The Decline of ISIS?

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

The hold of ISIS may finally be beginning to crumble in the Middle East. Over the past few weeks, ISIS has faced losing its key cities of Mosul and Raqqa, and yesterday the Syrian town of Al-Bab finally fell to Syrian rebels. The militant group has lost significant territory over the past year, and now that the “caliphate” is shrinking, thousands of fighters are reported to be leaving the cause.

But if defeated militarily in Iraq and Syria, will this really spell the end for ISIS?

There is growing international concern that if defeated in Syria and Iraq, ISIS will disperse to many other countries and form a global underground network. Furthermore, Al Jazeera reported yesterday that “perhaps up to 30 or 40 million people across the Arab World express sympathy, support or approval for ISIS and its actions,” which means there are clearly deeper issues which need to be dealt with in order for ISIS to be fully defeated.

As well as praying for the imminent end of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, we can also pray for solutions to the underlying causes behind ordinary Arabs showing sympathy for ISIS.

In yesterday's Al Jazeera piece, writer Rami G Khouri states that even if ISIS is dismantled, support for them is likely to increase if nothing is done to "improve the degrading conditions that have pushed millions of desperate Arabs to turn to ISIS as a last resort.”

Many of the factors that drive Arabs to support ISIS aren’t in fact religious, but are based on socioeconomic concerns such as lack of jobs and opportunities, low living standards, disillusionment with governments at home and abroad, lack of personal freedoms and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

“The most common sentiment among many who join or like ISIS is a desire to transform their life of vulnerability, humiliation, weakness and suffering into a new life defined by strength, purpose, direction and pride,” Khouri writes.

So how can we pray?

• Thank God for the defeats ISIS has already suffered in Iraq and Syria, including the restoration of Iraqi Christians to their homes and churches in Mosul.
• Pray that ISIS will be totally defeated in Iraq and Syria, to enable people to return to their homes and lands in safety.
• Please pray for the millions of people across the Arab world who show sympathy towards ISIS. Pray that they would see that militancy isn’t the answer to their problems and that it won’t give them the purpose and strength they need – that can only be found in Jesus!
• Thank God for our teams in the Middle East who continue to reach out to the communities around them with a message of God’s love and hope, and who are working to make their societies better and fairer places.
• Pray that leaders would have wisdom to deal with the root causes of people’s support for ISIS, so that there won’t only be short-term fixes but lasting peace and change.

Do you have any more ideas for how we can pray for Syria, Iraq and the fall of ISIS? Let us know in the comments below! 

Let them in

This week, the UK government announced that it would be ending its commitment to take in up to 3,000 child refugees under the 'Dubs' scheme, after taking in only 350 children. 

Meanwhile, across the pond, President Trump recently signed an executive order known as the 'Muslim ban', to bar travellers to the US from seven Middle Eastern countries including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The order even included Syrian refugees, who were to be barred indefinitely.

In both cases, human beings have been reduced to numbers on a page, a political problem to be dealt with. Instead of being seen as human people, they are seen as a mass of the ‘other’ – those who speak the ‘wrong’ language, were born in the ‘wrong’ country, whose skin is the ‘wrong’ colour, and are a threat to ‘our’ way of life. Is this how God sees people?

Hearteningly, people are rising up to resist these policies of excluding the stranger and to affirm our common humanity. Thousands of Americans assembled at airports across the US to protest the travel ban, and lawyers and judges were quick to take legal action. As of today, the travel ban has now been overturned by the US courts.

And here in the UK, people are already speaking out against the decision not to accept any more child refugees – including many of our Christian leaders:

“I’m shocked and saddened that only 350 refugee children will be received into Britain under the regulations in the Dubs Amendment.We must resist and turn back the worrying trends we are seeing around the world: towards seeing the movement of desperate people as more of a threat to our security than an opportunity to do our duty.”

— Archbishop Justin Welby

As well as praying against these worrying trends and the spirit of disunity and suspicion, we can also advocate for those who don’t have a voice. Why not write to your MP to ask them to speak up and support allowing more child refugees into the UK, and/or sign the UNICEF petition?

Now more than ever, we must remember Jesus’ words – that we should welcome the vulnerable, the poor and the stranger as though we were welcoming Jesus himself. 

How can we respond?

• Pray for world leaders such as Donald Trump and Theresa May, that they would have ears to hear their people, and show compassion for refugees.
• Thank God for those who are speaking up for justice on behalf of the people of the Middle East, like our Christian leaders, the US court, and thousands of ordinary people. Pray that we, like them, would have the courage to challenge injustice and stand up for the marginalised. 
• Thank God that the ban has been stayed and that people from Middle Eastern countries are now being allowed in to the US again.
• Pray for the refugee children who are waiting to hear if they will be allowed into the UK – that the decision would be made quickly to let them in, and that God’s peace would be with them in the meantime. Pray also for their safety, as they are currently extremely vulnerable to human trafficking and sexual violence.
• Ask your MP to join the government debate on reuniting refugee children with their families. Click here to email your MP via the Unicef website – it only takes a few seconds!
• You can also sign Unicef's petition to ask the government to speed up the process for child refugees trying to join their families in the UK - click here to find out more.

Emotional healing: Art & drama therapy for Syrian refugees

Over 4.8 million refugees have now fled Syria to neighbouring countries, and around 120,000 of those have made their way to the country in which we work. We want to support these individuals in any way we can. In 2016, we ran a Blossoms art & drama therapy workshop specifically for Syrian refugee women, to give them the tools to express their feelings, fears and thoughts in a safe environment. 

Having lost their homeland, homes and even their families, many refugees have severe psychological trauma which is largely going untreated. We welcomed 28 Syrian refugee women to participate in an emotional intelligence workshop - part of our Blossoms project to provide psychological training, art and media therapy to women to bring about emotional healing in a healthy and constructive way.

The first day of the workshop involved a talk on emotional intelligence, covering topics such as parenting and marriage styles, how to channel fear and anger in healthy ways, and how to challenge negative thought patterns. On the second day, the women participated in art and drama therapy, giving a safe environment for them to explore, address and deal with personal and societal difficulties like grief and anxiety. This included drama games, role-playing and using art to express feelings.

Many of the women had been through extremely traumatic experiences and carried a great sense of loss, yet our trainers found that the women felt great comfort and relief in drawing and acting out their feelings. Most of their paintings depicted a beautiful new Syria, where they could return to their homes and families once again.

“I can understand myself now.”

”The thing I liked most was the drawing and the acting, as I could express my feelings easily.”

”I felt comfortable to talk and express all my feelings as there wasn’t judgement.”

— Comments from participants

Some of the women had their children with them as they had nowhere else to leave them for the day. The children were able to participate in the art therapy too - they were so excited to hold colouring pencils as they hadn't seen them for such a long time! The women recommended that in the future we also run these workshops for children, as they had appreciated the chance to express themselves and their feelings. 

Please pray:

• For the women and children who attended the course, that God would continue to use the experience to bring healing in their lives.
• That we would be able to run more courses like this, as there is clearly a huge need for this kind of training.

Further reading: If you're interested in the use of art therapy with refugees, you may also enjoy this article on Al Jazeera on an artist who recently spent time with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon - it's unrelated to our work, but is a fascinating insight into how art therapy can be a powerful tool for change.

Pray for persecuted Middle Eastern Christians... and a reminder for Western Christians!

When I see the intense challenges Christians face in the Middle East, I can't help but reflect on my own faith. Many Christians, particularly those of us in the West, take our religious freedoms for granted - like being able to own a Bible (or several!), freely attend a house group or Sunday church service, talk openly about our faith without fear, post Bible quotes to our Facebook walls and listen to Christian music.

How many of us would still try to meet with other Christians if we might get beaten up, lose our jobs or even get killed for doing so?

Open Doors have released their annual World Watch List for 2017, showing the countries around the world where Christians are at the highest risk of persecution - and most countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have made the list.

Persecution in the region ranges from state-sanctioned killings and violence against Christians, to destruction of church buildings, ostracisation by friends and family members and discrimination in education and employment.

The MENA countries where persecution is highest include Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Iraq. 

We know from our work, particularly in the Gulf, that Christian converts from Islam face extreme measures - often at the hands of their family and friends rather than the state. This is why we take such great care to conceal the identities of believers who give their testimonies in our Arabian Dawn series, as many of them are living out their faith in secret and would be at risk of violence and isolation if their true identity was revealed. We recently filmed the testimony of a Kurdish believer who bravely decided to show his true face and voice in the video, and subsequently he had to flee the country he was living in.

We must always remember the amazing, terrifying and traumatic sacrifices others make for their faith, and pray for them, support them and advocate for them in any way we can.

How to respond:

• Pray for individuals who are being persecuted, that they would remain strong in their faith despite persecution, and that in cases where they are isolated, they would find access to online media like I Believe But and Arabian Dawn. Pray that they would experience the love, peace and joy of God amidst their sufferings.
• Support charities like Middle East Media who are providing resources for Christians suffering persecution. Many believers, particularly in Islamic countries, are unable to meet together physically, so virtual and online support systems become even more vital. Would you consider giving to us to support our programmes for the Gulf such as I Believe But, so we can continue to equip, disciple and encourage secret Arab believers? 
• Pray for the nations of Sudan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen where persecution is at its most extreme. Pray that 2017 would be a year of peace rather than escalated conflict. Pray especially for Christians of Iraq and Syria, that they would be able to return to their homes in safety and that their countries could start to be rebuilt.
• Read up on the realities of persecution around the world - Open Doors has a range of resources on the persecuted church, including this excellent report on persecution and global displacement which makes a fascinating, terrifying, encouraging and sobering read.
• Pray for Christians in places where there isn't persecution, that they would see the witness of the persecuted church and take their own faith more seriously. 

Praise God for the accomplishments of 2016!

Every single number here represents the hard work and creativity of our amazing staff in our North Africa and Gulf offices, so we praise God for them and pray his blessing on them in the coming year. We are blown away by what they managed to achieve in 2016 despite so many obstacles and difficulties along the way - God is so good.

We also pray for everyone who has come into contact with our work - the media trainees, viewers of Arabian Dawn, readers of Nisa'a, the refugees who took part in Blossoms, and so many more - that God would work through our media to touch people's hearts and lives.

Here's to an even better 2017!

A blessing for 2017

Happy New Year from Middle East Media!

This powerful promise in Isaiah is something we are holding onto for the year ahead. Throughout MEM's history, God has a habit of making a way in the wilderness where it seemed impossible! We are believing this for 2017 too - in the increasingly conflicted, suffering and desperate 'wilderness' of the Middle East, God will make a way for his hope, love and justice to flow like rivers. 

Please pray for Middle East Media for the coming year, that God will use our work to bring refreshing and plant seeds of transformation in a thirsty place.

Look out for the upcoming edition of Prayer & Praise, which will further unpack these verses in Isaiah and their relevance to our work, particularly in the Gulf!

We pray this blessing will be true in your own lives, too - that you would be rivers in the desert wherever you are, and that God will make a way for you in whatever wilderness you may be facing.

Thank you so much for your continued support of MEM and our work as we head into a New Year.

URGENT: Call to prayer for Cairo's Coptic Christians

Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images

Please join us in praying urgently for the Coptic Christians of Cairo, following a bomb attack in the Coptic cathedral complex yesterday morning.

At least 25 are dead and many more wounded, including women and children. The bomb exploded at 10am on Sunday 11th in the Church of St Peter, a time when many people were attending church. 

Both Christians and Muslims have gathered to denounce the attack. Egypt's Ahram Online reported the scene in Cairo after the violence:

"Hundreds of Muslim and Coptic protesters gathered at the cathedral, chanting against the attack on the church in a show of both anger and unity... Hospitals where the injured are being treated, including Dar El-Shefaa and Ain Shams University Hospital, have called for blood donations, while calls on social media for people to donate have gone viral."

Egypt's President, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, has also denounced the attack and has declared a three-day period of national mourning. 

One of our contacts in Cairo, an Egyptian Christian, has asked us to pray for them:

Prayer is what is needed now. People are confused, hurt and upset and the situation is really messy. I would particularly ask you to pray for the ability of Christians to love and forgive in the middle of this hurt, so that the heart of Christ - who forgave those who crucified Him - would be seen and touched. It is very difficult right now, but please pray that this will be possible. Our nation needs to touch the heart of Christ and such painful times are priceless opportunities for that.

Here are some more ways Egyptian Christians have asked us to pray, via Middle East Concern:

a. for God's comfort for those who lost loved ones and for full recovery of the injured
b. for comfort and encouragement for the wider Christian community and God's protection over his church in Egypt and other targets of these attacks
c. that the perpetrators of these violent attacks will be found and brought to justice. 

Thank you so much for your prayers for Egypt's Christians. You can find out more about the story here.

Concealing violence against women: A call to prayer for shifting attitudes

Women in Cairo protest against violence against women, June 2014. (Reuters)

Earlier this week, a Moroccan state TV channel aired a makeover tutorial for women, showing them how to cover their facial bruises with concealer. 

“Good morning!” The host began. “Today, we’re going to move to a topic that is saddening, but on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I’m going to show you the makeup that can cover bruises from the hits a woman may experience. It’s a topic we shouldn’t even have to discuss, but unfortunately, this is what it is.”

— Moroccan state TV segment on concealing the bruises of domestic violence

Moroccan women were quick to show their outrage at this terrible error in judgement and demanded an apology from the TV station. But the fact that it was aired highlights that domestic violence is still seen as normal, and that the effort is on the woman to conceal the problem, rather than on men to stop carrying out the abuse.

The price of no change is unacceptable

“We believe in and work for a world where women and girls can flourish and prosper peacefully alongside men and boys, sharing in and benefitting from societies that value their skills and accept their leadership. Violence against women and girls has a devastating impact on individuals and on the society.

Women and girls who experience violence lose their dignity, they live in fear and pain, and in the worst cases they pay with their lives. Violence cuts deeply into the liberties we should all have: the right to be safe at home, the right to walk safely on the streets, the right to go to school, to work, to the market or to watch a film. We should be able to expect that attackers will be punished, that justice will be done, and that we can get care and support for injuries... Change to these elements has a cost, yet the price of no change is unacceptable.”

— Statement by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women

Last week marked the start of the UN's annual 16-day campaign to End Violence Against Women and Girls. In the Middle East, 37% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner at some point in their lives, and 125 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to Female Genital Mutilation.

Overall attitudes towards violence against women do seem to be shifting in the right direction, but as the Moroccan TV blunder shows, there is still a long way to go. 

How can we pray?

• Pray that attitudes would continue to shift against violence towards women and girls. Please pray that violence against women would not be seen as normal, but would be increasingly challenged and condemned.
• Pray for our development organisation in North Africa as they use media to promote gender equality. We have an educational curriculum to teach men and women in civil society to prevent violence against women, and want to use this curriculum in our work with refugees where rates of domestic violence are often high. Please pray for them as they run these training sessions, that they would be instrumental in changing attitudes in North Africa and beyond.
• Pray that more women would seek help in situations of domestic violence - currently only 40% seek help, and only 10% report the abuse to the police. Pray that women would find safe ways to seek help and that support would be available to them.

Read more about the impact of domestic violence, attitudes towards it, and the UN Women's campaign against violence here.

Join with Iraqi Christians in their day of prayer for their nation

Up to 50,000 Iraqi Christians are expected to join together in Erbil today to pray for their country. 

Among them will be some of the thousands of persecuted Christians who were displaced by ISIS, and some of those who escaped will share their testimonies. The event will be broadcast live on SAT-7, one of our partner organisations.

ISIS has been losing territory in Iraq for the past year. Recently many Iraqi Christians were able to return to their homes, and were able to once more ring out the church bells which have been silent since the occupation began.

Please join with Iraqi Christians today in praying for the nation of Iraq:

- Pray for the liberation of the Iraqi town of Mosul. Mosul is the last ISIS stronghold in Iraq, and Iraqi forces have been battling to free the city for the past several weeks. Their are upwards of 700,000 people still trapped in Mosul. The liberation of the city is likely to take several more weeks or months, but please pray for a swift end to the conflict and safety for those who are fighting and for those who are longing to return home.

- Thank God for the faithful witness of Iraqi Christians! Many Christians have stayed in Iraq despite intense persecutions, and are now attempting to rebuild their towns, homes and lives. Pray for their safety as they meet together today to intercede for their homeland. We can also thank God for the many Christian towns and villages which have already been freed from ISIS control.

- Pray for the healing of the land, and for the people. One of the aims of today's day of prayer is to pray over the land that was defiled by ISIS, to reclaim it for God's glory. Join Iraqi Christians in praying for spiritual healing for the land, its towns and its people, many of whom will be traumatised after living under tyranny for over 2 years. 

- Pray for the future of Iraq, and the Middle East. Fabian Greche, a Christian leader in northern Iraq, told CBN News: "We easily get affected by darkness around us. It affects us, but if we look at Jesus and at His Word we see that God wants to pour out His Spirit. He's coming back for a Bride and He will have one in the Middle East." 

Amen.

For more information on the Iraqi's day of prayer and more ideas for how to pray for Iraq, visit SAT-7's website here. 

Image: Huffington Post

Pray for Middle Eastern school children

A rare glimmer of hope in the Middle East is the children who keep returning to school to receive an education, despite the conflict, devastation and hopelessness around them. But there are many more for whom it is simply too dangerous to get to school, or there are no schools left.

It is estimated that 40% of Middle Eastern children are unable to attend school because of ongoing conflicts, as populations are displaced and schools themselves are either damaged or being used as shelters and makeshift hospitals.(1) 

“In the midst of violence and instability, school is a place of learning and opportunity, a sanctuary for healing and health, and a haven of normalcy and hope for the future. Education not only increases the chances that, someday, children will be able to support themselves and seek a better life for their families; it also provides them with the skills to rebuild their societies. And it can instill in them a desire to seek reconciliation when the conflicts have been resolved and the catastrophes have ended.”

— Anthony Lake, Director of UNICEF

Please pray for education in the Middle East:

• That conflicts across the Middle East would come to an end, to allow life to return to normal and children to receive an education
• Thank God for the brave teachers and children who continue to pursue education, despite the dangers around them, and pray for their protection
• For those who are unable to attend school, that they would have access to other means of education such as books, media and TV shows
• For our North Africa team and the Serving Refugees project - one of the aims is to provide education to children in refugee camps. Read more about our work with refugees here.

If you're interested in reading more, take a look at the following links:

BBC Report "Back to school in the Middle East: a glimmer of normal life" 
UNICEF Report "Education Under Fire: How conflict is driving children out of school across the Middle East"