Current Events & Trends: Muslim extremists stirring up Syria
Associated Press journalist Paul Schemm gives a personal account of facing mercenary Muslim extremists: "The bearded gunmen who surrounded the car full of foreign journalists in a northern Syrian village were clearly not Syrians.
A heavyset man in a brown gown stepped forward, announced he was Iraqi and fingered through the American passport he had confiscated.
"'We know all American journalists are spies. Now tell us what you are doing here and who you are spying for,' he said in English before going on to accuse the U.S. of the destruction of Iraq and Afghanistan.
"'I really want to cut your head off right now,' he added, telling his men, many of whom appeared to have North African accents, that this American kills Muslims.
"With the intervention of nearby villagers, the confrontation eventually was defused. But it underscored the unpredictable element that foreign fighters bring to the Syrian conflict" ("Extremists Showing Up on the Front Lines in Syria," Sept. 19, 2012).
This account reinforces what most geopolitical aficionados understand, although the mainstream media ignores or slants this kind of story to support their liberal leanings. The fact is that Islamic extremists are rigorously promoting their own agendas, particularly in Syria at the moment, hoping that they might gain the hegemony in the Middle East.
The Bible in Psalm 83 reveals the coming rise of a confederation of Muslim nations in the Middle East opposed to Israel. It seems that they will come under a single powerful ruler referred to in Daniel 11:40 as the final appearance of "the king of the South"—possibly a new caliph over a restored Muslim caliphate (restoration of the caliphate is a major goal of Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood). See our Bible study aid The Middle East in Prophecy to learn more. (Source: Associated Press.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: November - December 2012
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Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
