December 2011
Moscow Conference Highlights Upswing in Persecution of Christians
Uncertainty in Middle East; 'Arab Spring' becoming winter for religious minorities?
8 Dec 2011, Moscow ... Participants of a high-level religious freedom meeting in Moscow last week vowed to keep the plight of persecuted religious minorities in the Middle East and Africa in the international community spotlight.
About 100 million Christians worldwide -- mainly in the Middle East and parts of Africa -- are suffering persecution or are caught up in violent religious conflict, according to conference organizers.
The three-day International Conference on the Freedom of Religion and Discrimination against Christians began November 30 and brought together a diverse group of leaders from the Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Catholic and Islamic communities. Topping the agenda was the growth of what some have called "Christianophobia" in many countries where dominant religions or ideologies exert significant political and social power.
Vasily Stolyar, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Euro-Asia, said conference participants were united in their resolve to do more to alleviate the plight of religious minorities suffering persecution worldwide.
"Are we are our brother's keeper? Yes! We have a responsibility to speak out on behalf of our brothers and sisters who cannot speak for themselves," Stolyar said.
Discussions at the conference also focused on the impact of the so-called "Arab Spring" on the rights of religious minorities in countries that have experienced dramatic political change.
John Graz, secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association, described the issues raised at the conference as a "significant and growing concern for religious liberty advocates."
"The fate of religious minorities in a number of countries of the Middle East is still uncertain," Graz said. "It's a developing political situation, and we don't know yet what the long term stance of new governments in places such as Tunisia or Egypt will be toward Christians and other non-Islamic religious groups."
Graz added that the IRLA has been tracking an upswing in social harassment and attacks against religious minorities in the region over the past year, including a rise in anti-Christian sentiment. He pointed, also, to United Nations reports that have tracked a steady exodus of Christians from Iraq and, more recently, from Libya -- a trend that indicates a significant sense of unease among minority religious groups.
Graz said it was vital to keep these concerns constantly before the eyes of the international community as new governments determine whether to recognize religious minorities.
"We urge governments around the world, along with international bodies such as the United Nations, to do everything in their power to ensure that religious freedom, as a fundamental human right, is both recognized and protected in these countries," Graz said. [Bettina Krause/IRLA]
Looming De-registration of Churches in Hungary Prompts IRLA Meeting with Ambassador
More than 300 religious organizations are set to lose legal status on Jan. 1
Dec. 13, 2011 ... International Religious Liberty Association leaders met this week with the Hungarian ambassador to the United States in an effort to help officials from that country better understand the potential effects of a looming deregistration of churches.The Law of Churches, set for implementation on January 1, would deregister all but 14 religious denominations in Hungary.
Hungarian Ambassador to the United States, Gyorgy Szapary, met with IRLA deputy secretary generals Dwayne Leslie and Ganoune Diop on December 12 at the Hungarian embassy in Washington, D.C. While the law is still set for implementation, the IRLA representatives later described the meeting as "cordial" and "productive."
"We expressed our deep concerns to Ambassador Szapary about Hungary's recently passed 'Law on Churches' and its impact, not just on the Adventist Church, but on many other minority religions as well," said Dwayne Leslie, director of legislative affairs for the IRLA. Leslie represented the IRLA at the meeting along with Ganoune Diop, the organization's representative to the United Nations.
Following Monday's meeting, Diop said the ambassador was gracious and receptive to the issues presented."The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for dialogue -- we stated our concerns clearly, and heard the perspective of the Hungarian government," he said.
When the new law, voted in July, goes into effect next month, it will strip all but 14 "historic" religions of their legal status. Minority religions must then apply to the Hungarian parliament for re-registration.
Since the legislation was passed, Hungary has maintained that the move was not "anti-religion," but rather a legislative means to root out fraudulent organizations operating behind the protection of religion.
Religious liberty advocates worldwide, however, have decried the law, calling it unnecessary state interference with religion and a setback for human rights in Hungary. More than 300 groups are set to lose their registration, including Hungary's Methodists, Unitarians, a number of Islamic communities, and many smaller Protestant and evangelical churches. [Bettina Krause/IRLA]