Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

Another tragedy, another headline: Paris, Ankara, Istanbul, and now Brussels. Belgium authorities knew that an attack was possible. The stakes were raised even higher after the capture a few days earlier of Salah Abdel Salaam, an Islamic State operative accused of being part of the Paris Massacre of Friday 13th November 2015. The death total was 129. Yet, when on March 22, 2016, terrorists struck Zaventem International Airport in Brussels, transit point for 23 million people a year, and a train station, resulting in over 31 deaths, several missing, and 270 injured, it seemed to come as a surprise. What was not a surprise is that the so-called Islamic State claimed credit. Yes, there were condemnations from world leaders, expressions of sympathy to the people of Belgium, declarations of support as well as action against terrorism. Before all else, we need to ask: how do we make sense of the senseless? First, it is important to face the situation with healthy realism an...

In our first part, we saw that a flood of migrants is pouring into Europe and learned some of the  reasons. Here, we want to consider how we should respond. As a migrant myself, the son of a migrant father, grandson of four migrant grandparents, and with some of our family as former refugees, this topic is of great important to me personally. Here are some thing to consider: 1.     Orderly & sustainable : There are those in the West who want unlimited immigration, replete with immigration services and welfare benefits. This is simply unsustainable: No country can take in everyone who wants refuge, not even the United States, which is the Number One favoured haven of migrants worldwide. Healthy realism, not ‘feel good’ rhetoric, is sorely needed; 2.     Economic opportunists Though no statistics are currently available, many of the would-be migrants are young men, equipped with the best cell phones and money in the bank. They are n...

I saw them with my own eyes. We were on the highway between Athens in the south and Thessaloniki to the north. At one point, we stopped to have a break. And there we saw them: They were milling around the Greek rest stop for buses: standing, sitting, smoking, and eating. Though there were families present, many were young men. Everyone had a cell phone. Arabic was often heard, though a South Asian language may have been detected, too. They had come from the Greek islands to Athens, now they paid 50 euros per person to be driven from the Greek capital to the northern border. From there, they planned to make their way to the rest of Europe. Who were these people? They are part of the biggest news story of the year. Hundreds of thousands of migrants are flooding into Europe, with many having Germany and Scandinavia in mind. What does this mean for the continent and the world? Before proceeding, the word ‘migrant’ is being used to denote someone on the move, be they a ref...

This book addresses a very timely and needful subject. Why is there a gender gap in the church? Why is it that women tend to outnumber men? Why do men hate going to church? In one survey, the attendance in US churches was 43% male and 57% female. Murrow has done his homework and offers some plausible explanations for the problem. It basically involves the feminisation of the Church. Churches today are female-friendly and male-resistant. He bravely points out that other religions don’t have such a problem, especially Islam, which is both growing in numbers and wildly popular with men. He cites an interesting statistic: that 17% of women are able to bring their families to church once they come to Christ; but a whopping 93% of men are able to do so (page 47). Men bring their families -- most importantly -- and they also bring money and strength. The author bluntly states that modern churches are developing a culture that is driving men away (page 7). Some aspects to c...

Health and well-being are a high growth industry. This is especially true of ageing baby boomers (born between 1945-1965) who are spending billions of dollars to turn back the hands of the clock. Exercise, diet, peaceful living, sound sleep, fresh air - these things and more are offered to help improve the quality and longevity of life. Amazingly, the Bible says very little about these things, even though it is dedicated to give you abundant life. Secrets of longevity are found in Scripture - but again, they have little to do with the world’s recipe. Things like walking in wisdom, watching your tongue, honouring parents, trusting God, are offered as pathways to a longer, happier, qualitative life. What is greatly overlooked is that God’s Word, learned and applied, has remarkable transforming qualities. These apply to individuals, communities, and nations. Very special in the realm of Scripture is the vital topic of Bible prophecy. Once a wildly popular topic a few decades a...

When it comes to nuclear weapons and the Middle East, any deal is a big deal. As the epicentre of the earth in geography, energy, and theology, the last thing the world needs is a nuclear arms race in this strategic tinderbox of a region. That’s why for many years, the world has viewed with alarm the prospect of an atomic Iran. Iran has consistently said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes; nevertheless, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini wanted nuclear weapons. In addition, the doctrine of taqiyya, which means to conceal a religious (apocalyptic) agenda when revealing it could bring danger, is well-known among western decision makers. Israel sees the potential development of an Iranian nuclear device as an existential threat. Even Europe is perspiring at the brow: Iran’s missiles can reach many places in Europe.  That’s why the United States (US), the United Nations (UN), and the European Union (EU) has slapped sa...

It was 12:30 AM, April 29, 2015. The eight prisoners were brought out and tied to a cross-like figure. Blindfolds were rejected because they wanted to see their executioners. Each prisoner had 12 soldiers assigned to them. Nine soldiers ’ guns were loaded with blanks while only 3 had live ammunition, so that no soldier knew who fired the fatal shot. The prisoners sang Amazing Grace. At the signal, shots rang out, and all went silent. Within 3 minutes, the prisoner was dead. Among the prisoners were two Australians, Andrew Chan 31 and Myuran Sukumaran 34. They were part of the ‘ Bali Nine ’ arrested in 2005 and were executed for drug trafficking in Indonesia. The foreign execution of the two Australians, the first in nearly a decade, brought back to the fore the issue of capital punishment, also known as the death penalty. The term comes from the Latin term capitalis, a reference to the head and beheading. A state exercises capital punishment when they take the life of the...

United Kingdom: The UK went to the polls on May 7, 2015, with a 66% turnout. Current Prime Minister David Cameron, in power since 2010, was in coalition with the Liberal Democrats because he failed to gain a majority. During the 2015 campaign, the media and pollsters said there would be another hung parliament. The ultra left-wing Scottish National Party (SNP), led by Nicola Sturgeon, was poised for a landslide victory of taking seats in Scotland at the expense of Ed Milliband and the UK Labour Party. She promised to prop up Mr. Milliband and put him at Number 10 Downing Street - but at a price: at least GBP 148 billion of borrowing, spending and entitlements. The SNP was the party that agitated for the failed independence referendum in September 2014 and will not fail to try again if they got a chance. To the surprise of everyone, David Cameron and the Conservative Tory party won 331 seats, up by 25, thus giving them a clear majority without the need of a coalition. Labour had...

In less than 5 months in 2015, three national elections have been held where the results were a shock. An upset win. Totally unexpected, especially by the pollsters and the media. After three in a row, it is time for comment. The three countries involved: Sri Lanka, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan election was held on January 8, 2015. Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was heading for an easy victory. In power since 2005, he is the man who presided over the end of the blood-filled Sri Lankan civil war of 1983-2009. He finally defeated the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) and its effective, ruthless leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Having won the war, Rajapaksa proceeded to consolidate and lengthen his hold on power. After changing the constitution to abolish presidential term limits, Rajapaksa took his nation down the pathway of autocratic rule: media freedom were curbed, an authoritarian style came in, plus there were accusations of corruption, nepotism, poor...

If you have ever been to Singapore, it is hard not to be impressed. Your first port-of-call in Changi International Airport, one of the popular airports in the world. Like a model university campus with high-rise dormitories, you will find orderly design, gleaming skyscrapers, green lush vegetation, classic colonial buildings like Raffles Hotel (where English high-tea beckons), and squeaky clean streets. Affluence and orderliness is (almost) everywhere. Hard to believe that only 50 years ago it was only a shell of its current stature, with a GNP that has grown 15-fold in only 20 years. Without question, the architect of this phenomenal success story was LEE Kuan Yew, founding father and prime minister of the city state from 1959-1990, who died on March 23, 2015, at the age of 91. It is no exaggeration to call him the ‘George Washington of Singapore,’ and the great display of public grief and interest in his funeral is a testament to it. He led the People Action Party (PAP),...

The unfolding drama has all the makings of a best-selling murder mystery. First, the pilot tried to return to the cockpit but the door was locked. Next, he called out to the co-pilot within but there was no answer. He took an axe to begin breaking the door - but not soon enough. The co-pilot deliberately changed the settings of the plane so that it would make a steep descent. Air-traffic controllers tried frantically to reach him but, again, he refused to respond (though his breathing could be heard). After 8 minutes, it was all over - the plane hit the mountain and bursts into flames. While the suspense was magnetic, the results were catastrophic. One hundred and fifty passengers meet a swift and horrific death on the slopes of the French Alps. Among the dead were 16 students from a small town school on an exchange program. Two babies also perished. The unfolding drama of Germanwings Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf has become an internation...