|
May 4, 2021
Each month, FRC's Center for Religious Liberty covers top international religious freedom news -- exploring challenges that believers face abroad.
Here is FRC's top content on international religious freedom this month.
Africa:
From Mozambique in East Africa to Nigeria in the West, the vast African continent is increasingly infected by horrific attacks on Christian believers -- mostly at the hands of Islamist radicals. Some of these Christians are often ordered to deny their faith or die. With great faith and courage, many of them have paid the ultimate price.
In Somaliland, six Christian converts from Islam were recently arrested for their faith. They need our prayers for deliverance from what could be a death sentence if Islamic Shari'a law is enforced in their case. For more information, see Lela's piece on the FRC Blog.
See FRC's resources:
China:
Earlier this year, the Biden administration announced that it would be taking steps to reinstate U.S. funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). However, the UNFPA has long been controversial for its partnership with the Chinese government despite its practice of coercive sterilizations and abortions. Since the U.S. determined that China is committing an ongoing genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, specifically through birth prevention measures, it is more important than ever that the U.S. not fund the UNFPA. Read more in The Federalist.
ChinaAid's latest annual report noted further alarming trends in the persecution of Christians in China. Bob Fu, President and Founder of China Aid and FRC Senior Fellow in International Religious Freedom joined Washington Watch to discuss the growth and strength of the church in China despite persecution:
Read more about ChinaAid's new report in FRC's Washington Update.
Armenia:
On April 24, 2021 -- Armenian Remembrance Day -- U.S. President Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to issue a formal statement recognizing the tragedy from 106 years ago as genocide. This is an important move for Armenian Christians. Read more in Lela's piece on the FRC Blog.
Turkey:
In the 1st century -- in the days of the first apostles -- Turkey became the cradle of Christianity, where the Apostle Paul traveled tirelessly to preach the Gospel. In the 21st Century the story is far different, and Turkey's Christians are facing increasingly dangerous persecution. To read more, see Lela's op-ed in Newsweek.
USCIRF annual report:
The numbers from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's (USCIRF) new annual report paint a striking picture of the status of persecution around the world. An estimated 50,000 Christians remain in bondage in North Korean prison camps. Over 2500 Yazidi women and girls are still missing following ISIS' genocide. And in 2020, 15 houses of worship were attacked in Nigeria. This should motivate the Biden administration to prioritize religious freedom in its foreign policy. For more on the 2021 USCIRF report, see Arielle's piece in the Washington Update.
In a Newsweek op-ed, USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and USCIRF Vice Chair and FRC President Tony Perkins wrote that the COVID-19 pandemic affords governments no excuse to deny their people religious freedom. Manchin and Perkins were also sanctioned by the Chinese govnerment last month for their religious freedom advocacy. In the Wall Street Journal, they wrote, "We won't be intimidated or silenced."
What's on our minds:
At the Center for Religious Liberty, we often pause to examine the "why" behind what we do. Why is it so important to advocate for religious freedom for everyone, everywhere? Because attacks on religious freedom target one's conscience -- the very core of their being. This makes the freedom of religion a core human right, and one enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. For more, check out Arielle's piece on the FRC Blog.
As we ponder the ways we can best serve persecuted religious believers, prayer is always an important part of the equation. The complex nature of persecution can make the scriptural mandate to remember and pray for persecuted believers an intimidating task. But it shouldn't be. For advice on how to think about this topic and a sample prayer to get you started, read Arielle's blog, "4 Tips for Praying for the Persecuted."
In His Name,
Lela Gilbert
Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom
Arielle Del Turco
Assistant Director of the Center for Religious Liberty
"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them..."
Hebrews 13:3
|
