Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, denounced the documentary film “Iranium” on Tuesday. He called film an attempt to harm the progress of Iran’s nuclear program.

Mehmanparast said the documentary “proves that certain Western countries are dismayed by [Iran’s] peaceful nuclear activities which are carried out in line with [defending its] inalienable rights,” and creates “an unreal atmosphere in order to apply pressure on our policies.” He added, “They should know that this path is wrong and the public opinion will not fall for such fabricated, unreal facts.”

Iranium documents the statements and actions of Iranian leaders since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, including the buildup of Iran’s nuclear program through the Presidential Elections of 2009.

“In the West, we use freedom of speech to change public opinion. We develop documentaries and software to achieve our goals,” says Alex Traiman, director of Iranium. “Iran’s leaders on the other hand, develop illegal nuclear weapons, sponsor terror around the world and brutalize their own citizens to achieve their goals.”

Narrated by Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Award Winning Iranian actress, Shohreh Aghdashloo, the 60-minute film uses rare footage from Iran and interviews with 25 politicians, Iranian dissidents, and leading experts on Middle East policy, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation.

Widely recognized as one of the 20th century’s leading computer industry pioneers, Mr. Kenneth H. Olsen, founder and former CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), long time trustee at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, and alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), died Sunday, February 6, 2011. He would have been 85 years old on February 20.

In 2008, the Ken Olsen Science Center was dedicated at Gordon College during which time Olsen’s archives were given to the College.

“An inventor, scientist, and entrepreneur, Ken Olsen is one of the true pioneers of the computing industry,” said Bill Gates, founder and chairman of Microsoft, in a letter to Gordon College. “He was also a major influence in my life and his influence is still important at Microsoft through all the engineers who trained at Digital and have come here to make great software products.”

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Olsen developed a love and curiosity for electronics at a young age. After an enlistment in the Navy during World War II, he attended MIT for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. While at MIT, he worked on a team that developed air defense technology and core memory, the precursor to today’s RAM. He married Aulikki Valve in Finland on December 12, 1950.

In 1957, he co-founded DEC in a refurbished mill in Maynard just outside of Boston, a company that grew to over 125,000 employees in 86 countries. Countless CEOs, engineers and inventors recognize Olsen’s technological innovations, leadership style and entrepreneurial philosophies as the foundation for today’s information and computer networking industry.

“Ken Olsen was a pioneer of the computer age, but beyond that, he was a good man. He was a major philanthropist who did his giving quietly, never seeking recognition or thanks. Ken’s many contributions to business, leadership and technological innovations were unmatched,” said Tom Phillips, former chairman of Raytheon and fellow board member at Gordon College since 1970. “He cared deeply about his family, his faith and of course, his work, and sincerely expected that each would help make the world better. That was his legacy and I’m proud to have called him friend.”

Under Olsen’s 35-year leadership tenure, DEC pioneered the concepts behind interactive computing. Creating one of the first digital computers for commercial use, DEC marketed the “mini-computer” and set records in size and affordability. The company also set industry standards in program languages, operating systems, networking architectures, applications software, computer peripherals, component and circuit technology, manufacturing processes and business practices.

In 1986 Fortune Magazine named him the “most successful entrepreneur in the history of American business.” He was also inducted into multiple halls of fame including the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame (1990) and the Computer History Museum (1996). He served on the boards of several prestigious organizations including the Computer Science and Engineering Board of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.; and as a member of the President’s Science Advisory Committee. He was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1993.

Olsen had a particular fondness for Christian higher education. As an active member of Park Street Church in Boston, Olsen joined the board of Gordon College in 1961, along with fellow trustees Phillips and evangelist Billy Graham. Olsen admired Gordon’s openness to scientific inquiry and commitment to the Christian faith, and provided both spiritual and business input for the next 50 years. He supported numerous capital and building projects in all areas of academics, athletics, music and the arts, and moved the College towards greater efficiency in technology by donating his time, expertise, and company equipment.

In his early leadership at DEC, Olsen often visited Gordon’s campus to meet informally with science students or professors about specific developments in computing. Sometimes he would drop off his latest prototype for Gordon scientists and challenge them to “play around with this in the lab and let me know what you think.” Because of his involvement, Gordon was a natural recipient for his archives.

“Ken Olsen made a lasting impact on generations of science students at Gordon College. He took his leadership role seriously, not just attending meetings but also helping to design new computer labs, giving of his own resources for the College to meet its financial goals, and asking the tough questions that a growing institution needed to answer,” said Gordon College President R. Judson Carlberg. “Ken never saw a conflict between his Christian commitment and his embrace of scientific methods. It was up to us to understand how science and the Bible were two expressions of God’s creativity; and we are still pursuing that task.”

Through all of his accomplishments, Olsen’s family and friends defined him by his humble commitment to loving God, loving excellence and loving others. His character in and out of the workplace reflected his life-long belief that values, business ethics, and scientific inquiry should coincide with faith in God.

“Science is more than a study of molecules and calculations; it is the love of knowledge and the continued search for the truth,” Olsen once wrote. “The study of the sciences promotes humility, leaving us with a clear sense that we will never understand all there is to know. At the same time, science provides a defense for truth, authenticates Christianity and stems from the nature of God.”

New undercover footage was released on Tuesday showing a New York City Planned Parenthood clinic supervisor and medical practitioner aiding and abetting the sexual exploitation of minors, even giving the undercover “pimp” advice on how to pose as a legal guardian and get the taxpayer funded discount for his sex workers, some as young as 13 years old.

Local and national pro-life group leaders are outraged at the steady stream of recorded violations released over the past week as evidence of a system-wide crisis within Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Now, the Expose Planned Parenthood coalition is fighting back.

Lila Rose, president, Live Action, the group that’s recording the videos, says Planned Parenthood has shown, repeatedly, for the past three years of its investigation, that the group is willing to aid and abet the sexual exploitation of minors and young girls, even girls as young as 13 and here illegally, all under a sick code of “confidentiality.”

“For Planned Parenthood, this ‘confidentiality’ supersedes a zero tolerance for sex trafficking and exploitation of minors and young women,” Rose says. “Today, we are making full footage and transcripts available to New York law enforcement officials and we are calling upon New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to launch a formal investigation as has been done in New Jersey by Attorney General Paula Dow. This footage shows that underage girls and young women are at potentially grave risk when they walk into a Planned Parenthood clinic.”

The Planned Parenthood annual report disclosed receiving more than $363 million in government grants and contracts, including Title X funds, between 2008 and 2009. Over the same period, Planned Parenthood reported performing 324,008 abortions, the most it has ever performed.

“Now that Planned Parenthood is vulnerable and almost hysterical with panic, liberals are circling the wagons, understanding that any more slip-ups could mean the end of their federal gravy train,” says Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. “The fact that Planned Parenthood not only left these teenagers trapped in prostitution-but encouraged it-shows an incredible lack of humanity on their part. What goes on behind the windowless offices of Planned Parenthood, as these videos show, is both saddening and shocking, but the fact it is done with taxpayer dollars is indefensible.”

Marjorie Dannenfelse, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, says the repeated horrors exposed in these videos are proof that exploiting women and underage girls is a repeated and systemic occurrence in this organization’s dark history: “Still, the fact that Planned Parenthood has the gall to insist that it deserves continued taxpayer support is appalling. There is a time in legislative initiatives where all points converge and the door opens. For defunding Planned Parenthood, that time is now.”

The new video, the latest in a series of more than a dozen previous Live Action sting operations, was unveiled today by 22-year old Rose and her investigative team and shows a clinic manager and a medical practitioner conspiring with a man posing as a pimp. The staffer and clinical supervisor counsels the pimp to secretly secure STD testing, contraception and access to abortion services for his prostitutes, as young as 13 years old, under a taxpayer subsidy referred to in the video as a “family planning benefit.”

Wendy Wright, CEO, Concerned Women for America, says each new tape reveals Planned Parenthood’s institutional complicity with sex abusers and human traffickers. She says even their official response exposes their attitude toward sex abuse and trafficking: They call their shocking practice of aiding child sex traffickers ‘professional.’

“Neither the Planned Parenthood agents in clinics or at their headquarters seem at all surprised or disturbed that sex traffickers would be using their services. All of Planned Parenthood’s actions thus far reveal that it is business as usual for them to assist rapists and sex traffickers to continue abusing girls,” Wright says. “Planned Parenthood, a tax-funded entity, partners with criminals against their female victims. Government officials now have a choice: will they side with child sex traffickers and their accomplice Planned Parenthood, or will they criminally investigate and end taxpayer funding of this group that openly aids and abets modern day slavery?”

Yesterday’s Sunday Times featured the case of Said Musa, a 45-year-old father of six who is facing execution for converting to from Islam to Christianity.

Barnabas Fund has been working behind the scenes with others to set Said free, but the group reports high-level talks involving U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and representatives of the French and German governments have failed to move Afghan President Hamid Karzai to act.

According to Barnabas Fund, Said has been languishing in prison, where he has been tortured and abused, since his arrest last May. Said is yet to stand trial and no defense lawyer will represent him.

“Said Musa’s plight can be seen as a test case for how Western governments are going to respond to the treatment of converts to Christianity in the Muslim world,” said Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund. “ I urge you to join us in putting pressure on them to use their influence to achieve for everyone the universal right to full freedom of religion.”

Said is not the only Afghan convert to Christianity whose life is in immediate danger. Twenty-five-year-old Shoaib Assadullah is also being held in prison and has been threatened with the death penalty for apostasy unless he returns to Islam. He was arrested last October after giving a New Testament to another Afghan.

Apostasy is a crime punished by death under Islamic law, which is upheld by the Afghan constitution. Wherever Islamic law is in force, converts from Islam are in real peril. At the end of last month Abdolreza Gharabat was hanged for apostasy in Iran after he claimed to be God.

It’s time for the Davids to arise with prophetic warfare strategies that bring God’s will to the land. That’s what rings in my spirit as I continue my news coverage about the crisis in Egypt from a natural and biblical perspective.

A recent article called for the prophets in the land to step forth and questioned why prophets in Egypt were so silent in such a critical hour. There could be any number of reasons why we’re not hearing much from prophets in Egypt. Maybe they are crying out in travail even now. Maybe fear has gripped their hearts. Or maybe their prophetic utterances just aren’t making it beyond the borders of the nation. 

Whatever the case may be, I believe we should take the crisis in Egypt as a wake-up call. I believe God is more apt to speak to the prophets in the land who are actively praying for their nation in good times and bad. I believe in patriotic prophets who will stand in the gap for their nation and speak forth a prophetic word boldly whether it’s popular or not.

 The Patriotic Prophet’s Role
Ezekiel was a patriotic prophet. He proved his love for the nation of Israel over and over again in ways that were sacrificial, uncomfortable and downright humbling. In utter obedience to the word of the Lord, Ezekiel, for example, married an unfaithful wife. In total submission to the Spirit of God, Ezekiel laid on one side of his body then the other for months on end. 

 In fact, in an effort to demonstrate the heart and mind of God, Ezekiel executed some of the strangest prophetic acts in the Bible. Ezekiel wasn’t the only patriotic prophet in the Word of God, though. There are many nationalistic nabis (seer). Indeed, prophets who were loyal to God and country at all costs make the annals of the prophetic ministry. I pray that this same spirit will sweep over every prophet in every nation today as they seek to do the will of God without compromise. 

 Whether you are a watchman assigned to the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Egypt, or some other nation that is under attack from dominion-seeking false religions, oppressive governments, or secular humanistic ideology (and it’s hard to think of a nation where that description does not apply), your role is to stand in the gap and intercede for God’s will. The way I see it, instead of boasting about how we are “prophets to the nations” we should make doubly sure that we are prophets to our own nations first. After all, they say, charity begins at home. 

 Let’s talk about repenting on behalf of a nation. Falling on your face in deep repentance and asking God to heal the land may not sound as exciting to many as hollering at the devil and fervently flailing your arms. And I agree that it’s not as much fun in practice, but it’s not about showing off spiritual warfare skills, is it? It’s about standing in the office of the prophet, functioning in that role the way God directs. There are times to shout the victory the way the Israelites did at Jericho. And there are times to weep and cry in repentance, as did Jeremiah. I would urge you, prophets and intercessors, to seek God for the prophetic warfare strategy that He wants to execute in this time and this season.

Prophetic Warfare Strategies
Remember King David, a prophet and a mighty man of war? David consulted God with the memorable query: “Shall I go up?” But as David matured he wasn’t always satisfied with a “yes” or “no” answer from his commander in chief. He depended on the Lord to offer him an assurance of victory, a specific, customized prophetic warfare strategy, and specific instructions for battle. Pressing in for prophetic strategies is a sign of maturity because, I dare say, young prophets may spend a lot of time screaming at the devil, or as the apostle Paul put it, buffeting the air. In doing so, it’s quite possible that they could wind up fighting against the very will of God. 

 Like David, our spiritual warfare must be waged from a position of victory. 

 That means knowing who you are in Christ and the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. Know this: Although God’s battle plans are always successful, they may differ from skirmish to skirmish. That’s why we need prophetic strategies. Just because Joshua and the Israelites marched around Jericho seven times, let out a shout, and watched the walls fall down doesn’t mean that’s applicable for every situation (see Josh. 6). (The Lord has never directed anyone I know to do such a thing.) Likewise, just because Jehoshaphat and his crew defeated the enemy with praise and thanksgiving without ever lifting a finger to fight doesn’t mean that will work in all occasions (see 2 Chr. 20). Praise is always appropriate, but sometimes you have to enter into the battle with the whole armor of God and fight. 

 David understood this. When he encountered the Philistines at the Valley of Rephaim the first time, he inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord responded, “Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you” (2 Sam. 5:19, NIV). David was victorious in battle, but he didn’t let it go to his head.  

 When the Philistines came up and spread out in the valley the second time, David didn’t make presumptions. He inquired of the Lord again. This time, the Lord had a different battle plan: “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army” (2 Sam. 5:23-24, NIV). 

 Where Are the Deliverers?
Of course, David and his mighty men won again, striking down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 

 It’s important to note here that David was fighting for his nation. His acts were patriotic. He was a deliverer. He was a warrior. He was a reformer— all earmarks of true prophets. Sure, David could have rested in his popularity after defeating Goliath. He could have sent his army out to do the fighting. Or he could have rushed out in arrogance against any and every enemy whether it was God’s timing or not. But David didn’t do that. His concern was not merely for himself. It was for the nation of Israel. 

 David’s battle plans often started with prayer: “Shall I go up?” He sought prophetic warfare strategies that preserved a nation from its enemies by putting God’s will first. I challenge you, prophets and intercessors, to follow David’s example. Stand for your nation. Seek prophetic strategies. And watch God restore kingdom culture in your nation just as it is in heaven.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma and author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can also find her online at www.jenniferleclaire.org or e-mail Jennifer at [email protected].

Tunisia set off a chain reaction across the Middle East and North Africa as citizens of Arab countries began to rise up and call for an end to their current government regimes.

Ted Esler, executive vice president with Pioneers, says, “I don’t believe that the main push is for an open society, as much as it is for an end to dictatorship. When we think of democracy being a great thing, we tend to think of democracy with a few assumptions, one of those assumptions being ‘freedom of religion.'”

Since mid-January, there have been major protests throughout Yemen, Egypt, Algeria, and Jordan.  Smaller-scale demonstrations occurred in Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Oman, Sudan, and Libya.

New leadership leaves everything on the table. “On the one hand, I think a number of them are saying that this is going to open society up more,” says Esler. He goes on to say, “I hear other leaders saying the opposite, that this could be an opening, for example, for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and things will get much more difficult.”

Since everything is in flux in the Arab world, there’s opportunity for change and hope for progress. Esler is cautiously optimistic. “We’re still in that time where we really don’t know where it’s going to go. My personal belief is that it’s not going to be evenly distributed. In other words, there are going to be some countries where, in four or five years, we’re going to see greater openness and a greater ability for missionaries–whether they are indigenous missionaries or foreign missionaries–to work, and there’ll be other countries where it’ll be much more difficult.”

There’s concern that the wave of pro-democracy protests engulfing the Arab world could spread even more. That’s not surprising, notes Esler, considering that “these reforms are happening because of repression. It’s a real issue. They’re crying out for change because it’s been repressive, so pray that justice would prevail.”

How severely will the turmoil upset their outreach work? It’s disruptive, he says, but not disabling. “Because so many of our staff are focused on helping the national church do its job there, they’re able to continue to minister by proxy through people that are still on the ground.”

However, partners on the ground are asking for prayer. Looting and arson often follow the large-scale chaos. “Pray for the safety of the workers that are there. A lot of times when there’s lawlessness like we’re seeing, for example, in Egypt right now, it’s an opportunity for somebody to take out a personal vendetta.”

People begin asking the deeper questions when everything in their lives turns upside down. Through their partners, Arab World Media and Global Response Management System (GRMS), they can reach out to truth seekers with the hope of Christ. “It’s very evident that internet strategies are very powerful tools in restricted access countries. I have a feeling that these media ministries that use everything from the internet to television to cell phone texting and other types of strategies, are going to become even more important and more prevalent.”

Pray that the Holy Spirit would work in people’s lives so that they might see the truth. “Then [pray for] wisdom that the leaders in the various churches and various mission movements there would be wise in how to go about their ministries at this crucial time.”

While much of the world’s attention is focused on Egypt, there is yet another threat looming—a nuclear Iran.

A new documentary film exposing the dangers posed to America and the international community if Iran were to deploy nuclear weapons. Dubbed “Iranium,” the film premiers on Feb. 8 in a nationwide screening event at AMC Theaters in select cities.

“We encourage concerned citizens across the U.S., Canada, and around the world to view this timely film and see firsthand the statements of Iranian leaders on their intentions for America and the international community,” says Alex Traiman, director of Iranium. “This film sounds an alarm that must be heard if we are to prevent the perils that may result if Iran crosses the nuclear threshold.

“Events in Egypt are eerily similar to the revolution that swept Iran in 1979. And the results of Iran’s Islamic Revolution set the course for 30 years of terror and brutality. To understand what is taking place in Egypt today, it is critical to look back and study the effects of what took place three decades prior in Iran.”

Narrated by Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Award Winning Iranian actress, Shohreh Aghdashloo, the 60-minute film uses rare footage from Iran and interviews with 25 politicians, Iranian dissidents, and leading experts on Middle East policy, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation.

The film’s flagship premiere event will take place on Capitol Hill, in the Rayburn Congressional Office Building. Iranium will also be available on Comcast’s Video on Demand channel beginning February 8, and will spotlight on Hulu’s documentary channel.

You can watch the movie free online for a limited time at IraniumtheMovie.com.

While no one knows the political result of the unrest in Egypt, Christians are already feeling the effects of riotous distraction.

According to Assist News, the carnage took place in the village of Sharona near Maghagha, Minya province. Two Islamists groups, aided by Muslim neighbors, descended on the roof of houses owned by Christians, killing 11, including children, and seriously injuring four others.

The report stated the massacre has nothing to do with the mayhem in Egypt, but the murderers took advantage of the lack of police protection and thought they could commit their crime and no one would notice.

Tom Doyle with E3 Partners says, “It’s gang warfare out there, and there’s nobody to protect the citizens when the government or the police have either disbanded and are not functioning, or are consumed with just protecting the government institutions and the buildings. There’s nobody there to protect the people.”

According to Doyle, Christians aren’t sleeping. “One leader south of Cairo said, ‘We get very little sleep at night because we have to defend our home. People are coming in and just taking homes and throwing families out and just taking them.”

Another leader suggests another reason for Christians to be attacked. Doyle says, “Islamic hardliners are fully aware that Christians typically don’t retaliate when they’re hurt. So they become a prime target.”

So far, the protests have focused on jobs, free speech and democratic elections, not religion, but a few radicals are using this distraction to attack Christians.

It’s unclear what the end of Mubarak’s rule would mean for religious minorities. But in recent years, Iraq has lost about half its historical Christian population because of persecution, and Christians have been leaving Iran and Lebanon in lesser numbers.

This battle isn’t against flesh and blood, but it’s a spiritual battle. “Satan is fighting for the soul of this country; we know what that’s about,” says Doyle. “We just invite believers in America, pastors, to take a moment in their sermons to pray for Egypt and call believers to prayer and fasting.”

Quoting an Egyptian believer, Doyle believes God is going to use this for good. “Has there ever been a time in the history of Egypt where more believers in Jesus were praying for Egypt at once? We’re believing God is going to use this for His glory.”

Charisma News has received an eyewitness report of the crisis in Egypt from. The report came to Charisma magazine from Rafik Guindi, who sent the message to Bill Johnson, senior pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, Calif.

The following is the text of the letter:

I am writing this to you as a witness to what is going on from the streets of Cairo over the last few days. Rania my wife and I have been following the developments since January 25th, which started with a large group of Egyptian youth taking to Tahrir square in an anti-government protest with specific demands. I know some of these people who were in that group and I talked with them. What is happening now has nothing to do with this original protest! What is happening right now is a conspiracy to topple Mubarak from outside the country!!

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but let me tell you what I have personally witnessed on the streets of Cairo. 

I want to share first what the LORD told me on Friday morning.

I went to the LORD in prayer on Thursday evening, praying like many others for protection and for the restoration of peace and security in my land. I told the LORD: “Father, answer my prayers with rain,” which He has several times before. I went to sleep. I woke up on Friday morning and went directly to prayer. Immediately, I sensed a strong urgency from the LORD saying: “As the people of Egypt presented their requests to Mubarak, I am calling on My people to rise up before me and present their requests to me for their nation.”

I went on to hear the LORD: “Let the Holy Council assemble.” I didn’t understand who this Council was, but I knew in my heart that the LORD meant that there are people in my land that are called by the LORD to stand before him as His Holy Council with authority to make declaration over the land, to establish the Kingdom in the land.

My demands to the LORD were not political in nature. I prayed for “good news to the poor, freedom for the oppressed, healing for the brokenhearted, and the acceptable year of the LORD” as the Holy Spirit gave guidance. The LORD spoke to me the words “JUSTICE” and “TRUTH.”

As I went to talk with Rania afterwards, she told me that she had been awake all through the night, and that IT RAINED around 12:45 a.m. It was very strong, but not for a very long time (a few minutes). I knew then that it was the LORD. The LORD spoke Psalm 97:1-2: 

 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Indeed, there had been unusual clouds and very thick fog in December over Cairo, unprecedented in frequency and intensity.  Again, the words TRUTH (or righteousness in the English translation) and JUSTICE resounded. 

 As Rania and I followed the unfolding of events including the announced change in government and president Mubarak’s speech, we wondered why the international news media is focusing only on the thousands in Tahrir square who are escalating their demands and refusing dialogue. The news media is reporting this as “the people of Egypt” wanting Mubarak to leave immediately. Did they ask the “people of Egypt?” For one, they did not ask me! Where are those, like myself, that want change and reform, but accept the changes that Mubarak is proposing, and want a peaceful transition through elections in September? 

 We decided to take to the streets to voice our opinion. On Tuesday February 1st we went to Mustafa Mahmoud square in Mohandessin. There were about one thousand people there around 3:30 pm. (Yes, we broke the curfew.) The crowd grew to about 2,500 by 5:00 p.m. People were calling their friends over the phone telling them to come. We left at about 6:30 p.m. and returned yesterday, Wednesday, starting at 11:00 a.m.

The small group had swelled to TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE standing together with banners saying things like:

– Yes to stability, yes to Mubarak
– Give change a chance
– We are sorry, Mr. president
– We accept dialogue, we trust you
– No to ElBaradei, No to the Muslim Brotherhood (many like this one)
– We are the Egyptians, where is Al-Jazeera, let them come and see
– No to corruption, no to vandalism
– We got what we asked the president for, so why are people still in Tahrir?  Who are they?   What do they want?

By 2:00 p.m., the crowd had grown to SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, maybe up to a million, stretching from Sphinx square to Sudan street. We had a great sense of unity and victory. We met with people who were in the original protest in Tahrir square who decided to join us saying: we got what we asked for, and now we accept Mubarak’s changes and proposals.” 

 We left around 4:15 p.m. The numbers had grown even more, POSSIBLY OVER A MILLION. As we drove home we saw the same slogans on banners all over the city, on cars, on walls, on shop windows. We learned that similar demonstrations are taking place ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, IN MAY DIFFERENT CITIES. THIS IS THE CRY OF THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT THAT IS BEING TOTALLY IGNORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS MEDIA. Is this on purpose??!!! I am perplexed!!!

I am wondering: How come CNN, the BBC, and others are reporting ONLY the anti-government protests as the voice of the people? This is not JUSTICE, this is not TRUTH. There have been reports that these people are being paid by the government.  NOT TRUE! I was there with many, many others. I SAW THE STREETS. 

Now to the situation in Tahrir square. Only a few people (hundreds?) are still there from the original protesters. They have been slowly replaced by other HIGHLY ORGANIZED GROUPS. They all have the same model of cell phones. They all have the same blankets (eye witnesses). THESE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT. 

 Some witnesses claim that they don’t look Egyptians, and don’t sound Egyptians (different accent, different dialect). THIS IS A BIG ORGANIZED COUP TO TRY TO CONVINCE THE WORLD THROUGH THE MEDIA THAT EGYPT WANTS MUBARAK TO GO, AND THE MEDIA IS PART OF THE DECEPTION. People in Tahrir square are escalating the situation on purpose to topple President Mubarak FOR THEIR OWN HIDDEN AGENDAS. This is TYPICAL OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERS, AND EVERYBODY IN THE STREETS OF CAIRO KNOWS THIS. We heard people on the streets saying that the plot to take over the country is now clear.

THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS. The escalation of violence in Tahrir square is because of this. Egyptians who love Egypt, the millions that took to the streets yesterday, want this to end. They fully understand that President Mubarak is between a rock and a hard place, that he cannot quench the unrest in Tahrir through the army, so the people want to go to Tahrir to disperse the crowds there by themselves. People in Tahrir are vastly outnumbered. If Egyptians go the Tahrir square to take control of the situation, more chaos will erupt, giving a chance to the international media to blame the president even more. 

 If Egypt falls, then neighboring countries are going to fall one after the other. WE NEED PRAYER, WE ASK FOR TRUTH, WE ASK FOR JUSTICE, and above all LORD, in wrath, REMEMBER MERCY. Stand with us. The Lord calls Egypt “My people.” He is calling on His HOLY COUNCIL in the land of Egypt to stand before Him, to make declarations in the heavenlies to establish a new ‘constitution’ in the land based on the principles of the Word of God, to establish a ‘new foundation’ for His kingdom to come. Pray for the schemes of the enemy to be annulled and voided. Pray for deception to be exposed. We humble ourselves and pray.  We seek the Face of the LORD. We turn from our wicked ways. LISTEN TO US LORD, FORGIVE US, HEAL OUR LAND. In the Name of Jesus.
 
In Him, standing for God’s purposes in Egypt,
Rafik and Rania

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MAKING UP ITS MIND

I am still trying to get more photos that are better than my lo-res ones. We also have more insight as events are unfolding but I didn’t have the time to write. Today, Friday, is a VERY critical day. It is the day of gathering and prayer for Muslims. They are accustomed to go out into the streets after the mid-day prayer. Huge crowds are going to take to the streets today. Some are putting huge pressure on the president to step down immediately, they are refusing dialogue which has been accepted by most if not all of the opposition parties.

The leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are still ‘making up their mind.’ They are buying time and gathering bigger crowds in Tahrir square. I heard many young Egyptians saying that they were part of the original protest since January 25th up until February 1st when President Mubarak announced the reform. Now they have mostly left and are being replaced by ‘other’ youth that are taking advantage of the situation and want to oust Mubarak for their own purposes. Eyewitnesses have reported horrific scenes of killings in front of their eyes to create the kind of chaos that happened on February 2nd. Please stand with us in prayer to avoid clashes and bloodshed today. 

 “Blessed be Egypt My people” 

 Standing for His purposes.
— Rafik

SUPPORTING PRESIDENT MUBARAK’S PLAN

Rania and I just came back from Mohandessin where a few thousand people were demonstrating in support of President Mubarak’s current plan. The crowd was significantly smaller than Wednesday while the gatherings in Tahrir are very large. Please don’t mistake my observation as meaning ‘us’ and ‘them’ because we are all Egyptian brothers and sisters. We are all for change, political reform, and social justice. We are all against the corruption, police brutality, and injustice that thrived for years. However, I am standing for the change that the LORD wants to bring about.

Jesus was expected by his followers to topple the oppressor. He had a different plan, to defeat the spirit behind the oppressor. We need wisdom and discernment from the LORD to understand the unfolding events. Jesus respected authority. The New Testament urges us to submit to the authorities. I do not think that God suddenly changed His mind and said that He’s making an exception and it is ‘ok’ to bring Mubarak down by force.

We will gain nothing if we bring Mubarak down and let the stage be wide open for opportunists from inside and out to fill the void. Politics is a dirty game. There are strings being pulled into directions that we all don’t want. There is a very important spiritual principle of authority: authority is given, it is delegated, it is never taken. David understood this very well, and was given the chance to overthrow (read: kill) King Saul more than once, but he refrained. God called Him: “a man after My own heart.” Moses killed the Egyptian and fled for 40 years. This is what people are trying to do now, saying ‘let us kill the Egyptian – in this case the “pharaoh.” These are not God’s ways. When He sends Moses, He talks to him first.

I am disturbed by the silence of the prophets in our land. The Lord does nothing before speaking to His prophets first. Where is the word of the Lord concerning this uprising? Did the Lord orchestrate it? Who among us has He anointed to speak to the pharaoh and defy his authority? Which force is moving the events in the heavenlies? Why is there so much confusion among believers? 

I pray that we come out of this crisis more united, with humble hearts, seeking the LORD earnestly for the time to come. Crisis is followed by process. Even if things calm down, we have some ‘restructuring’ of our own to do, to usher in the changes that are on the LORD’s heart. May the LORD raise up His chosen ones, appointed in the positions, and anointed for the work He has for them. We need to seek the LORD for STRATEGY in the weeks and months to come. 

 Regards,
— Rafik

International Christian Concern officials recently returned from Egypt, where they met with Egyptian Christians to discuss the mass demonstrations calling for the end of  Mubarak’s 30-year reign as president.

ICC reports that most Christians share the frustrations of their Muslim countrymen and support the demonstrators for political reform, an end to police brutality, and stagnant incomes. At the same time, many Christians fear that the demonstrations could lead to a power vacuum and possible takeover by the only organized, determined, and moneyed opposition: the Muslim Brotherhood. This would, of course, be a disaster for the Christian population.  

“Christians in Egypt are finding themselves at a crossroads. While there is little support for President Mubarak, there is uncertainty over what an alternative government might bring,” says Aidan Clay, the Middle East Regional Manager for ICC.

“The Muslim Brotherhood is trying to hijack the revolution and call it their own. If the Brotherhood is able to gain the upper hand, Christians fear that the few religious freedoms they do have will also be taken away from them. While some Christians have a trust in the army to protect them from the Brotherhood, others look to Turkey and how Islamic radicals have neutered the army.”

While Coptic Pope Shenouda III vowed support to President Mubarak on Monday, Christians vividly remember the horrific bombing outside a church in Alexandria that killed 24 people on New Year’s Eve. While the government blamed the Army of Islam, an A Qaeda-linked Palestinian network, many Christians believe the attack was executed by Egyptians. ICC reports many Christians see Mubarak’s accusation of the Palestinian group as a cover to avoid addressing internal Islamic terrorism targeting Christians.
 
Nearly all Christians and many others live in fear. “I’m on the streets right now on watch because we need to protect our families, our homes,” the director of an evangelical training center told ICC. “It’s really dangerous because of those who got out of the prisons. Everybody is really praying hard for the Lord to have mercy on the people here, because people are starving. They lack food, money, everything. There is no money to buy food because all the banks are closed. The situation is really tough.”