Salem-News.com Peace articles Page 14

Christian Couple Arrested in Gojra in Blasphemy Case

The petitioner says a blasphemous text was sent to him from a mobile number.

(ISLAMABAD) - Sajjad Masih was convicted in a blasphemy case and sent to jail for life, and hardly a week later, another blasphemy case is registered against a Christian couple in Gojra, a city in Punjab province.

Gojra is religiously sensitive, after 8 people were burned alive and about forty houses and a Church set ablaze by a mob in 2009.

Could the West Partner with Iran to Bring Peace to the Middle East?

Iran and the Shiite alliance (extended in this case to include Alawites – centred in Syria) may be the last remaining safeguard in the powder keg that is the Middle East.

(PARIS) - EUROPE and the United States have an opportunity to consider Iran as an ally for peace in the Middle East as its new ‘moderate’ leader, Hassan Rouhani, prepares to take over its presidency.

Dr Rouhani will be inaugurated on August 3, 2013, as the 11th president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dr Rouhani is considered a moderate - a centrist, half-way between conservatives, whose allegiance is to the ayatollahs, and reformists.

Developing a Life Strategy

Develop a life action plan. Why not plan a strategy for the next year or even the next five years? You and God can determine where you will be. Start today!

(NEWBURGH, Indiana) - Proverbs 29.18 "Where there is no vision the people perish."Everyone needs a strategy. You may be 25 or 75 years in age. Who cares? Probably the only one who cares about your age is you.

Your age either tells you that you are too young or too old. Remember, age is only a number. We have to put numbers aside and go with our hearts. If God is in it then don't worry about the number.

Israel`s Response to Arab League Shows it May be Palestinians With No Peace Partner

Many of Israel's strongest supporters in the U.S. lament the way Israel rejected the Arab League initiative and Kerry's efforts to re-start the peace process.

(WASHINGTON DC) - Israel frequently says that it has "no partner for peace." In fact, the real situation seems far different.

In 2002, the Arab League launched a peace initiative saying that if Israel withdrew to its pre-1967 borders it could be recognized by the entire Arab world. More recently, in May, Qatar's Prime Minister tried to revive the Arab peace initiative, moderating it to hew closer to the outlines presented by the Obama administration since 2011.

No Place for Minorities in Imran Khan`s Naya Pakistan

It does make me feel that there must be some form of racism or discrimination towards people of other faiths especially in Pakistan where the minority is less valued as a worthy human being.

(ISLAMABAD) - A lot has been written about the plight of minorities in Pakistan – some by the minorities themselves and some by the majority.

Minority rights in Pakistan were always broken. The majority always copes while the minority bears the brunt.

APN to Kerry: Don`t Give Up on Mideast Peace

APN is the sister organization of Shalom Achshav, Israel's preeminent peace movement.

(WASHINGTON DC) - As Secretary of State John Kerry heads to the region in his ongoing efforts to re-launch Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Americans for Peace Now (APN) today called on the country’s top diplomat to hold on to his sense of urgency and persevere.

APN also reiterated today its call on Jewish community leaders to publicly and vocally express support for Kerry’s mission and to commit to help him secure the peace that Israelis and Palestinians want and deserve.

Common Sense (In Memorial) RIP

What has become of our natural, most protective instinct?

(CLEVELAND) - In third world countries you pay bribes all day, in America you do the same thing, just more indirectly. So much of life today makes so little sense.

We are raised to be honest and then learn as adults that cheating, lying, deceiving, swindling; it all takes place on a daily basis. People live corrupt lives to keep good jobs, but they fail to understand that somebody is paying a price.

Pakistan Army and Intelligence Seek Influence in Afghanistan: Karzai

Karzai insisted that the people of Pakistan should realize that considerable opportunities were missed during the past ten years to improve relations between the two nations.

(KABUL Khaama Press) - Afghan president Hamid Karzai once again criticized Pakistan’s military and intelligence agency for their efforts to weaken and make Afghanistan unstable using religious extremists as a tool.

President Karzai has said that Afghanistan will never complain from the people of Pakistan since they shared their home and food with the Afghan people during holy war and emigration times.

Pakistani Christians

Christian community in particular has been targeted and internationally ostracized in the past.

(ISLAMABAD) - The peace intervention ratio in Pakistan is always disproportional in terms of supply and demand. Pakistani society is gradually dipping into disharmony and going awry as demand increases and supply is less than its required level.

Pakistan is unable to achieve its desired status in the comity of nations despite having good natural and human resources; the reason is that there is injustice at the heart of all its systems and levels.

Imagine If We Were Number One

No, not number one in military spending (which we are). Not number one in incarceration rates (which we are as well). What if, instead of these things, the U.S. became hyper-focused on becoming the most peaceful nation on earth?

(PORTLAND, OR) - The recently released 2013 Global Peace Index (GPI) placed the U.S.100th out of 162 countries. That’s not so spectacular.

The GPI, which is endorsed by a number of Nobel Peace laureates, eminent individuals, and renowned academics, considers factors related to both negative peace, that is, the absence of violent conflict, and positive peace, or characteristics of just and humane societies, like ample housing, access to education, lack of poverty, healthcare, and gender equality.