World

ISIS orders female circumcision in Mosul

The Good News
4 Aug 2014
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ASSIST News Service The radical group ISIS is seeking to impose female genital mutilation (FGM) in Mosul, a top UN official in Iraq told the BBC. The edict stated that all females aged 11 to 46 in Mosul must undergo the procedure, UN official Jacqueline Badcock reported noting the extraordinary pronouncement was of grave concern. Some African, Middle Eastern and Asian communities practice female circumcision in the belief it prepares women for adulthood and marriage. The procedure poses many health risks to women, including severe bleeding, problems urinating, infections, infertility and increased risk of newborn deaths in childbirth, according to […]

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Is Boko Haram’s Motivation Mysterious?

Jerry Newcombe
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Here we are after the kidnapping of some 300 girls by a radical Islamic group in Nigeria, and there are still many in the West who don’t get it. They just don’t understand the motivation of the kidnappers. Radical Muslims want to take over the world. They divide it into two parts—those who submit to Allah and therefore are at “peace” and those that are at war until they are made to submit to Allah. These are the houses of peace (Dar al-Islam) and of war (Dar al-Harb). By misreading the motives of Boko Haram, the kidnapping group, we are […]

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U.S. Works for Meriam Ibrahim Exit in Sudan Death Row Case

The Good News
1 Jul 2014
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KHARTOUM, SUDAN (ANS) — The U.S. says it is working with Sudan to ensure a woman freed from death row can leave the country, after she was detained at Khartoum airport. According to a story by the BBC, Meriam Ibrahim’s lawyer says she and her husband are being questioned over their travel documents. She was sentenced in May to hang for renouncing Islam – sparking an outcry – but was released from jail on Monday. Ibrahim’s husband is a Christian from South Sudan. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Sudan’s government had given assurances that Ibrahim and her family […]

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U.S. Works for Meriam Ibrahim Exit in Sudan Death Row Case

Themed Cruises Promise a Spiritual Getaway

Shelly Pond
3 Jun 2014
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cruises

Summer is upon us and it’s time to plan that special vacation. For people seeking an all-inclusive, hassle-free and often economical escape, cruises are popular. Where else can you stay in a luxury cabin while the ship transports you to a variety of ports, entertainment and activities are provided on board and the food is delicious and plentiful. The planning is done for you while you sit back and relax. Choosing a destination is the difficult part and now there are Christian-themed cruises that allow travelers to experience a spiritual getaway while taking a break from the day to day […]

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A June Day in Jerusalem

The Good News
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Still waking up, but with hot coffee in hand, we step outside on the balcony to join the pots of red geraniums that are already welcoming the day. The Jerusalem sky never fails to stun us. It is too blue to be real, but there it is, always this blue through at least September, reaching down to touch the rooftops and mountains of this beautiful city. Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks Today is Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, one of the three feasts on which God required Jewish men to appear before Him in Jerusalem. It was during this very […]

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Learning to Decipher the Rhetoric

Dr. Susan Michael
7 Mar 2014
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One of Israel’s staunchest allies, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, recently visited the Jewish State and expressed great solidarity between the two countries. The highlight of the very warm and friendly visit was his speech before the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, where he told Israel’s leaders that Canada would stand behind them through “fire and water.” The Israeli Knesset is known for the occasional heckling and outbursts of its members, but for the first time in history, a foreign dignitary, Prime Minister Harper, was heckled by one of the Arab Members of Knesset. Israel has several Arab political parties and […]

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The Palestinian Jesus

Dr. Susan Michael
11 Feb 2014
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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a Christmas message in Bethlehem last month in which he called Jesus “a Palestinian messenger.” As a Muslim, Abbas used the term “messenger” which is in keeping with Islam’s view of Jesus as a prophet. But, to describe him as “Palestinian” is a very cunning twist of facts in an attempt to rewrite history and deny the Jews’ historical connection to the land of Israel. In this distorted scenario, Jesus is not the Jewish Messiah but is a Palestinian revolutionary who lived under occupation and died a martyr for Allah when he was murdered […]

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Getting to Know Pope Francis

Bob Woods
5 Feb 2014
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Pope Francis

Pope Francis became the leader of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013. Since that time, he has become one of the more controversial popes in the church’s recent history. In the last 64 years, there have been seven Popes: Pope Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. For most of us, especially if we were brought up in the Catholic faith, each of these names brings back a memory of how we felt when the predecessor left his position and a new leader took his place. Where is Francis […]

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American Support for Israel

Dr. Susan Michael
14 Jan 2014
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A retired Army General and formerhigh ranking official in the Obama Administration, recently spoke at a well-known American university. During the questions following his remarks he was asked by a student why“25 percent of US Foreign Aid goes to Israel.” The General stumbled around and gave no real answer other than, “It’s complicated.” What he did not say was that the premise of the question was wrong to start with because the percentage of U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel is nowhere near 25 percent . He also failed to list the numerous reasons that America’s financial assistance to Israel is […]

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Six Must-See Destinations

Keisha McDonnough Virtue
10 Jan 2014
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Have you been dreaming of the trip of a lifetime? Is 2014 the year you are going to finally make that dream a reality? Here are some absolute must-see destinations for you to consider! For beach bums: Negril Take a journey with me, along a meandering coastal road, dotted with almond trees, small homes, and tantalizing glimpses of clear blue ocean. As you disembark, what you see before you is almost beyond description; powdery white sand and breathtakingly clear turquoise water gently caressing the shore. You wade in the warm current and wiggle your toes. Twenty feet out, you are […]

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