As Iraqi Christians face a new round of violence this Christmas season, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued this statement:
“The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom calls for increased protection of Iraqi Christians, particularly in Mosul and the north, as well as other minority religious groups” said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair. “USCIRF calls on the Iraqi government to investigate and bring to justice those who have already perpetrated and planned this most recent round of violence.”
Bombs exploded December 23rd in front of the Syrian Orthodox church of St. Thomas and the Chaldean church of St. George in Mosul. The death toll so far is of three dead - a Chaldean Christian and two Muslims. Other media report that on December 15, a Christian baby was killed and 40 persons injured as three bombs were detonated simultaneously targeting Christian churches. On December 17, an Iraqi Christian was killed as he traveled to work. In the last 45 days, four Mosul churches have been attacked. By some estimates, three-quarters of all the Christians in Iraq have fled since 2003, and as the violence targeting them continues, many fear the time will come when there will be no Christians left in Iraq.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
France Retreats on Burqa Ban
France is moving towards outlawing full Islamic veils in certain public buildings, stopping short of a broader ban that could violate the right to religious freedom.
“Permanently masking one's face in public spaces is not an expression of individual liberty,” Jean-Francois Cope, the parliamentary party leader of Sarkozy's UMP party, said in an opinion piece in newspaper Le Figaro.
“It's a negation of oneself, a negation of others, a negation of social life,” he said, but conceded that a complete ban faced certain legal obstacles.
The Le Figaro newspaper piece quoted advisers as saying such a ban could be challenged before the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds that it hurt religious freedom.
“Permanently masking one's face in public spaces is not an expression of individual liberty,” Jean-Francois Cope, the parliamentary party leader of Sarkozy's UMP party, said in an opinion piece in newspaper Le Figaro.
“It's a negation of oneself, a negation of others, a negation of social life,” he said, but conceded that a complete ban faced certain legal obstacles.
The Le Figaro newspaper piece quoted advisers as saying such a ban could be challenged before the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds that it hurt religious freedom.
China Rights Attorney Plight Worsens
The condition of human rights attorney, Gao Zhisheng is described as being "worse than death," according to China Aid. Almost a year ago, officials detained Gao for defending the rights of persecuted believers in China. Authorities also recently cut off communication with his family in response to international pressure. At the end of November, in an interview with Radio Free Asia, Gao's brother described the governmental confusion their family faced.
"No one knows anything," he said. "For every question, there are three unknowns. They won't talk to us, and they won't meet with us.
"Even if Gao Zhisheng did commit a terrible crime, his family would still have the right to know what had happened to him."
Following the release of the interview, Gao's older brother and sister lost all contact when their phone lines were disabled.
"No one knows anything," he said. "For every question, there are three unknowns. They won't talk to us, and they won't meet with us.
"Even if Gao Zhisheng did commit a terrible crime, his family would still have the right to know what had happened to him."
Following the release of the interview, Gao's older brother and sister lost all contact when their phone lines were disabled.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Missionary Activity Still Targeted in Russia
Religious liberty advocates in Russia say proposed amendments to a national law seek to regulate free religious expression in the country and endanger profession of faith provisions in the Russian constitution.
The amendments to the 1997 law called "On Freedom of Conscience and Association" specifically target so-called "missionary activity" in the country, experts say.
If passed, the anticipated amendments will "not only contradict the constitution, but also violate the right to freedom of conscience and faith," said Viktor Vitko, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Euro-Asia.
Vitko's comments came a week after representatives from the Euro-Asia chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), the Slavic Law Center and the Institution of Religion in Law met in Moscow to defend missionary activity as a fundamental expression of freedom of conscience.
While the Russian constitution includes religious liberty provisions, the government does not consistently uphold the equality of minority religions before the law, according to the Religious Freedom World Report, a publication of the world church's PARL department.
More than 52,000 Seventh-day Adventists worship in Russia, part of the two percent of Russians who call themselves non-Orthodox Christians. Reports indicate that Adventists are generally allowed to evangelize freely, but religious liberty experts worry that if passed, the amendments would jeopardize that freedom.
The law in question already gives the Russian Orthodox Church preferred status and "significantly disadvantages" some religious groups deemed "nontraditional," according to the World Report. When passed in 1997, the law required every religious and faith community to register before 2001. At that point, more than 2,000 yet unregistered organizations were "dissolved," the report said.
The amendments to the 1997 law called "On Freedom of Conscience and Association" specifically target so-called "missionary activity" in the country, experts say.
If passed, the anticipated amendments will "not only contradict the constitution, but also violate the right to freedom of conscience and faith," said Viktor Vitko, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Euro-Asia.
Vitko's comments came a week after representatives from the Euro-Asia chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), the Slavic Law Center and the Institution of Religion in Law met in Moscow to defend missionary activity as a fundamental expression of freedom of conscience.
While the Russian constitution includes religious liberty provisions, the government does not consistently uphold the equality of minority religions before the law, according to the Religious Freedom World Report, a publication of the world church's PARL department.
More than 52,000 Seventh-day Adventists worship in Russia, part of the two percent of Russians who call themselves non-Orthodox Christians. Reports indicate that Adventists are generally allowed to evangelize freely, but religious liberty experts worry that if passed, the amendments would jeopardize that freedom.
The law in question already gives the Russian Orthodox Church preferred status and "significantly disadvantages" some religious groups deemed "nontraditional," according to the World Report. When passed in 1997, the law required every religious and faith community to register before 2001. At that point, more than 2,000 yet unregistered organizations were "dissolved," the report said.
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