Response: April - July 2020

Your insight into religious freedom

April–July 2020

A crisis that demands a response: China and religious freedom

Also inside this edition: Coronavirus: Supporting vulnerable religious minorities in Mexico Perspectives: What difference can one person make? and more...

China: A crisis that demands a response

A crisis that demands a response

Over one million people have been placed into camps in Xinjiang*, China, targeted because of their ethnicity and religion (they are predominantly Muslims from the Uyghur ethnic group). As we launch a new campaign focused on China, we ask what’s really happening to religious freedom, not only in Xinjiang but across that vast nation. And how can we respond?

Having a religious book in your home, gathering with others to worship, or simply having relatives abroad…

These are all freedoms we take for granted and yet in Xinjiang, these are all considered reasons to place you in a ‘re-education camp’.

The Chinese government claims that the camps are vocational training centres and that they are combating extremism. In reality, this is a human rights crisis. Uyghur families are torn apart, as parents are sent to the camps and children are taken away to state orphanages. One Uyghur worker reported children as young as six months ‘locked up like farm animals in a shed.’

One Uyghur worker reported children as young as six months ‘locked up like farm animals in a shed.’ *Also referred to by many Uyghurs as East Turkestan.

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China: A crisis that demands a response Once inside the camps, they can be held there indefinitely. Abdurahman Tohti hasn't seen or heard from his wife and children for almost four years. Originally from Xinjiang, he and his family were living in Istanbul when, in August 2016, his wife Peride took their two very young children to Xinjiang to visit family. In January 2019, a video appeared online of his four-year-old son in what appeared to be a state-run Chinese orphanage.

His children would not know him if he saw them today: Tohti says he has ‘lost everything’.1 Our new report explains this crisis in more detail.

Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Church was tried on Boxing Day 2019 and later sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of ‘inciting to subvert state power’ and ‘illegal business operations’.

In reality, all he did was speak up for churches and Christians in China.

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Business Insider, 5 February 2019)]

‘No one in this world can force me to renounce my faith’ By no means are Uyghurs the only people facing religious persecution in China. Following other faiths can be difficult, especially for those who dare to speak up for religious freedom. Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Church was tried on Boxing Day 2019 and later sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of ‘inciting to subvert state power’ and ‘illegal business operations’. In reality, all he did was speak up for churches and Christians in China.

‘Separate me from my wife and children, ruin my reputation, destroy my life and my family – the authorities are capable of doing all of these things. However, no one in this world can force me to renounce my faith.’ Pastor Wang Yi

The impact on children

Stand up for freedom in China

The Chinese government prevents parents from passing on their faith to their children. Christian children are often forbidden from attending church, while Uyghur children sent to state-run facilities are cut off from their language, culture and religion.

Join our call to the Foreign Secretary, asking 'When are you next going to raise this crisis with China?'

The Chinese authorities also use education as a tool to pressure people to stop standing up for human rights. Six-year-old Quanquan, son of imprisoned human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, was stopped from going to school as a way to put pressure on his dad. And all over China, teachers are under pressure not to attend church, while schools carefully keep tabs on the religious beliefs of students and staff.

We want so many people to contact their MP that we build a case MPs and the Foreign Secretary can’t ignore.

Don’t have internet access? Write a letter to your MP asking them to urge the Foreign Secretary to act.

Visit

csw.org.uk/campaigns now to email your MP.

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Country in focus: Cuba

‘In my country we need freedom and rights’ Stories from Cuba All images by CSW unless otherwise stated

Pastor Alain Toledano Valiente is a church leader who has experienced over 15 years of intimidation and abuse from the Cuban authorities.

His church and home have been destroyed twice, he has been charged with the crime of ‘disobedience’ for holding church events, and been banned indefinitely from leaving the country. ‘They want me to stop being a pastor,’ he says. But he has no intention of stopping.

The government has been abusing freedom of religion for years.

Yet the people of Cuba are standing strong, and their courage is truly inspiring.

Targeted: children Children from faith communities are frequently harassed. Last December a 12-year-old Jewish boy, Liusdan, was forbidden from entering his school while wearing the kippah (skullcap).

In another case a pastoral couple chose to home-school their children rather than send them to state-run schools, because their children 6

were experiencing severe bullying at school. This is the situation for Ruth and Joel Rigal, whose parents are now serving sentences in maximum security prisons.

‘He was held for a week, four of those days completely incommunicado’

Targeted: activists Anyone who documents the human rights violations committed by the regime automatically becomes a target. Ricardo Fernandez Izaguirre is a religious freedom defender who found himself in the crosshairs after speaking up for freedom of religion or belief for all. In July last year he was taken off the street after leaving the headquarters of the Ladies in White, a peaceful protest group. He was held for a week, four of those days completely incommunicado. It happened again in November, when he was arbitrarily detained for 29 hours, interrogated and repeatedly threatened.

Targeted: churches In 2016 you joined us to campaign for Maranatha First Baptist Church, which had been informed that the

government was going to confiscate their church building. After thousands of you joined an international campaign to save the church, the government backed down - but they continue to obstruct the church’s attempts to construct a new building.

We're delighted that they were finally granted the building permits last year after additional international attention, but this kind of bureaucratic obstruction is another tactic the government uses to harass churches.

The world wakes up to the reality in Cuba When no one is watching, governments can get away with anything. But the international community is starting to acknowledge the situation - the United States recently added Cuba to its Special 7

Country in focus: Cuba Watch List for countries that have ‘engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.’

This sends a warning to the government, and Cuban church leaders have been calling for this for years, so we’re very pleased that their voices have finally been heard.

We’re keeping up the momentum by making sure the truth is heard around the world. Pastor Toledano Valiente’s wife, Marilin Alayo Correa, has recorded a moving and powerful video testimony about the yearslong campaign of intimidation and harassment her family has endured, and their determination to keep going.

We’re making sure her video is seen by a global audience.

Back in Cuba, February 2019 saw a he adoption of a new constitution that weakened protections for religious freedom. A few months later the seven Protestant denominations, including the five largest in terms of membership, joined together to launch a new Cuban Alliance of Evangelical Churches. This kind of interdenominational unity has not been seen since the 1959 Revolution.

Around the world:

Latest news

‘Give us strength so that our men and women in prison would be free...’

The Ladies in White is a protest movement comprised of the female relatives of political prisoners; every Sunday after attending Mass they march peacefully through the streets.

For this they are regularly prevented, often violently, from attending any church services.

Berta de Los Ángeles Soler Fernández, leader of the Ladies in White, said, ‘[We] are very conscious that in my country we need freedom and rights, especially for the men and women who are in prison just for demanding this and promoting and defending the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. With respect to religious freedom, we have been meeting at Catholic churches for Mass for over 15 years now, first to be near Christ and [secondly] to ask Him that He intercede and give us strength so that our men and women in prison would be free and that the heart of the government would listen.’

Encourage

Send a card to encourage Cubans like Alain and his wife. Download our free letter-writing resource at csw.org.uk/connectencourage

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Latest news updates China In December 2019 Pastor Wang Yi, who leads Early Rain Church in Sichuan province, was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of ‘inciting to subvert state power’ and ‘illegal business operations’. Prior to this, Early Rain elder Qin Defu was sentenced to four years in prison on 29 November 2019, charged with ‘illegal business operations’, in relation to 20,000 Christian books used by the church. Since December 2018 authorities have detained more than 300 members of Early Rain Church, including children, and jailed dozens of them.

Sudan

India

In January three churches in Bout town, Blue Nile State were burned down twice in three weeks. The churches, belonging to the Sudan Internal Church, the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, were initially razed to the ground on the evening of 28 December 2019.

There were no investigations into the attacks, despite the community reporting these incidents to the police.

The Christian community rebuilt the churches; however, on 16 January the three churches were burned down again. Government officials pledged to rebuild the churches but as yet no action has been taken.

On 10 January India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 came into effect. The controversial legislation omits Muslims while offering asylum only to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan which have fled religious persecution.

The Home Minister said the legislation is intended to protect religious minorities who face day to day persecution.

However, the persecution of the Ahmadiyya, Shi’a and Rohingya Muslim communities in these countries is ongoing and widely documented. There have been widespread protests against the new law, bringing together diverse communities in a show of solidarity.

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Feature: Nigeria

‘Our faith is now even stronger than at any other time…’

The news from Nigeria so far this year has been heartbreaking: abductions, executions, attacks on Christian communities and a campaign targeting a Christian orphanage.

Yet we’ve been inspired by the incredible faith and courage shown by these Christian communities.

In January Rev Lawan Andimi, the Chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Adamawa state, was abducted by a faction of Boko Haram, and was forced to make a video plea for his release.

His faith-filled words in the midst of adversity wouldn’t look out of place in the Apostle Paul’s teachings to the early Church, or coming from David’s words of faith and resolve in many of the psalms. Rev Andimi shared his confidence that he might return to family and colleagues ‘by the grace of God’, adding, ‘If the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God.’ He concluded by saying, ‘Don’t cry, don’t worry, but thank God for everything.’

A few weeks later he was executed, beheaded as negotiations for his release were still underway.

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Speaking shortly after his death, his wife said, ‘Our faith is now even stronger than at any other time...I know my husband to be a great man of faith; I was sure after seeing the video that even if he died in the hands of his captors, it would not be a loss because he knew where he was going. I was strengthened by my husband’s message in the video; he spoke like a man of faith, a man who was already prepared to meet with the Lord.’

It’s hard to imagine being able to speak with such faith in the midst of grief, but that’s exactly what Mary Andimi found the grace to do. And she wasn’t alone.

‘We are stronger and cannot be intimidated…’

In Plateau state, David Daciya inspired many after his 22-year-old son was executed by a child terrorist. Ropvil Daciya Dalep was studying biology at

the University of Maiduguri, and was abducted along with two other students in January. A few weeks later, a video emerged of Ropvil’s execution, with the child terrorist brandishing a pistol behind a kneeling Ropvil, declaring the execution was in revenge for ‘bloodshed’ allegedly by Christians, particularly those from Plateau state.

Speaking shortly after his son’s death, David declared, ‘If you kill a Christian you only killed the flesh because we shall rejoice again on the day of resurrection. Let us assure Boko Haram that we are stronger and cannot be intimidated…’ He also encouraged prayer that, ‘God should touch the heart[s] of our leaders to provide security for our children.’

‘The unrelenting rise in violence and insecurity is deeply worrying…’

Rev Yunusa Nmadu, CEO of CSW’s Nigeria office and General Secretary of ECWA, his denomination, told us, ‘The unrelenting rise in violence and insecurity since December is deeply worrying...Civilians across Nigeria are bearing the brunt of violence from multiple sources, with limited government intervention. In particular, the Christian communities in the centre and north east of the country are suffering relentless attacks and abductions...’ He joined with church leaders across northern Nigeria in asking us to pray, ‘seeking an end to the violence afflicting Nigeria and the healing of our ravaged land.’

As we seek God’s intervention for this nation in crisis, we do so remembering Rev Andimi’s words shortly before his death that ‘all conditions [in which one] finds himself is in the hands of God…’ and holding fast to the truth that God will bring forth justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1).

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Feature: Nigeria

The scale of persecution in Nigeria Kano

Yobe Plateau On 26 January 2020, 15 people are killed in an attack on Kwatas in Bokkos County.

On 27 January, 17 people are killed in militia attacks on Marish and Ruboi villages in Bokkos County.

17-year-old schoolgirl Leah Sharibu, who was abducted from her school over two years ago, is still being held captive by an offshoot of Boko Haram, after refusing to convert in exchange for her freedom.

On 25 December 2019 ISWAP executes ten Christians and a Muslim.

On 26 December bride-to-be Martha Boulos is executed near Gwoza along with her bridal party, following a Boko Haram ambush as they travelled to Adamawa state for her wedding.

Ropvil Daciya Dalep, a 22-yearold Christian student, is executed

by ISWAP.

On Christmas Day 2019 Professor Richard Solomon Tarfa, co-founder of two Christian orphanages, is arrested and charged with ‘criminal abduction of minors’. Both orphanages are closed and the children are taken to a government-run children’s home.

On 29 December, 17 people from Chibok are abducted from Mandragrau in Bui LGA.

Adamawa

The children complain of pressure to convert, and insults and physical assaults from other residents and staff.

On 20 January a Boko Haram faction executes Rev Lawan Andimi, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Adamawa state.

On 21 February Boko Haram faction ISWAP attacks Garkida in Gombi LGA, displacing thousands and razing three churches to the ground.

Kaduna Approximately 500 Christians, including 20 pastors, are kidnapped for ransom during 2019.

From 6 to 9 January 2020, 35 people are killed and 58 abducted for ransom in militia raids on ten Gbayi communities.

Pray for an end to violence. Today.

On 8 January, four first-year students are abducted from a Catholic Seminary. Three are released, but 18-year-old Michael Nnadi is killed.

for peace for central and northern states using the map and p.9 of the Prayer Diary.

Mrs Bola Ataga, abducted on 25 January with her daughters aged eight and three, is also killed. Her daughters are released after a ransom payment.

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Borno

Pray

Connect

Rev Yunusa and the CSW Nigeria team by writing to them.

Download Connect & Encourage at csw.org.uk/connectencourage or email admin@csw.org.uk.

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Perspectives: What difference can one person make?

Join

What difference can one person make?

When we look at the world today and are faced with a daily string of depressing news items – from wars, famine, natural disasters, to the mass detention of Uyghur Muslims in Chinese camps or the forced abduction of schoolgirls in northern Nigeria – it’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the sorrow and devastation in front of us. We can find ourselves asking, quite understandably, ‘In the grand scheme of things, what difference can I, one person, really make?’

Thankfully, the Bible offers us a helpful response to this question.

each have something to offer and our individual actions can affect the whole.

‘God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.’ (1 Corinthians 12:18, 27)

Throughout history there are countless instances of times where societal thinking has been transformed, even on a global scale, by individuals coming together to call for change. Think of the abolition of the slave trade, the emancipation of women, the civil rights movement, the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

As Paul reminds us, just as every member of the body serves a specific purpose, so too we, as individuals, all have an important part to play. We 14

Go to csw.org.uk/ campaigns to join our campaign against injustice in China, and tell your friends, family and church members. Read more in our lead story on p.2.

Even today, we can clearly see people power at work, with more and more people speaking out about the climate crisis and the importance of protecting our planet.

All of these momentous shifts - which at one time would have been quite unimaginable - were all made possible by individuals coming together and taking a stand. People power has worked in the past and it will most certainly work again in the future.

‘She has done a beautiful thing to me… When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’

(Matthew 26:10-13) The woman from Bethany who lovingly anoints Jesus with expensive perfume could not possibly have understood

the significance of her simple act of kindness. She had no knowledge of Christ’s upcoming crucifixion and death; no way of comprehending Christ’s reference to burial. And yet, she showed love in the way she knew how.

What’s more, we must trust that whenever we do a small act of mercy, no matter how small it might seem to us, Christ sees the heart behind what we do. We might not see the effects of our small actions in this life, but we can be certain that God sees and takes note of them. And we can be confident that, by God’s grace and power, even the smallest actions can have a very real and tangible effect on others.

Fortunately, none of us can be expected to do everything, but we can certainly all do something. And we are called to find out what that something is.

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On the frontlines: Dabrina Bet-Tamraz Dabrina speaking at the UN

Images on this spread kindly provided by Dabrina Bet-Tamraz

‘As a family, we decided we had to trust God…’ The faith, courage and perseverance of Dabrina Bet-Tamraz and her family are inspirational. Despite knowing they could end up paying with their lives, they answered God’s call to lead their growing church in Iran.

Today, they are being treated like criminals: her father, mother and brother have been charged with national security-related crimes for normal church activities. Dabrina dedicates her days to campaigning for her family and raising awareness about the plight of Iranian Christians.

At time of writing, their final appeal hearing, originally slated for the end of February 2020, has been postponed due to a procedural error by the court.

It was always obvious we were treated differently Growing up as a Christian in Iran, it was always obvious we were treated differently. Until I was about ten, the church experienced a decade of severe persecution. Pastors were being killed, churches were under massive pressure, and my parents were regularly taken in for interrogation. We were emotionally prepared for the death of a family member - we talked through what would happen if one of my parents was killed. My parents could have

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fled, but they decided to stay and face the challenges. My parents are the strongest people of faith I’ve ever encountered.

My family is being treated like criminals My brother, Ramiel, My brother, Ramiel, has just been released amid concerns the coronavirus was spreading quickly in Iran’s prisons.

He was serving a five-year sentence in Evin prison in Tehran - he was arrested with four other Christians in summer 2016 as they picnicked together.

If he was a criminal and had done something wrong we’d understand it, but simply for having a picnic with other Christians? It’s unjust.

My father has been sentenced to ten years in prison for ‘conducting evangelism’ and ‘illegal house church activities’, and my mother has been given two five-year sentences for national security charges. They are at home on bail at the moment.

Gifted with joy and positivity Ramiel told me that there were so many Christians in prison with him, it was like being surrounded by family!

He is a really special person, gifted with joy and a positive attitude.

He said to me: ‘Compared to other countries like North Korea, where Christians are tortured or killed, we are blessed. I just had to go to prison for a few months.’

My parents are doing well considering the circumstances they’re in, but it is physically, emotionally and spiritually difficult.

‘There are brothers and sisters who struggle for their faith in Iran...I do it for them’ When my family was imprisoned, I started raising awareness about what was happening to Christians in Iran. I had the opportunity to give a speech at the United Nations in Geneva, and last year I was invited to speak at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in the United States. While I was there I met the president, and shared with him what is happening to Christians in Iran.

Victor and Shamiram Issavi Bet-Tamraz, Dabrina's parents

I have the blessing of being free, but there are brothers and sisters who struggle for their faith in Iran. I do what I do for them.

‘Your prayers make it possible for Christians in Iran to stand firm…’

My dad always told us we should tell our testimonies so that Christians outside Iran may stand firm in their faith. And your prayers, your advocacy, your support and your financial gifts, they make it possible for Christians in Iran to keep standing strong in their faith. This is the body of Christ - this is what we do for each other.

Pray

Every prayer is heard! When we asked Dabrina how we could help, her answer was, ‘Pray, pray and pray! Every prayer is heard - and God reveals to Christians in prison that you are praying for them.’ Pray for Dabrina’s family and other Christians in Iran using p.8 of the Prayer Diary, and sign up or our weekly prayer alert at csw.org.uk/prayer for updates on her family and many others around the world.

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Feature: Mexico The coronavirus pandemic is a huge concern for many, but puts those without access to basic sanitation at even greater risk.

Singled out for harsh treatment

Coronavirus: Supporting vulnerable religious minorities in Mexico While many people around the world are relying on soap, water and antibacterial hand gel to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 (the coronavirus), Angelina does not have that luxury. Her family and one other family had their access to water and sewerage services cut off by authorities in their village in Mexico on 14 January 2019. Today, they still have no access to these services. All in an attempt to force them to renounce their Protestant Christian beliefs.

Religious minorities made even more vulnerable Cutting off basic services, including water and electricity, is one of the most common ways in which individuals or communities in Mexico are harassed because of their religious beliefs.

Authorities cut off water and sewage services to two Protestant Christian families in La Mesa Limantitla, Hidalgo state, when they requested that they be excused from required financial 18

contributions and community work linked to the celebration of Roman Catholic festivals and activities.

They are no longer recognised as members of the community and now must walk a kilometre to access water. As the outbreak of COVID-19 is classed a global pandemic - and with many nations in lockdown to prevent spread of the disease - Angelina and her family have become even more vulnerable.

In addition to being deprived of basic services such as water, electricity, sewerage services and education, women from religious minority communities can be singled out for especially harsh treatment.

For Angelina, this meant being stripped of her position as the community representative for a government wellbeing programme (‘Bienestar’). She was ostracised and left without support, after the local authorities threatened community members that if anyone visited her during her recovery from a hysterectomy, they would also have their access to basic services cut off.

Angelina told CSW that as a result no one visited her or offered support after her operation. Angelina’s daughter-inlaw, who was living with her as her carer following surgery, was forced to return to her own home in the community because she is pregnant and could not manage any longer without access to water and sewerage services, leaving Angelina isolated and alone.

The spread of coronavirus puts Angelina at greater risk Denying access to water creates problems for those who are targeted directly as well as those who care for people who are unwell, and can lead to serious health issues. The coronavirus pandemic is a huge concern for many, but puts those without access to basic sanitation at even greater risk.

It is likely that these two families will remain without access to water for some time to come, as state government officials rarely intervene to restore access to water, despite water being a public service; and the denial of basic services can continue for years. Those responsible for cutting off the services are rarely held to account for their actions, and as a result victims remain vulnerable.

Medical professionals repeat the message daily: keeping your hands clean is one of the easiest and best ways to prevent transmission of the coronavirus. But for Angelina and many others from religious minority communities in Mexico, maintaining good hygiene will be next to impossible.

We’re working with local partners to lobby the authorities to restore water and sewerage access to Angelina and the others. Please pray that our advocacy will be successful.

Pray with us

In the current global coronavirus pandemic, vulnerable religious minorities are at even greater risk and need your prayers and support now more than ever. Use p.15 of the Prayer Diary to join us in prayer.

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Our manifesto #8

We believe everyone has the right to justice.

CSW is a human rights organisation advocating for freedom of religion or belief. As Christians we stand with everyone facing injustice because of their religion or belief.

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