February 2012

Croatian activists say religious freedom is foundational to Europe’s future

'When you are working for the human freedom that God has given us, then you're in good company'

January 31, 2012 ...Croatian president Ivo Josipovic was among eight people honored January 28 by religious freedom advocates for his commitment to “guarding and nurturing tolerance and human rights.” More than 200 religious and government leaders attended the event in the capital, Zagreb. Dragutin Matak, secretary of the Religious Freedom Association in the Republic of Croatia, said the awards ceremony was aimed at encouraging even more people to become active supporters of religious freedom. “We want to tell everybody, 'When you are working for the human freedom that God has given us, then you're in good company.' "

In acknowledging the award, President Josipovic said, "In my work, and in life in general, I always try to keep to Voltaire's maxim: 'I may not agree with you, but I will always defend your right to own opinion.’” He pledged to continue his efforts to strengthen tolerance and mutual understanding between different religious communions as Croatia moves into the future.

Internationally renowned theologian and peace activist Dr. Hans Kung was another honoree at the event. In his acceptance letter, he said those who worked for freedom needed to pursue their goals with a strong sense of both “realism and idealism.”

Speakers at the event included John Graz, Secretary General of International Religious Freedom Association (IRLA); Raafat Kamal, Secretary of the European chapter of the IRLA, and Ljiljana Matkovic-Vlasic, president of the Association in Croatia.

In his address, Mr. Kamal warned that the gradual erosion of human dignity and religious liberty in some parts of Europe was potentially “more dangerous to Europe than the lack of capital or the lack of political power.” He added, “There is need to embrace our responsibility to address head-on the threats to this precious freedom.” 

Others honored at the gala celebration were Croatian religious liberty advocates Redžo Hamzić, Aziz Hasanovic, Tihomir Kukolja, Don Stanko Lasic, Srđan Škunca, and Joseph Takac.

Escalating religious violence in Nigeria impacts churches

Jan. 23, 2012/Gilbert Weeh/ANN staff

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria is seeing a drop in church attendance and some church closures amid worsening religious conflict in the country.

An upsurge of attacks against Christian churches by the extremist group Boko Haram beginning late last year has led to ongoing sectarian violence between Muslim and Christian groups in northeast Nigeria.

Adding to the tumult, the country’s government recently eliminated energy subsidies, doubling the price of gasoline and inciting nationwide strikes and demonstrations. News reports indicate that Nigerians are living in fear of continuing unrest. 

Meanwhile, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called on religious leaders in her country to speak out against the violence, the Guardian reported last week.

“Christian leaders must continue to preach peace and togetherness so that Christians do not retaliate,” Adichie told the Guardian. “Muslim leaders must strongly and repeatedly condemn the violence against Christians and make it clear that Boko Haram does not represent Nigerian Islam,” she said.

The Adventist Church in the country has devoted recent days to fasting and prayer for the ongoing situation. Church administration in the country is encouraging membership to work in small groups and avoid large public religious gatherings. Open air evangelism efforts have been put on hold due to a curfew and the fragile security situation, church officials said.

According to a report by Northeast Nigeria Conference President Bindas Stephen Haruna, the Adventist Church there has not suffered property damage or loss of life. However, some individual members have had their property looted or burned. 

“The situation in Northern Nigeria shows how a lack of religious freedom can affect the life of churches, and why we must promote and strongly defend this essential freedom before it is too late,” said John Graz, director for the Adventist world church’s Public Affairs and Religious Liberty.

Church attendance in northeast Nigeria has dropped drastically, leading to church closures in some regions where most members are traveling business people who have returned to their homes. In other churches, pastors have left their congregations for fear of being killed.

The situation has produced a wave of small group evangelism, church leaders said. As Nigerian Adventists funnel their efforts to spread the Adventist hope on a smaller scale, church officials in the country are soliciting the prayers and support of the world church family.

‘Religious intolerance resolution’ could backfire, says UN expert

Criminalizing speech is 'not the best route for protecting religion'

Feb 20, 2012 ... As international diplomats signed off last year on a United Nations resolution aimed at “combating religious intolerance,” they could, in fact, have compromised one of the freedoms they sought to protect, says Dr. Ganoune Diop, the International Religious Liberty Association's representative to the United Nations.  

In part, the resolution, passed by UN General Assembly on December 19 last year, calls on UN member states to, “criminalize incitement to imminent violence based on religion or belief.”

“Our concern is not for those parts of this resolution that call on governments to do all they can to foster tolerant societies—these are worthy goals,” says Dr. Diop. “Our concern is about this particular element, which could be easily used to silence people who express views that are at odds with the dominant religion of a particular country.”

“A key question is: Who gets to decide what sort of speech will incite ‘imminent violence based on religion or belief?’” explains Dr. Diop. “The answer you get will be very different in a theocratic state, for instance, than in a country which protects religious pluralism. The vague, subjective nature of this resolution leaves it wide open to abuse by those states that already have little tolerance for dissenting religious voices.”

The resolution, known as Resolution 16/18, was introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, a coalition of 57 Muslim states. It follows in the footsteps of the controversial “Defamation of Religion” resolutions which have been passed by the UN since 1999. These resolutions, which sought to limit criticism or insult to Islam, lost significant support in recent years as more countries came to recognize the danger they posed to free speech and religious expression.

Dr. Diop points out that many analysts believe Resolution 16/18 is a variant of the Defamation of Religion resolutions, dressed up in different language to make it more palatable to Western nations that protect free speech.

But according to Dr. Diop, criminalizing speech is not the route to go in order to protect religion. “Rather, the international community should focus more on promoting and protecting existing international covenants that uphold the dignity of every person, and which emphasize the right of every individual to follow their conscience in matters of religion,” he says. [Bettina Krause/IRLA]

Passing on the torch: IRLA Secretary General speaks to students in Texas

Students catch vision for human rights advocacy

Feb 17, 2012 ... “We cannot stay silent when people around the world today are persecuted, or even killed, simply because of their religious choices,” said Dr. John Graz, IRLA Secretary General, as he spoke to students in Dallas, Texas, on February 10.  Dr. Graz was guest lecturer for three classes at Mountain View College, a community college with some 9,500 students located in northern Dallas. Graz says the students expressed a real interest in the state of religious freedom around the world, and the challenges faced by people who defend this fundamental right. Later that day, Graz also spoke to students at nearby North Dallas Adventist Academy.

On the following day, Graz preached two sermons at Richardson Seventh day Adventist Church. In the afternoon, he gave a lecture at the church which was attended by members of the community, including the Imam and a delegation of a nearby mosque.

John Petchkurow, a religious freedom leader in North Dallas, organized the college and church events, and expressed his delight at the positive reaction of the young people and students to the religious freedom lectures. Graz praised Petchkurow’s work, thanked both Mountain View College Executive Dean Dr. Cheryl H. Kizunzu and Pastor Dan Sterns for their support of these special events.

It’s time for Turkey to step up religious freedom protection, says IRLA leader

Will 2012 be a turning point in Turkey’s relationship with its religious minorities?

Feb 20, 2012 ... The coming year could mark a pivotal time for Turkey in its journey toward substantive religious freedom, according to Dr. John Graz, secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association.

Turkey, currently seeking to become a full-fledged member of the European Union, is in the process of re-writing the country’s constitution. In doing so, says Dr. Graz, Turkey’s leaders have a chance to make significant strides forward in the country’s treatment of minority religions.

Turkey has a secular government and a constitution that guarantees individuals the right to choose their religion. However, Dr. Graz points out that Turkey’s small non-Musli

m population—less than one percent of the total population—has long endured official discrimination, tough regulations, and the failure of the government to return property confiscated from Christian churches over the years.

“A new Turkey is being born," he said. On the same day, a leader of Turkey's tiny Assyrian Christian Church—one of the world’s oldest Christian communities—also met with the parliamentary committee, and asked for the return of buildings and the ability to train and educate church leaders.

“The fact that Turkey is actively soliciting input from minority religions is a promising sign,” said Dr. Graz. “The IRLA will continue to follow developments closely as Turkey continues to review its constitution protections for religious freedom.”

Late last year the IRLA expressed support for a resolution passed by the US House of Representatives calling on Turkey to end religious discrimination. Attorney Dwayne Leslie, deputy secretary general of the IRLA, says the December 13 resolution urged Turkey to do more to safeguard its Christian heritage and also to return confiscated properties to Christian churches.

IRLA decries Iran's decision to proceed with execution of Christian pastor

Supports US House of Representatives resolution urging Iran to exonerate its religious 'criminals'

Feb 27, 2012 ... The International Religious Liberty Association has joined an eleventh-hour effort to focus international attention on the plight of an Iranian pastor facing imminent execution for refusing to give up his faith. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani appears to have exhausted his avenues of legal appeal following reports last week that an Iranian Court has upheld a sentence of death for the convicted “apostate.”

Attorney Dwayne Leslie, IRLA deputy secretary general and its representative on Capitol Hill, calls last week’s news “a tragic reminder of the current political and legal culture in Iran that represses religious minorities.” He says the IRLA is supporting a United States House of Representatives Resolution calling on Iran to live up to its human rights’ obligations under international law. The resolution, known as HR 556, urges the government of Iran to “exonerate and immediately release Youcef Nadarkhani and all other individuals held on account of their religion.”

“Pastor Nadarkhani’s ordeal represents just one part of the vast, largely untold tragedies spawned by Iran’s apostasy laws,” says Mr. Leslie. “The right to change one’s religion based on the dictates of conscience is one of the most basic of human rights. Yet for many men and women in Iran today, the choice to depart from their country’s dominant religion can be a life or death decision.”

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s legal nightmare began in 2009 with his arrest for apostasy. The 34-year-old father of two was pastor of a Christian congregation in the northern city of Rasht. Key to his fate has been the question of whether he converted to Christianity as an adult, thus contravening Iran’s strict apostasy laws. During various court appearances, he has declined to renounce his Christian faith.

Ultimately, the Iranian legal system has declared that Nadarkhani’s conversion to Christianity at age 19 constitutes a betrayal of his Muslim heritage. Last week, an Iranian court upheld his sentence of death by hanging—a sentence which could be carried out at any time. 

IRLA secretary general Dr. John Graz lauds Pastor Nadarkhani’s courage, saying his situation “reflects the reality that there are millions of other people around the world today who are also subject to gross violations of basic human rights, and who must live and worship in constant fear for their lives.”

“The IRLA is committed to being the voice for the voiceless, and to continuing the fight for freedom of conscience for all people, no matter what their faith tradition,” says Dr. Graz. 

The IRLA, together with other supporters of HR 556, hope the resolution will help engage international support for Pastor Nadarkhani’s release. [Bettina Krause/IRLA]