news in brief
Africa: Study Bible
Earlier this year, Oasis International launched the Africa Study Bible, with notes by more than 300 African pastors and scholars.
The Study Bible uses the New Living Translation and contains more than 2,600 features casting light on Scripture from an African perspective. Christian ministry African Christian Textbooks is a ‘cornerstone partner for the distribution’, according to Oasis.
news in brief
Council prays to Allah
At the opening of a Full Council Meeting in
Oldham
in the summer, Islamic prayers
were led by an Imam.
The new Mayor of Oldham is a Muslim
and the Imam-led prayer repeats the pattern
of the Mayor before last, who was also a
Muslim. The Qu’ran section read out talked
about ‘those who have gone astray, and those
who have earned [Allah’s] anger’ traditionally
interpreted
as meaning
Jews
and
Christians. Therefore the Council, were in
effect, being encouraged to not be like Jews
or Christians.
news in brief
Proud?
Buses and Underground signs were wrapped in rainbow flags by Transport For London as part of London’s Pride week, in early July.
50 Santander bikes (formerly Boris bikes) were adorned with the same symbol. Skittles, the sweets known for their ‘rainbow colours’ were produced in totally white packets as ‘only one rainbow deserves to be the centre of attention’. Facebook now issue a rainbow flag as one of seven standard emojis to use to ‘like’ a status.
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Australia: life upheld
The Australian state of Tasmania rejected a Bill to legalise euthanasia in May.
The legislation was defeated by 16 votes to eight in the lower house of the Tasmanian Parliament. It marks the third time in ten years that a euthanasia Bill has been defeated in the state.
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Egypt: false imprisonment
A 15-year-old Coptic Christian boy was sentenced to 15 years in an Egyptian prison for sexual assault, even though forensic reports showed no evidence of a crime.
His mother says her son, Fadi, is innocent and was targeted only because her Muslim neighbours, whose eight-year-old son was the alleged victim, ‘don’t like Christians’. The Muslim boy’s grandfather is imam at the local mosque. The family were forced to move home, which itself is a crime against the Egyptian Constitution where Article 63 prohibits arbitrary forced displacement of citizens.
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Appeal lost
In a legal challenge to the law surrounding end of life issues, campaigners have said they will continue to protect the most vulnerable despite losing an appeal in mid-January.
Disability campaigners Nikki and Merv Kenward lost an appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice where they were protesting amendments to guidelines which make it less likely that medical staff will be prosecuted for wilfully ending a patient’s life.
news in brief
Africa: shortages
Millions in Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe continue to face severe food shortages as a result of drought across the region, it was reported in January.
People in rural communities were so desperate that they were prepared to risk eating locusts, which are known to be toxic. Young people are collapsing from hunger and exhaustion. Countries with economies that are less robust are suffering greatly due to poor infrastructure and emergency relief processes. The problems are in cities as well as rural areas.