Ashamed of the BBC

As a former BBC employee I am ashamed of the decision not to broadcast an appeal by the DEC for aid for the Palestinian people of Gaza.
Does impartiality come into this decision? Are the Isreali victims of the ongoing dispute in the same need as those in Gaza whose infrastructure and resources have been smashed. Israel is a relatively wealthy nation and able to look after it’s own. The people of Gaza not so.
Jesus set the example that we should always be on the side of the poor.
So come on Mark Thompson. Be merciful and allow the DEC to make its appeal as a public service to the British people who think you should.

China bans Western religious music – Telegraph

China bans Western religious music – Telegraph
Chinas culture ministry has banned public performances of Handels Messiah and other major works of western religious music.

It would seem that the with the Olympics over, China is again free to reveal it’s position on basic human rights.

Save Annociate Nimpagaritse

UK Indymedia – The Fight to Save Annociate Nimpagaritse
Save Annociate Nimpagaritse
Echo and the Burundimen | 18.09.2008 10:45 | Sheffield

 

Arrested and awaiting deportation

Arrested and awaiting deportation

On Friday September 12, 8 policemen raided a house in Burngreave at 6.15 a.m. Frightened women woke up to find police in their bedrooms. The purpose of the raid was to arrest and detain a young Burundian woman, Annociate Nimpagaritse, and prepare the way for deportation to her country of origin.

This a sad story of a young woman who fled to this country to escape persecution. Follow the blog Free Annociate set up by Graham Wroe and take what ever action you feel is right.

Nervous or what?

“You wouldn’t want to be reincarnated as one of Gordon Brown’s fingernails this morning.” John Pinaar in a two way on BBC 5Live’s Lunchtime News

Hospitality

  The chief executive at the prayer breakfast

I had breakfast with Bill McCarthy,  the Chief Exec of the City of York Council. I joined about 40 leaders from churches in the city for one of their occasional prayer breakfasts in The Spurriergate Centre organised by One Voice York. Key leaders from the city are invited to talk frankly about their expectations of the churches and we spend time praying in response.

This morning Bill McCarthy appealed to us to welcome the strangers and the disadvantaged into the city. While only four percent of York’s population is from outside the UK, it’s the fastest growing sector. He said it was important to integrate these new people into York and he asked for our help. There were leaders representing a broad range of churches from Independent Pentecostal to Roman Catholics, Mr McCarthy’s own persuasion.  There’s a longer report about the event on the One Voice site.