This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

• The Christian Exodus From Iraq - (Read)
• Netanyahu and Obama At Odds - (Read)
• It Is The Soldier - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

THE CHRISTIAN EXODUS FROM IRAQ - (Print)

The body of a Christian boy was discovered last week in a village outside Mosul, his body riddled with bullets. Five-year-old Tony Adwar Shawell was kidnapped on May 5 and was later executed by a group that had demanded $50,000 for his ransom. Just a week earlier, on April 27th, three Christians were shot to death in their homes in Kirkuk. These are just some of the latest attacks against Christians in Iraq, where some of the oldest Christian communities on earth are disappearing in response to lawlessness and religiously motivated violence.

According to the last Iraqi census, there were about 1.4 million Christians in Iraq in 1987. Today, the US State Dept estimates that number has dropped to around 550,000, and the German Catholic relief organization Kirche in Not suggests that the number is even lower, perhaps 400,000. In a country of about 28 million, that's quite a small minority. Despite (or because of) their small numbers, the peaceful Assyrian Christian community has been energetically targeted for attack in the wake of the relative anarchy since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Richard Hrair Dekmejian, a USC professor who was born in Syria and studies the Middle East, blames Islamic fundamentalism for much of the violence. "These are pre-Muslim communities in Iraq, and they're being uprooted en masse," he said.

Christians did not have full rights under Saddam Hussein, but there was relative stability in the country. And while Christians were not able to take jobs in the military or security fields or high levels of government, they were often well educated and became doctors or engineers or civil servants and made up a significant portion of Iraq's middle class.

With the rise of violence directed at them, hundreds of thousands of Iraq's Christians have fled to other countries and usually aren't worried about going back. Many have relocated to Syria or Jordan where they wait in refugee camps. Others have emigrated to the United States or South America.

The rise in Islamic conservatism in Iraq has fueled the Christian exodus. "I hope to leave for any other place in the world," said Sheeran Surkon, a 27-year-old Iraqi woman. In 2004, Surkon escaped from Iraq to Syria after her life was threatened, her father disappeared, and somebody blew up her beauty shop. She has no interest in returning to Iraq. "How can I live there as a woman?" she asked.

Islamic fundamentalism is not the only motivation for attacking Christians. Greed is also a problem. Christians are considered wealthy, or are often believed to have wealthy relatives in other countries, and are regularly kidnapped for ransoms. Families have complained that when they pay the ransom money to the kidnappers, they are seen by US officials as supporting terrorists.

Even the liberal publication The Huffington Post has printed an article on the shameful treatment of the Middle East's Christians, saying, "No community today is so targeted by violent thugs for no reason other than sheer bigotry as are the Christians of Iraq. They have had their churches bombed and their priests kidnapped and murdered and yet they persevere with dignity and passive resistance. The Christian community in Iraq do not take to armed conflict and violence against the criminals who want to drive them out..."

Christians are not only leaving Iraq, however. Across the Middle East, believers are leaving historically Christian areas to escape persecution and violence. In fact, the success of Christian education contributes greatly to their ability to get out. According to CNN: "For generations, church-run schools in the Holy Land have turned out Christians who are well-educated, prosperous, and fluent in Western languages. A 2005 study in Bethlehem, where the Christian percentage of the population has fallen from 80 to 20 percent, concluded that Christians' middle-class status and higher education were the most important contributors to their emigration."

Some observers note that Arab Christians have had influence on the social, political and economic affairs of the Middle East, despite their minority status. If they leave, peace and stability might just leave with them.

While thousands of atrocities have been committed against Iraq's Christians, the death of little five-year-old Tony Adwar Shawell is particularly tragic; it demonstrates the level of the horror and depravity being faced in Iraq.

Jonathan Racho, the International Christian Concern regional manager for Africa and the Middle East, commented, "This latest unconscionable act indicates the deteriorating situation for Christian minorities in Iraq. It is also a clear sign of the danger that all Iraqi Christians face in the country. We call upon the Iraqi and the United States government to put an end to the systematic extermination of Christians from Iraq."

When President Barack Obama addresses the Muslim world on June 4, it would be appropriate for him to speak out in defense of the Middle East's Christian communities.

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NETANYAHU AND OBAMA AT ODDS - (Print)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Barack Obama this week and, as expected, did not offer any interest in a two-state solution. Instead, Netanyahu focused on how to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat. While the men maintained a friendly rapport, it was clear that the new American and Israeli governments have very different views on how to handle the tricky situation that is called the Middle East.

The US government has long supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Obama has stepped in line with that policy, and openly made it clear that he believes Israel should restart the peace process with the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank.

Bibi, on the other hand, has resisted even talking about the creation of a Palestinian state. Some of his associates have brought up the idea of a sort of Palestinian entity, but not an actual state with the ability to sign treaties or control airspace.  Netanyahu is willing to start a peace process, but doesn't believe there will be any success until the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state, something that PA leader Mahmoud Abbas has not been willing to do.  "I want to make it clear that we don’t want to govern the Palestinians; we want to live in peace with them," he said.

West Bank settlements is another hot issue. Obama urged the new Israeli government to stop the expansion of settlements in the West Bank as Netanyahu promised he would. "There is a clear understanding that we have to make progress on settlements; that settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward," Obama said.

Bibi's government holds the position, however, that there isn't any new settlement building going on. The issue is actually a matter of definitions. Does expanding settlements mean building in entirely new locations, or does it mean building additional houses in existing settlement areas? New houses are being built by Jews in the West Bank, but the Israeli government holds the view that these are homes appropriately being erected in existing settlements. The Palestinians who want no new houses, though, consider these building projects to be unacceptable settlement expansion.

The issue of Iran was perhaps the most important matter discussed at the meeting, but while Obama recognizes Israel's right to protect itself, he and Bibi still have differing views on how to handle the problem. The Israelis are concerned that Iran might develop a nuclear weapon within the next two years, and therefore want a deadline by which to work things out with Iran diplomatically. Obama, on the other hand, wants to promote talks with Iran about its nuclear program and see what can be accomplished within the next year through peaceful negotiations. He has resisted putting any end date on cooperative dialogue with Iran.

The governments of Israel and the US also have differing views on what should be considered the Middle East's "key" issue. The American administration believes that if the Palestinian problem can get taken care of, then that will encourage other states in the region to cooperate regarding Iran. As long as Israel is perceived as an occupier, the Obama Administration argues, it will be difficult to get the regional support needed to pressure Iran. The Netanyahu administration, on the other hand, argues that Iran needs to be dealt with before there can be any hope for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian situation.

The Obama Administration is maintaining America's long-held support of Israel's right to protect itself, and the two leaders were warm and friendly with one another. It is clear, though, that the respective governments of Benjamin Netanyahu and Barack Obama may have trouble seeing eye-to-eye for awhile to come.

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IT IS THE SOLDIER - (Print)

by Charles Michael Province, U.S. Army

"It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag."

Memorial Day approaches, and in its honor the eNews staff would like to express our appreciation to those who have served in the armed forces. We thank God for our soldiers, and for the many stories of His protection on them as they serve around the world.  The bravery and sacrifice of those who have stood and fought and died will always be remembered.  Thank you.

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Forty Percent of Israeli Arabs Deny Holocaust - May 17, 2009
Two out of every five Arab citizens of Israel say that the Shoah, or Holocaust, never happened. This figure is up from 28 percent who denied the Holocaust in a similar survey three years ago. Only 41 percent of the Arab citizens of Israel recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state, down from 65.6 percent who did so in 2003. A mere 53.7 percent recognize Israel's right to exist as an independent state at all, compared with 81.1 percent in 2003. Arutz Sheva

Could Israel Destroy Iran's Nuclear Program? - May 16, 2009
Should Israel attack Iran? Does Israel have a real chance of actually destroying Iran's nuclear program, and what would be the ramifications? A feasibility study by Abdullah Toukan and Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington offers possible scenarios for a strike on Iran, and about the potential risks and chances of success. Toukan and Cordesman conclude: "A military strike by Israel against Iranian nuclear facilities is possible ... [but] would be complex and high-risk and would lack any assurances that the overall mission will have a high success rate." Ha'aretz

Christian Aid And The Devastation in Sri Lanka - May 16, 2009
As the civil war rages on in Sri Lanka, Christian relief groups are doing their best to meet the huge and desperate needs of displaced war refugees in government camps. Some of the Tamil civilians escaping the conflict area are Christians. Although Christians make up less than 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s overall population, they comprise 20 percent of the Tamil population. The Christian Post

Spanish Gov't Wants Abortion On Demand - May 15, 2009
The Spanish government approved a plan Friday to ease restrictions on abortion and allow the procedure on demand up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal needs approval from Parliament, where Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero lacks a majority. The government has said it hopes to have a law passed by the end of the year. Since taking power in 2004 Zapatero has legalized gay marriage and made it easier for Spaniards to divorce – big changes in a country where most people call themselves Catholic, even if church attendance is down. CNS News

Majority of Americans Now Pro-Life - May 15, 2009
Fifty-one percent of Americans consider themselves "pro-life," the first time a majority of the country has stated a personal objection to abortion since Gallup polls began tracking the data 15 years ago. The Gallup poll released Friday also marks a massive shift from one year ago, when 50 percent of Americans called themselves pro-choice, and just 44 percent said they were pro-life. Today 42 percent say they are pro-choice, by far the lowest level of support for abortion ever measured by the Gallup poll. Fox News

O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Psalms 86:14-15 KJV

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

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