Displaying items by tag: Asia

Iran's president said the Islamic republic will resume high-level enrichment of uranium if world powers do not protect its interests against U.S. sanctions.

Hassan Rohani's address to the nation was aired by state television on May 8, the anniversary of President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from a landmark nuclear agreement.

The announcement further escalates tensions between Tehran and Western nations -- first and foremost, the United States, which this week said it was deploying an aircraft carrier battle group to waters near Iran.

Rohani said the remaining signatories of the 2015 accord -- Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia – had 60 days to take measures to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors.

Western officials reacted cautiously to Rohani's announcement.

In London, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said Washington will wait to see if Tehran follows through on its threats before deciding its next move.

The White House, meanwhile, announced new economic sanctions targeting Iran's steel, copper, aluminum, and mining sectors, all key sources of revenue for the country.

"Tehran can expect further actions unless it fundamentally alters its conduct," Trump said in a statement released by the White House. "I look forward to someday meeting with the leaders of Iran in order to work out an agreement and, very importantly, taking steps to give Iran the future it deserves."

In his speech, Rohani said Iran will start reducing some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal and will no longer export enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations as stipulated in the accord.

He said Iran would begin to build up its stockpiles of low enriched uranium and of heavy water, which is used in nuclear reactors, including a reactor that could produce weapons-grade plutonium.

If the Europeans fail to compensate for the unilateral American sanctions, he said, Iran will resume construction of the Arak nuclear reactor, a facility that was shut down, and its key components dismantled.

"If the five countries join negotiations and help Iran to reach its benefits in the fields of oil and banking, Iran will return to its commitments according to the nuclear deal," Rohani said.

However, Rohani warned of a "strong reaction" if European leaders instead sought to impose more sanctions. He did not elaborate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also tweeted: "After a year of patience, Iran stops measures that [the United States] has made impossible to continue."

Other European signatories of the deal urged Iran to uphold the nuclear pact and said they want to keep the Iran deal alive.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly warned that if Iran did not keep its commitments, re-imposing sanctions would be considered.

In Berlin, the office of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "We as Europeans, as Germans, will play our part and we expect full implementation from Iran as well.”

At his news conference with Pompeo, Hunt said that Iran's threat to resume higher enrichment of uranium is an "unwelcome step" and urged Tehran to adhere to the deal.

Russia, meanwhile, has blamed the United States for the crisis, a point Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov repeated during a news conference in Moscow with Zarif.

“The U.S. is to blame for the situation and it makes it difficult for both Iran to fulfill its obligations and...for the general state of the nuclear nonproliferation regime,” Lavrov said.

Zarif insisted that Iran's latest decision did not violate the agreement, and asserted it was provoked by U.S. actions toward Iran. He said Iran will uphold its obligations if European signatories to the deal uphold theirs.

China, which was also a signatory to the deal, said maintaining and implementing "the comprehensive agreement is the shared responsibility of all parties.”

"We call on all relevant parties to exercise restraint, strengthen dialogue, and avoid escalating tensions," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

The 2015 nuclear pact, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, lifted crippling economic sanctions in exchange for Tehran agreeing to curb parts of its nuclear program.

Last year, Trump announced the U.S. pullout, arguing it was flawed because it did not include curbs on Iran’s development of ballistic missiles or Tehran’s support for proxies in the Middle East.

Washington also reinstated sweeping sanctions that have badly hit the Iranian economy.

Despite the U.S. moves, Tehran has continued to comply with the terms of the deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

European backers of the deal have been trying to salvage the agreement, but Tehran has complained that the process is too slow.

Last month, the U.S. administration announced it would not permit importers of Iranian oil to buy it without facing U.S. sanctions. Oil exports are a major source of revenue for the Iranian economy.

On May 8, Tim Morrison, Trump's special envoy on weapons of mass destruction, threatened that the United States was ready to impose more sanctions "very soon" and warned European nations against doing business with Tehran.

With reporting by the AP, Reuters, BBC, and AFP

More: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-to-reduce-commiments-to-to-nuclear-deal/29928087.html?ltflags=mailer

Pray: that the disagreement will not lead to nuclear proliferation

Pray: for the ordinary Iranian citizens affected by the economic sanctions

Pray: that Iran will comply fully with the nuclear deal

A few years ago, Rob Gifford, author of China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power, spoke at a ChinaSource conference in Hong Kong. He talked about the economic and social challenges that were likely to force China into drastic restructuring, noting that demographics alone would require it to move from being a labor-intensive, manufacturing-based economy to something else. ‘One thing is certain’, Gifford said, ‘the next 30 years in China cannot look like the last 30 years.’

More recently, this sentiment was echoed by China watcher Bill Bishop, who wrote in November in the Axios[2] newsletter that ‘we have to accept that China under General Secretary Xi Jinping is materially different from the China we knew under Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin.’

One way that China is ‘materially different’ under Xi Jinping is a significantly tighter political environment. After three decades of loosening Communist Party control and expanding freedoms, Xi is systematically trying to reassert Party control over all sectors of society. This is behind so many of the reports we have seen of late of crackdowns and growing harassment/persecution of believers. However, the crackdowns are part of something much broader and it is a misinterpretation to assume that they are simply targeted at religion in general, or Christianity in particular.

This new political environment is impacting both local believers in China and foreign workers whohave been serving the church in China.

End of the era of openness

The past few decades have seen an increased openness for churches and believers.[3] The urban house church movement came into its own. Unlike the rural house church movement that had grown up during the era of intense persecution and of necessity had been ‘underground’, these urban house churches are often public (complete with websites) and have adopted a less confrontational stance towards the government. The goal has been to show the authorities that they are not a threat.

Even though religious regulations were not changed, enforcement was relaxed, leading to an expanded gray zone that allowed for the growth of Christian publishing, media, and education. Local officials had leeway in overseeing religious affairs in their jurisdictions, and some even cultivated relationships with church leaders. This contributed to a more relaxed environment as Christians could offer assurances of not being a threat. As long as local churches and believers did not cause trouble, they were largely left alone.

For the foreign Christian community serving in China, the past few decades have been marked by increasing openness as well. While still not being allowed to engage officially in religious work, foreign Christians could live and work in China on a variety of legitimate visa platforms. These included teaching, studying, operating registered commercial enterprises, and establishing locally-registered NGOs. Some were working independently, while others were quietly part of sending organizations. So long as their visa and residence permission papers were in order, they were operating their businesses according to local laws and regulations and were considered to be providing legitimate services to the community, their presence was tolerated.

The ‘New Normal’

The new environment, or ‘New Normal’[4] as it is sometimes referred to, is making things more difficult for local believers. In 2018, the government issued a new set of religious regulations that make it significantly more difficult for unregistered churches (house churches) to function. Penalties can be levied against landlords who rent to unregistered groups, and local officials are under pressure to be stricter in their enforcement of these regulations. As a result, a few large, high-profile house churches have been closed and their leaders detained. Other larger house churches have made plans to divide (or have divided) into smaller churches should the need arise. In some ways this can be seen as Communist Party-led church multiplication.

Registered churches (‘Three-self’ churches) are also feeling the pressure, with more political rhetoric and directives to ‘Sinicize’.[5] Many registered church leaders now have to spend more time managing their relationships with government officials, leaving less time for shepherding the flock.

Read the full report here: https://www.lausanne.org/content/lga/2019-05/the-new-normal-for-christianity-in-china?utm_source=Lausanne+Movement+List&utm_campaign=0f41363ced-Lausanne_Global_Analysis+-May2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_602c1cb67d-0f41363ced-91691477

Pray: that the doors will re-open to Christian workers and mission agencies.

Pray: for those being persecuted and marginalised because of their faith.

Pray: for protection of those 'at risk'

There has been much discussion circulating about the authenticity of the three “moderate scholars” who were promoted as such by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Much feedback also came in from Jihad Watchers. Referencing al-Qouda as “moderate” drew the concern of many. For this reason, a profile of the two most controversial scholars:  Sheikh Salman al-Ouda and Awad al-Qarni is included in this update.

News of the three men facing execution leaves many questions unanswered about the real reason Saudi Arabia is planning to execute them, particularly as there no freedom of speech and no freedom of the press in Saudi Arabia. As indicated below, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is unconvincing about his quest for modernized reform as the kingdom continues to embrace and spread Wahhabi ideology and persecute its authentic human rights activists—including the well known Raif Badawi and his sister Samar .

The most notorious of the three men slated for execution is Salman Al-Odah. This is his troubling jihadist profile and reported “change” to moderacy:

Salman Al-Odah was a known inciter of jihad terror and once referred to the late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as “brother”. He was also “infamous for his 1990s sermons ‘Come for Jihad’ and ‘The Industry of Death’ “and for his sermons which were spread throughout Saudi Arabia and beyond. He issued calls for his followers to perform “jihad in Afghanistan, Iraq and other occupied Muslim lands.” In 2012, Al-Odah was quoted by MEMRI as saying: “Jews use human blood for passover matzos”.

According to Arab News, Al-Odah is characterized as a “chameleon cleric”. He reportedly “took a sharp turn at the end of the decade to become a voice of the Islamic Awakening (Al-Sahwa) movement”, and lauded for his “comparatively progressive views in the Islamic world on Sharia and homosexuality.” On the 6th anniversary of 9-11,  Arab News quoted him as saying openly on a TV show:

“My brother Osama, how much blood has been spilled? How many innocent people, children, elderly and women have been killed … in the name of Al-Qaeda? Will you be happy to meet God Almighty carrying the burden of these hundreds of thousands or millions of victims on your back?”

Yet, he was still banned as a hate preacher from Denmark in 2017.

Ayed Al-Qarni

Arab News reported that the wildly popular Qarni “with 19 million Twitter followers, was banned from preaching in the 1990s and arrested over his views, but later adopted pro-government stances.” Here one can note an oddity. Saudi Arabia has been noted for its spread of salafi ideology so what was it specifically about Qarni’s views that drew the ire of the Saudi kingdom? Arab News corroborated a Gulf News report that Al-Qarni issued an apology “for his hardline interpretations of Islam and called for a more modernised Islam”, and also expressed his commitment to Mohammed bin Salman.

It is interesting to also note that Al-Qarni was scheduled to do a speaking engagement with Tariq Ramadan in December 2015, the latter who is a Muslim Brotherhood promoting, disgraced accused rapist who is funded handsomely by Qatar. But according to the Center for Security Policy, the Muslim Brotherhood political action group that hosted them “suffered a setback… when Saudi cleric Sheikh Ayed al-Qarni was denied entry into the United States.”

It would seem to be that there is much more to the executions of these men than is being revealed. One thing can be certain: dirty politics and Wahhabi oppression are features of Saudi Arabia whether or not any of these men are now “moderate”.

“Three moderate scholars will reportedly be executed in Saudi Arabia after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The three men – Sheikh Salman al-Ouda, Awad al-Qarni and Ali al-Omari – are being held on multiple charges of terrorism.” Terrorism is the word used by jihad-sponsoring countries to cover up their misdeeds against anyone who opposes them. Amnesty International identified the men as “peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly”. They were not terrorists but opposing the Saudi regime’s oppressive sharia abuses. The Saudis executed 37 of its citizens for so-called “terrorism offences” last month.

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, announced that he will “return Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam” last year. There has never been a ‘moderate’ normative Islam in 1400 years to begin with, so his use of the term “return” is fallacious.  Despite bin Salman’s appearance of good will,  Saudi Arabia has been persecuting Koranists, cracking down on any efforts toward modernizing, jailing women for human rights advocacy and it continues to promote Wahhabi ideology globally. Saudi Arabia was also  discovered to be auctioning off Yazidi sex slaves, who were captured by the Islamic State. And when it comes to the barbaric  practice of beheadings, the Islamic State has nothing over Saudi Arabia. Claiming efforts to modernize Islam in Saudi Arabia is merely a front.

They will be convicted and executed after the end of Ramadan next month, the Middle East Eye reports, citing two government sources and one of the men’s relatives.

Saudi authorities have not commented on the report.

Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, said he could not confirm the report, but told The Independent: “What I can say is that Saudi prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against these men merely for their alleged peaceful political affiliations and opinions.”

He added: “We see this as a clear departure from past practice and an indication of just how much the repression level has increased since MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] became crown prince nearly two years ago.”

Mr Odah, who is known for his comparatively progressive views on Sharia (Islamic law) and homosexuality, was arrested in September 2017 after tweeting a prayer calling for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Qatar after Riyadh launched a blockade against the emirate.

Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International’s Gulf researcher, told The Independent: “The Saudi Public Prosecution’s recurring calls for the death penalty in the case of a number of individuals being held for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression – including Sheikh Salman al-Ouda – raises real alarms for the fate of detained activists and religious clerics in the country.

“We’re calling on the Saudi Arabian authorities to immediately release those detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and to drop any charges against them.”

Pray: for an end to the oppressive treatment of these innocent, peaceful people.

Pray: for a change of heart on the part of the Saudi government.

Pray: that the human rights of these and other unjustly imprisoned individuals will be respected.

More at: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2019/05/saudi-arabia-to-execute-three-muslim-scholars-after-ramadan

MAY 25, 2019 2:40 PM BY CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS

During Donald Trump’s state visit to Japan he told Emperor Naruhito that he would support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to act as a mediator between the US and Iran. Abe will visit Tehran next month for talks with the President, Hassan Rouhani. Trump also gave his backing to Abe’s attempts to set up a first summit, without preconditions, with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, hours after the regime described his national security adviser, John Bolton, as a ‘warmonger’. Currently Tehran has no interest in talking to the US administration and last week sent 1,500 troops to the region. Trump wants Iran to have no nuclear weapons. Trump’s conciliatory tone extended to North Korea, despite deadlocked denuclearisation talks and Pyongyang’s recent testing of short-range missiles. He said his relationship with Kim was one of ‘great respect’, and talked up the prospects for progress on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

Over 40 civilians killed on 28 May were the latest casualties from barrel bomb bombardments in northwest Syria that have damaged schools and hospitals. Families are dying from government fire on towns in Idlib and the Aleppo countryside which is under the control of jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The region is supposed to be protected from government offensives by a buffer zone deal, but the area has come under increasing bombardment by the regime and Russia since late April. 260+ civilians have been killed in the spike in violence since then. The UN said that over 200,000 civilians have already been displaced by the recent upsurge of violence and an all-out offensive on the region would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe for its nearly 3 million residents. Over 20 health facilities have been hit by the escalation. Nineteen remain out of service.

Former defence minister Avigdor Liberman whose party draws support from Israel’s largely secular Russian immigrant community, refused to join the government unless a military draft bill, crafted in the last Knesset, would be passed unaltered. The ultra-Orthodox parties dismissed this outright. Netanyahu needed 61 seats to form a governing coalition, but disagreements between secular and Halachic parties meant he was five seats short to form a coalition government by a 30 May deadline. A Halachic party is founded on Jewish law based on the Talmud, which is law passed down orally, not written. The deadline has passed, so the State of Israel is going to the elections again. In his comments following the dissolution, Netanyahu declared that Likud ‘will run a sharp and clear election campaign, and we will win.’

A man screaming ‘I will kill you’ and carrying a knife in each hand attacked Catholic schoolgirls waiting at a bus stop in Kawasaki, slaughtering two and wounding 16 others. He then stabbed himself in the throat and died. Most of the victims attended a private school founded by Soeurs de la Charité de Québec, an organisation of Catholic nuns in Quebec City in Canada. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, ‘It was an extremely harrowing incident in which many small children were victimised, and I feel strong resentment. I will take all possible measures to protect the safety of children.’ Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

Over the years Prayer-Alert has highlighted the plight of Brick-Kiln Workers; but it still goes on. Amanat worked seven days a week in a brick-kiln making 1,000 bricks daily, earning the equivalent of £4.20 that he never saw because it went back to the brick-kiln owner, paying interest on a loan he took out at a time of family crisis. His situation was hopeless. He had to borrow further money to buy food for his children. There are thousands of Pakistani Christian brick-kiln workers like him with debts keeping them bonded to their boss, unable to leave and get another job. Their wage just pays off interest on an impossible debt. They are despised, despairing and trapped bonded slaves. But Amanat got lucky. Barnabas Fund paid off his debt and with nothing being deducted from his wages any more, he can pay for his children’s schooling, or learn a new trade.

Last week you prayed for thousands of pastors and their congregations as they worshipped together in Singapore, heard inspiring teaching, and stepped out in faith for a bountiful harvest. We have heard from the organisers that there were 5,485 enquiries: 1,910 about salvation, 1,525 rededication, 1,006 interested to find out more. 170 wanted to join a church. The three-day celebration could not have happened without the 17,000 ushers, counsellors, security crew, production crew, intercessors, interpreters, and countless others. Praise God for their willing hearts and labour of love.

Five year plans are centralised and integrated national economic programmes. India launched its first one in 1951 under Jawaharlal Nehru. Although he has no ‘plan’ for the next five years, a bitterly contested election campaign appears poised to give prime minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP party a resounding mandate for the next five years. For thirty years India was governed by a series of broken, temperamental coalitions. Modi’s election in 2014 broke the pattern, and this victory will exceed even the BJP’s expectations. The primary force for Christian persecution in India is Hindu nationalism, which voices the belief that India belongs to the Hindus and that people of other faiths should find somewhere else to live, work and worship. In 2018 more than 12,000 Christians were attacked, but this number is only the tip of the iceberg, researchers say, as increasing numbers of persecution acts go unreported. See