real needs of families in Europe and calls on the EU to respect national marriage laws of the member states. The report says that in the field of matrimonial matters, "national diversity has to be respected and family law is and must remain the sole competence of member states." The bishops charge the EU with ignoring the fact that the traditional family is by far "the preferable method for bringing up children". They call for EU assistance in instigating divorce prevention programs such as communication training for high-risk couples, especially those dealing with pressures of dual employment and separation due to increased geographic mobility. The bishops also took issue with the EU's assumption that a dual-income family is now "the social norm" among European citizens, arguing that some dual earning households exist primarily for financial reasons. For that reason, they said, EU should support and not discriminate against single-earner families. Staying at home to care for one's children is "an important and welcome contribution to the well-being of all citizens of the European Union," according to the report, which cites studies showing family break up as an important cause of poverty. David Fieldsend, from the Brussels-based CARE Europe, said, "The Bishops' paper is a timely and well-researched contribution to the debate that is at last being aired at the EU on family matters. For too long talk of the family has been taboo while all sorts of fringe agendas were embraced with enthusiasm. Now the demographic crisis has forced the EU's leaders to sit up and take notice." Source: Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute ----------------------------------------------- JUDICIAL CORRUPTION IMPEDES JUSTICE FOR ALL Russia and Argentina have been named by a corruption watchdog as countries where political interference in the judicial process has risen recently. Berlin-based Transparency International says corruption is also undermining justice in many parts of the world. The group says corruption is denying people the right to a fair and impartial trial. Corruption also impedes economic growth by lowering the trust of the investment community, the report says. "Equal treatment before the law is a pillar of democratic societies. When courts are corrupted by greed or political expediency, the scales of justice are tipped, and ordinary people suffer." Judicial systems are being corrupted in two ways - through political interference and bribery. In 20 countries around the world more than 30% of households said bribery was involved in getting a "fair outcome in court". In Africa and Latin America, about one in 5 people paid a bribe, compared to 15% in "newly independent states" and the Asia Pacific, 9% in South East Europe, 2% in North America and 1% in the European Union and other Western European countries. In Russia, an estimated $210m is paid in bribes to courts annually. In Pakistan, 96% of people surveyed said their courts were corrupt. Despite widespread problems with corruption in Africa, especially Zimbabwe, the report finds examples in Nigeria where trial times have been improved and judges are more rigorously screened before being appointed. Source: Transparency International ----------------------------------------------- KENYAN WOMEN VOW TO WEAR SACKCLOTH TO SIGNIFY REPENTANCE AND MOURNING FOR THEIR COUNTRY Two Christian women in Kenya have taken to wearing sackcloth in public as a way to get their message out about repentance and bringing an end to tribal warfare in their country. One of the women said "I think we Kenyans need to repent for certain things, especially our leaders...I feel that as women, and as leaders, we need to mourn for our nation. We also need to ask for justice. The wearing of sackcloth is very powerful...It is humbling ourselves in the eyes of God and the people. I want God to forgive us...I am prepared to continue dressing like this for as long as our nation is restless...I will continue talking to other people, I'll be going from office to office, from door to door and asking others to share with me in this state of mourning for our nation." Source: BBC News
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