Written by: INcontext
Article source: www.incontextinternational.org
The government of Iran has issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining US President Donald Trump and dozens of others it believes carried out the drone strike that killed top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad in January.
Interpol, an international organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control (based in Lyon, France), responded in a statement that its constitution forbade it to undertake “any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character” and they would thus not consider requests of this nature.
According to Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, the officials wanted in connection with Soleimani’s killing “have been charged with murder and terrorism acts.”
The agency went on to report that Mr Trump topped the list and that his prosecution would continue even after the end of his term as president. Although Mr Trump faces no real threat of arrest, these latest charges demonstrate that tensions between the two nations have not subsided.
From a Christian perspective, Iran is the spiritual heartland of Shia Islam, but it is also known to have one of the fastest-growing ‘underground’ Christian movements in the world.
Although the conflict between the US and Iran may never reach the level of a traditional war, there remains a very real risk of both physical and cyber-attacks. Violent clashes – which would most likely involve other role-players in the region, and embolden various terrorist groups – need to be prevented, as far as possible.
There is a desperate need for peacemakers to come to the fore. With a growing Christian presence inside Iran, such peacemakers could come from among their ranks.
Just as Esther in the Bible (a secret Jew) was instrumental in the Lord’s hands to preserve the lives of many, so too the Iranian Church could be an ‘Esther’ for a time such as this.
Pray with us for the following:
- For the Lord to raise up instrumental people of peace within strategic positions in Iran
- For local churches in Iran, that they will be wise and discerning in what the Lord is calling them to in this critical period
- For believers to be bold and courageous in their faith and testimony
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Date published: 13/07/2020
Feature image: REUTERS / Wana News Agency
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