Recognizing Reality: The Slaughter of Nigerian Christians is Religious

Jubilee Campaign and other human rights groups gravely concerned with the US State Department’s ill-informed statements

A group of human rights and religious liberty organizations in Washington condemn the barbaric multi-city Easter Sunday bombings in Kaduna and Plateau state that claimed dozens of lives. Attacks on northern and central Nigeria’s Christian community come as no surprise in light of Boko Haram’s genocidal declarations to kill Christians in the North, yet sadly they were avoidable. Despite the fact that the world has been on notice about religiously motivated terrorism in Nigeria due to sustained terrorist activity occurring against perceived “Western” concepts including churches, schools and even the United Nations, governments at home and abroad have largely ignored or underestimated the growing problem of interreligious strife and terrorism within Nigeria.

In the past few years violent groups like Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the equally deadly multi-city Christmas church bombings, have increased attacks on Christians as a way of destabilizing the country. As US officials continue to ignore the threat to religious liberty posed by religiously motivated terrorism within Nigeria we should expect more gloomy religious holidays to threaten the country’s fragile democracy as well as our own national security.

We particularly denounce the Assistant Secretary for Africa, Ambassador Johnnie Carson’s ill-informed and exceedingly insensitive remarks that the crisis in Nigeria is not “religious.” How the senseless serial killings of innocent worshippers during church services by a group whose publicly stated mission is to islamize the nation and abolish democracy can be anything but religious is to willfully blind oneself to objective reality. It goes against all available evidence and even the pleas of the Nigerian government.

It is deplorable that the US has neither offered humanitarian assistance nor pressed the Government of Nigeria to provide compensation to the hundreds of families who lost loved ones in Nigeria’s post-election violence that targeted faith communities in 12 states. Rather one year later, victims remain without succour while the US glosses over the massive human losses sustained during the 2011 elections.

We believe that the US should be more forthright in its assessment of the facts. With the largest political section in Africa, it is bewildering that there is such a huge disconnect between the realities on the ground and the conclusions coming out of the US Department of State. The US Department of State must declare Boko Haram a terrorist organization and place the Boko Haram and related organizations on its terrorist list. International travel by anyone associated with Boko Haram must be banned.

Nigeria is today closer to a civil war along religious lines than ever before in its history. The US government cannot afford to be asleep at the wheel as Africa’s most important country totters on the verge of implosion.

ORGANIZATION NAME

AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE

THE BECKETT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

THE INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY

JUBILEE CAMPAIGN

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

THE WESTMINSTER INSTITUTE

THE JUSTICE FOR JOS PLUS PROJECT

Uncertain Times for post-Kim Jong Il North Korea; Final Verdict on Yousef Nadarkhani Case Delayed

The Death of a Dictator

2011 has been a hard year for oppressive governments. Protestors forced the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt to step down. Armed militias in Libya, with some NATO backing eventually killed Gaddafi and put his body on display. The rumbles of revolution shook autocratic governments from Morocco to China, drawing promises of reform from some and brutal crackdown from others.Now in the last month of 2011 the North Korean government has announced that Kim Jong Il, the violent and erratic dictator of North Korea died of a heart attack last week. Kim Jong Il, who assumed power in 1994, is responsible for recklessly pursuing nuclear weapons while the North Korean people starved and killing dissidents, reformers and members of any religion except the cult of personality which worships his father Kim Il Sung.

Kim Jong Un, the third son of Kim Jong Il, has been groomed to take his father’s place and continue the program of death and destruction which has killed over 3 million North Koreans and reduced the nation to a poverty stricken wreck held together only by the military. This time of transition will be a delicate one, with internal conflicts between high-ranking North Korean generals or a renewal of hostilities with South Korea and the U.S. very possible.

While we pray that Kim Jong Un will rule well and begin to heal the wounds of his country, we are very aware that a time of insecurity and thus increased persecution is imminent. We must pray for the people of North Korea at this critical time.

Reprieve Without Freedom

Despite the massive expressions of outrage regarding the case of Yousef Nadarkhani, this Iranian pastor remains in prison. As you know Yousef was arrested for protesting the mandatory Muslim indoctrination of his children, charged with apostasy and imprisoned in 2009. Over the past two years Nadarkhani has suffered torture, seen his wife imprisoned, weathered threats that his children would be sent to a Muslim orphanage.Unable to shake this pastor’s faith, the Iranian government sentenced him to death for apostasy. His case was appealed all the way up to the Iranian Supreme Court, but in the end the courts verbally sentenced him to death on September 25,  2011. Fortunately the response from the free world has put Iran under enormous pressure for blatantly violating one of the most basic rights of the human soul.

Fearing the international response if they  execute him and the internal response if they release him, the government of Iran engaged in a series of delaying tactics, trying to stall until the furor dies down. The most recent announcement from the head of the Iranian Judicial system indicates that there will be no final decision until March or April.

Jubilee Campaign rejoices that the outcry on Yousef’s behalf has been so effectual. We believe that the Lord has granted us this time to raise even more support before we deliver our petition in February. We pray that our efforts along with all those fighting for Yousef’s freedom will grow to the point where Iran cannot ignore them.

In the meantime we urge you all to pray that the Lord will preserve Yousef’s life. While Yousef is the first Christian to be publicly condemned for apostasy in two decades Iranian prisons are run by Muslim extremists and extrajudicial executions are common. Despite the danger, we recognize that God has his hand over Pastor Nadarkhani and we pray that he and the many other pastors and evangelists imprisoned in Iran will be released soon.

Jubilee Campaign Netherlands Launches SaveNadarkhani.com

Jubilee Campaign’s Netherlands Branch has launched SaveNadarkhani.com to raise awareness of about Yousef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor who was condemned to death for converting from Islam to Christianity. Over the past several years Pastor Yousef has endured torture, threats to his life, and finally a death sentence for simply following the faith he sincerely holds. Infuriated and threatened by his refusal to deny Christ the Iranian authorities imprisoned his wife and threatened his children. Then they publicly condemned him to death for apostasy, the first such condemnation in twenty years. As the clock ticks down toward Yousef’s execution, Jubilee Campaign is collecting signatures calling for Yousef’s release which we will deliver to the Iranian embassy in the Netherlands, one of the last Iranian embassies left in the free world.

A History of Neglect
For years the West has failed to effectively respond to Iran’s ongoing human rights abuses, particularly the ones relating to religious freedom. Instead, the U.S. in particular chose to focus on the nuclear issue to the detriment of the human rights agenda. While the talks and pressure have utterly failed to deter Iran from its nuclear ambitions this tactic has communicated to Iran’s leaders that the West does not particularly care about religious freedom in Iran.

However, the news of Pastor Yousef’s death sentence drew an overwhelming response from people throughout the free world. The Government of Iran fell back on classic Big Lie tactics common to oppressive governments. False charges of rape and espionage were created out of whole cloth, and Iranian embassies around the world posted press releases “explaining” the Nadarkhani case. Faced with an impending international incident, the local court which condemned Pastor Yousef to death appealed for judgement from the highest authority in Iran, the Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Dictator’s Dilemma
Understand that if ever there was a judicial decision that is purely political, this is it. The Ayatollah Khamenei does not wish to cause an international incident, especially at a time when relations between the west and Iran are already so strained. However he cannot afford to appear to pander to a Christian, particularly when Iran’s internal political scene is so vigorous. Khamenei did not get to be the undisputed ruler of one of the world’s most oppressive governments by being foolish.

Confronted with an unexpected international response while simultaneously dealing with strident internal extremists, Khamenei is trying to wait out the storm. According to the last reports we have received, Nadarkhani’s fate will be announced during late December, at the height of the holiday season. The fickle nature of the western public has helped dictators in the past and it could help Khamenei now.

Iranian executions are carried out very quickly, often on the same day that the verbal announcement is made. If Khamenei makes the announcement around Christmas Yousef would likely be dead before the Western public comes up for air. This is the best case scenario for Khamenei. He communicates a brutal message to the Iranian Christians, soothes the extremists in his own government, and assumes that any Western response will be minimal.

A Call To Action
This course of action depends on the idea that we the people of the western democracies are fickle and unconcerned with the life of an poor pastor halfway round the world. We must show the government of Iran that we have not forgotten, that Pastor Yousef is not alone. Jubilee Campaign is collecting signatures for a petition which we will deliver to the Iranian Embassy in the Netherlands just before Christmas, when we expect the announcement will be made. We want to emphasize, the government of Iran wants Pastor Yousef dead. We encourage you all to go to the website and sign the petition protesting the imprisonment of Yousef Nadarkhani and calling for his release.

Resources
Click Here to Sign the Petition
Click Here to see tweets about #Nadarkhani and add your own.
Click Here to go to the Save Yousef Nadarkhani Facebook Page
Click Here to download a poster which you can put up at your churches or other public bulletin boards.
Click Here to download a background pamphlet explaining the history of the case.

Most of all, please continue praying for Pastor Yousef and for the all of the Christians suffering in Iran.

Join the Dark Glasses Portrait Campaign

Support Chen By Sending in a Picture With Dark Glasses

As we celebrate the confirmation that Chen is alive many of you are no doubt wondering, “What can I do to help support Chen?”

In addition to spreading the word about Chen’s case and praying for his release, there is a simple and yet profound way to show your support for Chen. Take a picture of yourself with sunglasses on and and email it to us by clicking here.

Chen was born blind and given no formal education. Despite this he stood up to defend the weak and helpless, speaking fearlessly against corruption in the Communist bureaucracy. All over China the face of Chen Guangcheng with the signature dark glasses of the blind, is a symbol of the fight for liberty and freedom in China.

It is illegal in China to support human rights activists such as Chen Guangcheng, but a simple picture of a person wearing sunglasses evades the  censorship of China’s Communist regime.

A Chinese political cartoonist and satirist known only as Crazy Crab combined hundreds of these pictures into this portrait of Chen. Chen has been an inspiration to us all and now it is our turn to show support. We hope that he will hear of our efforts on his behalf and be encouraged.

We encourage you to read the press release from our friends at Women’s Rights Without Frontiers below. We are excited that a human rights activist such as Congressman Chris Smith has chosen to support this campaign. We pray that Chen will be free soon.

In HIS Grace
Ann Buwalda
Executive Director
Jubilee Campaign

U.S. Lawmaker Stands Up for Blind Forced Abortion Opponent Chen Guangcheng by Wearing Sunglasses

Washington, D.C.  Congressman Chris Smith has demonstrated his ongoing commitment to free Chen Guangcheng in yet another way:  by wearing sunglasses.  After the Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing Tuesday, Congressman Smith joined Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, to be photographed next to a large image of Chen, in connection with WRWF’s Sunglasses Campaign.

Littlejohn stated, “For the past three decades, Congressman Smith has been the most powerful and persistent voice on Capitol Hill for human rights in China. He has held dozens of hearings, exposing the truth about forced abortion, the persecution of Christians, and other human rights abuses. He has worked tirelessly on behalf of Chen Guangcheng, sponsoring a bill on his behalf, trying to visit him, and now supporting the international Sunglasses Campaign.”

WRWF launched an international Sunglasses Campaign to support a similar campaign within China.  People from around the world have donned sunglasses and emailed their portraits to the WRWF website, to support Chen.  A Chinese political cartoonist, whose pen name is “Crazy Crab,” created the image of Chen using hundreds of these sunglasses portraits.

In her Congressional testimony Tuesday, Littlejohn quoted a key Chinese activist who said, “I think it’s very helpful for people all over the world to show they care about Chen through the Sunglasses Campaigns.  I think it’s very important to show support inside and outside the country – we can work together.” These campaigns are spearheaded by Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and Dark Glasses Portrait.

In answer to Congressman Smith’s question at the hearing about whether a double-standard is applied in Western policy towards China, Littlejohn criticized Vice President Biden for his remark, made in China, that he “fully understands” China’s One Child Policy, and yet is “not second-guessing” it.   She stated, “If it’s not ok in the United States, it’s not ok in China either.  That statement really undermined the moral credibility of the United States on the world international scene.”

Littlejohn called upon the Chinese government to grant a visa to Congressman Smith so that he can visit Chen.  She also urged U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke to seek access to Chen.  Beyond this, she urged supporters of Chen to intensify their efforts to advocate for his freedom.

The CECC hearing was held to commemorate the December 10 anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony for still-imprisoned dissident, Liu Xiaobo.

Join the Chen Sunglasses Freedom Campaign or in Chinese at Dark Glasses Portrait

Sign the Free Chen petition

Chen Guangcheng Confirmed Alive

Public Attention Forced Authorities to Improve Prison Conditions

We are very pleased to tell you that Chen Guangcheng is alive! As you may remember we received reports that in early October that Chen had died under the brutal regimen euphemistically called “soft detention” a form of house arrest which includes periodic torture sessions and denies the prisoner sufficient food or medical attention.

Chen’s health has never recovered from the torture and denial of medical treatment he received in prison. Beating a man nearly to death is a tricky business, particularly when the man is already in poor health. When we received the report our last confirmation that Chen was alive on July 28. As this was just before he and his wife received another visit from the local Communist officials and their bullyboys we feared the worst.

Fortunately, we have now received confirmation that Chen is alive and that his conditions have improved somewhat, mainly due to the public attention both in the West and in China, itself. Some of his relatives are being permitted to bring him food and medicine and we pray that his health will improve.

We encourage you to read the press release from friends at Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and pray particularly for the Congressional Hearings and press events on Chen which will take place later this week. Remember that despite all our efforts it will take a genuine work of God to free Chen Guangcheng. We pray that work comes soon.

Blind Forced Abortion Opponent Chen Guangcheng Reported Alive

LINYI, CHINA.  A reliable source inside China told Women’s Rights Without Frontiers that forced abortion opponent Chen Guangcheng is alive.  An unconfirmed report went out in early October that Chen had died under house arrest.
According to this source, who requested anonymity, “Now his mother is allowed to go outside to buy food although escorted by three guards, and his health also is getting better.”

The source attributed the improved treatment of Chen to the fact that “Chen’s situation was exposed and got huge public attention.”  One campaign that brought considerable visibility to Chen’s plight was the flow of concerned citizens attempting to visit him for his fortieth birthday on November 12.  Many of these citizens were beaten and detained.

In addition, the “Chen Sunglasses Freedom” campaigns inside and outside of China have raised the visibility of his case.   These campaigns post photos of people wearing sunglasses in support of Chen.  The source stated, “I think it’s great.  I think it’s very helpful for people all over the world to show they care about Chen through the Sunglasses campaigns.  I think it’s very important to show support inside and outside the country – we can work together.”  These campaigns are spearheaded by Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and Dark Glasses Portrait.

The source also commended the video, “Free Chen Guangcheng,” saying that watching this video has inspired many to take action.   “People inside China weep when they watch it,” she said.

The source continued, “Chen’s situation has indeed improved.  I have just sent him some medicine and covered the expenses for his family in the market . . . Some relatives can visit his mother and deliver some items under surveillance.”

The source cautioned, however, that the slightly improved condition of Chen’s house arrest is not a reason to relax the campaign to free him.  Most relatives of Chen and his wife are not allowed to visit, including their son and his wife’s parents.  Moreover, the fact that Chen is now allowed food and medicine “is still far away from our basic request, that is, Chen should be freed right away, according to China’s own law.”

According to the source, the persecution of Chen supporters continues. An activist who announced that she would wear sunglasses in Linyi’s central square this weekend was detained on Thursday.   Also Thursday, another activist from Yantai and a writer from Beijing, were arrested in Shandong attempting to distribute plastic bags and balloons bearing Chen’s image, in honor of International Day of Person’s with Disabilities, celebrated December 3.

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, stated, “We are thrilled and relieved that Chen is alive and his health is improving.   This improved treatment demonstrates the power of the collaborative effort inside and outside China to raise the visibility of his case.  We greatly admire the brave citizens inside China, who are risking their safety to stand up for Chen.”

Littlejohn added, “We commend the courageous and persistent efforts of Rep. Chris Smith to visit Chen and urge the Chinese government to grant him a visa.  We also urge U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, to visit Chen. We demand the immediate, unqualified release of Chen Guangcheng and his family. Chen’s ongoing house arrest is illegal and his medical condition remains weak.”

Littlejohn will testify regarding Chen’s case before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China at a hearing to be held on Tuesday, December 6 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., location TBA.  On Wednesday, December 7, she will appear on Voice of America China Branch’s program, “Issues and Opinions,” broadcast throughout China at 9:00 a.m. EST.

Chen’s investigation exposed the fact that there were 130,000 forced abortions and sterilizations under China’s One Child Policy, in Linyi County in 2005.  He was jailed for four years and three months, during which time he was tortured and denied medical treatment.  He and his family remain under house arrest.

Join the Chen Sunglasses Freedom Campaign.

Watch the video, “Free Chen Guangcheng”

Sign the Free Chen petition here.

Chen Guangcheng Alive As Of July 28th

Valiant Lawyer Tortured In Front of His Family For Contacting the Outside World

On October 10th we passed on to you unconfirmed reports that Chen Guangcheng may have been killed by Chinese authorities. We now know that as of July 28th Chen was still alive. Unfortunately, as the article below details, on July 28th he was brutally beaten in front of his wife and four year old son by local Chinese officials.

Chen first drew the ire of the Communist government of China by exposing government abuse and brutality in the course of over 100,000 forced abortions in a single Chinese county in a single year. Since then Chen has become a living example of the inhuman brutality of the Communist regime enduring beatings, denial of medical treatment and even deprivation of food. To learn more please watch the Free Chen Guangcheng! video made by our friends at Women’s Rights Without Frontiers.

We ask that you continue to pray for Chen and his family. We will keep you informed as more information continues to escape the media blackout imposed by the Communist government. If you have not yet done so, please add your names to the petition asking for Chen’s release. As always, we thank you, on Chen’s behalf, for all your prayers and support.

Details of Brutal Beating & Torture of Blind Legal Activist Chen Guangcheng Emerge

China Aid Association

(Linyi, Shandong – Oct. 27, 2011) ChinaAid has learned the details of a brutal four-hour beating by local authorities of blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng and his wife, about whom there has been no reliable news for months.

The July beating, which was witnessed by the couple’s elementary school-age son, is but one episode in a pattern of horrific persecution against Chen because he had exposed the violent and deadly measures used by Chinese authorities to enforce the nation’s one-child policy.  The couple endured a similarly brutal beating in February after they had smuggled out a videotape documenting the shocking conditions of their illegal house arrest following Chen’s release from prison.  (See the ChinaAid report)

A reliable source told ChinaAid that the July beating occurred after a storm knocked out equipment that authorities had installed in Chen’s house to cut off all their telecommunications contact with the outside world.  With the equipment disabled, Chen was able to make phone calls on July 25, but the calls were intercepted by authorities.  On July 28, Shuanghou town mayor Zhang Jian led a group of people to Chen’s home and beat and tortured the couple for four hours.

This is the sequence of events:
2 p.m. – authorities clear out everyone from Chen’s village
3 p.m. – authorities conduct an exhaustive search of Chen’s home and find a phone card in a pile of ashes
4 p.m.-authorities start the beating. Chen’s screams of pain were heard first, while his wife Yuan Weijing was heard shouting angrily along with their daughter Kesi’s cries. After a while, Weijing’s screams of pain could also be heard. From then until 8 p.m., the only sounds were screams of pain.

Some time later, a village doctor was permitted to give Chen some cursory medical treatment.

During the four-hour beating, Chen’s elderly mother, who lives with them, was prevented from entering their home.  When she was finally allowed to go in, neighbors heard her burst into tears, and her anguished cries -described as “gut-wrenching to hear” – continued for a long time.

According to the source, Zhang tortured Chen to try to get him to tell how he got the phone card to make the calls on July 25 and to reveal where he had hidden it.  When Chen and his wife refused to give any details, their house was ransacked until the phone card was found in a pile of ashes.

Then the mayor’s men viciously beat up Chen and his wife in the presence of their son Kesi.  “As family men themselves with parents and children, how could they inflict such inhuman pain on a little boy?” the source asked.

ChinaAid’s founder and president Bob Fu said, “We condemn the Shandong authorities for their extreme brutality against innocent blind Chinese legal activist Chen Guangcheng and his wife.”

“The Chinese government’s brutality against  brave individuals like Mr. Chen who promote the rule of law should certainly make the world seriously doubt the sincerity of the Chinese government’s commitment to international  human rights,” Fu said.

Chen was imprisoned for four years and three months for exposing the violent measures used to enforce China’s one-child policy, including forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations that in his county alone in 2005 numbered 130,000.

Since his release from prison in Sept. 2010, Chen has been kept under illegal house arrest, denied medical treatment for serious intestinal problems and deprived of all contact with the outside world.  Reporters and activists who have tried to visit him have been roughed up and turned away.

As a result, there has been no reliable information about Chen and his family for months, although there have been unconfirmed reports this fall that Chen might have been killed by Chinese authorities.

On July 21, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed an amendment to the State Department 2012 appropriation bill supporting Chen and his wife. (See ChinaAid’s report)

Please support the cause for which Chen and his wife have paid such a high price and sign this petition to stop forced abortion in China.

ChinaAid Contacts
Bob Fu, President;  Mark Shan, Spokesperson
Tel: 1+ (888) 889-7757    Cell:  (267) 205-5210
Email: Bob@ChinaAid.org Mark@ChinaAid.org
Website: http://www.ChinaAid.org http://www.MonitorChina.org

Help Save Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani

We want to thank those of you who responded to our earlier, brief email regarding the death sentence received by Pastor Yousef. We wanted to take the time to send out a more extensive email detailing the history of Pastor Yousef’s case, along with our Press Release and materials for use in your churches. While this atrocious miscarriage of justice has drawn condemnation from Speaker John Boehner, the State Department, the White House and dozens of members of Congress, Pastor Yousef remains in prison with a death sentence hanging over his head. That is why we are sending you materials to help you spread the word. We want you to talk about this with your friends and pray for Pastor Yousef in your churches. The Iranian government may be trying to wait for the furor in the western media to die down so that they can execute Pastor Yousef quietly. We must continue crying out until he is released.

The History: Service to God

Pastor Yousef grew up in a Muslim household but like many in Iran, the bloody rule of the Ayatollahs pushed him away from religion. He served no God and lived a life of darkness until the light of Christ reached him at 19 years old. Having found satisfaction in the Gospel, Yousef immediately began to share it with those around him, and he became the pastor of a church in his hometown in northern Iran. God blessed him with a wife and children and despite the danger of a government crackdown, Pastor Yousef continued to share the Gospel and his church grew to around four hundred members.

The Crime: Apostasy

The local authorities hated and feared the growing Christian community in their midst. They were just waiting for an opportunity to strike. Opportunity came in the form of a new law, requiring the religious indoctrination of all Iranian children into Islam the specific version of Islam favored by the elite Islamic clergy that rules the country. Pastor Yousef protested the indoctrination of his children and was promptly arrested in his hometown of Rasht on October 13, 2009. However, soon after his arrest, the charges were changed from unlawful protesting to apostasy. Apostasy, defined as leaving Islam, cannot be found in Iran’s penal code and the investigation necessary to prove apostasy openly violates Article 23 of the Iranian Constitution, which forbids the investigation or punishment of anyone solely on the basis of their religious belief. The local authorities did not let these technicalities stop them and soon the sentence came down.

The Sentence: Death

After the initial death sentence Yousef was imprisoned awaiting his appeal at the Supreme Court. Iranian authorities used every means at their disposal to try to force Pastor Yousef to deny his faith. In addition to the ever-present threat of death, they held him incommunicado, tortured him, imprisoned his wife and threatened his children. Even his lawyer, Mohammad Dadkah, a valiant Muslim advocate for human rights, was suspended from practicing law and sentenced to 9 years in prison for supporting the cause of freedom in Iran. After years in prison, the Iranian Supreme Court remanded his case back to the local court that initially sentenced Pastor Yousef to death. Despite multiple violations of international law and Iran’s own Constitution, the Iranian court held a series of hearings calling on him to recant his Christian convictions. When he refused they once again sentenced Pastor Yousef to death on September 25, 2011.

The Response: Outrage

By the time the second death sentence was handed down the case had drawn considerable international attention. First prominent pastors, journalists, and musicians tweeted about #Nadarkhani. Then news agencies such as the Washington Times and Fox News pushed the issue into the mainstream. A wave of private and public diplomatic efforts reached to Tehran telling them that this lone Christian pastor was not alone, and that executing him would draw the ire of the entire free world. Faced with a decision above their pay-grade, the courts passed the buck all the way to the top. Now only the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei can spare Yousef’s life.

Our Request: Keep Up the Pressure.

We want to emphasize, the government of Iran wants Pastor Yousef dead. The massive grassroots response and high-level advocacy carried out to date has only given Yousef a stay of execution. If our attention flags, that stay could prove only too temporary.

Click Here to download the poster which you can put up at your churches or other public bulletin boards.
Click Here to download a background pamphlet explaining the history of the case.
Feel free to print out our Press Release on Pastor Yousef, which is below.

Most of all, please continue praying for Pastor Yousef and for the all of the Christian suffering in Iran.

__________________________________________________________________________

Press Release

Jubilee Campaign Calls For the Immediate Release of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani

The Government of Iran recently condemned Christian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani to death for ‘leaving Islam’, in blatant violation of their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Jubilee Campaign calls on the United States and the international community to forcefully address this public violation of Iran’s obligations under international covenant and press for the immediate and unconditional release of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani.

Today Jubilee Campaign, an advocate for international religious freedom, adds their voice to the chorus of cries from the human rights community calling for the release of Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. While the government of Iran habitually harasses and persecutes Christians and other religious minorities, last month they shocked the world by publicly condemning a man to death for apostasy, the crime of leaving Islam. Though reports of torture and extrajudicial killings of religious minorities abound, Iran has not formally executed anyone for apostasy since Pastor Hossein Soosmand in 1990.

Jubilee Campaign calls attention to the fact that the charge of apostasy, which cannot be found anywhere in Iran’s penal code, attacks the human right to leave one’s religion for another religion or no religion at all. This right is enshrined in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Iran ratified without reservation. Jubilee Campaign calls on the United States to address this blatant and public violation of Iran’s international obligations. In addition to the manner in which the charges violate Iran’s international obligations, the formal investigation or punishment of a person on the basis of their religious beliefs violates Article 23 of Iran’s own Constitution.

Leaving aside the illegal charges and the unconstitutional investigation, Pastor Yousef claims that he does not meet the definition of genuine apostasy because he was never a Muslim. Until he became a Christian at 19 years old he did not believe in any God at all. Pastor Yousef’s story is not uncommon in Iran. The association of Islam with the Ayatollah’s reign of blood and terror has created a great deal of disillusionment with religion, particularly among younger generations of Iranians. Unfortunately for this growing segment of Iranian society, the death sentence against Pastor Youcef redefines apostasy as leaving the religion of one’s ancestors, a precedent with grave implications for any Iranian with a Muslim background.

“Clearly,” says Ann Buwalda, Executive Director of Jubilee Campaign, “the international community must hold the Iranian government accountable and prevent this unjust execution. Media and governments around the world must speak out and break the silence that condemns this innocent men to death.”

China’s One-Man Prison Project

China Creates Small Prison Specifically To Hold Chen Guangcheng

We have received grave news about Chen Guangcheng from our friends at Women’s Rights Without Frontiers. The Chinese government plans to transfer Chen to a small building, which they can guard easier. The illusion that Chen is only under ‘house arrest’ grows thin and Jubilee Campaign is very concerned for his well-being.

We earnestly solicit your prayers for Chen and his family. The Chinese government continues to deprive Chen of food and medical attention in an effort to break his spirit and send a message to all those who would dare oppose their murderous regime.

We urge you to read the press release below and watch some of the video’s links provided by our friend Reggie Littlejohn. We ask you consider adding your name to the petition seeking Chen Guangcheng’s release.

Personal Prison Prepared for Forced Abortion Opponent Chen

Blind forced abortion opponent Chen Guangcheng and his wife, Yuan Weijing, will be transferred to a small prison built specifically for them, according to a Radio Free Asia report.  Activist He Peirong stated that the couple will be forcibly removed from their home and transferred to a building “which basically amounts to a jail” so that authorities can “keep tighter controls on them.”  They will be separated from their five-year-old daughter in the move.  Their young son, living with relatives, was reportedly strip-searched leaving the family home.

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, decried this action.  “The Chinese Communist Party has already beaten and tortured Chen and his wife, denied them medical treatment, stolen their television, phone, computer and books, and appears to be slowly starving them to death.  The couple is constantly surrounded by 66 guards and multiple surveillance cameras tracking their every move inside and outside their home.  Why is the CCP so threatened by a blind, sick, penniless man that they have to build a personal prison for him?  They seek to make an example of Chen, to demonstrate how they will punish anyone who challenges their forced abortion policies.  But they are really making an example of their own, shameful brutality.”

Bob Fu, President of China Aid, said “The treatment of Chen Guangcheng and the torture and disappearance of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, are unconscionable.  These are not the acts of a government that respects the rule of law.  Since the beginning of this year, the CCP has launched an offensive against human rights lawyers and activists, religious leaders, house church Christians and even dissident artists.  We urge the release of those unjustly imprisoned, tortured and disappeared.”

Chen was arrested in 2006 for exposing evidence that 130,000 forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations were performed on women in Linyi County, Shandong Province in a single year.  Time Magazine named him one of “2006’s Top 100 People Who Shape Our World.” Chen spent four years in prison. Since his release, he continues under house arrest.  He and his wife have been beaten repeatedly and denied medical treatment.

To watch “Free Chen Guangcheng!” (three minutes), click here

To sign a petition to free Chen, click here

Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and China Aid are spearheading a campaign to free Chen Guangcheng.  The Jubilee Campaign and World Youth Alliance are partners in this effort.

To see the Radio Free Asia report, click here

Nepal Moves To Restrict Religious Freedom

We ask for your prayers. While Jubilee Campaign has been working hard to promote religious freedom in Nepal, the tools available to us work slowly. Unfortunately, the political landscape of a nation in transition changes very rapidly, and we may have run out of time.

On Monday, the Prime Minister of Nepal promised to negotiate an agreement on the constitution before August 13th. He vowed to step down if no agreement materialized. The Prime Minister appears to be gambling his career on the idea that he can make a deal happen in the next nine days.

Current drafts of the constitution contain language that bans any activities leading or contributing to conversions. Anti-minority sentiment in the police force and courts could easily use this language to criminalize all public expression of minority religions.

Nepal’s proposed criminal code goes further and bans conduct which insults or undermines a religion. The religious provisions in the proposed constitution and criminal code reinforce one another. Together they create a comprehensive legal framework that will virtually eliminate religious freedom of conscience and choice for all Nepali.

Friends of Jubilee Campaign in Nepal and India contacted us about this dangerous language. We reached out to contacts in the U.S. Government hoping to resolve this through quiet diplomatic channels. While not flashy, quiet diplomacy can be extremely effective with enough time. The Prime Minister’s announcement does not give us that time.

If Nepal adopts this constitution, religious liberty will retrogress to pre-1990 monarchy imposed restrictions on religious choice, and it will seriously harm the rights of religious minorities. The damage might take a generation or more to undo.

Yet Nepal desperately needs a constitution. The Maoist party, formerly the Maoist resistance, has camps of armed men capable of further destabilizing the country. On the other side of the spectrum the Hindu nationalists call for the return of the old Hindu Monarchy. The common people are beginning to lose faith that a new constitution will ever be passed threatening the legitimacy of the government. The resignation of the Prime Minister will only increase these polarizing trends.

Although the solution appears allusive, we must seek and pray for peace.  Failure to pass any constitution may send Nepal spiraling down the path back to civil war.

Pray That:

-God will touch the leaders of Nepal and give them the wisdom to see the negative consequences of this discriminatory and restrictive language

-Those in the US embassy who are advocating for religious freedom with the Nepalese Government would be heard

-The Lord would give His church wisdom and gentleness to respond to accusations that they force conversions and that they would continue to preach the Word peacefully and faithfully

Thank you for standing with us and with the church in Nepal.

Iranian Pastor Required to “Repent” of His Faith

Greetings

Over the past several years we have been greatly concerned for Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. Pastor Yousef has been viciously persecuted by the Iranian government. He was thrown in jail, tortured and his wife and children were threatened. Finally the Iranian government put him on trial for apostasy. After a lower court sentenced him to death, the Iranian Supreme Court took the case. When they released a verdict which appeared to reverse the death sentence we, along with many others in the human rights community, were overjoyed. However it appears that our celebration was premature. The verdict requires that Pastor Yousef “repent” in order to escape the death penalty. Such a requirement has ominous overtones in Iran.

There has been some debate about the meaning of the verdict. Pastor Yousef’s lawyer, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah told International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that “Because apostasy is not mentioned in Iran’s penal code, and apostasy is not considered a crime, then the court has to consider Mr. Nadarkhani’s case in the context of [the crime] ‘insulting the Prophet of Islam.’ In this respect, since my client has not made any insults, he can tell the same to the court.”

Mr. Dadkhah is deeply committed to human rights and has sacrificed much to defend Pastor Yousef. He faces a nine year prison sentence and a ten year ban on his law practice for defending an innocent man. However, from the beginning the Iranian government has been on a campaign to break Pastor Yousef’s faith. It will take a miracle for them to be satisfied by a continuing statement that Pastor Yousef has done nothing wrong. Instead, it is likely that the Iranian government will take ‘repentance’ to mean the denial of Pastor Yousef’s Christian faith, despite Mr. Dadkhah’s hopes.

At this critical time, we are pleased to be able to report to you that the U.S. State Department is putting pressure on the Iranians. The statement below is a strong indication of official U.S. support for Pastor Yousef. But merely because the secular powers have mobilized does not mean that we have any less responsibility. We ask you to take time, and even inform your churches, and pray with us.

Pray for:

· Clear annulment of the death sentence for Yousef Naderkhani

· Acquittal and release of all other Christians held in prison.

· Five specific prisoners to pray for are: Vahik Abrahamian; Farshid Fathi; Abrahim Firouzi; Masoud Delijani; and Noorollah Ghabitzadeh.

· The end of the hostility towards Christians from the Iranian government.

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The U.S. State Department

Persecution of Religious Minorities in Iran

Press Statement

Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

July 6, 2011

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We are dismayed over reports that the Iranian courts are requiring Youcef Nadarkhani to recant his Christian faith or face the death penalty for apostasy – a charge based on his religious beliefs. If carried out, it would be the first execution for apostasy in Iran since 1990.

He is just one of thousands who face persecution for their religious beliefs in Iran, including the seven leaders of the Baha’i community whose imprisonment was increased to 20 years for practicing their faith and hundreds of Sufis who have been flogged in public because of their beliefs.

While Iran’s leaders hypocritically claim to promote tolerance, they continue to detain, imprison, harass, and abuse those who simply wish to worship the faith of their choosing.

We join the international community in continuing to call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens and uphold its international commitments to protect them.