“Even if there is no ceasefire, you would expect humanitarian corridors to operate… in a much more sustained way than what’s happening now,” said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “It’s too little. It’s too late and specifically in the north.”
Humanitarian assistance – and particularly food – is desperately needed across Gaza, particularly in northern areas, confirmed WHO Emergency Medical Teams Coordinator Sean Casey.
“The food situation in the north is absolutely horrific, there’s almost no food available,” he told journalists in Geneva via video from Rafah in southern Gaza. “Everybody we talk to begs for food and comes up and asks, ‘Where, where’s the food?’ People help us get our medical supplies through. But they are constantly telling us that we need to come back with food.”
A woman carries a child while heading toward southern Gaza.
Echoing that appeal and expressing concerns about intensifying hostilities in the south, Dr Peeperkorn explained that moving staff and supplies “safely and swiftly” had been compromised, “as deconfliction is required for any moves across Gaza, including the south – often leading to delays”.
In addition to getting more essential supplies into Gaza, what was also needed urgently was easier movement of humanitarian aid and workers within the enclave, “so that we can reach people wherever they are”, Dr Peeperkorn explained.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 23,084 people have been killed in the enclave, 70 per cent were women and children. Nearly 59,000 people have also been injured, which is approximately 2.7 per cent of Gaza’s population.
UN ‘completely ready’ to deliver
The WHO official insisted that the UN and its partners remained “completely ready” to deliver assistanceto Gazans, who have endured a massive bombing campaign by the Israel military, in response to the Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel beginning 7 October that killed some 1,200 people.
But hostilities and evacuation orders in Gaza’s central areas and further south in Khan Younis have affected access to hospitals for patients and ambulances, Dr Peeperkorn explained, adding that it has also become “incredibly complex” for WHO to reach “ailing” facilities with medical supplies and fuel.
Of concern are three hospitals located near evacuation zones – European Gaza Hospital, Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Aqsa – “a lifeline” in the south for about two million people, the WHO official said, speaking from Jerusalem.
Healthworkers fleeing for their lives
“(The) constricted flow of supplies and access and evacuation of medical staff from many hospitals due to fears for safety are a recipe for disaster and will make more hospitals non-functional, as witnessed in the north. The international community must not allow this to happen,” Dr Peeperkorn said.
One indication of the “shrinking space” for lifesaving humanitarian work in the enclave is the fact that the UN health agency has not reached northern Gaza for two weeks.
A total of six planned WHO humanitarian missions have had to be cancelled since 26 December, according to the UN health agency. “Our team is ready to deliver but we have not been able to receive the necessary permissions to proceed safely,” Dr Peeperkorn explained.
Safe passage requests denting aid response: UN Spokesperson
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Tuesday that so-called “denials of coordinated movement requests” were causing critical hold-ups in aid delivery across Gaza.
Addressing reporters at the regular noon briefing in New York, he said that since 1 January, “humanitarian partners have requested 20 convoys, of which 15 were denied and two were unable to proceed because of delays or routes that were impassable.”
Only three went to the hardest hit north of Gaza and that was with modifications to the plan that wound up impacting operations, he added .
Despite the major challenges to delivering humanitarian assistance, aid partners have provided healthcare and medical services to about half a million people since 7 October.
“But the needs are massive – and just over a third of more than 350 formal and informal shelters for internally displaced people in Gaza have access to any sort of medical points.”
He said “continued denial of fuel delivery to water and sanitation facilities is leaving tens of thousands of people without access to clean water and increasing the risk of sewage overflows, significantly heightening the risk of the spread of communicable diseases.”
The religious landscape in France has undergone profound diversification since the 1905 law on the separation of church and state, according to an article by Kekeli Koffi published on religactu.fr. Besides the four faiths formally recognized in the early 20th century – Catholicism, Reformed and Lutheran Protestantism, and Judaism – new religions have emerged.
“Islam, Buddhism, and Orthodoxy have established themselves, giving France the status of the European state with the largest number of Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist believers,” writes Koffi. Although official data on individuals’ religious affiliation has not been collected since 1872, an outline of the current situation can be sketched:
Catholicism remains the predominant faith in France, although its influence has declined significantly since the 1980s. Currently, over 60% of the population identifies as Catholic, but only 10% practice actively.
Atheism and agnosticism are steadily rising, with nearly 30% of French people declaring themselves non-religious.
Islam is the second largest religion in France, with an estimated 5 million Muslims – both practising and non-practicing – constituting about 6% of the population.
Protestantism accounts for 2% of the population, approximately 1.2 million individuals.
Judaism has around 600,000 followers (1%), mostly of Sephardic descent.
There are 300,000 Buddhist believers in France, mainly of Asian origin, plus 100,000 others, bringing the total to 400,000.
Koffi notes that other religious movements also show vitality, despite controversies. Among them, Hindus are estimated at some 150,000, Jehovah’s Witnesses at 140,000, Scientologists approaching 40,000, and Sikhs totalling some 30,000, concentrated in Seine-Saint-Denis.
This changing landscape raises questions about the relevance of old models for managing religion, concludes Koffi. While the 1905 law itself seems able to withstand time and change, institutions like the Ministry of Interior’s Bureau of Faiths have not adapted to the new reality and continue operating as if only a handful of faiths existed in France.
Dropping out of school is as harmful as five drinks a day
Scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology have revealed the life-prolonging benefits of education, regardless of age, gender, location, social and demographic status. The results of the study are published in The Lancet Public Health.
It has previously been shown that those who have achieved higher levels of education live longer than others, but until now it was not known to what extent. The researchers found that the risk of premature death, regardless of cause, decreased by two percent with each additional year of education. Those who completed six years of primary school had an average 13 percent lower risk. After graduating from high school, the risk decreased by almost 25 percent, and 18 years of education decreased the risk by 34 percent.
Compared to the impact of unhealthy habits, dropping out of school is almost as harmful as drinking five or more alcoholic drinks a day or smoking ten cigarettes a day for 10 years.
Although the benefits of education are greatest for young people, people over 50 and even 70 still benefit from the protective effects of education. However, no significant difference in the effects of education was found between countries at different stages of economic development.
Assembly Vice President Cheikh Niang of Senegal, holding the gavel in the General Assembly Hall and deputizing for President Dennis Francis, read out a statement on his behalf.
General Assembly Vice President Cheikh Niang chairs the Emergency Special Session meets on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
Mr. Francis said he welcomed the adoption of Security Council resolution 2720 late last month, which called for safe, unhindered and expanded humanitarian access and conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.
He urged all warring parties in Gaza to “fully implement” the Council resolution as well as the Assembly resolution of 12 December calling for a ceasefire, arising from the Assembly’s reconvened Emergency Special Session.
On protecting civilians, Mr. Francis urged all Member States “to keep this shared goal to the forefront during today’s debate.”
The General Assembly adopted a resolution designed to foster greater cooperation with the Security Council, in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
That resolution states that anytime the veto is used in the Security Council, it automatically triggers a meeting and debate in the General Assembly, to scrutinize and discuss the move.
The veto is a special voting power held by the permanent member States on the Council, whereby if any one of the five — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — casts a negative vote, the resolution or decision automatically fails.
The Assembly resolution which introduced this extra scrutiny calls for the Assembly President to convene a formal debate within 10 working days, so that the 193 members of the wider body can have their say.
The intention behind it is to give UN Member States the chance to make recommendations, which could include the use of armed force, to maintain or restore peace and security on the ground.
As with all Assembly resolutions they carry moral and political weight but are non-binding and do not generally carry the force of international law, unlike some measures agreed by the Security Council.
Tuesday’s meeting came on the heels of the US vetoing a Russian amendment prior to the successful passing of last month’s Council resolution on Gaza.
Watch full coverage of Tuesday morning’s session in New York, below:
US committed to ‘bringing all of the hostages home’
The US Deputy Permanent Representative, Robert Wood, said the US welcomed the adoption of December’s Security Council resolution on 22 December.
Deputy Permanent Representative Robert A. Wood of the United States addresses the UN General Assembly meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
Although the US abstained, he said the US had worked closely with other key States “in good faith” to forge a strong resolution. “This work supports the direct diplomacy the US is engaged in to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza and to help get hostages out of Gaza”, he said.
Without naming Russia – whose amendment provoked the US veto in question – he said one Member State persisted in putting forward ideas which are “disconnected from the situation on the ground”.
He said it was “also deeply troubling” that many States seemed to have stopped talking about the plight of hostages still being held in Gaza by Palestinian militants.
The US is committed to bringing them all home he said and remains “engaged in efforts to secure another pause” in the fighting. Also lacking, he added, are demands that Hamas lay down its arms and surrender.
“It would be good if there was a strong international voice pressing Hamas’s leaders to do what is necessary to end the conflict that they set in motion on 7 October”, he said.
Palestinians enduring a ‘war of atrocities’
Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine, Riyad Mansour, said that he was standing before the Assembly “representing a people being slaughtered, with families killed in their entirety, men and women shot in the streets, thousands abducted, tortured and humiliated, children killed, amputated, orphaned – scarred for life.”
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, addresses the UN General Assembly meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
He said “no people” should have to endure such violence and it must stop.
No one can understand that the Security Council is still being prevented from calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, he added, while 153 States in the General Assembly have called for just that, along with the UN Secretary-General.
Israel’s assault is without precedent in modern history he said, “a war of atrocities”.
“How can you reconcile opposing the atrocities and vetoing a call to end the war that is leading to their commission?”, he asked.
The State of Palestine has long supported a proposal from France and Mexico “for the suspension of the veto in the case of mass atrocities, when crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes on a large scale are committed.”
He said the assault on Palestinians in Gaza, “demonstrates how vital this proposal is. Supporting an immediate ceasefire is the only moral, legitimate, and responsible position.”
During these last 90 days, 11 Palestinians have been killed every hour, including seven women and children, he told the Assembly.
“This is not about Israeli security; this is about Palestine’s destruction. The interests and objectives of this extremist Israeli government are clear and incompatible with the interests and objectives of any country that supports international law and peace”, Mr. Mansour said.
Security will never come through the death, destruction and dehumanization of Palestinians, he added.
Palestine is here to stay, he declared: “Don’t call for peace and spread fire. If you want peace, start with a ceasefire. Now.”
No morals, ‘only bias and hypocrisy’: Israel
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, wondered how, with 136 people still held hostage, including a baby about to mark his first birthday, any delegations could be calling for a ceasefire.
“How morally bankrupt has this body become?”, he said. Why are there no deafening calls inside the hall to bring him home, and “why are you not holding Hamas accountable for the most heinous war crimes?”
Ambassador Gilad Erdan of Israel addresses the UN General Assembly meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
He said that “despite the UN’s moral rot”, the citizens of Israel are resilient, with faith, hope and unbreakable resolve to defend themselves.
He said the UN had become “an accomplice to terrorists” and now lacked the justification to exist.
Rather than focusing on bringing hostages home and their suffering, the UN “has been obsessed only with the well-being of people in Gaza”, those who put Hamas in power and supported the group’s atrocities, he added.
“You ignore all Israeli victims”, he said.
He asked how the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide be weaponized against the Jewish State, when the only thing Hamas wants, is to repeat the Holocaust.
“There are no morals here, only bias and hypocrisy”, he said. By calling for a ceasefire is giving the green light to Hamas to continue its reign of terror.
He said that by calling for a ceasefire, the Assembly is sending a clear message to terrorists across the world. “The UN is signalling to terrorists that rape as a weapon of war, is fine”, he added.
US responsible for ‘toothless’ resolutions: Russia
Deputy Permanent Representative for Russia, Anna Evstigneeva, said that Washington had been guilty of playing an “unscrupulous game” to protect Israel’s actions in Gaza, when it used the veto in the Security Council on 22 December.
Anna Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, addresses the UN General Assembly meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
She said that using blackmail and arm-twisting, the US had given Israel a license to carry on killing Palestinians “blessing the ongoing extermination of the Gazans”, which is why they put forward their amendment.
She said the real aim of the US veto was to push through its aim of giving Israel free rein, and “deliberately undermine multilateral efforts under the auspices of the UN to serve its own geopolitical interests in the Middle East.”
Ms. Evstigneeva said that “the sad result” of this is that over the past three months of escalation in Gaza, the Council has only been able to adopt “toothless” resolutions.
Russia abstained on both documents, rather than voting against them, solely based on requests from the Palestinian and Arab representatives.
A clear demand from the Security Council for a full ceasefire remains an imperative, she said.
Without it, implementing the Council’s decisions in Gaza “is just not possible”.
She said the spiral of continuing violence is “clearly catastrophic” and will continue until the root causes of the conflict are properly addressed, through a two-State solution.
Under current conditions, our shared goal is to assist the parties in establishing the negotiation process. A “collective diplomatic mechanism” is required and one of the most pressing tasks is the restoration of Palestinian unity, she added.
The ancient Greeks used snail mucus on the skin to combat local inflammation
Commonly used to repair damaged skin, products containing snail slime date back far beyond the age of social media — and may have potential beyond cosmetics, National Geographic reported.
Consumers worldwide are buying cosmetic products containing snail slime, with the global market estimated to be around $555 million in 2022.
Following the snail slime skin care boom in South Korea, the product – also called mucin or snail secretion – was widely shared on social media. North America is currently the fastest growing market for snail skin products. But using snail slime for glowing skin and good health dates back further than a social media trend.
The ancient Greeks used snail mucus on the skin to combat local inflammation. In the 1980s, Chilean snail farmers noted that processing snails for the French food market gave them softer hands and faster wound healing. This started the popularity of snail slime in South America.
What does snail mucus do to the skin?
“Garden snails, the most researched snail species for skin care, produce a slime that is touted as moisturizing, full of antioxidants and able to stimulate new collagen, which can reduce the signs of aging,” says Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist at the Mount Hospital. Sinai.
According to dermatologist Elisabeth Bahar Haushmand, a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, consumers buy snail slime products to repair damaged skin and retain moisture. Mucus is full of natural vitamins A and E, antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and signs of aging, and has peptides that stimulate collagen production. However, Hashmand says larger clinical trials are needed to prove some of the mucilage’s purported effects and to better understand its active ingredients.
Snail mucus extract has been shown to create a protective barrier between the skin and polluted air. One study used a three-dimensional model of skin that had been exposed to ozone. The “skin” unprotected by the mucus extract became inflamed and showed signs of aging through oxidative stress, which causes wrinkles and uneven skin tone. Skin protected by the mucus extract showed less inflammation.
There is evidence that snail slime can help heal wounds and treat burns. Mucin also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Another study tested its ability to stop bacteria in wounds, with the mucus outperforming commercial antibiotics including amoxicillin and streptomycin. Early research suggests that it may also have anti-cancer abilities: garden snail slime successfully suppresses skin cancer cell growth in laboratory conditions.
Illustrative Photo by SİNAN ÖNDER: https://www.pexels.com/photo/shallow-focus-photography-of-brown-and-white-snail-on-moss-243128/
After the remark that Christ did not leave the parable “of resisting evil with force,” I began to be persuaded that in Christianity there were no soldier-martyrs executed for refusing to kill or take up arms.
I think this myth arose with the advent of the imperial version of Christianity. It is said that the warrior martyrs were executed only because they refused to offer sacrifices to the deities.
Indeed, among them there were those who completely refused to fight and kill, as well as those who fought with pagans but refused to use weapons against Christians. It is not acceptable to focus attention on why such a persistent myth arises.
Fortunately, the acts of the martyrs have been preserved, in which the trials of the first Christians (including against soldiers) are described in sufficient detail.
Unfortunately, few of the Russian Orthodox know them, and even fewer study them.
In fact, the lives of the saints are full of examples of conscientious objection to military service. Let me recall a few.
It was precisely because of his refusal to do military service that in 295 the holy warrior Maximilian was killed. The transcript of his trial is preserved in his Martyrology. In court he stated:
“I cannot fight for this world… I tell you, I am a Christian.”
In response, the proconsul pointed out that Christians served in the Roman army. Maximilian answers:
“That’s their job. I am also a Christian and I cannot serve.”
Likewise, St. Martin of Tours left the army after he was baptized. He is reported to have been summoned to Caesar for the presentation of a military award, but refused to accept it, saying:
“Until now I have served you as a soldier. Now let me serve Christ. Give the reward to others. They intend to fight, and I am a soldier of Christ and I am not allowed to fight.”
In a similar situation was the newly converted centurion St. Markel, who during a feast threw away his military honors with the words:
“I serve Jesus Christ, the eternal King. I will no longer serve your emperor, and I despise the worship of your gods of wood and stone, which are deaf and dumb idols.’
The materials from the trial against St. Markel have also been preserved. He is reported to have stated at this court that “… it is not fitting for a Christian who serves the Lord Christ to serve in the armies of the world.”
For refusing military service for Christian reasons, St. Kibi, St. Cadoc and St. Theagen were canonized. The latter suffered together with St. Jerome. He was an unusually brave and strong peasant who was drafted into the imperial army as a promising soldier. Jerome refused to serve, chased away those who came to recruit him, and together with eighteen other Christians, who also received a call to the army, hid in a cave. Imperial soldiers stormed the cave, but failed to capture the Christians by force. They take them out with cunning. They were indeed killed after refusing to offer sacrifices to idols, but this was rather the last point of their stubborn resistance to military service (a total of thirty-two Christian conscripts were executed that day).
The history of the legion in Thebes, which was under the command of St. Maurice, is more poorly documented. The acts of martyrdom against them are not preserved, as there was no trial. Only the oral tradition, recorded in the epistle of St. Bishop Eucherius, remains. Ten men of this legion are glorified by name. The rest are known by the general name of Agaun martyrs (not less than a thousand people). They have not completely refused to take up arms when fighting against heathen enemies. But they rebelled when they were ordered to put down a Christian rebellion.
They declared that they could not kill their Christian brothers under any circumstances and for any reason:
“We cannot stain our hands with the blood of innocent people (Christians). Are we an oath before God before we swear before you. You can’t have any confidence in our second oath if we break the other one, the first. You ordered us to kill Christians – look, we are the same.”
It was reported that the legion was thin and every tenth soldier was killed. After each new refusal, they killed every tenth again until they had slaughtered the entire legion.
St. John the Warrior did not completely retire from service, but in the army he was engaged in what in military parlance is called subversive activity – warning Christians about the next raid, facilitating escapes, visiting the brothers and sisters thrown into prison (however, according to his biography, we can assume that he did not have to shed blood: he was probably in the units guarding the city).
I think it would be an exaggeration to say that all early Christians were pacifists (if only because we don’t have enough historical material about the life of the Church from that time). During the first two centuries, however, their attitude to war, arms, and military service was so sharply negative that the ardent critic of Christianity, the philosopher Celsus, wrote: “If all men acted as you do, nothing would prevent the emperor from remaining completely alone and with troops deserted from him. The empire would fall into the hands of the most lawless barbarians.’
To which the Christian theologian Origen replies:
“Christians have been taught not to defend themselves against their enemies; and because they have kept the laws prescribing meekness and love to man, they have obtained from God what they could not have obtained if they had been allowed to wage war, though they might well have done so.’
We have to take into account one more point. That conscientious objectors did not become a major problem for the early Christians is largely explained not by their willingness to serve in the army, but by the fact that the emperors had no need to fill the regular army with conscripts.
Vasily Bolotov wrote about this: “The Roman legions were replenished with many volunteers who came to sign up.” Therefore, Christians could enter military service only in exceptional cases’.
The situation when Christians in the army became many, so that they already served in the imperial guard, occurred only at the end of the 3rd century.
It is not necessary that they entered the service after receiving Christian baptism. In most cases known to us, they became Christians while already being soldiers. And here indeed one such as Maximilian may find it impossible to continue in the service, and another will be compelled to remain in it, limiting the things he thinks he can do. For example, not to use weapons against brothers in Christ.
The limits of what is permissible for a soldier who has converted to Christianity were clearly described at the beginning of the 3rd century by St. Hippolytus of Rome in his canons (rules 10-15): “Regarding the magistrate and the soldier: never kill, even if you have received an order… A soldier on duty should not kill a man. If he is commanded, he must not carry out the command and must not take an oath. If he does not want it, let him be rejected. Let him who possesses the power of the sword, or is the magistrate of the city who wears the indigo, cease to exist or be rejected. Advertisers or believers who want to become soldiers must be rejected because they have despised God. A Christian should not become a soldier unless compelled by a sword-bearing chief. He must not burden himself with bloody sin. If, however, he has shed blood, he must not partake of the sacraments unless he is purified by penance, tears, and weeping. He must not act with cunning, but with the fear of God.”
Only with the passage of time did the Christian Church begin to change, to move away from the purity of the evangelical ideal, adapting to the demands of the world, which is alien to Christ.
And in the Christian monuments it is described how these changes take place. In particular, in the materials of the First Ecumenical (Nicaea) Council, we see how, with the adoption of Christianity as the state religion, those Christians who had previously retired from military service rushed into the army. Now they pay bribes to return (I remind you that military service was a prestigious job and well paid – apart from a good salary, the legionnaire was also entitled to an excellent pension).
At that time the Church still resented it. Rule 12 of the First Ecumenical Council calls such “apostates”: “Those who are called by grace to the profession of faith and have shown a first impulse of jealousy by taking off the military belts, but then, like a dog, have returned to their vomit , so that some even used money and gifts to be reinstated in the military rank: let them, after spending three years listening to the Scriptures in the portico, then ten years lie prostrate in the church, begging forgiveness”. Zonara, in his interpretation of this rule, adds that no one can remain in military service at all if he has not previously renounced the Christian faith.
A few decades later, however, St. Basil the Great hesitantly wrote about Christian soldiers returning from war: “Our fathers did not consider killing in battle to be murder, excusing, as it seems to me, the champions of chastity and piety. But perhaps it will be well to advise them, as having unclean hands, to abstain for three years from communion with the holy Mysteries.’
The Church is entering a period when it must balance between Christ and Caesar, trying to serve the One and not offend the other.
Thus arose the myth that the first Christians refrained from serving in the army only because they did not want to offer sacrifices to the gods.
And so we come to today’s myth that any soldier (not even a Christian) fighting for the “right cause” can be venerated as a martyr and saint.
Source: Author’s personal Facebook page, published on 23.08.2023.
The International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) recently launched the Violent Incidents Database (VID), an initiative aimed at collecting, recording, and analyzing incidents related to violations of religious freedom across the globe. The VID aims to record violations of religious freedom on five continents, with an emphasis on tracking physical violence, but cannot claim exhaustive coverage. The data included in the VID is based on reports published in digital media available on the internet. Many incidents are never made public or do not receive sufficient attention from authorities or media. The database is constantly being updated as researchers identify religious freedom violations, but this is a complicated endeavour.
The VID discerns between two distinct types of religious freedom violations: physical violence and non-physical violence. Physical violence includes killings, torture, abductions, or similar assaults stemming from one’s religious identification. Non-physical violence might manifest as discriminatory legislation, social pressure, cultural marginalization, government discrimination, hindrances to conversion, obstacles to participation in public affairs, restrictions on religious life, or any symbolic or structural form of infringement. Both categories are important. You can read more about the methodology of the VID here.
Primarily utilizing publicly available digital media on the internet as its primary source, the VID supplements this information with field interviews, desk research, and reports from partner organizations. Additionally, individuals can contribute incident reports through an online form.
“Engagement for the freedom of religion or belief by Politics or Media should be grounded in the best available data, a realm exclusively provided by well-designed research. I take pride in the ongoing efforts of the current leadership team at IIRF, which has significantly expanded upon the modest beginnings of 15 years ago. The Violent Incidents Database, developed under their guidance, renders violations of religious freedom accessible to all, irrespective of the identities of victims or offenders and the locations of these incidents,” expressed Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General (CEO) of the World Evangelical Alliance and founder of the IIRF.
“We live in a world where the violent persecution of Christians and other religious groups is rampant and increasing,” said Dr. Ronald Boyd-MacMillan, Chief of Global Strategy and Research for Global Christian Relief, who also is Senior Research Fellow at the IIRF. “This database not only helps us track the violence but helps us better understand what persecuted Christians really need from their brothers and sisters around the world.”
The VID initially focused on gathering cases from Latin America, compiling incidents from the region dating back to 2002 was maintained by the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Latin America (OLIRE). OLIRE continues to partner with the IIRF to provide data for Latin America. Data on Nigeria is provided by the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA). Thanks to the support and funding from Global Christian Relief, the IIRF has expended incident coverage to the rest of the globe, covering all five continents, and collecting incidents from 2021 to 2023.
The Violent Incidents Database will be highlighted during the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington D.C., January 30-31.
Brussels, Belgium. The peaceful routine of Brussels was abruptly disturbed on Monday morning when farmers took to the streets in a protest that caused significant road closures. The mobilization of farmers in response to grievances has resulted in considerable disruptions across the country’s road network particularly at the entrance to Brussels according to a report from the federal road police.
By 9;00 AM blockages were reported on the ring of Brussels at Ruisbroek heading towards Waterloo. Traffic slowed down significantly with only the emergency lane remaining passable.
The traffic problems persisted on both the outer rings near Hal as farmers continued their blockade. This led commuters to experience delays of up to an hour due to resulting traffic jams. The Flemish Traffic Center (Verkeerscentrum) advised people to avoid the area if possible emphasizing the severity of the disruption.
Katrien Kiekens from the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer) highlighted how accessing the ring from E429 coming from Tournai had become “extremely challenging” due, to this situation.
The farmer’s protest in Belgium has led to a blockade at Hal situated in the Flemish Brabant region. This demonstration forms part of a movement by farmers across the northern roads of the country.
Guillaume Van Binst, who serves as the Secretary General of the Young Farmers Federation (FJA) announced that the blockade on the E19 at Hal would continue until the end of today. The protest began around 11;30 PM on Sunday. Farmers have started rotating shifts since early Monday. Van Binst explained that whether or not they continue depends on how their demands are addressed, implying that negotiations will determine if the protest extends further.
In Walloon Brabant province traffic was disrupted as authorities closed off the A7/E19 highway towards Brussels at Haut Ittre. A diversion has been instituted via the ring towards Zaventem. Additionally, tractors made their way into Brussels itself significantly raising awareness and visibility for this protest movement.
The unrest was not limited to Brussels alone. In the province, a convoy of tractors caused disruptions at Daussoulx exchange—a major motorway junction—bringing traffic to a halt on A4 E411 towards Brussels. Similar blockades and diversions were reported in other provinces including Luxembourg and Hainaut where tractors formed blockades at critical points such as border posts, with France.
The protests happening over the country highlight just how deeply the agricultural community feels about their grievances and their strong desire to be heard. Throughout the day as the blockade continues, its effects are being felt across Belgium. It’s not only commuters who are affected but also everyone engaged in discussions, about agricultural policies.
While negotiations are ongoing and the farmers remain determined the entire nation is anxiously waiting for a resolution that can alleviate tensions and restore the road network.
As reported in Cathobel, in an era where the future seems more uncertain than ever, young individuals stand at the crossroads of education and career, often overwhelmed by the plethora of paths available to them. Recognizing this challenge, 1RCF Belgium has launched an enlightening podcast episode, “Keys for Young People to Find Their Direction,” aimed at guiding the youth through the maze of professional orientation and decision-making.
Hosted by Florence Van Caillie and Delphine Lepour on the show “Près de Chez Vous Brabant wallon,” this episode shines a light on the pivotal moments of choosing a career and the educational journey that leads there. With the guidance of these experienced hosts, young listeners are provided with invaluable tools and advice to help clarify their aspirations and navigate the process of setting a solid foundation for their future careers.
The episode, presented by Isabelle Dumont, not only addresses the pressing concerns of young people but also introduces two specific tools designed to assist them in their quest for clarity. These resources, detailed in the podcast, serve as a beacon for those seeking to understand their interests, strengths, and how they align with potential career paths.
But “Keys for Young People to Find Their Direction” is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the rich content available on 1RCF Belgium. The platform offers a variety of podcasts covering a wide range of topics, from the growing discontent among farmers across France and Europe to the intricate issues of bioethics, including the ethical debates surrounding surrogacy, euthanasia, and gender transition.
Listeners can also dive into discussions about the persecution of Christians, with an analysis provided by Lillia Djadi, an expert analyst of persecution in West Africa. The 2024 results of the World Index of Christian Persecution, indicating an increase in violence, offer a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by many around the globe.
Moreover, the podcast explores geopolitical shifts, exemplified by Sweden’s desire to join NATO for increased security amid regional tensions. Another poignant episode discusses the meeting between Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and the apostolic nuncio, highlighting the importance of addressing sensitive issues within the church.
Even the sin of gluttony is examined through a spiritual lens, offering listeners insights into how their relationship with food reflects their spiritual life. And for those interested in literary discussions, Philippe Besson’s novel “One Summer Evening” is reviewed, delving into themes of loss, memory, and the hope of reconnection.
1RCF Belgium’s latest podcast offerings are more than just entertainment; they are a source of guidance, insight, and reflection for listeners of all ages, particularly the youth standing at the threshold of their futures. With “Keys for Young People to Find Their Direction,” young individuals are encouraged to step forward with confidence, armed with the knowledge and tools to carve out their own paths in the world.
In a moment in German politics, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) came together on Sunday to finalize their strategies for the upcoming European Union elections. The party conventions were marked by a sense of urgency and a call to action as both parties faced declining poll numbers and a shared determination to reinvigorate voter participation.
During the congresses held on January 28 both coalition partners officially approved their election platforms. Announced their leading candidates setting the stage for what is expected to be a fiercely competitive race. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, addressing the SPD gathering emphasized the significance of the forthcoming elections portraying them as a battleground against the rise of right-wing populism in Germany and throughout Europe.
With an approval rating currently standing at 13.5%, the SPD has made combating right ideologies a central pillar of its campaign. Katarina Barley, a politician who previously led the party’s efforts, in the 2019 European elections has once again been chosen to spearhead the SPD’s endeavours. Despite the difficulties faced in the past where the SPD experienced setbacks the party remains determined to turn things around and address the growing influence of illiberal forces within the EU. One vocal critic of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán’s tactics is Barley.
On a note, the FDP, whose support has dipped below the crucial 5% threshold is campaigning with a focus on reducing bureaucracy at the EU level. Marie Agnes Strack Zimmermann, their candidate strongly criticized Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s administration for fostering a “madness of bureaucracy” that hampers innovation. The FDP also highlighted von der Leyen’s perceived alignment with policies by referring to her as “the Green Commission president ” aiming to differentiate their stance on regulatory reform.
These national campaigns take place against a political landscape in the EU that faces significant challenges, including a strained relationship with Hungary. Both the SPD and FDP have expressed concerns about Orbán’s behaviour and how the European Commission has handled this situation. In particular, there is controversy surrounding the decision to unfreeze EU funds for Hungary—a move seen by some as compromising the EU’s commitment, to democratic values.
As German political parties fine-tune their approaches and rally their supporters the upcoming EU elections become a moment not just for tackling internal political hurdles but also for shaping the future path of the European Union. From reforms to safeguarding democratic values, the results of these elections will undoubtedly hold significant consequences for Germany’s position, in Europe and the overall direction of the EU.
