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News February 2002 For
a printer-friendly version of this page
CLICK HERE. Silver Spring, Maryland…[IRLA]. In the country where Mohandas K. Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru promoted non-violence in the early 1900s, some cities in India have experienced religious conflict during the past ten years. On February 17, 2002, the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations in North America (FIACONA) reported that worship was disrupted at a Holy Mass in Mysore in the south Indian state of Karnataka when windows were smashed, bricks thrown at the congregation, and the parish priest room destroyed. Witnesses claimed that even after police arrived, Hindu activists continued hurling stones and bricks. India is a diverse country with a population of more than 1 billion people. Approximately 81.3 percent of the population is Hindu, 12 percent Muslim, 2.3 percent Christian, 1.9 percent Sikh, and 2.5 percent other religious groups including Buddhist, Jain and Parsi. Earlier this year violence against Christians was reported from the Northern Indian State of Uttar Pradesh in the districts of Ballia, Sonbhadra and Allahabad when Christian missionaries were beaten with iron rods, and Christians forced to flee their homes, according to news reports. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reported last year that the Indian central government "appears unable to control growing violence by self-proclaimed Hindu nationalists targeting religious minorities. There is concern that the government is not doing all that it could to pursue the perpetrators of the attacks and to counteract the prevailing climate of hostility in some quarters in India, against minority groups. Over the past years, priests and missionaries have been murdered, nuns assaulted, churches bombed, and converts intimidated." In a statement issued yesterday, Dr. M.E. Menezes, national president of the All India Catholic Union, appealed to the government of Karnataka to "identify the culprits and take action that such incidents do not take place in the future." The FIACONA is appealing to the U.S. Department of State to raise the issue of human rights violations with India's prime minister. "Breaking the cycle of violence is difficult," comments Dr. John Graz, secretary-general for the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA). "I would recommend that commissions on reconciliation be established where representatives from all faiths can come together to dialogue and find ways to promote principles of religious freedom. Such commissions have proved beneficial in Chiapas, Mexico and Rwanda, Africa. It is so important that people of good will from different religions work together. The national and state governments in India should initiate such a commission. They cannot just express regret over the attacks of these extremists, and yet allow the extremists a free space in which to act," Graz concluded. Chartered in 1893, the IRLA has promoted and defended religious freedom for 109 years. The IRLA was originally organized by leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; however its purpose is universal and non-sectarian, seeking to address religious freedom concerns from all faith communities. For more information about IRLA, visit www.irla.org. [Viola Hughes] Beijing Mayor Served with Lawsuit for Persecutions Silver Spring, Maryland [IRLA]… In what many see as a necessary, but "bold" move by the Center for Justice and Accountability, Liu Qi, mayor of Beijing and president of the Beijing Olympic Committee, was served with a lawsuit on February 8, 2002, for his involvement in overseeing human rights abuses against the Chinese, in particular the Falun Gong practitioners. Mayor Qi was boarding a plane at San Francisco International Airport to attend the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, an event that seeks to promote good will among nations. The charges against the mayor include "torture, cruelty, arbitrary detention, crimes against humanity, inhuman or degrading treatment, and interference with freedom of religion and belief." The U.S. based Center for Justice and Accountability, an organization that represents victims of grave human rights abuse, filed the civil complaint with the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. "When a regime does not respect its own constitution and violates the declaration of human rights, sooner or later justice will be served and leaders will be made to answer to violations of international laws," commented Erping Zhang, spokesperson for the Falun Gong International Committee for Human Rights. Zhang added that "past statistics from various human rights organizations reveal that over 1,600 citizens have been killed while under police custody, 100,000 detained, 25,000 sent to labor camps under inhumane conditions, and about 1,000 sent to mental hospitals." Falun Gong uses "traditional Chinese meditative techniques to channel energy for physical improvement and spiritual salvation," according to its leaders. Founded in 1992 by Li Hong Zhi, Falun Gong practitioners say they advocate three principles: truth, compassion and forbearance. "China's attitude and hostility toward members of the Falun Gong does not speak well of a commitment to human rights," said Dr. John Graz, secretary-general for the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA). "It's important that organizations like IRLA raise such matters of reported abuse and violations of the recognized international norms that relate to freedom of conscience and the free expression of belief." On February 13, 2002, IRLA officers attended a hearing on Capitol Hill regarding China and Vietnam, organized by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. "According to testimonies presented and a report given by the U.S. Commission, the situation in China has declined in the past two years," noted Graz. Non-registered religions, churches, or religious groups are seen as a threat to the Chinese government. "This recent development is sad now that China has joined the World Trade Organization and has won the right to hold the Olympic Games, at a time when Chinese government officials have clearly violated human rights and religious freedom," Graz concluded. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Liberty has requested President Bush to raise this issue with China during his trip at the end of February. Founded by the Adventist Church in 1893, the IRLA is a non-sectarian organization that promotes religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all people. For more information on IRLA, visit www.irla.org. [Viola Hughes] |
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