Paul Keenan
Chilean Bishop welcomes talks
A Catholic bishop in Chile has welcomed moves to establish a forum for dialogue towards ending violence and arson attacks in the Araucania region. Bishop Hector Vargas of Temuco said such a forum for talks “will be very positive” if they are conducted for “the common good of all inhabitants”.
The proposal of talks comes amid arson attacks launched against churches across Araucania, with the indigenous Mapuche people blamed as they fight for land rights. Literature in support of the Mapuche people has regularly been discovered at the site of attacks. The Mapuche are fighting for the return of lands confiscated during the Spanish conquest and see the Catholic Church as part of that invasion.
The latest attack on a church came on August 4, and once again literature was found near the site of the gutted building, this time rejecting talks with the government towards a peaceful resolution.
Moves to revive Aramaic
Plans are underway to revive Aramaic, the language of Jesus, in Syria. According to reports, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, or Syriac, will be taught at the Ourhi Center in al Qamishli, in the north east of the country.
“Learning the Syriac-Assyrian language would help us better understand our culture and history in order to pass this knowledge to the next generations and guarantee them learning their mother-tongue,” said Mirna Saliba, a student at the centre.
The move is significant in a country where, before the outbreak of hostilities in 2011, it was illegal to teach any language other than Arabic.
Christian leader of Zimbabwe opposition flees abroad
Zimbabwe’s opposition to President Robert Mugabe has been left in disarray after the Christian pastor leading demonstrations against his mismanagement of the country fled abroad.
Pastor Evan Mawarire had become a popular hero for this #ThisFlag movement, which galvanised public opinion against Mr Mugabe and resulted in nationwide strike action for the first time in many years towards demanding effective action on Zimbabwe’s economic woes.
The #ThisFlag movement took off in April when Mawaririe was pictured online with the Zimbabwean flag draped over his shoulders, since becoming a common portrayal of the man.
However, it has now emerged that, having initially travelled to South Africa in the wake of death threats, Mawarire has fled to the United States, leading to confusion among his supporters and a fear that the movement may fall apart, thus creating a vacuum offering the threat of violence.
Some have sought to offset such an outcome by promising that the pastor’s online activism against the government will continue.