Category: Uncategorized

Mauritania: Half a million African slaves are at the heart of Mauritania’s presidential election

(Mauritania) Half a million African slaves are at the heart of Mauritania’s presidential election
— Daily Telegraph reports: “More than half a million slaves are at the heart of a presidential election battle in the former French colony of Mauritania”
— “A year after she ran away from her master, Barakatu Mint Sayed prays that the election on July 18 will mark the beginning of the end of slavery in Mauritania.”
— “like thousands of other slaves and freed slaves across the Saharan country, her hopes are fixed on an inspirational candidate, a man born to slave parents who has sworn to put an end to the practice of ‘owning’ humans if he is elected president.”
— “That candidate is Messaoud Ould Boulkheir”…. “there are an estimated 600,000 slaves, almost one in five of the country’s 3.2 million people”

North Korea: U.S. seeks amnesty for two held in North Korea — Laura Ling and Euna Lee

(North Korea) U.S. seeks amnesty for two held in North Korea — Laura Ling and Euna Lee
— “The United States has dropped its request that two American journalists imprisoned in North Korea be released on humanitarian grounds, and is seeking amnesty instead, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said”
— ” A plea for amnesty implies forgiveness for some offense.”
— “The women — Laura Ling and Euna Lee — were sentenced in June to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign”

Iranian Christian leader fears more violence – killing of “Iranians who’ve left the Islamic faith”

(Iran) Colorado Springs Iranian Christian leader fears more violence
— KOAA reports: “The Colorado Springs leader of the group ‘Iranian Christians International’ fears the violence in Iran may get worse.”
— “ICI tries to help Christians who are being persecuted in Iran. Abe Ghaffari is the president of ICI. He became a Christian, fled Iran and founded the international group to help Iranians who’ve left the Islamic faith.”
— “‘Just like you see the protestors in the streets of Tehran, they are taking their lives into their hands so to speak, these Muslims who become Christians, they have no protection under the Islamic constitution of Iran,’ he told News First.”
— “He says Muslims who convert to Christianity in Iran can be killed and the murderer not punished.”

Communist China: Changchunli Church in Shandong Sends Plea for Prayer

(Communist China) Changchunli Church in Shandong Sends Plea for Prayer
— ChinaAid reports: “ChinaAid received a letter from Changchunli Church asking Christians around the world to pray for them as the government has shut down their church gatherings and is attempting to demolish their church building. Even though Changchunli Church is a legally registered, government-sanctioned church, government officials, working together with government-sanctioned religious organizations, the China Christian Council (CCC) and the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM,) have made agreements with real estate developers to take over the church land to for financial profit.”