On Capitol Hill This Week - Jul 14-18, 2008 - a

On Capitol Hill This Week

Volume XV, Number 19a

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

July 14 - 18, 2008

"My purposes will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure." (Isaiah 46:10)

Note: Today's edition of On Capitol Hill This Week will be divided into two sections. We are posting the INTERNATIONAL news first, as these needs are critical for prayer. News from the Hill and from our nation will follow in the second posting.

	On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XV, No. 19a

1. CRITICAL MOMENT IN MIDDLE EAST: IRAN AT FOCAL POINT
2. IRAN TESTS MISSILE THAT COULD REACH ISRAEL
3. A MILITARY SHOWDOWN WITH IRAN MAY BE FAST APPROACHING
4. IRAN, US FLEX MUSCLES WITH GULF DRILLS
5. ISRAEL FACES WATER CRISIS
6. CHINA GIVES BLESSING TO OLYMPIC BIBLES
7. INTERFAITH CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY GROUP WITH TERROR LINKS
8. U.N. SCHEME TO MAKE CHRISTIANS CRIMINALS

1 CRITICAL MOMENT IN MIDDLE EAST: IRAN AT FOCAL POINT

a. ISRAEL TO U.S.: TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO THWART IRAN

Israel urgently trying to convince the U.S. that Iran is closer to passing the nuclear threshold than Washington believes.

In a series of consultations apparently aimed at coordinating policies against the Iranian nuclear threat, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will head to the U.S. on Monday for talks at the Pentagon, days after Mossad chief Meir Dagan was in Washington for meetings with key intelligence officials. A week after Barak's visit, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi will head to Washington for his own round of talks. Barak told a meeting of the Labor Party faction: "Israel is the strongest country in the region and we have proven in the past that we are not deterred from acting when our vital interests are at stake." A senior U.S. official recently said there was a discrepancy of six to 12 months between the time Israel believed Iran would pass the nuclear point of no return, and when the U.S. felt Teheran will have mastered the nuclear cycle. (Jerusalem Post)

b. SURVIVAL OF ISRAEL MAY DEPEND ON PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE JEWISH STATE, THE U.S., ENGLAND AND EUROPE

Six decades on from its establishment, Israel continues to fight for its very existence and remains the most persecuted nation in modern history.

If Israel is to survive another 60 years, it is imperative that Israel, the United States, Great Britain, and Europe confront the gathering storm and stand up to the biggest state-based threat to international security since the end of the Cold War. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made clear his intentions. Too often in the 20th century, world leaders ignored statements made, only to watch in horror as barbaric actions followed earlier threatening rhetoric dismissed at the time as the words of a madman.

· Ask the Lord to continue to fulfill this word:

· "It shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left . . . He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isaiah 11:11-12)

(Source for both articles cited: Intercessors for America)

2. IRAN TESTS MISSILE THAT COULD REACH ISRAEL

The Iranian military has reportedly tested a longer- range "Shahab-3" missile, which has a range that puts Israel within reach. An Arab channel said that the missile could carry a conventional warhead weighing one ton and had a 2,000 kilometer [1,243 mile] range. In total nine missiles were tested, state-run English language channel "Press TV" reported. Along with the "Shahab-3", shorter-range missiles were also test- fired by the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian military's elite troop. "Press TV" showed pictures of a "Shahab- 3" rocket being launched at an undisclosed desert location inside Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried to play down the threat of an armed conflict between his country and the United States or Israel. "I assure you . . . there won't be any war in the future," he said during a visit to Malaysia. Earlier, an aide to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said that Tehran would strike Israel or the US Navy in the Persian Gulf if it was attacked over its nuclear program. "The first US shot on Iran would set the United States' vital interests in the world on fire," said Ali Shirazi, a mid-ranking cleric who is Khamenei's representative to the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guards. "Tel Aviv and the US fleet in the Persian Gulf would be the targets that would be set on fire in Iran's crushing response," he was quoted by the "Fars" news agency as saying. [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]

· Pray that the increasing capacity of the Iranian arsenal will not be ignored by the world peacemakers.

· "They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, 'peace, peace!' When there is no peace." (Jeremiah 6:14)

3. A MILITARY SHOWDOWN WITH IRAN MAY BE FAST APPROACHING

War clouds continue to build in the epicenter. Last month in Rome, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed that the United States and Israel would soon be "annihilated," language he had not used so explicitly since October 2005 when he promised to wipe Israel "off the map" and urged Muslims to "envision a world without the United States." This week, his regime authorized a new series of Iranian war games. He ordered the digging of 320,000 graves to bury the enemies of Islam. He is calling for the unification of the Islamic world politically and economically, including the creation of a single currency.

. . . Washington doesn't want a war with Iran. No one wants such a war. I certainly do not, and neither do the Israelis. Yet, the US does not have a convincing plan to stop the Iranian nuclear weapons program in time. Nor is the UN, or the EU Diplomacy working. Economic sanctions have been imposed on Iran since 1979 to little strategic effect. Unfortunately, the words of Sen. John McCain keep echoing in my head this week. In April 2006, the senior Senator from Arizona appeared on NBC's Meet the Press. He said, "there's only one thing worse than using the option of military action, and that is the Iranians acquiring nuclear weapons." For if Iran gets the Bomb, he said, "I think we could have Armageddon." (By Joel Rosenberg, joelrosenberg.blogspot.com, July 8, 2008) [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]

· Pray that religious fanaticism will not ignite an horrific and catastrophic war with Iran. Pray that innocent people will be protected against the mounting tirade of hate, arrogance, and incitement.

· "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21)

[Editorial note: Please scroll down to read this article in its entirety.]

4. IRAN, US FLEX MUSCLES WITH GULF DRILLS

Iran and the United States are both conducting military exercises in the Gulf area, prompting speculation that they are preparing for a military showdown. The US vowed the week of July 6 that it would not let Iran block the strategic waterways, which are used to transport significant parts of the Gulf's oil to the rest of the world. The exercises include vessels from the US, the United Kingdom and Bahrain, operating as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 152. "The aim of the exercise is to protect the maritime infrastructure such as gas and oil terminals which are vital to the world's economy and gets out through the Strait of Hurmuz," Lt. Nathan Christensen, spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain told The Media Line. The Fifth Fleet said the current exercise was planned a long time in advance and like many other exercises, aims to maintain coalition proficiency.

Analysts say this heightened military activity in the Gulf area could be the precursor to a military standoff between the US and Iran. But the US insists the current drills are routine and the navy does not comment officially on speculation regarding military strikes on Iran. "The interaction we have with the regular Iranian forces is usually routine, correct and very professional," Christensen said. "The US and coalition forces intersect with Iranian forces almost on a regular basis."

Reports of a recent extensive Israeli military drill over Greece was thought to be a simulation of an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, given that the distance between Israel and Greece is similar to the distance between Israel and Iran. A recent visit by the chief of US Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead to Israel, followed by a visit of the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen also prompted speculation that Jerusalem and Washington were planning a joint military strike against Iran.
(By Rachelle Kliger, The Media Line, July 8, 2008) [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]

· Pray that the fear-filled speculation will not be treated as truth. Pray that no incident will occur to provoke war.

· "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords." (Psalm 55:21)

5. ISRAEL FACES WATER CRISIS
BRIDGES FOR PEACE CALLS FOR PRAYER

According to the Israel Water Authority, as of the morning of July 7 the Sea of Galilee was just 0.02 centimeters from its lower red line, that's just 0.007 inches, meaning by the time you read this article it could already be at the limit. The water authority has three lines it uses to monitor the lake: the upper red line stands at minus 208.9 meters [685.4 feet] below sea level, and when the water is here the flood gates at the outlet of the Jordan River must be opened to prevent the lake from rising too high. The last time this happened was in 1993.

The lower red line stands at minus 213 meters [698.8 feet] below sea level. When the water reaches this level it means that the concentration of pollutants forbids further pumping of water from the lake. However, in recent years the government has also designated a black line, at minus 215 meters [705.38 feet], one that truly cannot be breached. The Sea of Galilee, currently at minus 212.98 meters [698.75 feet] below sea level, only has a couple of months before that black line is reached, and the winter rains won't begin for a couple of more months after that.

Right now Israel needs your prayers for its citizens to practice water conservation, and for its scientists and inventors to find new ways to efficiently use the water we do have. Around the time of Sukkot [Feast of Tabernacles], when the rainy season begins around October time period, we will really need your prayers for lots of rain and snow to not only make up for the severe drought this year, but also to provide for the next.

Editor's Note: We believe in the power of prayer. We exhort you to join with us to seek the Lord for a breakthrough in this water crisis. "Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait for You, since You have made all these" (Jeremiah 14:22).

(By Will King, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, July 7, 2008) [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]

· Join with us to seek the Lord for a breakthrough in this water crisis.

· "Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait for You, since You have made all these." (Jeremiah 14:22)

Additional note from Capitol Hill Prayer Partners:

Several years ago, we in the Washington, D.C. region were facing our own severe drought. By the end of the summer of 1999, the Secretary of Agriculture had declared the State of Maryland and major sections of the State of Virginia "agricultural disaster areas" as crops lay dying in the fields.

Moved with compassion for our people, one of the ministry leaders in Washington, Dr. Corinthia R. Boone, called for all ministries to join her in one day of prayer, fasting and crying out to God, that He might yet move in His mercy and show grace and relief to our people.

MANY intercessors joined Dr. Boone on that morning in late August, crying out to God TOGETHER as we prayed over a map of our region.

A few days later, the rains returned, and the city was saved.

So, today, we join this call by Bridges for Peace, asking God to spare His people, Israel, because it IS written:

". . . if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

6. CHINA GIVES BLESSING TO OLYMPIC BIBLES
Organisers are allowing the official logo to be used on the Scriptures

After months of rumours that the Chinese authorities would ban Bibles during the Beijing Olympics, it may now be taken as gospel that Christians will be free to practise their religion during the Games. A British- based Christian charity has confirmed that 50,000 special bilingual booklets containing the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John will be made available in the Athletes' Village in Beijing and five other Olympic cities. Ten thousand Bibles and 30,000 New Testaments will also be printed.

It is the first time that Bibles have been distributed freely in China outside registered shops and with the full blessing of the Communist Party. Far from suppressing their distribution, the Beijing Olympic organising committee (Bocog) is putting its official stamp on the initiative by allowing the free use of its logo on the Scriptures.

The Bible Society, in Swindon, Wiltshire, is funding the £200,000 cost of the Olympics Bibles, which will be printed by Amity Printing Press, at a £2.3 million facility opened in Nanjing last month. Amity, which turns out one Bible every second, produced its 50 millionth in September. The Bible Society described the Chinese Government's co-operation in the distribution of the Bibles by branding it under Beijing 2008, as a breakthrough for the Church in China. James Catford, the chief executive, said: "This great sporting event presents a unique opportunity to make the life- changing message of the Bible available to thousands of athletes and visitors from all over China - and all over the world."

Olympic athletes and visitors are permitted to take religious materials into the Village for their personal use. The International Olympic Committee provides temporary places of worship for five faiths: Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews and Muslims.

But a crackdown on religious and political freedom in the run-up to the Games, which begin in 50 days, prompted fears that China would limit what could be taken into the country. Christians can own Bibles, but they still suffer persecution in an officially secular society if they practise their religion outside the registered church, according to human rights activists. A report this month by Christian Solidarity Worldwide and China Aid Association detailed a crackdown on "house churches" and referred to a level of expulsion of foreign Christians "not seen since the 1950s". (The Times, London, June 20, 2008)

· Offer a great chorus of praise for this breakthrough for the distribution of the Gospel in China, all the while praying for protection against backlast to the Christians who are on the land. Praise God!

· "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the LORD!" (Psalm 150:6)

7. INTERFAITH CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY GROUP WITH TERROR LINKS

An international interfaith conference taking place in Madrid next week is being hosted by a Saudi charity that is affiliated with organizations blacklisted by the U.S. government for bankrolling al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups. Among those invited to attend the gathering organized by the Muslim World League (MWL) were former Vice President Al Gore and senior figures from the world's leading religions. Gore's office said Friday it had "declined that invitation some time ago due to a scheduling confict."

The high-profile July 16-18 event will be opened by Saudi King Abdullah, who laid the groundwork with a preparatory meeting -- also organized by the MWL -- of Sunni and Shi'ite leaders in Mecca last month. The MWL's invitation list for the Madrid event includes 170 participants, among them Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Vatican's head of inter-religious dialogue Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, and Rabbi David Rosen, the head of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee. Attendance has not been confirmed. MWL secretary-general Abdullah Al- Turki told the Saudi Press Agency that the conference would seek "to isolate those forces that try to promote hatred and create conflicts." "By holding this major gathering of religions, ideologies and civilizations, the MWL wants to emphasize the importance of religion for humanity," he said.

[PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO READ THIS IMPORTANT ARTICLE IN ITS ENTIRETY -- the editors]

· Pray that the nations not be fooled into participating in this deceptive scheme.

· "Take heed that no man deceive you." (Matthew 24:4)

8. U.N. SCHEME TO MAKE CHRISTIANS CRIMINALS

Dozens of nations dominated by Islam are pressing the United Nations to adopt an anti-"defamation" plan that would make Christians criminals under international law, according to a United States organization that has launched a campaign to defend freedom of religion worldwide. "Around the world, Christians are being increasingly targeted, and even persecuted, for their religious beliefs. Now, one of the largest organizations in the United Nations is pushing to make a bad situation even worse by promoting anti-Christian bigotry," the American Center for Law & Justice said yesterday in announcing its petition drive.

The discrimination is "wrapped in the guise of a U.N. resolution called 'Combating Defamation of Religions,'" the announcement said. "We must put an immediate end to this most recent, dangerous attack on faith that attempts to criminalize Christianity."

The "anti-defamation" plan has been submitted to the U.N. repeatedly since about 1999, starting out as a plan to ban "defamation" of Islam and later changed to refer to "religions, officials said. It is being pushed by the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference nations, which has adopted the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, "which states that all rights are subject to sharia law, and makes sharia law the only source of reference for human rights."

The ACLJ petition (http://www.aclj.org/), which is to be delivered to the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, already had collected more than 23,000 names in just a brief online existence. [Read more.] (World Net Daily)

· Praise the LORD, for He always stands in protection of His people. The Islamists will never give up in their quest for world domination, using the freedoms and the laws of democracies to gain their way. Please intercede on behalf of Christians everywhere in the world and against this U.N. resolution, in particular.

Pray, too, for your own Moslem neighbors -- that they may come to know Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior. Pray that the U.S. Department of State will be much more forceful in its condemnation of this U.N. resolution.

· "Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men." (Psalm 9: 19,20)

	A MILITARY SHOWDOWN WITH IRAN MAY BE FAST APPROACHING

A MILITARY SHOWDOWN WITH IRAN MAY BE FAST APPROACHING

War clouds continue to build in the epicenter. Last month in Rome, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed that the United States and Israel would soon be "annihilated," language he had not used so explicitly since October 2005 when he promised to wipe Israel "off the map" and urged Muslims to "envision a world without the United States." This week, his regime authorized a new series of Iranian war games. He ordered the digging of 320,000 graves to bury the enemies of Islam. He is calling for the unification of the Islamic world politically and economically, including the creation of a single currency.

What's more, Iranian TV is running a new anti-Semitic documentary film series entitled, "The Secret of Armageddon." Setting the stage for a coming apocalyptic war that will usher in the Islamic Messiah known as the Mahdi or the "Twelfth Imam," the series focuses on a series of Bible prophecies that inform Jewish and Christian End Times theology. While the presentation is grossly distorted, some facts do emerge. Iranian scholar Dr. Ismail Shafe'i Sarustani , for example, tells viewers that the word "Armageddon" is "originally a Hebrew word" and "is a real geographical region, situated south of Haifa," noting that "the place was shelled by Hizbullah during the 33- day [July 2006] war." Iranian historian Mohammad- Taqi Taqipour notes that "these [Evangelical Christians], along with the Jews, believe that the War of the End of Days will take place in the desert of Megiddo, in Palestine. They believe that Jesus will return, and that then there will be a millennium of happiness."

The series, however, accuses Jews who were victims of genocide-during the very Holocaust Ahmadinejad denies ever happened-of actually planning to commit genocide. "There is a genocidal Zionist Jewish plan for the genocide of humanity at the hand of the Zionist Jew-boys," claims one Iranian researcher interviewed for the program. "The Zionist Jew-boys talk about a "Greater Israel"-from the Euphrates to the Nile-but their actual goal is world domination." At one point, Iranian researcher Shams Al-Din Rahmani argues that "the goal of the Zionists is the total destruction of Islam."

Top Israeli intelligence officials, meanwhile, increasingly believe that time is running out. They believe that Iran could have nuclear weapons within a year and one former Mossad chief is urging his country's leadership to launch a massive series of air strikes against Iranian nuclear and other military facilities before it is too late. Israel's Air Force just conducted a test run of such a bombing mission.

John Bolton, the former US Ambassador to the UN, says he believes Israel may strike Iran sometime in late fall or early winter, after the US elections in November but before the inauguration of the next American president on January 20. A senior Pentagon official told the Washington Post several days ago he is worried about the same scenario-a November surprise-prompting both President Bush and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to make strong public statements warning the Israelis not to take such actions. Until just a few weeks ago, it was widely believed in Israel that new parliamentary elections would be held in November. But at the last moment, Defense Minister Ehud Barak withdrew his threat of voting to bring down the Olmert government for a few more months, leading some to speculate that Barak may be calculating that Israelis couldn't be fully immersed in an electoral campaign and a bombing campaign simultaneously.

The US does not want Israel to strike. After all, the repercussions of such a war with Iran would be global in nature. Israel would face tens of thousands of incoming missiles not just from Iran but likely from Syria, Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza and possibly the West Bank [Judea and Samaria]. Some of these missiles could have chemical and/or biological warheads, even if the nuclear warheads in Iran are not yet ready. Ballistic missiles would also likely be fired from Iran at the oil fields in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, at oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Straight of Hormuz, and at US bases and forces in Iraq. Tens of thousands of suicide bomber cells could be activated in the region-especially in Iraq and Israel-and perhaps even in Western Europe and the US and Canada. Iranian efforts to topple Jordan's King Abdullah II and/or Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in favor of radical Islamic regimes friendly to Tehran could also be set in motion. Oil prices could shoot from US $140 a barrel to US $300 a barrel or more. US gas prices could spike to US $7- $10 or more, with horrific domestic and global economic repercussions.

No wonder Washington doesn't want a war with Iran. No one wants such a war. I certainly do not, and neither do the Israelis. Yet, the US does not have a convincing plan to stop the Iranian nuclear weapons program in time. Nor is the UN, or the EU Diplomacy working. Economic sanctions have been imposed on Iran since 1979 to little strategic effect. Unfortunately, the words of Sen. John McCain keep echoing in my head this week. In April 2006, the senior Senator from Arizona appeared on NBC's Meet the Press. He said, "there's only one thing worse than using the option of military action, and that is the Iranians acquiring nuclear weapons." For if Iran gets the Bomb, he said, "I think we could have Armageddon."

(By Joel Rosenberg, joelrosenberg.blogspot.com, July 8, 2008)

	INTERFAITH CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY GROUP WITH TERROR LINKS

INTERFAITH CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY GROUP WITH TERROR LINKS

(CNSNews.com) - An international interfaith conference taking place in Madrid next week is being hosted by a Saudi charity that is affiliated with organizations blacklisted by the U.S. government for bankrolling al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups. Among those invited to attend the gathering organized by the Muslim World League (MWL) were former Vice President Al Gore and senior figures from the world's leading religions. Gore's office said Friday it had "declined that invitation some time ago due to a scheduling confict."

The high-profile July 16-18 event will be opened by Saudi King Abdullah, who laid the groundwork with a preparatory meeting -- also organized by the MWL -- of Sunni and Shi'ite leaders in Mecca last month. The MWL's invitation list for the Madrid event includes 170 participants, among them Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Vatican's head of inter-religious dialogue Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, and Rabbi David Rosen, the head of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee. Attendance has not been confirmed. MWL secretary-general Abdullah Al- Turki told the Saudi Press Agency that the conference would seek "to isolate those forces that try to promote hatred and create conflicts." "By holding this major gathering of religions, ideologies and civilizations, the MWL wants to emphasize the importance of religion for humanity," he said.

But the Mecca-based MWL, which has close ties to the Saudi government, is itself highly controversial. The league is one of the so-called "big four" Saudi charities whose activities have been exercising U.S. officials dealing in terrorism funding since 9/11. The others are the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) and al-Haramain - both constituent bodies of the league - and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY).

In August 2006 the U.S. Treasury Department -- under a post-9/11 executive order -- designated branches of the IIRO in Indonesia and the Philippines for channeling funds respectively to Jemaah Islamiah and Abu Sayyaf Group, both affiliated to al-Qaeda. In the designation, the department says the IIRO is also known as "The Human Relief Committee of the Muslim World League." The Treasury Department also designated 13 al-Haramain branches across the world, including one in the United States. Last month it added to the list al-Haramain in its entirety, including its Saudi headquarters. It said the organization had provided financial and material support to al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.

Designation under Executive Order 13224 aims to disrupt funding to terrorists. Americans are prohibited from engaging in transactions with those listed, and any assets they may have in the U.S. are frozen. In mid-2005, undersecretary in the department's office overseeing terrorist financing Stuart Levey said that Saudi charities, especially the MWL, IIRO and WAMY, "continue to cause us concern," a position reiterated in Senate testimony later that year by Daniel Glaser, deputy assistant secretary in the same office.

Apart from links to terror financing, the MWL also is accused of spreading the kingdom's strict Wahhabi brand of Islam through schools and mosques abroad. Wahhabism, named for an 18th century scholar, opposes diversity within Islam and is especially intolerant towards Shi'ites. Set up in 1962, the MWL's stated objectives include "the propagation of Islam," "refutation of dubious statements and false allegations against the religion," and "convincing people [of] the necessity to obey the commandments of [Allah]." It enjoys observer status in various U.N. bodies and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

'Islam has a solution'

Saudi Arabia is one of just two countries where, according to the State Department's annual global assessments, basic religious freedom does not exist. (The other is North Korea.) Yet Abdullah has become a leading proponent of interfaith dialogue, and last November he held a historic meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. He first announced the plan for an international interfaith gathering last March, when he told a visiting Japanese cultural delegation that such a dialogue was needed to promote world peace.

However, some skeptics view the Madrid conference as a Saudi exercise in da'wa, the term used in Islam for proselytizing or issuing an invitation for non- Muslims to come to the faith. Addressing the preparatory conference in Mecca last month, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Al al-Sheikh - the kingdom's top religious authority - stressed that converting people to Islam was the primary goal of interfaith dialogue. "It is the opportunity to disseminate the principles of Islam," the Guardian newspaper quoted al-Sheikh as telling the delegates. "Islam advocates dialogue among people, especially calling them to the path of Allah."

At the end of the Mecca conference, the participants issued a statement saying that the meeting "has been held at a time when the world faces countless challenges that threaten the very existence of mankind. The conference affirms that Islam has a solution to these crises."

	This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

STRONG FORTRESS (Tsoor Mahoz)

"Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me." (Psalm 32:1)

O Lord, what a Rock you are. How I thank You for Your strength in my life. Be my strong rock, my Rock of the Ages. You are the defense of my life; how I praise You for that. Help me to live today with the calm assurance and peace of knowing that You are my strong fortress

"Therefore I will teach them- this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD." (Jer. 16:21)

(Taken from: Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God, by Barri Cae Malin and Shmuel Wolkenfeld; Bridge-Logos Publishers; Gainesville, FL, 32614. ISBN: 0-88270-801-5)

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