REFLECTIONS: THE GAZA CHILD MARRIAGE; the untold truth

In 2009, SHEIKH ZAYED CITY, GAZA STRIP — Nearly a thousand Palestinians celebrated marriage on Thursday night in a ceremony organized by Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas dignitaries including Mahmud Zahar, one of the militant group's top leaders, were on hand to congratulate 450 grooms who took part in the carefully stage-managed event.

"We are saying to the world and to America that you cannot deny us joy and happiness," Zahar told the men from the nearby Jabalia refugee camp. ( context very ambiguous, the reader at risk of conception)


"We are presenting this wedding as a gift to our people who stood firm in the face of the siege and the war," local Hamas strongman Ibra
him Salaf said in a speech.

Pope Francis Easter Message

Pope Francis has prayed for an end to the torment of Christians, commemorating the students murdered by Islamist militants at Garissa University in Kenya.

Celebrating the third Easter of his pontificate, Pope Francis spoke from the central balcony in a drizzling St. Peter’s Square after saying a Mass for tens of thousands of people wearing plastic ponchos and holding umbrellas.

Pope Francis in his message, said “We

Baylor University Receives $2 Million for Chair in Religious Freedom

Baylor University Receives $2 Million for Chair in Religious Freedom
DECEMBER 30, 2014

Baylor University has announced a $2 million gift from Jerry and Susie Wilson of Dallas to establish an endowed chair in its Institute for Studies of Religion.

The Jerry and Susie Wilson Chair in Religious Freedom will lead the university's efforts to strengthen and affirm congressional support of the preservation, protection, and defense of religious freedom. To that end, the holder of the chair will collaborate on projects involving international religious freedom and will work to facilitate the understanding of Christianity in regard to social issues such as women's rights, the rights of refugees, human trafficking, and other forms of human suffering.

Jerry C. Wilson is a retired senior executive and former owner of Titan Specialties Ltd., a manufacturer of oilfield perforating products. Susie Johnston Wilson earned bachelor's and master's of arts degrees in music education from Texas Tech University, where she met her husband.

"Susie and Jerry Wilson are simply two of the most committed and generous Christians I have ever met," said Byron R. Johnson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences and director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor. "The Wilsons are keenly aware that religious freedom is one of the most important issues of our time, and we are grateful their generosity will allow us to play a critical role in advancing religious liberty."

Update 3: Pope urges Muslims to condemn IS

Pope Francis has urged Muslim leaders to condemn the "barbaric violence" being committed in Islam's name against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria as he arrived in neighbouring Turkey for a delicate visit aimed at improving inter-faith ties.

Pope Francis sought to offer a balanced message as he met Turkish political and religious officials at the start of his second trip to the Middle East this year. He reaffirmed that military force was justified to halt the Islamic State group's advance, and called for greater dialogue between Christians, Muslims and people of all faiths to end fundamentalism.

"As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against human dignity and human rights," Pope Francis told Mehmet Gormez, Turkey's top cleric and other religious officials gathered at the government-run Religious Affairs Directorate.

Inter-Religious Dialogue And Peaceful Co-existence In Nigeria

German economist Karl Marx’s celebrated dictum, “religion is the opium of the people” still resonates more than 170 years after it was made in 1843.

Religion has remained relevant, though sensitive and intoxicating.

“In the world, organised religion remains the most powerful force in society: more than 4.5 billion people (out of 7 billion) identify with one of the world’s four biggest religions, and that figure is rising,” says Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In Nigeria, the volatility of religion has compelled governments at every level to find means and ways of dousing tension and ensuring peaceful co-existence among adherents of Islam and Christianity-the dominant religions.

African traditional religion, which has lost most its followers to Islam and Christianity, still creates its conflicts but these are dwarfed by Christian/Muslim dichotomy.

In this regard, inter-religious dialogues between Muslims and Christians have been established.

Opara Urges Christian Pilgrims To Be Good Ambassadors Of Nigeria

John-Kennedy Opara, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, has pleaded with the pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

 He made the appeal on Sunday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport just before the pilgrims left for the Holy Land.

 He said pilgrimage was for moral and spiritual transformation.

 “Pilgrimage is for moral and spiritual transformation and so I believe that pilgrims will be transformed after this journey.

 “ We also believe that if you have a burden or a challenge, you go to the Lord in prayers and He will meet you at the point of your need.

 “I believe that you will come back as different persons and everyone who relates with you will know that you have an impact on his or her life,’’ Opara said.