I realise that you were reminding us of the horrific effects of war, and that it is mostly innocent people who suffer. Yes, it has been going on for a very long time. In the very early stages, I heard a radio interview with a nun in Syria. She was trying to get the word out that the rebels weren't as innocent as they were being portrayed in the media. She talked about how the Christians and Muslims in her area co-existed peacefully, and that the rebels would use their community as some kind of cover. That's the last time I ever heard of her, probably because she wasn't feeding the correct narrative. I don't know what happened to her or her community but we do know what happened to Syrian Christians although the Western media whitewash it by saying that most victims are Muslims. Since the war is between two strands of Islam in a majority Muslim country it stands to reason that most victims are Muslim. The percentage of Christians who are victims is a statistic that won't be highlighted lest it shame the international community into acknowledging genocide. After that, the most reliable sources of information were Christian websites. I read about the Christians being most fearful of the "foreign militias" and the Muslim clerics arriving from places like Saudi. The local Imam had been murdered for speaking out against what was happening. The foreign clerics would officiate at "marriages" between the militia members and local girls. Some of the stories were spine chilling yet they got little or no coverage in other news outlets until ISIS started publishing their own videos. Nobody really cared until people from the West were beheaded. Most of the people fleeing the conflict are innocent victims - even the young men of fighting age. The trouble is that we have no way of distinguishing between the innocent and the guilty. Yesterday, I caught part of an interview with someone from the EU who said that only about 11% of Syrian refugees in Turkey are in refugee camps. The rest are spread throughout Turkey, living off savings or scratching out a living however they can. There have been videos of refugee children begging in Istanbul. No doubt there is plenty of exploitation. It takes a lot of money to be trafficked into Europe. The news media tell us that the immigrants sold their property to pay the traffickers yet they fail to mention what is the value of property in a war zone. ISIS didn't give the Christians the option of selling up - those who didn't pay the jizya, didn't convert or weren't beheaded were forced to flee with just the clothes on their backs. If asked, I would make room for some refugees in my home not matter what their religion if I could be confident that I wasn't providing a home for people who had profited from attempted genocide. Saying that, I feel a sense of shame that I have a choice while so many lives have been lost, so many innocent people are suffering and so many families have been torn apart. Shame on all of us for letting this drag on.
Vicar of Aleppo: "moderate" front no better than jihadists, bombing civilians and not seeking peace Msgr. Georges Abou Khazen says civilians in the city are "under continuous bombardment". In Christian neighborhoods at least four deaths and more than 15 injured. Houses and buildings damaged. Behind the violence are the so-called "moderate opposition groups". Ankara bombing Kurdish positions in Syria and presses (with Riyadh) for ground troops. http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Vica...ng-civilians-and-not-seeking-peace-36685.html
I remember a year or two back of a nun trying to get her visa to come to the states, yet she kept being denied, (no surprise there) Her story sounds kind of what you stated with the n Un above. I shamefully didn't bookmark her name to keep tabs on where she is/went. In this day and age I is so hard to really fathom the true goings on and our helplessness to help when all we can do is pray, which is more than most will do .. so it has to help.. yet still very unfortunate.
It could well have been the same nun. I remember the fuss about the nun being denied a US visa. The radio interview I heard was long before that, possibly years before (so much has happened that it all gets very confusing). We in the West may never truly understand that part of the world. The Kurds in the region, for example, tend to be extremely conservative Muslims although their rebel groups in Turkey (PKK) and Syria (YPG) tend towards marxism. I think that the Permerga in Iraq may be more moderate but that could be because they have more autonomy and stand to lose more than they gain by getting too close to the PKK and YPG. From what I have read and heard, there are quite a few unsavoury elements in the PKK. There are ethnic Kurdish ISIS supporters. Kurds were very much involved in the Armenian genocide towards the end of the Ottoman empire, so some Christians in the region are wary of them. Despite the apparent religious freedom in Turkey during the secular Kemalist era, the Government (really the military) kept close control, giving rise to resentment among more devout Muslims and contributing to the rise of the Islamist Erdogan. While ordinary people in the region have the same hopes and aspirations as the rest of us, in many ways their culture and history gives them a completely different world view. Western interference has been disastrous, particularly for Christians because to the Muslims the US, UK, France, etc. are Christian countries - Crusaders in other words - and they are taught a very biased history of the Crusades. Most Christians there are Orthodox or Catholic whose wellbeing wouldn't have been a priority when the region was being carved up by the mainly Protestant/Secular world powers, yet to the Muslims all Christians are the same just as we often regard all Muslims as the same. They don't distinguish between the Catholic/Orthodox Crusaders of old and the modern Secular Western powers. It's all one big mess that will fester on as long as people's religion is used to manipulate them by the power hungry. I agree with you that all we can do is pray because it will take Divine intervention to sort it out.
Assad 'will be removed by force' if peace talks fail, Saudi Foreign Minister claims http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ail-saudi-foreign-minister-says-a6873231.html
He went on to say that Assad would be removed by a US led coalition. Does that mean that the Saudi Foreign minister is also the US foreign minister?
I'm doubtful Russia is willing to step back and allow that to happen. Lord have mercy! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
BREAKING NEWS CHINA DEPLOYS MISSLES http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/16/asia/china-missiles-south-china-sea/index.html.
"creation! beware of the devil, for he is redoubling his efforts to ensnare you and in the meantime pretending he is non-existent so that he maneuvers without being feared; O creation! he is preparing a large holocaust upon you, O how I cry from My Cross! creation, return to Me! do not let him ensnare you by denying Me! pray, pray for the return of souls, let every soul learn the prayers I have given you *, let them learn those prayers; I love all of you, I love all of you;" (* Those prayers are: "The Memorare of St. Bernard", "Prayer to St. Michael", "Novena of Confidence to the Sacred Heart) God has been warning us (at the same time loving us so patiently ~ for a very long time ~ Jesus, I trust in you! Comment on violence in the Middle East http://tlig.org/en/news/2014-09-21/2298
I don' know what to think of the Greek Orthodox Prophecy. I read through it and it looks like he said the Catholic Pope is in cahoots with the anti-Christ. These type of prophesies normally raise red flags for me.
This is a very rough translation but it appears that he could be speaking of a time of two "Popes"....with a false one....since he says: "Other Pope compared to him seem good" Anyway, it seems he speaks to the personality rather than the Office. Something he said about the rise of Islam in France: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/01/elder-paisios-on-rise-of-islam-in-france.html And then there is this re: such prophecies: Caution Regarding the "Prophecies" of Elder Paisios: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/06/caution-regarding-prophecies-of-elder.html And apparently there was a time when this Elder and another were wished to be invited to the Vatican by a Pope (don't know which one) and they responded that the Vatican wasn't ready and still wanted to subjugate the Orthodox so it would be better if they just prayed about the situation from afar! In the messages to Vassula Ryden (Greek Orthodox) whose mission is to attempt to unite the divided Church she was told that the Roman Catholic Church would have to be the one that would bend more....she was shown two stiff rods that needed to bend rather than remain stiffly apart but that the nature of the Orthodox was such that it wouldn't be the one to do the bending! She believes, after meeting with Pope Francis when he was a Bishop in Argentina, and after hearing he became the Pope, that he would be the one who would truly move to begin this coming together....esp. beginning with a united date for Easter!
It is clear Eragon ( prime Minister of Turkey) is mobilizing his forces. Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Quatar has said they will use ground forces if led by the US. Saudi Arabia holds this huge exorcise. Saudi put fighter/bomber jets in Turkey. Turkey has been shelling Syria for the past week. Turkey has 2 bombs go off in the last few days. I have no doubt the mad man Eragon from Turkey is going to invade Syria with Saudi Arabia( without USA formal approval.. secretly with approval). Then Iran will mobilize and when Israel sees large Iranian troop so close to their boarder, Israel will bomb Syria to kingdom come. This is how it will start. Syrian, Russian, Iranian, Hezbollah troops.. Later Chinese Vs Turkey, Saudi, UAE, Quatar...Later USA and NATO I really think Turkey is going to instigate this and the whole thing will turn into a Franz Ferdinand moment. Btw Megiddo is in northern Israel, not that far from the Syrian boarder.
Erdogan PM of Turkey.. . a best bud with our potus obama, a scary thought. for me today . . . feels like we have moved closer to entering the "twilight zone" Headline ~ Trump vs The Pope (who would have thought?) Lord Jesus, grant us wisdom, please. ___________ _______ The Iron Bars, yes, Christians unite . . Jesus has been asking to unify the dates of Easter: 》Will I, brother, one more season go through the pain I have been going through year after year? or will you give Me rest this time? Am I going to drink one more season the Cup of your division? 《 http://www.one-date.org/ http://www.onedate.org/ almost every year Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox (the 3 Iron Bars) celebrate Easter on different dates. Will Jesus' prayer that "we all be one" finally be fullfilled.? __________________ Lord, bless all on MOG ~ my niece, and the world once more ~ amen
I very much fear that you are right about Israel getting involved because Israel could make the difference. I caught a snippet of an interview that Ash Carter gave to Charlies Rose last night. Carter smirked as he said that whatever happens the US will be on the winning side. They didn't show that comment on this clip of the interview: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-02-17/secretary-of-defense-ash-carter-charlie-rose And here's what Charlie Rose said about the interview: http://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/charlie-rose-discusses-interview-with-ash-carter/ I always get the impression that Charlie Rose is a mouthpiece for AIPAC.
And Israel is already feeling insecure with Russia's involvement in Syria. At least under Assad Israel was allowed to defend against attacks by flying into Syrian territory to do so. Now the fear is that Russia will shoot them down. Whether or not Israel does attempt to take down Iranian nukes in progress, with things heating up between sides, both of which having the same goal of obliterating Israel, they are standing alone for all practical purposes and there could even be a race between the strong guys to see just who will be the one to carve the Israeli notch on its belt first.
Perhaps they think it could keep Iran occupied and buy them some time. Let Israel's enemies go at it for a while to redirect their aggressions.
