Greece: uncertainty and trauma at refugee camp
11,000 people remain stranded in Idomeni refugee camp at the still-closed Greece-Macedonia border, where conditions have not improved. A Médecins Sans Frontières field psychologist has observed changes in mood and the impact on the psychological state of the camp. Many refugees carrying some post-traumatic experiences are in a very difficult and vulnerable condition. In the early days of the camp people knew they would cross the border, they were in transit, so they had hope and many of their problems were buried; now these problems have come to the surface. Mental health treatment is increasingly important. Optimistic rumours one day and pessimistic rumours the next spread through the camp like wildfire, sparking a tinderbox of desperation. Greek government spokespersons say Idomeni refugees should not believe false rumours that the border will open any time soon.
The Wall of Answered Prayer
In January we featured an initiative to build a wall of one million bricks, each brick representing an answered prayer. This enormous wall will be positioned by a busy motorway where 50,000+ people drive past each day: a wonderful testimony that Jesus is alive and He has answered a million prayers. This initiative needs sustained prayer for it to move forward successfully. A website, complementing the landmark, will give details of each answered prayer - a database of a million prayer testimonies. Please pray for Christians to catch the vision and grasp this unique opportunity to buy a brick in a wall which will stand for generations. Pray also for the funding needed for an autumn exhibition by the Houses of Parliament, which will show visitors all the entries for ‘The Wall’. For more info click the ‘more’ button.
Children’s mental health in the UK
Suicide is the most common cause of death for boys aged between five and nineteen, and the second most common for girls of that age group. MP Norman Lamb said that in his time as Minister for Mental Health he was appalled by the institutional bias against mental health within our NHS that has existed for decades and is intrinsically linked to the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. Child and adolescent mental health services are often described as the ‘Cinderella of the Cinderella service’. He has proposed a plan to transform services, accompanied by an investment of £1.25bn over five years, to increase access to the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time. Pray for those involved in NHS mental health services to have God’s wisdom to understand and explore ways to transform the service given to children, and for young people who are currently denied timely access to the treatment they need.
British Muslims becoming more radical
Former equality chief Trevor Phillips presented a programme on social attitudes among British Muslims on Channel 4 on Thursday. It was called 'What British Muslims Really Think' and aired Muslim attitudes to Sharia, women and homosexuality. Some uncomfortable statistics were revealed which might send shivers down spines. The pain was made worse by the fact that Trevor Phillips had been head of the Commission for Racial Equality and promoted many of the views he now dismisses, particularly about the speed with which Muslims would integrate and adopt British customs and attitudes. Nearly a quarter (23%) supported the introduction of sharia law in some areas of Britain. 31% said Muslim men could have more than one wife, with many Muslim women agreeing, and 39% saying that ‘wives should always obey their husbands’. Also if an area has at least 20% Muslim population it is likely to be more deprived than most, making extremism more attractive.
