“When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.” (Proverbs 14:32)
The Israel relief group IsraAID has gone to Kenya to help the country deal with the aftermath of an attack on university students by militant Muslim terrorist group Al-Shabab. (JPost)
Just before Passover, Al-Shabab, which is based in neighboring Somalia, entered Garissa University. Systematically separating the Christians from the Muslims, they murdered over 150 Christian students and injured an additional 79.
The same group has killed over 400 people in Kenya since 2013—the year it attacked Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall, killing at least 67 people and injuring over 175.
Al-Shabab terrorists attacked Nairobi’s upscale Westgate Shopping Mall in 2013. At least 67 died and many more were injured in the gruesome attack. Three floors in the mall subsequently collapsed.
In response to the attack, IsraAID met with government representatives and members of the Kenyan Red Cross along with United Nations officials hoping to create a grief and disaster management plan.
“We’re basing it on the Israeli model,” IsraAID director Sachar Zahavi said. “IsraAID’s focus would be to provide post-trauma training and treatment to help the affected community and service providers cope with their grief.”
IsraAID hopes to develop a plan to assist officials in dealing with the stress and grief suffered by the families of those killed.
“The short term goal is to deal with the trauma,” Zahavi said. “The long term goal is to have a group of Kenyan professionals who are able to respond to such emergencies and crises in the future.”
IsraAID has been actively helping people all over the world overcome extreme crises for over a decade. It has provided millions with the vital support needed to move from destruction to reconstruction, and eventually, to sustainable living. The photo above was taken in Haiti. (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs photo)
Presently the organization has a small team dealing with the problem in the northern part of the country but has plans to send a full team of Israelis in the near future. (shalomlife)
Reports indicate that fear and trauma haunt the survivors of the Garissa University attack.
Many survivors have continued their studies, but many others are afraid to set foot on campus for fear of another attack. A number of these youth were forced to run for their lives as they watched their friends cut down. They are now thinking of returning to their homes and abandoning the goal of higher education. (allafrica)
Psychologists are expecting many cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to develop from these survivors with symptoms that include nightmares, high levels of anxiety and a sense of constantly being “on guard.”
Psychologist Dr. Gladys Mwiti said, “They will hear a car back-firing and think it’s gunshots. They are not able to sleep well because they are always on the watch.”
But it isn’t only students at Garissa who are affected by the attack.
On Sunday, a Kenyan student died at the University of Nairobi when an overloaded underground electrical cable exploded, sparking panic in students who feared it was the work of Al-Shabab. More than 100 were injured as students scattered.
“We thought it was another Al-Shabab attack,” said Eddy Capella, a first-year student. (aljazeera)
“I could see the students jumping [from windows] and one of them landed on his head,” said third-year student Felix Muriuki. “I’m not feeling 100 percent safe on campus, but I will continue with my studies.”
A map of Kenya showing Nairobi, Garissa, and neighboring Somalia.
Elsewhere, the atrocities being committed against Christians by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and by radical Muslims in Africa is inspiring evil in places as far away as the Philippines.
ISIS-inspired Islamic extremists share the same ideology of destroying churches, and kidnapping and killing Christians. They want to take control of the island.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front recently kidnapped Pastor Danial and two members of his family; all of whom were later set free.
In an interview with CBN News, Danial said, “When the two men captured me, I had a towel around my neck. One of the Muslim soldiers grabbed the towel and told me, ‘We will use this to wipe the blood from your neck.’”
More than 70% of the population of Mindanao, which is a culturally diverse region, adheres to Christianity. The Bagobo are one of the largest groups among the indigenous peoples of southern Mindanao. (Photo by Shubert Ciencia)
He was taken to their camp where a terrorist known as Commander Tokboy identified himself as being the ISIS leader in the Mindanao islands. Tokboy threatened to behead him for leading tribal people to the Lord.
“I told him I was only helping the tribes. There is nothing wrong with preaching the Gospel while serving them,” recalled the pastor. “He said, ‘Anyone who brings the Gospel of Jesus Christ and upholds the God of Israel is our enemy.’”
Danial said that he understood he was about to die when the group dug a grave for him.
But Danial’s family and friends continued to pray for his release. His 10-year-old daughter describes them praying John 15:7—“If you remain in me and my words in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.”
Miraculously, he was released with a warning to stop evangelizing the tribal people. The pastor moved to another part of the island but continues to evangelize and share the gospel with the tribal people of Mindanao.
