1 Oct, 2009
Tension
Over 150 Protesters Killed in Guinea
DAKAR, Senegal — Security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators on Monday in Guinea, killing scores, according to witnesses and news reports. The Guinean Human Rights Organization said reports from hospitals indicated that the death toll had risen to 157, news reports said Tuesday.
Troops opened fire as thousands of opponents of the military junta led by Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara gathered in a stadium in Conakry, the capital, to protest his plans to run in presidential elections next January.
At first the troops fired tear gas at the crowd, estimated to have as many as 50,000 people, and then they started shooting, according to witnesses, who described scenes of panic and terror.
Witnesses spoke of seeing numerous wounded and dead demonstrators. The violence came after months of tension in the impoverished West African nation, brought on by what has been widely described as the erratic behavior of Captain Camara, the military man who led a coup last December, soon after the death of the longtime leader Lansana Conté.
The shooting drew widespread international condemnation, with Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, urging the authorities in Conakry on Tuesday to “exercise maximum restraint and ensure a peaceful and democratic transition,” news reports said.
“We have never seen this before,” said Bakary Fofana, an official in a federation of civil-society organizations in Guinea. “It’s difficult to understand, all this violence. It shows a determination of the military to remain in power, and to destroy all resistance.”
Story & photo courtesy of - The New York Times.
Daniel 3:19-20 (NIV)
"Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace."
What does today's God Story scripture teach us about tension?
The dictionary defines tension as "the state of being stretched or strained." Clearly the demonstrators that were recently attacked in Guinea had been stretched and strained so far that they felt their only available recourse was a massive demonstration against the military junta.
Often our lives are filled with tension, and as we're stretched and strained by the ups and downs of life we react to ease the discomfort that often accompanies the changes that are created by the tension. When things get tough some people turn to drugs and alcohol to unplug, while other people try to eat or cut away their problems. Sometimes when the tension is so big and is felt by so many, people often come together to stand against the source of the tension in forms of protest or demonstration.
Take some time today to read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (found in Daniel 3) and be inspired by their courageous stand against the oppressive laws of a tyrannical King. Simply put, when evil causes tension and pain the only way to root it out is to stand against it. Whether that evil is within the heart or within the capital city, God calls us to come together to take a bold stand against sources of pain, injustice, evil, and tension in our world.
- What is causing conflict and tension in your life?
- Are there injustices around you that God could be calling you to stand against?
- Do you notice your friends experiencing tension? If so, ask if there is anything you can do to help.
- Ask a friend if they would be willing to stand up against injustice even if it meant persecution.
- May 2012 [14]
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- June 2006 [3]
