Greetings on New Year’s Day

Dear Readers,

Happy New Year! Thank you so much for accompanying us and supporting us in the past!

2018 has come, 2017 has gone. Briefly reviewing the past year, we are sad to see that among political instabilities, financial scandals, regional turmoil, natural disasters, airline bankruptcy, road accidents, agony in the Middle East and death of great personalities, the most eye-catching and mind-boggling incidents have been terror attacks.

Throughout the year 2017, terror attacks have taken place in different countries, on different continents. The year began with an attack on New Year’s Eve at the biggest nightclub in Istanbul. 39 people died and around 70 were wounded. At the end of January 2017, an Islamic cultural center in Quebec was attached, killing 6 people and injuring 17.

In March, terror attacks began to cast shadows in European countries, first in Herne and Düsseldorf, Germany, then in London. On March 22, 5 people died and 20 were injured due to an attack not far away from British Parliament and on Westminster Bridge.

The coming months saw more and more nightmares. From April to October, terrorism had been a non-stop horror around the world.

Metro in Sankt Petersburg (Russia), shopping mall in Stockholm (Sweden), Borussia Champions-League Team in Dortmund (Germany), Refugee bus in Aleppo (Syria), a pop concert in Manchester (Britain), embassy quarter in Kabul (Afganistan), rock festival in Adenau (Germany), London Bridge and Borough Market in London (Britain), mausoleum and Parliament in Teheran (Iran), Muslims in London (Britain), Central Railway Station in Brussels (Belgium), hotel in Hurghada (Egypt), supermarket in Hamburg (Germany), street in Charlottesville (USA), Promenade La Rambla in Barcelona (Spain), market in Turku (Finland), subway in London (Britain) and country concert in Las Vegas (USA), all these places fell victim to terror attacks, leaving countless families in desperation and humanity in despair!

In the year of 2017, we experienced Trump as a social phenomenon, Macron as a political star, right-wing governments as a trend, North Korea as a threat and the refugee crisis as a dilemma. We see economic summits facing challenges. We see Bitcoin shooting towards the sky.  And we see the EU falling apart and Catalans struggling for independence. We see China arising and Russia breathing. While the world power is being reshuffled, the world economy is seemingly gaining momentum. 

How to anticipate the year of 2018 is a big and heavy question mark. So let’s pray. Pray for the New Year, pray that the year ahead be a year of peace and prosperity, a year of love and understanding, a year of human compassion and civil courage!