ARAB-AFRICAN BLOC
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him …
—Dan. 11:40
THE “KING” OF THE SOUTH WILL BE A SINGULAR PERSON WHO WILL LEAD THE SOUTHERN FORCES IN A FIRST MOVE AGAINST ISRAEL.
267 A King For Africa
There are over 45 countries in Africa today. Two-thirds of all Africans now live under some kind of military dictatorship. Parliamentary opposition has been abolished in every major African country. Under such conditions, a union of all Africa under the “king of the south” would not be too difficult.
The “South” represents Arab States from West Pakistan to Morocco (Ezek. 38:5 “Persia, Ethiopia, Libya”) and most probably the whole of Africa southward.
The “South” Represents Arab States From West Pakistan To Morocco (Ezek. 38:5 “Persia, Ethiopia, Libya”) And Most Probably The Whole Of Africa Southward.
The last bastions of white-minority rule in black Africa are Rhodesia, South Africa and Namibia. The outbreak of widespread racial tension and war there, is an ominous sign of an Africa united under a king.
268 Arab-African Summit
In March 7–9, 1977, the first summit conference of Arab and African leaders was held in Cairo. Membership included the Arab League and the Organization of African Unity (except Mali). Among major decisions:
—start of formalized political and economic cooperation between black Africa and Arab states;
—joint condemnation of “imperialism, colonialism, Zionism, apartheid, and all other forms of racial and religious dis crimination, especially in Africa, Palestine and the occupied Arab territories;
—Arab pledge to give black African states $1.46 billion for economic development;
—total support for the Arab “frontline states” facing Israel and the “frontier states” around Rhodesia.
269 Moslem Nations Uniting
The oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia is planning to spend billions of dollars in order to unite the world’s widely scattered Moslem nations under the Saudi Arabian religious leadership. So states an item in an issue of The Calgary Herald.
The Saudi dream is certain to run against the harsh realities of theological splits, political feuds, and the sheer geographical spread of the Moslem faith.
But the Saudis want to recapture some of the glory of a seventh-century Islamic Arab Empire that stretched from the Himalayas to southern France at its apex. That and the succeeding Ottoman Turkish Empire, which brought Islam to the gates of Vienna, covered much of the known world of the time.
The Saudis, keepers of the Moslem cities of Mecca and Medina, see themselves as the logical leaders of a 20-century Islamic resurgence. The new empire, as they see it, would be based on religion and shared wealth, not conquest.
—Prairie Overcomer
270 A Common Language For Africa
An historic decision was taken at the 1975 meeting of the Union of Writers of the African Peoples in Accra, Ghanna, with unanimous agreement that Swahili should become the continental language of Africa.
Swahili is the language widely spoken in East and Central Africa, as far south as Mozambique and as far west as the old Katanga province of Zaire.
In a continent with over 2,000 recognized languages the problem of finding an agreed lingua franca is immensely difficult. But the fact that the decision to recognize Swahili was taken by a conference consisting largely of West African writers (who do not themselves speak Swahili) is an event of considerable significance.
At present, three languages are used as the common means of expression for PanAfrican occasions—English, French and Arabic.
All African writers are urged to apply every strategy, at both national and continental levels, to promote the use and the enrichment of Swahili. It is now the official language of only two countries—Kenya and Tanzania.
Schools in Africa are exhorted to accelerate the process of studying Swahili by substituting it for less useful subjects on their curricula, such as courses in European ballet, French civilization and English social history.
271 Trigger Happy
When King Hassan II of Morocco called for 350,000 Moroccans to march into Spanish Sahara and claim the land, Moroccan government sources reported that delegations from many African and Arab nations were about to join in the planned march. Jordan as well as the Palestine Liberation Organization also came out in support.
272 Non-Arab Islamic Volunteers
During the 1975 Islamic Foreign Ministers Conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the decision was made to form a volunteer force from non-Arab Islamic nations to join the Palestinian guerilla war against Israel. Recruiting centers in Islamic nations would be set up to dispatch volunteers to the Middle East.
The conference represented 40 Islamic nations in Asia and Africa, forming 19% of the world’s area and 14% of its population. The Arab League and the Africa Unity organization attended as observers.
273 Red Chinese Aid
According to a 1975 report, China is helping over 20 nations in Africa. Her aid to Africa is now 100 times more than the Soviet Union’s, and 2 times more than the United States .