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Suicide bomber kills 6, over a dozen others suffer injuries
in Christmas Day attack in DRC
By Anugrah Kumar,
Christian Post Contributor|
Sunday, December 26, 2021
on August 23, 2018, in Mangina, in the North Kivu province. | JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images
A suspected Islamist suicide bomber from a rebel group aligned with Islamic State killed at least six people, including children, and injured more than a dozen others when he used an explosive device to kill himself at the entrance of a busy restaurant where Christmas was being celebrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After the Christmas Day attack on a restaurant called In Box in the city of Beni in the eastern province of Ituri, green chairs could be seen scattered across the road, some melted or smoldering, and four bodies, including that of a small girl, as per images shared on social media, according to Reuters, which said six people died and 14 were injured, including two local officials.
“I was sitting there. There was a motorbike parked there. Suddenly the motorbike took off, then there was a deafening noise,” local radio presenter Nicolas Ekila told AFP.
“The suicide bomber, prevented by security guards from entering a crowded bar, activated the bomb at the entrance of the bar,” the regional governor’s spokesman, Général Ekenge Sylvain, was quoted as saying in a statement.
A Congolese partner agency of the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern called the blast “an action of terror,” saying the Islamist rebel group Allied Democratic Forces could be behind it.
The deadly rebel group has been attacking Christians and clashing with the army in Nord Kivu and Ituri provinces which have been under a “state of siege” since May. The military, which has taken effective control in the two provinces, has still not been able to stop the armed militia’s attacks.
The Anglican Bishop of Beni Diocese described the Christmas Day attack as a “cowardice activity carried out by weak rebels who want to make followers of their faith by force,” ICC said.
“Recently, the attacks have only been … in the villages where there is not enough security watch … but now it seems like the terrorists are trying to make a statement that they are still present even in cities,” the bishop was quoted as saying. “They targeted the hotel because they knew that many people would gather in the evening to continue celebrating Christmas. Today, churches met as usual to begin the Christmas holiday … but now things have taken a new turn. However, we shall not let fear diminish the joy of Christ in this season, and we shall stand in prayer with the families of those killed today.”
ICC’s local partner also called the attack “unexpected because we are used to hearing incidences of Christians being killed in the villages.”
“The last time we had such terror attacks in this town of Beni was in May and June, where the attackers also planted bombs in churches, but that was stopped by the government forces,” the source recalled. “In June, one woman was killed and others injured when a bomb planted inside a church’s compound exploded. Another bomb had been trapped at a bar that killed several revelers.”
The rebel group, against which Congo and Uganda launched a joint operation on Nov. 30, has killed hundreds of Christians and left thousands homeless and displaced this year.
This is the religion of Peace at work!
Muslim star Salah draws backlash with Christmas message
Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has triggered an angry reaction
from some sections of social media after the Muslim star shared
a Christmas Day message from his family.
Salah, who is one of the biggest Muslim sports personalities on the planet, posted a festive image to his millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter showing himself and his family sitting in front of a Christmas tree and dressed in matching outfits.
“Merry Christmas” read the message from the 29-year-old footballer.
Salah’s post racked up well over 2 million ‘likes’ within hours of being posted on Instagram and garnered more than 200,000 on Twitter.
But amidst the love for Salah and his family there were some who took issue with the forward supposedly celebrating Christmas.
Salah was bombarded with responses in Arabic, including many which saw the message as contradictory to the star’s Muslim principles and an affront to their religion.
“You prostrate to the one on Sunday if you score a goal and celebrate the one on Sunday that has a son,” read one reply, referencing the differences between Islamic and Christian beliefs and noting Salah’s celebration when he performs the ‘sujud’ act of prayer on the pitch after scoring.
Salah typically performs a Muslim prayer gesture after scoring. © Reuters
“You are a great player, a good human being, and God has blessed you with money, fame, and the love of people, but know that he who has provided you with all of this is capable of taking it from you in the blink of an eye,” began another response in Arabic which earned around 7,000 ‘likes’.
“Know that you celebrate a day in which they claim that God gives birth to the likes of us… do not be the seat and imprint of their actions, respect the one who provided you with sustenance and gave you your dreams and purified him from the accusations of the people.”
Hmmm. I think that is just what he did!
The backlash could have been predicted after a similar situation played out following a Christmas message from Salah last year.
Some fans couldn’t understand why Salah was being targeted with hate.
“I absolutely love this. Mo Salah is a great example of someone who creates bridges while not caring about the noise. The world needs more Mo Salahs,” read one popular reply in support of the forward.
The row seems unlikely to distract Salah on the pitch, where he has been in sensational form this season.
'The Egyptian King' has found the net 22 times in 24 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool as well as providing nine assists.
Yemeni rebels threaten Saudi Arabia with more attacks
Yemeni Houthi rebels fired rockets into Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing two people.
The rebels threatened more cross-border attacks if Riyadh continues
to drop bombs on the civil war-torn country.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Al-Hammad, the spokesperson for the Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense, said that a projectile launched from Yemeni territory hit a shop in the southern Jizan Province, killing two people and wounding seven others with shrapnel.
A spokesperson for the Yemeni Houthi rebels, Brigadier General Yehia Sarie, said on Saturday that three missiles were fired at “vital and sensitive” sites in Jizan, as quoted by Associated Press.
Houthi officials previously promised to retaliate against a Saudi airstrike in Yemen’s Al-Mahwit Province on Thursday.
The Saudi-led coalition, which intervened in the Yemeni civil war in 2015 on behalf of ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, said that it destroyed several drone and missile depots inside a rebel camp.
Houthis and allied media claimed that the airstrike occurred in a highly populated neighborhood, damaging homes, a children’s hospital, and a prison housing coalition fighters. Al Masirah TV reported that 10 civilians, including women and children, were killed or injured in the airstrike.
“The Saudi regime will be hit with painful operations as long as it persists and continues in its aggression and crimes,” Sarie said, as quoted by Al Masirah.
Taliban bans playing music in cars
and women without hijabs
The streets of Afghanistan are going to become much quieter.
The Taliban has banned the playing of music in cars, in yet another
prohibition introduced by the group since it took power in the country in August.
Afghan drivers were given written recommendations not to play music in their cars and only take women as passengers if they’re wearing a hijab.
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which is in charge of implementing Islamic law in the country, confirmed the new restrictions to a local Kabul news outlet on Saturday.
The broadcaster also posted a photo of the notice given to drivers on Twitter.
The Taliban has introduced numerous curbs on daily life since it swept through the country in a matter of weeks and took Kabul five months ago, capitalizing on the withdrawal of US forces after their two-decade presence in Afghanistan.
In late November, the group announced that women shouldn’t star in TV dramas anymore, while also requiring female journalists and presenters to wear headscarves while on screen.
One move that stands out is a decree earlier this month that outlawed forced marriage in Afghanistan, saying that women shouldn’t be viewed as ‘property’ and can’t be taken as a wife without the woman’s consent.
Wow! How did that pass the Islamic scholar test?
However, the international community still has concerns about how women’s rights for work and education are going to be maintained under the Taliban.
BBC branded ‘anti-Semitic’ for ‘insidious’ reporting – media
An anti-Semitism watchdog has reportedly ranked the BBC in third place – behind Iran and Hamas – on its annual list of the world’s worst offenders after it allowed anti-Jewish bias to “creep into its reporting” over the past year.
Signage is seen at the entrance to BBC Broadcasting House offices and recording studios in London.
May 21, 2021. © Reuters / Toby Melville
The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center judged the British broadcaster to be “guilty of several incidences of anti-Semitism” when compiling its ‘Global Antisemitism Top Ten’ rankings for 2021, according to the Daily Mail. The list is due to be released on Tuesday.
The center’s founder and head, Rabbi Marvin Hier, told the paper that the decision to put the BBC on the list might be a “[surprise]” to some, but it “came after months of intense debate and discussion.”
“People might assume we would put neo-Nazi groups on our list but ... when a globally recognized organization allows anti-Semitism to creep into its reporting, it makes it all the more insidious and dangerous,” he said.
Referencing its reputation for “truthful reporting,” Hier pointed to several cases covered by the BBC, which raised questions. For example, Alaa Daraghme, a journalist producing video for the BBC, tweeted a clip with the caption: ‘An Israeli settler ramming a Palestinian man near the Lions’ Gate’.
“In fact, the car drove onto the pavement after an attempt by Palestinians to lynch the Jewish driver who lost control of the vehicle,” Hier said. Daraghme later published another video to clarify the context.
Noting that “anti-Semitism is abhorrent,” an unnamed BBC spokesman told the Daily Mail that the corporation “strives to serve the Jewish community, and all communities across our country, fairly with accurate and impartial reporting.”
The list, which features Iran and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the top two spots, also reportedly includes “social media giants” (for permitting hate speech) and the Unilever corporation, whose Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream brand courted controversy after a sales boycott of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
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