 Let My People Go!
“So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me’.” Exodus 10:3 The nation of Israel grew out of secession from Egypt. In the Bible, a nation is an ethnolinguistic people group with a shared faith. The Scriptures make it clear that the Hebrews remained Hebrews, even after 480 years in Egypt. They never became Egyptians. We are not geographic accidents, but demographic descendants. The Scripture emphasises that all the families of the nations of the earth are to sing the praises of the Creator in every language and tongue. “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your Blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9 Confusion About What a Nation Is Unfortunately, many today are confused about the concept of nations. This could be because there are a group of state representatives in New York calling themselves the “United Nations”. Of course, most of them have no legitimacy at all. The United Nations is the largest collection of unelected dictators, mass murderers, drug traffickers and human traffickers on the planet. Most of them are actually gangsters with flags. “One Nation Under God, Indivisible…” The United States deludes itself that it is “one nation under God, indivisible…”. Why 50 states in a voluntary union should be considered indivisible, seems incomprehensible to most of us. Yet, Americans are expected to make this pledge on a regular basis. Abraham Lincoln waged a ruinous war in which over 650,000 people died to preserve the union of what was meant to be a confederation. Since that War between the States concluded in 1865, America has become more and more centralised with central government overruling state governments on such matters as legalised abortion and state mandated education. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics When the Soviet Union (USSR) broke up, this was considered a good thing and there was much rejoicing as Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia and many others seceded from the Union – the Soviet Union. It is a good thing for freedom that the Soviet Union was not indivisible! The Destructive Legacy of Versailles There never was such a concept as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia before the vindictive and destructive Versailles Treaty of 1919 and those entities do not exist today either. They were bad ideas from the beginning. Free and independent nations have broken away from those empires. Yugoslavia, meaning the land of the South Slavs, included Slovenia and Croatia, who definitely are not Slavic, formerly part of the Austrian empire and with Germanic language and culture. However, from 1945 to 1989, the fragile political entity called Yugoslavia was composed of six republics, five nationalities, four languages, three major religions, two alphabets, but only one political party – communist. Another kaleidoscope nation created by the Versailles Treaty, Czechoslovakia, did not long survive the fall of the Iron Curtain and the withdrawal of Soviet armies of occupation. In 1993, Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia, peacefully after a referendum. The Secession of the Ten Northern Tribes of Israel from Judah and Benjamin In 1 Kings 12, we read of the secession of the ten Northern tribes from the United Kingdom of Israel. After the reigns of King Saul, King David and King Solomon, the United Kingdom was divided when Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, foolishly dismissed the wise counsel of the elders who had stood before his father, Solomon. Instead Rehoboam chose to rather listen to the irresponsible advice of the young men who had grown up with him. As a result, he arrogantly dismissed the petition of his subjects and threatened to tax them even heavier and to burden them with more oppressive laws than they had ever experienced before. “Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: ‘What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!’ So Israel departed to their tents.” 1 Kings 12:16 This Is of the Lord “So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day… There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” 1 Kings 12:19-20. When king Rehoboam assembled 180,000 warriors to fight against the house of Israel to restore the United Kingdom, God stopped them, declaring that this secession was of Him. You Shall Not Fight Against Your Brethren “But the Word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ‘Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.’ Therefore they obeyed the Word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the Word of the Lord.” 1 Kings 12:22-24 Ten Key Principles of Freedom Centralisation of power in a unitary state has always been a pagan tendency, as seen in Nineveh and Babel (Genesis 10:11; 11:1). Because power corrupts, it is wise to limit and divide the powers of civil government in a system of checks and balances. God established in the government of Israel, ten key principles of freedom:
All Authority is Limited, Delegated and Accountable To the Roman governor, Pilate, the Lord Jesus Christ declared: “…You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above…” John 19:11. Civil authority is clearly delegated by God, limited and answerable to God (Romans 13:1-4; Revelation 1:5; 11:15). The sanctity of human life was the foundation for the establishment of government (Genesis 9:6). The priority of any government should be to protect the right to life of the preborn and every other member of society who is law-abiding. Civil Government is to Serve Its Citizens In the teachings of our Lord, it is clear that civil authorities are to be public servants (Matthew 20:25-28). “…‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger and he who governs as he who serves.” Luke 22:25-26. The concept that civil government is a servant of its citizens is a uniquely Christian idea that originated from these verses. Hence, the term prime minister – as the first servant. Cabinet ministers are to be deacons of God for justice. “Lex Rex” Before the Reformation the general view of government was summarised in the Latin phrase “Rex Lex – The king is law.” The king’s word is law. The king is above the law. The Reformation inverted this Latin phrase to Lex Rex – The Law is King. The king is under the Law. Samuel Rutherford, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, wrote the book: Lex Rex, published in 1644. Utilising arguments from Scripture and building on Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos, Lex Rex attacked the idea of absolutism and statism, emphasizing the importance of covenant and the rule of law. As the prince, or the king, may command loyalty, the king owes his subjects protection. If government fails to provide protection and the rule of law, respect for life and property, then the citizens are absolved of any loyalty to such an abusive ruler who has failed to fulfil his duty. In Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants Junius Brutus, In Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants, had argued that as we owe our king loyalty, so the King of kings requires loyalty and obedience from all kings who are under Him. If our rulers are in rebellion to the King of kings, we must not join them in their war against God and against His Laws. If a ruler commands that which is against the Law of God, we must obey God, rather than man. If a ruler infringes on the Laws of God and seeks to ruin His Church, it is our right and duty to resist him. “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God”. This was also emphasised by Scottish Reformer, John Knox. The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate The Reformers taught that if the central government is corrupt, wicked and oppressive, then the lesser magistrates have the duty to resist. Provincial governors, mayors and magistrates may and must resist and suppress tyrants in central government. Rulers are not permitted to rule for their own self-interests. If central government fails in their promises and duties, the people are exempt from obedience and taxes, the contract is null and void. The Duties of Civil Government Romans 13 makes clear what the duties of civil government are. Civil authorities are to be ministers of justice, under God. All authority is delegated authority and is accountable to Almighty God, the Creator and Eternal Judge. Civil government is to be a terror to evil, a minister of justice, executing wrath on those who practice evil. Civil government is not to be a terror to those who do good, but is to protect the law-abiding (Romans 13:1-7). War Against God Throughout history there have been those who have attempted to impose their political and religious will on the world, such as Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Caesar Nero of Rome, who commanded everyone in the empire to worship him. People were required to place the ash of the incense they had burned before Nero’s image on their forehead, before they were allowed to trade in the market place. From Babel to Babylon, from Rome to the French Revolution and from the Soviet Union to Red China, those who seek to impose a one-world government and one-world religion, also seek to control the economy. They pour out blasphemies against God and His people, persecuting those who refuse to bow to their political and religious will. They make war on the saints and attempt to stamp their mark on all that they have power over (Revelation 13:6-17). We Must Obey God Rather Than Man God's people have always been called to resist stateism and tyranny. Christians were not persecuted in the Roman Empire for worshipping Christ, they were persecuted for refusing to worship Caesar. “And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony and they did not love their lives to the death.” Revelation 12:11. Those who wage war against God will lose. The Great Commission and All Nations When the Lord gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 …to make disciples of all nations, He used the word ethne for nations. Ethne is the root word for ethnic. In the Bible, a nation is an ethnolinguistic people group with a shared faith. We are not merely to make disciples of the 212 countries that claim to be member states of the United Nations. Missiologists have identified over 12,000 ethnolinguistic people groups. Wycliffe Bible Translators identifies 6,909 distinct languages, of which 2,197 are spoken in Asia. Operation World reports that the World Christian Database identifies 13,674 different people groups. The Joshua Project lists 16,350 distinct people groups. Gospel Recordings Network estimates there are over 10,000 spoken languages and dialects. The World Christian Encyclopaedia identifies 13,511 languages and dialects. Successful Secessions in History - Switzerland Switzerland seceded from Austria in 1291. Inspired by the story of expert marksman William Tell, who refused to bow before the hat of Albrecht Gessler, raised on a pole in the market square of Altdorf. When William Tell refused to bow, Gessler’s cruel wrath, mixed with a curiosity to test William Tell’s legendary marksmanship, commanded him to shoot an apple off his son’s head with his crossbow bolt. When William Tell succeeded in splitting an apple with his arrow, saving the life of both his son and himself, Gessler asked why he had readied two arrows. William Tell stated that if he had missed with the first, then he would not have missed with the second, in Gessler’s heart! Enraged, Gessler had William Tell arrested and taken by boat across Lake Lucerne to Kussnacht, to spend the rest of his life in a dungeon. A fierce storm enabled William Tell to escape to shore, where he later ambushed and killed Gessler with an arrow, launching the young confederacy’s secession from Austrian rule. The first three cantons which formed the Swiss confederacy, 1291, were Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden. The oldest republic in the world, Switzerland now consists of 26 cantons. An Island of Peace on a Continent Often Torn by War Despite Switzerland occupying the crossroads of Germanic and Romansh Europe, as reflected in its form of linguistic and cultural regions, German, French, Italian and Romansh, its confederal, decentralised, direct democracy policy of armed neutrality, enabled Switzerland to stay out of the ruinous world wars. Despite French, Germans and Italians killing one another by the hundreds-of-thousands, Switzerland successfully protected its territorial integrity and stayed out of the conflicts. Caring for Its Neighbours Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world’s oldest and best known humanitarian organisations and is home to many international organisations and missions which have brought relief to suffering prisoners during the World Wars and provided sanctuary for those fleeing from those colossal conflicts. An Example of Excellence Switzerland is one of the most developed countries of the world, with the highest nominal wealth per adult and the highest per capita Gross Domestic Product in the world. In terms of quality of life, three cities of Geneva have been ranked amongst the ten top cities in the world: Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland is an example of excellence of how people of different nationalities, languages and religious affiliations can live together in peace and harmony – by decentralisation, referendums and Landsgemeinde – community gatherings. American Independence and Magna Carta The United States of America seceded from Great Britain in 1776. Demanding their chartered rights as Englishmen under Magna Carta of 1215, the thirteen colonies constitute themselves as the United States of America with their Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776. They maintained that as the English government had failed to protect them and provide their rights, as guaranteed by Magna Carta, 1215, they were absolved of allegiance to the British government in London. Other Successful Secessions Led by Prince William of Orange, the Netherlands seceded from Spain, beginning in 1568. Belgium later seceded from the Netherlands in 1830. Texas seceded from Mexico in 1836. The Battle of the Alamo (23 February – 6 March 1836) was a pivotal event in the war of independence for Texas. The cruelty and arbitrary lawlessness of president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, led other Texans to rise up and defeat the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, 21 April 1836, securing the independence of Texas from Mexico. Nicaragua seceded from Guatemala in 1838. Norway seceded from Sweden in 1905. Price Carl of Denmark was unanimously elected King by the Norwegian parliament, the first king of a fully independent Norway in 508 years. He took the name Haakon VII. A national referendum confirmed the people’s preference for a monarchy over a republic and the peaceful separation of Norway from Sweden was effected on 7 June 1905. Finland seceded from Russia in 1917. In reaction to the Bolshevik Revolution, which was tearing Russia apart, the Finns set up their own parliament which declared independence from Russia, 6 December 1917. The Republic of Ireland seceded from Great Britain in 1922. Pakistan seceded from India in 1947. Taiwan seceded from China in 1949. Singapore seceded from Malaysia in 1965 and has turned an unpromising island swamp into one of the most potent economic powerhouses in Asia. Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan in 1970. Namibia seceded from South Africa in 1990. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia seceded from Russia in 1991. Croatia and Slovenia seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991. Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia in 1991. Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia in 1993. East Timor seceded from Indonesia in 2002. South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011. The Nuba of South Kordofan are at this moment fighting for their independence from Sudan and the Kurds of Turkey, Iraq and Iran are seeking their own country of Kurdistan. Dr. Peter Hammond Reformation Society P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za Website: www.ReformationSA.org See also: Eyewitness to Successful Secession Movements A Case for Cape Independence
0 Comments
 To listen to a Podcast regarding this article click here Power Sharing Agreement Signed by Military Council and Civilian Opposition Alliance On 17 August, it was reported that General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti”Dagolo and Lt. General Abdal Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan for the Military Council and Ahmed Al-Rabie for the Alliance for Freedom and Change signed an agreement to usher in a new governing council to include both civilians and military generals to pave the way towards elections and civilian rule within 3 years. War Criminal Pledges to Honour Agreement General Hemeti Dagolo, considered the dominant figure in the Military Council, pledged in an interview to the BBC: “We will stick to every single letter we have agreed on. Even without the agreement, we have to work in this direction because it is in the country’s interest. Therefore we have to carry out the agreement, stick to it and support it.” Hemeti is the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militia, which was accused of carrying out genocide in the Darfur region of Western Sudan.  Tarnishing the Reputation of Murderers The RSF have been blamed for the violent repression of protests, including the 3 June 2019 massacre, which reportedly killed more than 120 people, many of whom were dumped in the Nile River. In the BBC interview, Hemeti described that there had been “a systematic plotting and conspiracy” to “tarnish the reputation” of the RSF, which he described as “protectors - not killers”. Revolutions, Coup d’Etats and War Sudan has been afflicted by a series of 7 revolutions and coup d'états and a series of wars since the British handed over their protectorate, 1 January 1956 and granted its independence. Uprising Paralyses Khartoum The present crisis can be traced back to December 2018, when Dictator Omar Al Bashir’s regime imposed emergency austerity measures cutting bread and fuel subsidies. This sparked demonstrations which brought the capital city of Khartoum to a standstill.  War Crimes and Genocide Omar Al Bashir came to power in 1989 as a brigadier in the Sudanese Army when he led a military coup that ousted the government of prime minister Sadiq Al-Mahdi. In March 2009, Al Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes including “mass killing, rape and pillage” against civilians in Darfur. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court accused Al Bashir of “genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”. On 12 July 2010, the court issued a second warrant containing 3 separate accounts of genocide. Ignoring Genocide and War Crimes – Focusing on Corruption Although the Military Council reports that they have removed Omar Al Bashir from office because of allegations of corruption, there is no talk of handing him over to the ICC to face trial for genocide and war crimes. Despite his pledge to end the decades long civil war that had been afflicting the country when he took power in 1989, Bashir prolonged and intensified the war. The ICC Chief Prosecutor, Louis Marena–Ocampo, reported that US$9 Billion of ill-gotten gains had been “stashed in London banks” by Al Bashir. As there is no talk of handing Al Bashir over to the ICC, nor of indicting him for the genocide perpetrated against Christians in South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains, many question whether Al Bashir has genuinely been ousted from power, or whether he is being protected by the Transitional Military Council. Overthrow of Bashir In April, after unprecedented large demonstrations, the dictator Omar Al Bashir, who had been ruling for 30 years, was reportedly overthrown by the military. The council of generals led by Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Abdel Rahman Burhan assumed power. Forces of Freedom and Change However the demonstrators stayed put outside the military headquarters, insisting that it transfer authority to a civilian administration. Various protest groups came together under the umbrella Forces of Freedom and Change. Tens-of-thousands of protestors took to the streets to force the Junta to have talks on a power sharing arrangement.  Who and What are the Rapid Support Forces? The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been identified as the real ruling power in Sudan. They represent a new kind of regime – a hybrid of ethnic militia and criminal business enterprise, a transnational mercenary force that has captured a state. The RSF was formally established by decree by Omar Al Bashir in 2013. Although their core of 5,000 militiamen had been armed and active long before that time. Dictator Al Bashir mobilised the Janjaweed to fight against Black African Muslim insurgents in Darfur in 2003. The Janjaweed were soon formalised by Al Bashir into a paramilitary force called the Border Intelligence Units. The brigade active in South Darfur was under Mohamed Dagolo, known as Hemeti, because of his baby-faced looks – Hemeti, being a mother’s endearing term for little Mohamed. This force mutinied when the government failed to pay them. Hemeti recruited volunteers from Darfur’s Black African Fur ethnic group into his army to fight alongside his Arabs, their former enemies. Although Hemeti’s commanders are all from his Mahariya Arabic clan, he has been quick to enlist men from all ethnic groups, even absorbing a breakaway Darfur faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). The RSFs strength has grown in recent years tenfold, but its command structure has remained Darfuran Arabs. All of its generals share the Dagolo name. With reportedly 70,000 men and more than 10,000 armed land cruisers, pickup trucks, the RSF is Sudan’s De facte military, capable of controlling the streets, borders and the capital. Transnational Mercenary Proxy Force Hemeti negotiated a deal with Al Bashir’s government whereby he became a Brigadier General and received massive cash payment in exchange for placing his troops under the command of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) who had at that time were organising a proxy war with Chad. Some of Hemeti’sfighters then served under the banner of the Chad opposition even taking its capital N’Djamena in 2008.  Mutinous Mercenaries Became Bashir’s Private Army While the army Chief of Staff did not like this hiring of a mutinous mercenary, preferring the money to go to strengthen their regular forces, Omar Al Bashir found the RSF useful, purchased their loyalty and made them answerable to Bashir himself, who gave Hemeti the nickname Himayti – meaning “my protector.” Effective Jihadists in Darfur – Defeated in the Nuba Mountains Hundreds of land cruiser pickup trucks were imported and fitted out with machine guns for Hemeti’s RSF. While the RSF did well against the Black Muslim rebels in Darfur, they were decisively defeated by the Christian Nuba in South Kordofan. Gold Rush in Darfur When gold was discovered in Jabul Amir in North Darfur in 2012, just as Sudan was facing economic crisis, the gold seemed like a blessing, but it quickly developed into a curse. Tens-of-thousands of Arabs flocked to the remote corner of Darfur in a gold rush where many were crushed in collapsing shafts, or poisoned by the mercury and arsenic used to process the gold nuggets. Some gold was sold to the government which paid above market prices, as it was so desperate to get its hands on gold, which it could sell in Dubai for hard currency.  Smuggling and Slavery However, other gold was smuggled across the border to Chad, where it was profitably exchanged in a racket involving buying stolen vehicles and smuggling them back into Sudan. In Chad, a 1.5kg bar of gold could be bartered for land cruisers, which were probably stolen from aid agencies and then driven back to Darfur, to be fitted out. The RSF are policing Sudan’s borders, extracting bribes, levies and ransoms and engaging in human trafficking/slavery. Mercenaries for Hire Dubai is the destination for most of Sudan’s gold, official or smuggled. Hemeti’s contacts with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are extensive. Under a 2015 agreement, the Sudanese government sends units of its army to serve with the Saudi Arabian/Emirate Coalition Forces in Yemen. The UAE has struck a parallel deal with Hemeti to send a much larger force of RSF fighters to combat in South Yemen. Hemeti also provides units to guard the Saudi Arabian border with Yemen. Sudan has 16,000 troops securing the Saudi Arabian – Yemen border. Political, Military and Economic Power Broker Therefore, using gold and mercenary activity, Hemeti controls Sudan’s largest political budget without the need to give any account. The Al-Junaid company run by his relatives have become a vast conglomerate covering investment, mining, transport, car rental and iron and steel amongst others. Hemeti is now one of the richest men in Sudan with more ready cash than any other politician. He is at the centre of a web of patronage, secret security deals and political pay-offs. Every week, Hemeti is in the news, handing out cash to police, electric workers, teachers and gifting cars to tribal chiefs.  Darfur, Libya, Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains As the UN-African Union Peace Keeping Force were going to downscale in Darfur, the RSF just took over their camps. Hemeti also dispatched a brigade to Libya to fight alongside the rogue general Khalifa Haftar. Human Rights Watch accuses Hemeti Dagolo of responsibility for torture, extra judicial killings and mass rapes by his forces in Darfur, Southern Blue Nile and South Kordofan/the Nuba Mountains. Criminal Entrepreneur Hires Canadian Public Relations Firm to Improve His Image Like the mercenary free booters of the 19th century, who publically swore allegiance to the Kedive of Egypt, but set up and ruled their own private empires, Hemeti is a military – political entrepreneur, whose paramilitary criminal business empire transcends boundaries. He has been described as the most powerful individual in Sudan today. To improve his image internationally, Hemeti has enlisted the services of a Canadian public relations firm. Regional Power Play Pits Two Forms of Totalitarianism Against One Another While Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are supporting Sudan’s military, Turkey and Qatar are more closely aligned with the Sudanese Islamists. So it would appear that what is going on in Sudan is not some kind of popular uprising of civilians, as much as a regional power play backing two versions of totalitarianism. Neither side would appear to be at all interested in freedom and justice. International Intrigues Opposition leaders in Sudan warn that their military rulers are being exploited by foreign powers, eager to take advantage of the country’s natural resources and strategic location. The United Arab Emirates is Sudan’s main destination for exports, buying most of the country’s gold. China imports significant amounts of Sudan’s oil. Saudi Arabia buys most of Sudan’s livestock. Turkey and Qatar have signed a deal last year for US$4 Billion to support Sudan in developing of the Port of Suakin, South of Port Sudan. This highly strategic move could allow Turkey to establish a military presence on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia and UAE are trying to put pressure on Sudan to cancel the deal. Since 2015, Sudan’s foreign policy has shifted away from its previous close ties with Iran towards Saudi Arabia and its allies.  Understand the Historic Context of the Current Crisis To understand Sudan’s history, read Faith Under Fire in Sudan and obtain the Sudan: The Hidden Holocaust and Terrorism and Persecution – Understanding Islamic Jihad films from  Christian Liberty Books,
PO Box 358, Howard Place 7450, Cape Town, South Africa, Tel: 021-689-7478, Fax: 086-551-7490, Email: admin@christianlibertybooks.co.za and Website: www.christianlibertybooks.co.za. Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za Website: www.FrontlineMissionSA.org  To view this presentation as a video, click here. To listen to the audio of the lecture on SermonAudio, click here. To view this as a PowerPoint with pictures on Slideshare, click here. 28 June marks the anniversary of the assassination that sparked the First World War. A Disastrous Date On 28 June 1914, the heir to the throne of the Austria-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Frans Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Fatal Failure Considering the catastrophic consequences, it is remarkable how little is generally known about that fateful day and what led up to it. Security personnel and bodyguards can learn no end of lessons of what not to do from the catalogue of security failings of that day. Violent and Volatile First of all, the scheduled visit of Archduke Frans Ferdinand to Bosnia, was published as early as March. Sarajevo was a volatile cosmopolitan, half-oriental community of 42,000 people. For hundreds of years it had been under Ottoman-Turkish-Muslim rule. The Austrians had liberated Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Ottoman-Turkish Empire in 1878. In 1908, the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina were incorporated formally into the Austria-Hungarian Empire.  Those Who Forget the Lessons of History are Doomed to Repeat It The date chosen for the state visit of Archduke Frans Ferdinand to Sarajevo was a date of painful historic significance for the Serbs – it was the anniversary of the disastrous defeat, 28 June 1389, at the hands of the Ottoman-Turks at Kosovo. Serbian Hostility Despite Austria playing the leading role in liberating the Balkans from centuries of Ottoman-Turkish oppression, the neighbouring country of Serbia was intensely hostile to Austria and wanted to greatly expand its territory to include all the Slavs of the Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina into Serbia. Serbian Nationalism Serbia was a monarchy and having tasted victory against the Turks in the Balkan War of 1912, deluded itself that it was a great power, able to even take on the Austria-Hungarian Empire! The Black Hand The head of Serbian Military Intelligence, Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, known by his code name Apis (after the Egyptian bull god), also controlled The Black Hand, an international terrorist group run by Major Vojin Tankosic. It was this group which provided The Young Bosnians, including Gavrilo Princip, with 4 Browning semi-automatic pistols, 6 bombs and cyanide capsules. This was in May 1914. Princip received some training in pistol target practice in the park in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.  The Devious Dragutin Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic was described as: "a revolutionary fanatic, pale, bald, heavy, enigmatic, like a giant Mongolian." Dragutin never married. He was devoted to the movement of Serb-nationalism and international terrorism. Occultic Initiation He required his revolutionaries to undergo a hooded initiation ritual, which included a seal engraved with skull and crossbones, a dagger, a bomb and poison. Murder was his Business Murder had been his business since his involvement in the 1903 assassination of King Alexander and Queen Draga of Serbia. The king and queen were murdered in their own palace bedroom by a group of Serbian army officers which included Dragutin. A Rogue State Hardly a democracy, Serbia was described by many as a rogue state whose rulers were intimately involved in international terrorism. The evidence is overwhelming that the young Bosnian terrorists who murdered Archduke Frans Ferdinand received their weapons from the Serbian military and their basic training in Belgrade Park. Advance Knowledge The Serbian Prime Minister Pasic informed the cabinet at the end of May that assassins were on their way to Sarajevo to kill Frans Ferdinand. Serbian state documents include details about the movements of the assassins and of the bombs and pistols in their luggage. The Interior Ministry in Belgrade was fully briefed on all aspects of their mission. Yet no warning was forwarded to the Austrian authorities of the planned assassination.  Security Nightmare From the Austrian side, the lack of rudimentary security arrangements on that tragic day is astounding. Acts of terrorism in and from, the Balkans were a clear and present danger. Dark Humour British newspapers published cartoons of Serbian anarchists asking one another: "What time is it by your bomb?" As Archduke Frans Ferdinand left his estate on 23 June to travel by train to Bosnia, he commented: "Our journey starts… down there they will throw bombs at us!" A Trail of Terror The Emperor of the Austria-Hungarian Empire, Frans Joseph, had lost his wife, the Empress Elizabeth, when she was stabbed to death by an anarchist in 1889. She was boarding a steamer to Geneva at the time. In 1908, a 20-year old Slav student assassinated Count Potocki, the Governor of Galicia. When is Murder Justified? At the trial of an American born Croat, who had fired at a member of the royal family, the judge asked if he thought killing people was justified. The man responded: "In this case it is! It is the general opinion in America and behind me are 500,000 American Croats!"  Bombing a Wedding In 1906 an anarchist bombed the wedding procession of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. King Alfonso was marrying a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Shots in Sarajevo In June 1908, a young Bosnian, Bogdan Zerajic, had failed in his attempt to assassinate the Emperor in Mostar. Later he had travelled to Sarajevo and fired at General Marijan Varesanin. It was alleged that The Black Hand of Serbia had provided his revolver. Bullets and Bombs In June 1912, the Governor of Croatia was fired upon in Zagreb. Although the governor was missed, a member of his administration was wounded. In March 1914, the Vicar-General of Transylvania was killed by a time-bomb sent through the post from Romania. Numerous conspiracies to assassinate officials were detected and prevented by the Austrian police. Inexplicable Complacency Interestingly enough Gavrilo Princip was known by the Austrian police to be a potential threat. Yet, when General Oskar Potiorek, the Governor of Bosnia was warned of the threat from The Young Bosnians, he only laughed. The officials at Sarajevo spent more energy discussing dinner menus and the correct temperature at which to serve the wines than to issues of security.  A Date of Infamy So, on 28 June 1914, a date of intense significance for the Serbians, the Archduke Frans Ferdinand set out in the uniform of a Cavalry General: blue tunic, gold collar, three silver stars and black trousers with red stripe. His wife, Sophie, wore a white hat with a veil and long white silk dress with red and white fabric roses tucked into the red sash. The Bomb On the morning of 28 June, in accordance with the published schedule, the motorcade left Sarajevo railway station and shortly before reaching its first scheduled stop, a bomb thrown by Nedeliko Cabrinovic, struck the car of Frans Ferdinand, but bounced off the hood before it exploded, wounding two bystanders. As Cabrinovic was arrested and led away, he shouted loudly: "I am a Serbian hero!" The other conspirators lost their nerve and failed to use their weapons. A Wrong Turn Despite the attack, the Archduke continued with his published schedule, meeting the governor general, where he watched two local girls perform a folklore dance and then he went to visit the hospital where those wounded by the bomb were being treated. Upon leaving the hospital the driver took a wrong turn, turning left after crossing the bridge. The driver was told to stop and turn back. As the car had no reverse gear, it had to be pushed backwards into the Appel Quay. The Shots that Sparked the Great War It was at this point that Gavrilo Princip walked up to the open car and fired at Frans and Sophie Ferdinand at point blank range. The last words of the Archduke were: "Sophie! Sophie! Do not die! Stay alive for our children!" They were survived by their daughter and two sons. 28 June 1914 was Frans and Sophie Ferdinand's 14th Wedding anniversary.  The Remorseless Revolutionary
The district judge Leo Pfeffer, commented on Princip: "It was difficult to imagine that so frail a looking individual could have committed so serious a deed." In fact, when Princip had volunteered to fight for Serbia, in the First Balkan War in 1912, he was rejected as being too small. At his first interrogation by the police in Sarajevo, Princip had declared that throughout his life, wherever he went, people took him for a weakling and he wanted to prove them wrong. Within days all the conspirators were in custody, except the Muslim Mehmed Mehemedbasic who escaped to Montenegro. As Austria did not execute adolescents and Princip was either 17, or 18, years old at the time, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison and died of natural causes (Tuberculosis) in April 1918. Before he died, he was asked by the prison psychiatrist if he had any regrets that his deed has sparked a world war and the death of millions? Princip made it clear that he had no regrets! Murdering a Moderate Interestingly, Princip had killed the one man in the Austrian Empire who was committed to averting war with either Serbia or Russia. Frans Ferdinand had been the one member of the Austrian royal family who had good relations with the Russians and was on record declaring: "I shall never lead a war against Russia. I shall make sacrifices to avoid it. A war between Austria and Russia would end either with the overthrow of the Romanovs or the overthrow of the Hapsburgs – or perhaps the overthrow of both!" Against War He once wrote to the foreign minister: "Let us not play Balkan warriors ourselves. Let us not stoop to this hooliganism. Let us stay aloof and watch the scum bash in each other's skulls. It would be unforgivable, insane, to start something that would pit us against Russia." Frans Ferdinand's moderate stand was clearly seen by how, despite all the threats, he chose to make a state visit to one of the most volatile cities, in one of the most unstable parts of Europe, in an open car, with almost no security. However, it is the practise of terrorists to assassinate moderates, to provoke reaction. Revulsion The British Ambassador in Germany declared that the assassination was: "a dreadful act of which the political consequences are incalculable." In St. Petersburg, Russia, journalists dismissed the assassination as: "a characteristic bit of Balkan savagery." Almost every country in Europe had suffered the effects of assassinations by communist revolutionary anarchists like Princip and there was general sympathy for Austria and disgust for Serbia's obvious role. Yet, just over a month later, most of Europe would mobilise against Austria’s attempts to deal with the Serbian terrorist threat. "…'Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you.'" 2 Chronicles 19:2 Dr. Peter Hammond Reformation Society P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 mission@frontline.org.za www.ReformationSA.org www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org The Audio CD of this lecture, as presented to The Reformation Society and other historic lectures, are available from Christian Liberty Books, PO Box 358, Howard Place 7450, Cape Town, South Africa, tel: 021-689-7478, fax: 086-551-7490, email: admin@christianlibertybooks.co.za and website: www.christianlibertybooks.co.za. See also: Surprising Facts About the First World War The Causes, Consequences and Catastrophe of the First World War Versailles – 100 Years Ago How Propaganda Changes Perceptions and People Brest-Litovsk and the Present Day Boundaries of Eastern Europe  To listen to an audio of this message as presented to Livingstone Fellowship, click here. “One ordinance shall be for you of the assembly and for the stranger who dwells with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.” Numbers 15:15-16 Affirmative Action is Racism Racial quotas in sports, education, or employment, violate the Laws of God and are counterproductive. Equity in Law “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbour.” Leviticus 19:15 The Greatest Commandment “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength… love your neighbour as yourself…” Mark 12:30-31. How do we love our neighbour? By obeying the second tablet of the Law. Do not steal your neighbour’s life. Do not steal your neighbour’s wife. Do not steal your neighbour’s property. Do not steal your neighbour’s good name through gossip, slander and false witness. Do not envy, or be jealous, of your neighbour. Do not covet. Respect for life and property is absolutely essential for any free and productive society.  The Golden Rule “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12. In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ summarises the heart of the second tablet of the Law, to love your neighbour as yourself, requiring us to do to others as we would want them to do to us. Conversely, to not do to others what we would not want them to do to us. “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31 Violating God's Law Hurts the Very People We Claim We Want to Help Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and Affirmative Action violates the Laws of God, erodes the essential foundations for a free and prosperous society and is completely counterproductive. It actually destroys the very people it was meant to help.  A Sense of Victimhood and Entitlement Destroys Character and Work Ethic There is nothing more destructive to any person than an abundance of bread and idleness of hands. A sense of entitlement and perpetual victimhood is absolutely devastating to character, integrity and work ethic. Socialist welfare programmes actually debase the very people they are ostensibly meant to serve and help. Hard work, discipline and integrity are essential for every individual. Inculcating in any group of people a sense of victimhood, entitlement and grievance destroys them, body, mind and soul. The tragic results can be seen in the litter-strewn, graffiti vandalised, pollution-ridden and broken down areas where a large number of recipients of government handouts live. “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked. He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Proverbs 10:2-4 Stereotypes, Caricatures and Deception BBBEE violates the Ninth Commandment to not bear false witness. The justification for BBBEE Affirmative Action racial quotas is false narratives, lies, stereotypes and caricatures, which paint one racial group as helpless victims and the other as malicious exploiters. “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1 Greed, Envy and Covetousness BBBEE breaks the Tenth Commandment against coveting anything that belongs to one's neighbour. Greed, envy and covetousness are the very heart and soul of Affirmative Action. BBBEE is the creed of envy and the politics of failure. It rots souls, hearts and minds. Stealing the Fruit of Others Hard Work, Ingenuity, Dedication and Sacrifice BBBEE and Affirmative Action obviously also violates the Eighth Commandment. To punish the productive and to take from those who, through hard work, ingenuity and dedication, carved productive farms out of thorn bush and wilderness, is theft. BBBEE has proven to be a cover for corruption and a channel for hate, greed and theft.  Looting the Country The African Union has calculated that more than 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Africa, is stolen through corruption by governments every year. Recent news headlines in South Africa, include: R139 Billion theft from Eskom (the national electricity provider) investigated. Government parastatals, such as South African Airways, Eskom, Telkom, Transnet, SABC, state hospitals, schools and so much more, are bankrupt with many billions being looted from these state enterprises by government employees every year. Hundreds-of-billions of Rands of taxpayers’ money has to be poured into these bottomless pit black holes, to try to make up for the Trillions of Rand that have already been looted by state corruption. The rolling black out power failures, which are daily inconveniencing, frustrating and undermining the lives and work of millions of South Africans are a further theft of time and productivity.  Fraud, Failure and Farce BBBEE has proven to be a colossal fraud. Not actually helping the poor, but making the poor poorer, by eroding the infrastructure, gutting the very ministries and services which are meant to help, leaving the majority of the country in squalor and darkness with regular, rolling blackout power failures, what is euphemistically called: “load shedding!” The vast majority of state schools are dysfunctional. Classrooms are overcrowded. Textbooks arrive late, or not at all. Hospitals are chronically short of medicines, food and reliable staff. People are literally dying in the country because of BBBEE greed, corruption and heartless incompetence. Malice, Hatred and Murder BBBEE Affirmative Action violates the Sixth Commandment that we do not murder. Malice and hatred are at the heart of Affirmative Action. Their false narrative is based upon demonizing the white minority in the country and particularly channelling murderous hate toward white farmers, who, against all odds, are trying to feed the country. Many thousands of white commercial farmers in South Africa and their family members have been murdered. Some in the most demonic and sadistic torturous ways. War Against Farmers In 1994, when Nelson Mandela became president, South Africa had 70,000 white commercial farmers who were feeding 100 Million people. This at a time when South Africa’s population was about 28 Million. Today, South Africa has a population of over 58 Million, yet, despite having more than doubled the population, now has less than half as many commercial farmers as 25 years ago. Today there are less than 30,000 white commercial farmers who are managing to feed approximately 40 million people. However, our population is now over 58 Million and therefore, for the first time in South Africa’s history, we have become a net food importer. We need to import millions of tonnes of food each year to manage to adequately feed the population. Our farmers are no longer able to feed all of South Africa. Increasing the Ranks of the Unemployed Unemployment has also steadily escalated under ANC misrule. From just over 2 Million unemployed in 1994, we now have over 30 Million unemployed, or as the ANC government likes to re-categorise some as: “economically inactive”, or “discouraged work seekers”. That means the ANC has managed to add more than a million unemployed for every year that they have been in power! Chasing Away Investors, Job Creators and Employers How have they managed to do this? Despite no war and no conscription and with massive foreign aid, the ANC has managed to exponentially increase unemployment in the country by chasing away investors, job creators and employers. The latest Expropriation Without Compensation (EWC) declaration by Cyril Ramaposa, has even further weakened the impoverished South African Rand and given warning to any investors or employers that property rights are under threat and South Africa is a bad investment. Promising Heaven But Delivering Hell Socialism always promises Heaven and invariably delivers hell. Every socialist policy undermines the essential foundations for economic growth, discourages investors, chases away employers, increases costs and guarantees greater unemployment and further rises in prices. Crime and grime increase. Standards of living plummet. Service delivery becomes a sick joke. The currency is devalued. Overtaxing Fuel The outrageous cost of fuel in our country is one case in point. The Automobile Association calculates that over 60% of what we are paying at the petrol pump, goes to the ANC government in the form of taxes and levies. Only a minority of the cost of fuel goes to the petrol company, the oil-producing country and all the middlemen involved. For this reason, Botswana, which is a land-locked country and must obtain their fuel from South Africa, can sell fuel at half the price that South Africa does! Idolatry and Statism BBBEE not only violates the Golden Rule of Christ and our Lord’s greatest commandment, the prohibitions against bearing false witness, coveting, stealing and murdering, but it is also violating the First and Second Commandment by being idolatrous and statist as well.  Blasphemous BBBEE sometimes even violates the Third Commandment against Blasphemy. The blasphemous and arrogant statements by ANC leaders, such as that president “Zuma is like Jesus!”, that the ANC “will rule until Jesus comes” and Julius Malema’s outrageous statements. The hostility evidenced against Christianity in general and against our Lord Jesus Christ in particular, by the BLF, EFF and ANC leadership makes it clear that this is not just a war against the Laws of God, but a war against God Himself. The fact is state TV SABC broadcasts blasphemy and the laws of the land protect blasphemy as “free speech”, but want to criminalise some people’s opinions in the name of “hate speech” bills! So blasphemy against God is “constitutionally” protected by the ANC, but free speech can be construed as “blasphemy” against the state! Outrageous, Adulterous Paedophilia and Perversion BBBEE has also proven to frequently violate the Seventh Commandment against adultery as well. School principals have shown me letters received from the Ministry of Education warning teachers to stop “requiring students to provide sexual favours” as this is “a violation of their position of trust!” The amount of outrageous, adulterous paedophilia, abuse of authority and sexual harassment carried out under the cover of Affirmative Action is criminal. Removing Incentives to Work and Encouraging Laziness The Fourth Commandment requires us to work six days and rest one day in seven. Sabbath desecration laws have been torn up. Desecration of the Lord’s Day is widespread. But BBBEE goes even further than that by taking away the incentive to work for many of the black majority who have been described as “disadvantaged” and are given SASSA grants and promised land and opportunities to loot productive white farms when EWC comes through, etc. In all too many cases, it seems like a return to the National Suicide of the Xhosa with Nongqawuse’s cattle-killing visions of 1856. Fostering an Attitude of Disrespect for Parents BBBEE also violates the Fifth Commandment by encouraging disrespect for parental authority and elders, slandering founding fathers of the country and encouraging widespread disrespect for parents and elders. The enactment of laws forbidding corporal punishment and discipline by parents has produced an unprecedentedly lawless generation of abusive and lawless youth who even assault teachers at school. A Cover for Colossal Corruption BBBEE has proven to be the greatest threat to South Africa’s economy. A colossal fraud. A cover for colossal corruption. A channel for widespread hatred, greed, theft and murder. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34 Malicious National Suicide BBBEE Affirmative Action is a hateful, thieving, covetous, deceitful, poisonous, murderous, selfish, evil, self-destructive and counter-productive idolatrous, statist, blasphemous, adulterous movement of mass destruction. “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labour.” Proverbs 12:24 Zimbabwe in Ruins One would have thought that the catastrophic example of our near neighbour to the North, Zimbabwe, would have been sufficient warning to anyone and every one of where such malice and foolishness inevitably leads. Distractions When corrupt politicians are looting a country on the scale that the ANC has been doing for the last 25 years, one needs massive amounts of distraction and convenient scapegoats to channel the frustration of the defrauded masses away from those responsible for their plight. Hypocritical It turns out that those screaming racism and accusing others of being racist the loudest are the most racist of all! Cynically Exploiting Grievances for Political Gain Booker T. Washington observed: “There is a class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs – partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays! Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.” Racial Quotas for Sports Teams It is interesting that in the 1970s the African National Congress was calling for boycotts, sanctions and disinvestment of South Africa for having racial discrimination in sports. South Africa had all-black teams and all-white teams at the time. Yet, today, the ANC government is forcing rigid race quotas on companies, sports teams and for educational institutions. Racist BBBEE Affirmative Action Led to Nationwide Blackout Power Failures In 2015, Eskom was required to shed 1,081 white Engineers and 2,179 white Artisans to comply with strict new government BBBEE Affirmative Action requirements. By 2019, Eskom was bankrupt, ruined and in stage 4 rolling blackouts throughout the country. Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, reported that only 27,000 megawatts are available for use at present, which is just 56% of South Africa’s installed capacity of 48,000 megawatts. Bernard Magoro, the Systems Operator for Eskom, explained that since November, Eskom has been burning diesel to meet its demands “We have actually been operating with a lot of diesel to meet the demand and this is not ideal.” Indeed it is one of the most expensive and cost inefficient, wasteful ways of providing electricity. Eskom explained that the reason for the failure is that the average age of its power stations is 34 years old. Only 3 power stations have been built within the last decade. More than half of the power stations are over 37 years old. “The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labour will increase.” Proverbs 13:4,11  Mismanagement and Corruption Has Sabotaged the Whole Country Eskom made a management decision to not provide the maintenance required for its stations, but rather to build new stations. However, as Gordhan and Eskom Chairman, Jabu Mabuza explained, “Eskom is experiencing financial, maintenance and structural problems due to malfeasance.” While Eskom’s maintenance budget has been shrinking, their power stations have been growing older. Gordhan added that “while malfeasance was to blame, mismanagement and corruption also stirred into the mix.” “But let justice run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Amos 5:24  Rampant Looting at Eskom and the Rape of the Country The Sunday Times banner headlined: “Eskom: R139 Billion Theft Probed – Rampant looting at new power plants push the State Capture costs to R300 Billion” The other side of the same front page headlines declared: “Rape claim rocks ANC” “Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate…” Amos 5:15  Licence to Loot
Stephan Hofstatter published a new book: “Licence to Loot – How the Plunder of Eskom and other parastatals almost sank South Africa.” “Destruction is in its midst; oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.” Psalm 55:11 Supporting What She Recognised as Unconstitutional and Unethical It is therefore inexplicable how Cheryllyn Dudley, MP of the ACDP, could vote to support the BBBEE Amendment Act 2013. In her statement in the House, 29 October 2013, on the Employment Equity Amendment Bill debate, Cheryllyn Dudley MP declared “The ACDP supports the broad intention of Employment Equity Legislation… but what is particularly problematic with this Amendment Bill, is that the democratic process, from the parliamentary side, has left business stakeholders feeling that their views have been totally ignored…. Business Unity South Africa’s executive director, Vanessa Phala, says: The trend of the Labour Committee passing bills without considering the views of business is very, very worrying; and labour expert, Andrew Levy, called the process of consultation a charade. Miss Phala says the bill's removal of the right of companies to appeal against the compliance orders is a violation of the principles of administrative justice and probably unconstitutional…” Yet after stating numerous reasons why the Bill should not be supported, ACDP’s Cheryllyn Dudley concluded with: “the ACDP, will, however, be supporting the Bill despite our reservations…!” Why would a Christian vote for a Bill that is so unconstitutional, unjust and thoroughly unBiblical? “To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20 Real Restitution Restitution was never meant to be a political scam, a cover for corruption, where people who did not do any crime are forced to pay restitution to people who were not the victims. Biblical restitution is to be made entirely and fully from the culprit directly to the victim. The restitution that needs to be done in South Africa is from the corrupt ANC government officials who have looted trillions of Rands from the public treasury through corruption and defrauded the entire population through excessive taxation, corruption and inflation. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery…” Isaiah 61:8 A Clear Choice “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land…” Deuteronomy 30:15-16 Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4480 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za See also: www.SAVotersGuide.org God's Law or Chaos Racism, Rhetoric and Reality Farms and Freedoms Under Fire In South Africa Fraud Failure and Farce - Land Expropriation Hearings Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? The National Suicide of the Xhosa  Excellence in Engineering Even secular architects and engineers have to admit that the greatest examples of excellence in architecture are the cathedrals. Extraordinary Sacrifice and Dedication When you consider the limited technological resources available to architects, builders and craftsmen, who built the medieval cathedrals - with wooden scaffolding, hand tools and boats that transported the stones from quarries to the building sites, each of these cathedrals represent staggering sacrifices and amazing achievements. Awesome Architecture Many of the great cathedrals of Britain were built a thousand years ago! These cathedrals are far more than monuments to a vibrant and living Faith. They have been meeting places for generations of Christian communities, the focal point of Christian work and witness throughout the Middle Ages to the present day.  Wondrous Attractions To many people today, cathedrals are seen as tourist attractions, resting places for many of the most prominent personalities over many centuries, and as venues for royal weddings, state funerals and inspiring Christmas choirs and Easter presentations. The cathedrals of Britain are precious treasure houses reflecting over a thousand years of extraordinary artistry, excellent craftsmanship and dynamic faith. Canterbury Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the country's senior archbishop, as it began with St. Augustine's mission to Anglo Saxon England in the 6th century. Canterbury Cathedral is also the resting place of the most famous of all archbishops of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who was martyred in the cathedral, 1170. St. Paul's The original St. Paul's was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren oversaw the baroque masterpiece which is the current St. Paul's Cathedral. It took 35 years to build, starting, in white Portland stone, in 1675. The dome is 365 feet high and, until 1962, was the tallest building in London. For well over 1,400 years, St. Paul's has been a place of Christian worship. It is the seat of the bishop of London and the mother church of the diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the city of London. The original church on the site was built in AD 604. St. Paul's is the second largest church in Britain. Its dome has been proclaimed the finest in the world. St. Paul's is a busy church with at least three services every day. This was the site of the famous wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981 and of the funeral of Baroness Margaret Thatcher in 2013. Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, which began to be built in 1220, has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (404 feet). The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close (80 acres) in Britain. The cathedral also contains the world's oldest working clock, (dating from 1386) and has the best surviving, of the four original copies, of Magna Carta (the great charter of 1215).  Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral was completed by 1400 and has the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England. The Exeter Cathedral astronomical clock is one of the most famous and oldest astronomical clocks in the world, dating from 1484. The silver ball and inner dials show both the phase of the moon and the position of the sun in the sky on a 24 hour analogue dial. The door below the clock has a round hole near its base to allow the church cats to deter rats that are attracted to the fat used to lubricate the clock mechanism. Lincoln Cathedral Building on Lincoln Cathedral commenced in 1088 and, for 238 years, was the tallest building in the world. For hundreds of years the cathedral held one of the four copies of the original Magna Carta, which now is displayed in Lincoln Castle. Lincoln Cathedral is one of the few English cathedrals built from the rock it is standing on. The cathedral stonemasons can use up to 100 tonnes of stone per year from their own quarry for maintenance and repairs. Gloucester Cathedral Originally built from AD 678, the Cathedral of St. Peter and the Holy Trinity contains Saxon, Norman and Gothic architecture. Winchester Cathedral Winchester Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe with the longest nave and the greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe. The cathedral was founded in AD 642 and greatly expanded in the 11th century. Richard the Lionheart was crowned King of England in this cathedral in 1194. As a bishop of Winchester had condemned Joan of Arc to death in 1431, a statue of Joan of Arc was erected in Winchester Cathedral in 1923, when she was recognised as a martyr and a saint.  York Minster The Cathedral of St. Peter in York is one of the largest in Northern Europe. The large stained glass windows are the largest medieval stained glass in the world. The West window was constructed in 1339 and the great East window in 1408. Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral was originally an Abby built in AD 672. The present magnificent cathedral dates back to 1083. The central octagonal tower is a unique landmark. The cathedral is a major tourist attraction receiving 250,000 visitors a year, yet maintains a pattern of morning and evening services every day.  Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ of Durham dates back to AD 995. It is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture. County Durham is known as the Land of the Prince Bishops because of the enormous military and political power which the Bishop of Durham traditionally maintained for centuries. The tombs of St. Cuthbert of Lindesfarne and the Venerable Bede (the Historian of Saxon England), are located within Durham Cathedral. Wells Cathedral Construction of Wells Cathedral began in AD 1170. Wells has been described as the most poetic of English cathedrals. The church is surrounded with sculptures and magnificent stained glass windows. A Challenge and Rebuke The cathedrals are a challenge and a rebuke to an age of prefabs and rentals. The generations who sacrificed and laboured to build these magnificent houses of worship to the glory of God built for future generations. It frequently took three generations to complete a cathedral. The generations who had laid the foundations were not normally alive to see the completion of the spires. Multiple generations have been blessed by their diligence and vision. Consecrated Work Requires Consecrated Workers When Sir Christopher Wren began to re-build St. Paul's Cathedral, he had signs erected on the construction site, declaring that, as this is to be a House of Worship, all those involved in the construction were required to maintain daily devotions, attend worship services and anyone found taking the Lord's Name in vain would be immediately dismissed.  Inspiration
Many of those building these cathedrals found inspiration from the prophet Haggai who challenged the people of his time. "'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this Temple to lie in ruins?' Now therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts: 'Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.' Thus says the Lord of Hosts: 'Consider your ways!'" Haggai 1:2-7 To the Glory of God The attention to detail, even on the rooftops, which could not be seen before the age of flight, is incredible. Many of the craftsmen determined to do their very best, even on those parts which would not be seen by any but God and the Angels, because whatever you do, do it with all your heart as working for the Lord and not for men. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17 Dr. Peter Hammond Reformation Society P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za www.ReformationSA.org www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Fire To see the PDF JOY! magazine version of this article, click here.  “Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways.” Romans 3:15-16 Waves of Fires in the Western Cape More than 120 people died in fires and 762 arson attacks were recorded in the Western Cape during 2018. Forensic investigator, David Klatzow, observed that simultaneous fires, starting at the same time, “raises a big red flag” and suggests “deliberate agency”. Knysna Forest Fires Times Live reported, 8 June 2017, “Are Knysna Fires the Result of Arson?” Firefighters in the Knysna area were battling 26 separate fires which destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of hectares of forest. Malicious Tokai Arsonists Sought IOL and the Cape Times reported in January 2017 that rewards were offered for information on the people responsible for the eleven Tokai forest fires which were believed to have been started maliciously.  Suspicious Spate of Fires in Cape Town On 18 January 2017, City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security member, J.P. Smith, stated: “The spate of fires is truly suspicious and we have an investigations team that is looking into it.” The Cape Times front page banner headline – “Firestorm – Arson suspected as scores of fires threaten lives and property in Cape.” Persistent Pattern 28 January 2019, Robbie Erasmus from Enviro Wildlife reported on 9 fires ravaging different areas across the Western Cape in one week. Hundreds of firefighters were kept busy battling fires in Cape Town, Cederberg, Overberg and Overstrand. Mr Erasmus concluded, that while some causes may be natural, there was evidence of others having been started deliberately. Firefighters reported that fires were “never this bad”, this “persistent” and this “long-lasting” before. Wildfires ravaging mountains and forestry reserves is now becoming a pattern.  Arsonists in Action
29 October 2018, seven people, including a baby and a pregnant woman were killed in a Western Cape forest fire near Knysna. Helicopter pilots in the Knysna area reported seeing children starting forest fires while firefighters were battling 40 separate fires in the Knysna area simultaneously. The devastating fire on Signal Hill, January 2019, was proven to be arson. Racist Incitement to Burn White Farmers Lindsay Maasdorp of Black First Land First, posted on social media: “If it is a white-owned farm it must burn!” Thousands of hectares of forestry reserve in the Western Cape have been devastated by wildfires. Across the country, buildings such as the historic Bloemfontein City Hall, have been destroyed by deliberate arson. Many communities feel under siege by Marxist inspired land invaders and unprecedented arson attacks. Apple farmers in Elgin experienced malicious fires, burning thousands of crates just before harvest season. Destruction of farm equipment, barns, sheds, equipment, vineyards, orchards, crops and forests are evidently part of a Revolutionary Agenda. “The way of peace they have not known and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.” Isaiah 59:8 Dr. Peter Hammond Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4480 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za www.frontlinemissionsa.org www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Buses, Trains and Police Stations Burn Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? Farms and Freedoms Under Fire In South Africa The National Suicide of the Xhosa Fraud Failure and Farce - Land Expropriation Hearings Racism, Rhetoric and Reality God's Law or Chaos  “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” 1 Chronicles 16:24 South Africa Mission We praise God for His blessing and protection over Tobie, Alieske, Daniela, Erik and myself, who have returned from a packed and productive Mission around South Africa. We drove over 4,300 km, conducted over 60 meetings, delivered about 2 tonnes of Bibles, books, Gospel booklets and AudioVisual materials to 24 locations across the Orange Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, to 5 schools, 6 churches, 2 colleges, 2 Mission stations, 2 conferences and 2 seminars. School Ministries Throughout this South Africa Mission, our team members, Alieske, Daniela, Tobie and Erik, conducted numerous school assemblies at 5 different schools, including in Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, East London and Alexandria. We also delivered Bibles, books and audiovisual materials to other schools. Presentations included: Animals in the Bible, Creation and Stewardship, Fight the New Drug, Recognising and Resisting Human Trafficking, Applying the Ten Commandments to our Lives, Evangelism Explosion and Missionary Reports and challenges.  Ministry to Children During the Back to the Bible Conference, the rest of the Frontline Mission team were conducting ministry amongst local Zulu children in the area. They also conducted services at an Evangelical Bible Church in Pinetown each Sunday evening. They distributed many evangelistic tracts and Fight the New Drug leaflets, Animals in the Bible leaflets and much more. School Assemblies At the different schools that we conducted assemblies at, the children enthusiastically participated in The Marching Song, reciting the Ten Commandments poem, learning memory tools to apply God's Top Ten, singing great hymns of the Faith, learning the Evangelism Explosion Gospel Presentation and exploring the wonders of God's Creation and our duty to care for His creatures and protect the earth from poaching and pollution. Bureaucratic Battles Over Education From each school, we learned of the extraordinary burdens and expenses forced upon private and independent Christian community schools by government bodies such as Umalusi. Teaching is hard enough in the best of times. However, despite no funding, or subsidies, from the government, or even tax relief, to these independent schools, they force unwarranted and unnecessary expenses and time-consuming restrictions. For one matric student at an Eastern Cape Christian school to be recognised, Umalusi demands R10,000 just to look at their email and R50,000 for the students’ matric results to be recognised! They seem unconcerned that this is a Mission school struggling to carry out its ministry in a very depressed economic environment, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Extortion in the Name of Education The fact that these independent Christian schools are taking a tremendous burden off a government that is not even coping with its own schools, you would have thought that the least they could do was give them some tax relief. But, No! Umalusi declares that they do not care how many students are in the matric class, even if it is just one. R10,000 to register and R50,000 to be recognised is their required rate! How are missionary schools meant to survive under such outrageous extortions from a government which is meant to be civil servants? A Country in Crisis We experienced power failures and suspension of plumbing, even at busy petrol stations on the N2, without any water. We drove over massive amounts of potholes and witnessed widespread damage to roads, evidence of rioting and destruction of property. We drove past thousands of hectares of burned out forests, due to arson, spoke to farmers who had lost loved ones, relatives and neighbours to brutal farm murders. These attacks seem to be incited and encouraged by racist ANC, EFF and BLF politicians, who seem to be able to demonise whites and espouse race hatred and genocide without the criminal justice system even pretending to deal with such incitements to murder and torture. Some of the most beautiful communities in the country are now litter-strewn, pollution-ridden, vandalised wrecks encased in razor wire, high walls, electric fencing, burglar bars and security gates. The devastation caused by a criminal element who have seized political power is evident throughout the country. Malice and Murder For an economy to run well, one needs tens-of-thousands of things to be done right. For so much malice, propaganda, disinformation, riots, destruction of property, arson and murder, to not only be tolerated, but effectively encouraged by the cANCer government, is catastrophic for any country. There is much evidence that we are entering into the second phase of the communist revolution. Christians need to be alert, understand the times and be vigorous in exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness. “Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?” Psalm 94:16  Appreciation for Resources Throughout the country, we found much gratitude for the Christian Action magazines in which we have dealt with Farms and Freedoms Under Fire in South Africa; Fraud, Failure and Farce – Land Expropriation Hearings; Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? And our various AudioVisual resources on this. We met with individuals and congregations who reported that they frequently screen our Reformation Society video presentations to their congregation after the Sunday morning service as part of Adult Sunday school. There was much gratitude for the newly printed New Testament Survey books. It was most encouraging to hear back from our literature distribution contacts who are ensuring that Bibles, New Testaments, Gospels, World Missionary Press Gospel booklets and Frontline tracts are being widely distributed in schools, hospitals, police stations and prisons. Responses Across the Country Some of the written responses which we received from people on this Mission included: “I have been uplifted!”; “May God bless this ministry!”; “Awesome!”; “Excellent!”; “Excellent truth revelation!”; “marvellous!”; “We need more of this teaching.”; “Your bold and prophetic voice is much needed.”; “A very big Thank You for your example.”; “Press on!”; “Very encouraging, uplifting and inspiring.”; “This is a Divine appointment!”; “Please also come to my country, Tanzania.”; “Great mind renewing material.”; “We need to know this truth.”; “I want to know more of this wonderful work!”; “May God continue to bless your wonderful work!”; “Absolutely relevant.”; “Very challenging and uplifting. Excellent”’ “Very profound.”; “Never give up, keep pressing on. Keep up the great work!”  Showers of Blessing Coming from Cape Town, which has such severe water restrictions, it was a delight to drive across very green countrysides. Even the Karoo and the Orange Free State was green. In KwaZulu Natal, we experienced terrific thundershowers with spectacular lightning illuminating the sky. We walked and drove in some torrential downpours. The blessings of rain are symbolic of the spiritual blessings which are so graciously poured out by Almighty God on His people during times of Revival. We desperately need a fresh outpouring of God's grace and mercy upon our troubled times and in all too many cases, luke-warm churches. Learning from Steadfast Servants of the Lord It is always inspiring and informative to travel around the country, stay in different homes, visit different farms, mission stations, colleges and schools. There are so many bold and brave Christian witnesses working in difficult and dangerous situations in South Africa, shining the light of Christ, evangelising in their communities, making a positive difference. It gives one great hope for the future when we see how many faithful servants God has established throughout this land. An Urgent Call to Prayer and Action The difficulties and dangers they face on a daily basis could not be exaggerated. May we all be more faithful in uplifting them in prayer and standing against the evil intentions of the ANC, EFF and BLF Marxist Revolutionaries who are threatening to turn this country into a second Zimbabwe, ripping up constitutional safeguards for life and property, eroding religious freedoms and undermining Freedom of Speech. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Prayer is an essential foundation for bold, Biblical action. Prayer is not meant to be an excuse for disobedience and heartless inactivity. Those people who say, “All we can do is pray” are unbiblical. We can and must do far more than pray. “Get Up! There is Sin in the Camp!” In Judges 7, after the defeat of the children of Israel at Ai, Joshua was lying face down praying in the Tabernacle before the altar of the Lord. God said to Joshua: “What are you doing lying down there on your face? Get up! There is sin in the camp!” There is so much that needs to be done to bring ourselves, our families, our congregations, our ministries and our communities back to the Bible, applying the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life. We cannot do everything, but we can all do something. What we can do, we must do!  Fight the Good Fight of Faith
In this election year, it is absolutely vital that Christians are informed and informing, educated and enlisted, motivated and mobilised to action. We need to be informed: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” We need to be interceding: “Praying always with thanksgiving.” We need to be involved, we need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We need to be making disciples of all nations, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded. Could you not do something more for God? Could you start a Bible Study and Prayer group in your school, home, workplace or community? “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 We need to reclaim surrendered ground, expose the fruitless deeds of darkness. Submit to God. Resist the devil. Fight the good fight of Faith. Stand up for Jesus. Step out in Faith. Speak out boldly and Biblically. Upcoming Events Please also pray for our upcoming Missions to Mpumalanga, lecturing at Back to the Bible Mission. We have Biblical Preaching Workshops and Creation Seminars planned. Do be sure to listen to our regular From the Frontline podcasts, uploaded onto our www.FrontlineMissionSA.org. If you have not yet seen the latest Frontline News, it can be downloaded and read online, click here. Thank You Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement and support. We have important Missions being planned, including to Islamic Sudan. There are beleaguered and besieged communities of Christians in a sea of Islam who need our prayers, encouragement and practical support. We are planning on sending another Mission team into this war-devastated area to deliver and distribute tens-of-thousands of Bibles and Christian schoolbooks to over 100 remote schools in need. There are expenses that need to be met to make this mission possible. Please pray that the Lord will provide what is needed for our teams to serve the persecuted and work to fulfil the Great Commission within the 10-40 window in the Muslim Middle East. May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength. Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 mission@frontline.org.za www.FrontlineMissionSA.org www.ReformationSA.org www.livingstonefellowship.co.za www.christianaction.org.za www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Schools and Colleges Harassed by Government Resist Attempts to Hijack Home Education Education or Indoctrination  "I know there is a God, because in Rwanda I shook hands with the devil. I have seen him, I have smelt him and I have touched him. I know the devil exists and therefore I know there is a God!" Shake Hands with the Devil These are the words of Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, the Commander of the United Nations Mission to Rwanda (UNIMIR). His book, Shake Hands With the Devil (which has also been made into a dramatic film), documents the unfolding catastrophe, and as he puts it in the subtitle of his book: "The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. 25 Years Ago As the people of Rwanda soberly reflect on the holocaust which was unleased upon them 25 years ago, April 1994, there are still compelling questions which demand answers. How could such dreadful mass murder take place within sight and sound of United Nations peacekeepers without the international community doing anything to stop it? Could the holocaust in Rwanda have been prevented? What steps must we take to ensure that such atrocities do not occur again?  Enabling the Genocide General Dallaire reports that the United Nations leadership knew of the stockpiling of weapons. Indeed UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, in his role as Egyptian Foreign Minister, had facilitated a large sale of arms from Egypt to the MRND dictatorship of Rwanda prior to the genocide. The Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) expanded rapidly, trebling in size while receiving much training and weapons from the French government. Preparation for Genocide From March 1993 the Hutu MRND government began compiling lists of "traitors" who they planned to kill, meticulously marking their addresses. Radio Television Libre Des Mille Collines (RTLM) broadcast a mixture of tribal propaganda, music and obscene jokes against the Tutsi, continually inciting the Hutu majority to hate, despise and massacre the Tutsi minority. Hundreds-of-thousands of machetes were imported from Red China. The Interahamwe party thugs of the MRND were armed with AK-47s and massive quantities of machetes distributed throughout the country in preparation for the genocide. Forewarned General Dallaire informed the Secretary General of the UN of these ominous developments. However, when he planned to seize the illegal weapon stockpiles, Dallaire was stunned to be ordered to stand down! The general was directly forbidden to intervene! Genocide Unleashed The assassination of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, by a French heat-seeking missile, fired by his own Presidential Guard, on 6 April 1994, was the pretext to launch the well-prepared genocide of the mostly Protestant Tutsis. Government forces set up a dense network of roadblocks and mobilised Interhambwe mobs to systematically go house-to-house massacring Tutsis. At roadblocks those identified as Tutsi were pulled out and hacked to death on the spot.  A Harvest of Death Out of a total population of 7.3 million, 84% of who were Hutu, 15% Tutsi and 1% Twa. African Rights calculated 750,000 murdered. The United Nations estimated the toll as above 800,000. The present government of Rwanda and the Holocaust Museum in Kigali, states that 1,171,000 were killed, 90% of which were Tutsi. The Genocide Museum in Kigali calculates that during the 100 days of the genocide, an average of 10,000 were murdered every day, 400 every hour, and 7 every minute. They estimate that over 400,000 were orphaned as a result of the genocide. Shooting Dogs The 2005 film, Shooting Dogs, which was released in the United States as Beyond the Gates, focused on the United Nations abandoning of the Ecole Technique Officielle (ETO) in Kigali, in 1994. Based on the experiences of BBC News producer, David Belton, who worked in Rwanda during the genocide, Belton was the film's co-writer and one of its producers. Unlike Hotel Rwanda, which was filmed in South Africa, using American and South African actors, this film, Beyond the Gates, was shot at the original locations of the scenes it portrays in Rwanda. Most of the actors in the film were Rwandese survivors of the massacre. The film's title, Shooting Dogs, refers to the actions of UN soldiers in shooting the stray dogs that scavenged the bodies of the dead. Since the UN forces were not allowed to shoot at the Hutu mass murderers who were causing the deaths in the first place, the shooting of the dogs was symbolic of the madness of the situation and the insanity of the United Nations rules of engagement Prior Warnings Ignored General Dallaire, had sent a fax to United Nations headquarters in January 1994, detailing the planned anti-Tutsi Genocide. He identified the locations of illegal arms cachets, the order to register all Tutsi in Kigali, and the Interhambwe plan to use these lists to exterminate them all. A high level informant provided exact details of the Interhambwe plans including the fact that they calculated that they could kill 1,000 every 20 minutes. Abandoned When the UN abandoned the Don Bosco Technical School, filled with 2,000 Tutsi refugees, the Hutu Interhambwe slaughtered them all.  Undermined The Administrative Head of UNIMIR, former Cameroonian Foreign Minister, Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh, maintained close ties to the militant Hutu elite and on every side undermined and frustrated General Dallaire's efforts to prevent the genocide and save lives: The United States president Bill Clinton's administration policy also undermined every effort by General Dallaire to save lives in Rwanda. American Interference The Clinton administration policy was summarised as: "Let's withdraw altogether. Let's get out of Rwanda. Leave it to its fate." The United States Ambassador to the UN at that time, Madelaine Albright, consistently lobbied for a withdrawal of UNIMIR Forces, from the earliest in April 1994. This effectively abandoned all refugees who had sought sanctuary with the UN to their fate at the hand of the Interhambwe. US Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, consistently argued against using the term "genocide" until 21 May, and even then US officials waited another three weeks before using that term in public. The US government also refused to jam the extremist RTLM radio broadcasts, which were co-ordinating the genocide, citing the costs and concern with international law! Betrayed General Dallaire reveals that president Clinton and his cabinet were made aware of the Final Solution to exterminate all Tutsis before the massacres even began. Every request from General Dallaire was frustrated and his peacekeepers did not receive the food, fuel, weapons, equipment, ammunition, or even the armoured personnel carriers, ordered. UN procrastination led to intense suffering, unnecessary deaths and starvation in the UN bases - which were meant to be sanctuaries for refugees fleeing the killing. The French Connection The disgraceful role of France in the Rwandan genocide defies belief. The French government provided vast quantities of weapons and numerous military advisors and technical assistance to the Rwandan Armed Forces before and during the genocide. On 22 June, as the Tutsi-led Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) turned the tide and began to liberate the country, sending the Hutu FAR and Interhambwe fleeing, France launched Operation Turquoise, creating a safe zone into which the Hutu FAR and Interhambwe could flee and receive protection behind a French military screen. The French Operation Turquoise effectively enabled the genocidaries to escape from the RPF and flee into neighbouring Zaire (Congo), where they received generous quantities of foreign aid and caused more massacres leading to the Great Lakes War of 1996 to 1997, in which 12 African nation's armed forces became embroiled and millions died.  Accessories to Genocide General Dallaire reported that France was supplying weapons and ammunition to the MRND Hutu dictatorship and their FAR, even during the height of the genocide. The findings of the Rwandese Justice Commission were released on 5 August 2008. It accused 32 senior French military and political officials of involvement in the genocide, including: then President Francois Mitterrand, his General Secretary, Hubert Verdrine, the then Prime Minister, Edouard Balladur, the then Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe and his Chief Aid, Dominique de Villepin. Reaction Against French Complicity As a result of the Rwandese Justice Ministry Commission on the involvement of France in the genocide, the Rwandese government shut down all French institutions in and around Kigali, including schools and cultural organisations. The language of instruction in Rwandese schools was switched from French to English. Rwanda became one of only two members of the British led Commonwealth that had not formerly been British colonies.  In the Valley of Death I can never forget the overwhelming stench of death as I walked knee deep, and sometimes waist high, amidst corpses in churches in Rwanda. The plague of rats, feasting off the bodies, the millions of flying and crawling insects and suffocating odour of death is not something that one can ever really recover from. I delivered Bibles in Kini-Rwanda, and French to pastors and to prisoners around Rwanda and undertook painful interviews with survivors to document what had happened, and why. Exposing the Forces Behind the Genocide We have produced two editions of Holocaust in Rwanda – The Roles of Gun Control, Media Manipulation, Liberal Church Leaders and the United Nations in English, and another edition in French. It needs to be emphasized that Rwanda was a gun-free zone. The mass murderers successfully manipulated and abused the media to vilify the targeted Tutsis and to mobilise masses of Hutus to kill their neighbours. The scandalous role of the French government in providing assistance, training and weapons to the mass murderers and providing sanctuary for architects of the genocide, is also revealed in this book. Christian Traitors In addition, Holocaust in Rwanda looks at the challenge the systematic mass murders presents to the Christian church. The killers did not merely kill people in churches, they killed church workers, pastors, ministers, priests and nuns. However, the most shocking aspect of the anti-Christian mass-murder was how many people responsible for the slaughter were trusted members of congregations! On many occasions, priests, nuns, and ministers were directly involved in the genocide. Several heads of denominations co-operated with the Interhambwe, betraying their Tutsi members and co-workers into the hands of ruthless mass-murderers. Tribalism seemed more important to most. Judas's in the Church The role of these traitors, blood-stained bishops and murderous ministers are an indictment upon the theological seminaries and church councils they belonged to. Those who do not wholeheartedly love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word are not qualified to be spiritual leaders. Moral Cowardice Helped Cause the Catastrophe The Rwandan holocaust exposes the emptiness of the superficial and self-centred easy-believism which all too often masquerades as the Gospel. Compromise and moral cowardice helped cause the catastrophe. "…Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you." 2 Chronicles 19:2 David Defeats Goliath The genocide ultimately failed, in that the victims became the victors and the Tutsi minority surprised everyone by fighting back and gaining control over the whole country. Today Rwanda is one of the best run and most open to free enterprise countries in Africa. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain." Psalm 127:1  Firm Foundations for Freedom
Most important, Holocaust in Rwanda looks at some of the lessons which need to be learned in order to ensure that such atrocities do not occur again. We need to lay solid foundations for the future that will prevent such oppression from ever occurring again. These are Biblical principles which are not only important for Rwanda, but for every society that values life and liberty. Holocaust in Rwanda concludes with the Biblical Principles, which had they been adhered to, there would have been no holocaust in Rwanda. Learning from Rwanda There is much for us to learn from the tragic events of 1994 that are most relevant in the light of those talking about a second phase of the revolution in South Africa and threatening to exterminate the white minority. "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle. My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge…" Psalm 144:1-2 Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za Website: www.frontlinemissionsa.org.za Holocaust in Rwanda is also available as an E-Book. See also: The Holocaust in Rwanda – 25 Years Later Hotel Rwanda – Genocide in a Gun Free Land  Holocaust in Rwanda is now Available as an E-Book Twenty five years ago, 6 April 1994, one of the most dreadful campaigns of mass murder was unleashed upon the Tutsi people of Rwanda. In just 100 days, more people had been slaughtered with machetes and clubs than have died from atomic weapons in all of history. Convenient Timing At the time, world media attention was focused on South Africa's first "One Man, One Vote" elections. When the genocide was launched on 6 April 1994, most African correspondents were in South Africa covering the elections. The MRND government in Rwanda meticulously organised the genocide. The French trained Presidential Guard, the army, the gendarmes and civil administrators were mobilised to slaughter the Tutsi minority.  Sowing Confusion Central to the MRND strategy was to sow confusion so that no one would know what was happening. They isolated their victims by imposing a news blackout, cutting telephone links, establishing a dense network of roadblocks and imposing a nationwide curfew. These measures kept people in their homes and prevented most people from fleeing. By cutting communications and restricting travel, they isolated their victims and sought to stifle the flow of news. State Sponsored Genocide Following the assassination of the president, by surface to air missile, the MRND government (Mouvement Revolutionnaire National pour le Development) launched a campaign of disinformation. It portrayed the killings as a spontaneous outbreak of tribal violence. It sought to confuse the mass killing of defenceless people with "the war", and it played the humanitarian card by pleading for emergency aid. All this was a smoke screen to conceal the state sponsored genocide. Amidst this calculated confusion, many foreign aid workers assisted in the disinformation campaign by contributing ill-informed comments such as: "Everyone is killing everyone!"; "It's uncontrollable violence"; "The Hutus and Tutsis are killing one another again!"  Spread of Disinformation Having killed opposition politicians, Rwandese journalists, human rights activists and others who might present an accurate report on the cold-blooded campaign of mass murder, the MRND campaign continued their strategy of disinformation by portraying the violence as spontaneous rage in response to the assassination of the president. Evacuation of Foreigners Initially, international attention generally focused on the plight of foreigners. Camera crews were, understandably, only prepared to travel with international troops - whose mission was to evacuate foreigners. This naturally led to a slanted and incomplete picture being portrayed to the world. The murder of ten Belgian soldiers on 7 April only heightened this pre-occupation with the evacuation of foreigners. It is very probable that the killers were instructed to murder the Belgians precisely in order to make the evacuation of foreigners the international priority. It also further encouraged the withdraw of UMAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission to Rwanda).  Massacres Exposed This strategy of disinformation and terror was spectacularly successful. To this day, most people worldwide do not understand what happened in Rwanda, or why it happened. That is why after my mission to Rwanda I was compelled to produce a compact book that would not only expose what had happened in the horrific massacres in homes, hospitals, churches and on the streets, but the reasons why this systematic slaughter was unleashed. Holocaust in Rwanda reveals the events leading up to the intense and widespread violence, and more importantly the lessons we need to learn from the genocide in Rwanda. International Community Condemned President Paul Kagame at the formal ten years commemoration of the Rwandan genocide condemned "the international community's failure… a convenient failure to take responsibility." President Kagame led conference participants on a tour of massacre sites including the churches in Nyamata and Ntarama where 15,000 people were slaughtered in the sanctuaries where they had sought refuge. Remembered Victims The cemetery at Nynaza was another place visited. The cemetery contains the graves of 3,500 people who were massacred after being abandoned in a schoolyard by UN peacekeepers. Liberal Church Participation The Holocaust In Rwanda book is unique in that it examines the disgraceful involvement of liberal church leaders, gun control and media manipulation. Rwanda was a gun free zone. The mass murderers successfully manipulated and abused the media to vilify the targeted Tutsis, and to mobilise masses of Hutus to kill their neighbours. The scandalous role of the French government in providing assistance, training and weapons to the mass murderers, and even the French military expedition to create a safe zone for the fleeing Hutu mass murderers, providing sanctuary even for many of the architects of the genocide, is also revealed in this book.  Challenge to the Christian Church
In addition Holocaust In Rwanda looks at the challenge the Rwandan holocaust presents to the Christian church. The killers did not merely kill people in churches, they killed church workers - pastors, ministers, priests and nuns. However, the most shocking aspect of the anti-Christian mass murders was how many people responsible for the slaughter were trusted members of the congregations. On many occasions even priests, nuns and ministers were directly involved in the genocide! Several heads of denominations co-operated with the Interahamwe, by betraying their Tutsi congregations and co-workers into the hands of mass murderers. Compromise and Cowardice The role of these Christian traitors, blood-stained bishops and murderous ministers of Rwanda are an indictment upon our theological seminaries and church councils. Those who do not wholeheartedly love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word are not qualified to be spiritual leaders. The Rwandan Holocaust exposes the emptiness of the superficial and self-centred easy believism, which all too often masquerades as the Gospel. Compromise and cowardice helped cause the catastrophe. Most importantly, Holocaust In Rwanda looks at some of the lessons, which need to be learned in order to ensure that such atrocities do not reoccur. Far more important than the concerns for retribution is the urge and need to lay foundations for the future that will prevent such nationwide oppression from ever occurring again. These are Biblical principles which are not only important for Rwanda but for every society which values life and liberty. Holocaust In Rwanda concludes with the Biblical principles which had they been adhered to, there would have been no holocaust in Rwanda. Holocaust In Rwanda is available in both English and French (70 pages with 20 photographs, maps, or charts) from: Christian Liberty Books, P O Box 358 Howard Place 7450 Cape Town South Africa, Tel:021-689-7478, Fax: 086-551-7490 E-Mail: admin@christianlibertybooks.co.za Website: www.christianlibertybooks.co.za. See also: Lessons From the Rwandan Holocaust Hotel Rwanda – Genocide in a Gun Free Land  KwaSizabantu Ministers Conference Over 2,500 participants took part in the Ministers Conference at KwaSizabantu Mission 4-6 March. Delegates came from as far afield as Angola, Armenia, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, the Congo, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Romania, Russia, from throughout South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, the United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Theme of the conference was: Revival – God at Work.  Hunger for Revival Rev. Erlo Stegen, the Founder and Director of KwaSizabantu Mission, expounded Isaiah 64: “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!...” An outpouring of God's Holy Spirit comes at a price. We need to count the cost, weeping in repentance, grieving over our sins, hungering for Revival and doing Restitution. Revival is a sovereign move of Almighty God. Revival is not churches filled with people, but people filled with God. Pentecost, Book of Acts Christianity. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” says the Lord. If God moves, then we must expect opposition from the devil. “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” Sin is the greatest threat to Revival (Isaiah 59:2). Carnal Christians oppose Revival. “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” Neglect of prayer and failure to confess sin is destructive. Digital Cocaine Brad Huddelson, author of Digital Cocaine, gave a disturbing and enlightening presentation on technology and its effect on our intimacy with God. His studies on the negative effects of cell phones and TV and the positive effects of reading books are absolutely essential for every parent and teacher to study and apply.  “Hate Speech” Bill Threat to Free Speech The subject I had been given to deal with at the Ministers Conference was: The Threats posed to Missions and Ministries by the so-called “Hate Speech” Bill. You can read my notes on the www.christianaction.org.za website, or click here. You can also listen to the presentation as delivered in English and translated into Zulu at the Ministers Conference, here. For an English only audio version of my presentation “Hate Speech” Bill Threat to Free Speech, click here. The video of the presentation as given at KwaSizabantu Mission, with Zulu translation, is available on our Vimeo Gallery, here. The Screen Capture is available on our Vimeo Gallery in an English only version, here. “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 Warnings from Europe and Zimbabwe We also had an important presentation from Professor Andre van Beckevoort on “A Holy People Acting Upon the Good, Acceptable and Perfect Will of God.” And Mr Rejoice Ngwenya from Zimbabwe, who reported on the devastating consequences of Zimbabwe’s so-called Land Reform/Farm Confiscations. All of these will be uploaded in time onto the www.ksb.org.za website.  Strategic Literature Distribution
Ministers Conferences such as these, with so many ministers, missionaries, Evangelists and teachers from throughout Africa, are strategic literature distribution opportunities. We delivered and distributed close to a tonne of Bibles, books and audiovisual resources to the Mission and to the conference participants. Back to the Bible for Reformation and Revival At the Sunday morning worship service at KwaSizabantu Mission, I was given an opportunity to challenge the congregation with the Coalition on Revival Reformation 500 vision, calling all Christians back to reading through and studying every Book of the Bible and working to apply the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life, in response to the challenges confronting us. We distributed over 500 Coalition on Revival Reformation 500 FIRE Manuals to participants of the Ministers Conference. I was also given the opportunity to present the Thursday evening message at the Mission. I preached on: Judas – The Apostle Who Became an Apostate. May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength. Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 mission@frontline.org.za www.FrontlineMissionSA.org www.ReformationSA.org www.reform500.org www.reformation.net www.churchcouncil.org www.gospeldefenceleague.org www.christianaction.org.za www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org |
Archives
September 2019
More articles
All
|
RSS Feed