COUNTRY OF THE WEEK

The CSW Nigeria Team, family , friends and partners would be praying for Mexico .Please  dont forget to make out time and join us. God bless you

MEXICO: (capital: Mexico city)

POPULATION :120.8 million

Official Language: Spanish

Religion : Christian 95.03%, Non – religion 3.60%, ethno-religionist 1.20%,

PRAYER REQUEST

1.      persecution of evangelical occur in certain parts of Mexico, Believers face prejudice, harassments, eviction in church and property damage. This occurs due to believers’ refusal to participate in community religious events that involve traditional Christo-pagan practices.

2.       Pray that the believers may demonstrate the meekness and love of Christ when maltreated

3.     Pray for full implementation of religious freedom.

CHINA: Lawyers Prevented From Meeting ZHANG SHAOJIE And Other Detainees .

Lawyers representing Protestant Pastor Zhang Shaojie and members of his church have encountered various obstacles that have prevented them from meeting with their clients, who were detained by police on 16 November without any formal documentation.According to reports from China Aid and comments posted by activists on social media, lawyers who have tried to meet with Pastor Zhang and the other detainees have been faced with bureaucratic obstacles, hostile officials, and ill-timed “power outages”.Pastor Zhang, 48, belongs to the Nanle County Christian Church under the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). On 16 November, police forcibly detained Pastor Zhang without any formal documentation, possibly in response to his work defending the vulnerable social groups. Zhang’s sisters and other church members were also detained, and several others were summoned to government offices. Then on 18 November, over a hundred church members and other supporters gathered in front of the city hall to demand Pastor Zhang’s unconditional release.
On 22 November, Lawyer Xia Jun, who has been hired by the church, was told he would be allowed to meet with his client the following week; this assurance was only given after he confronted the Nanle County Public Security Bureau director and secretary with the “mishandling” of the case. However, when Xia and another lawyer attempted to meet with their client again on 25 November, the officer on duty wouldn’t allow them to enter, for the reason that there had been a “power outage”.
Previously, Lawyer Xia had attempted to contact the director of the Nanle County Public Security Bureau and Domestic Security Protection Squad chief, who were either too busy to talk to them, or else denied responsibility for the case.
In addition to these problems, the lawyers were also prevented from teaching other church members about their rights under the law. The officials who blocked the lawyers’ entry to the church, where the lecture was to take place, provided no explanation for their actions. Some sources claim physical altercations between security officers and the lawyers and church members also occurred at the scene.
CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “We urge the local officials in Nanle County to allow the lawyers representing Pastor Zhang and the other church members to meet with their clients in accordance with the law. We call on all the authorities involved to make clear any charges brought against the detainees, and to ensure that they have access to legal representation and meetings with their family members.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

CSW Nigeria: SUDAN: Concerns Over Religious Freedom Grows As La...

CSW Nigeria: SUDAN: Concerns Over Religious Freedom Grows As La...:   Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned at the continuing deterioration in freedom of religion and belief in Sud...

SUDAN: Concerns Over Religious Freedom Grows As Lawyer Flees.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned at the continuing deterioration in freedom of religion and belief in Sudan, following reports that a Sudanese lawyer and religious freedom advocate has fled the country after enduring months of pressure and harassment from the authorities Morning Star news reports that Nahmia Ibrahim Omer Shaloka, a Christian Lawyer who promoted religious freedom in Sudan, fled the country after receiving threats to his life from National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) operatives, who required him to report to their offices daily. He was initially arrested on 27 May at his home in Khartoum by the NISS and interrogated for eight hours, particularly about conducting workshops on religious freedom and reconciliation in Sudan. His personal documentation, computer modem and laptop were also confiscated.   News of Mr Shaloka’s flight comes at a time when Sudan’s Christians are experiencing continuing repression. Since December 2012 there has been an increase in surveillance, harassment and detentions of local Christians, and the deportations of many foreigners linked to Christian institutions, including several Sudanese Christians who were deported to South Sudan.  The authorities have also destroyed church buildings in the Khartoum area, raided religious institutions and closed down several church-affiliated institutions. The harassment of Mr Shaloka may herald further restrictions on freedom of religion or belief for followers of minority faiths. The interim constitution recognises Sudan's multi-ethnic and multi-religious character, with Shari’a law as a source of law.  However, in 2011, President Omar al Bashir announced that following the secession of South Sudan, a new constitution would be drafted based on Shari'a law alone not considering the fact that  International law allows States to limit some rights in exceptional circumstances, which are outlined in Article 4 of the ICCPR and explored in some detail in the Human Rights Committee’s  General Comment NO. 29, specifically at paragraph 7. However, certain rights cannot be limited even in the event of an emergency. Article 18 of the ICCPR, the right to freedom of religion or belief, is one of the rights designated as non-derogable. The drafting of the new constitution has remained a relatively closed process primarily involving the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). In April the government invited members of the main opposition party; the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), to join the constitutional drafting committee following calls from the opposition for an opening up of the process. But in October, DUP leader Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani announced that the joint committee established to discuss the drafting of the new constitution had been suspended, and called for all opposition parties and armed groups to be included in the process. Other key constituencies, such as civil society groups, are yet to be included, raising concerns as to whether the final draft will reflect Sudan’s religious, ethnic, social and political diversity. In October, during a consultative coordination meeting with the Islamic Council of South Sudan in Khartoum, state minister at the Ministry of Guidance and Endowments Mohamed Mustafa al-Yakooti described South Sudan’s secular system as “positive”, commending the fact that Muslims faced no coercion to adopt a particular ideology and were free to proselytise. However, he stopped short of advocating a similar approach towards religious minorities in Sudan. Christian Solidarity Worldwide Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas says "A constitution based on Shari’a Law should be implemented only after a genuine popular consultation and consensus, and exemptions should always be made for those of other faiths. Freedom of religion or belief is a non-derogable right and the Sudanese Government must uphold it both in practice and in the new constitution. CSW urges the international community to continually hold Sudan to its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), particularly articles 18, 19, 21 and 22, which guarantee freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association, press freedom and freedom of expression for all of Sudan's citizens."

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COLOMBIA: FARC DOCUMENT SHOWS EXTENT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTRICTIONS.

A document published by the 32nd Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – Army of the People (FARC-EP) in July this year illustrates the degree of repression the guerrilla group exercises over populations under its control, including strict restrictions on religious freedom. 

The ‘manual for coexistence’, published by Colombian newspaper El Colombiano, includes strict restrictions on religious freedom in the region of Putumayo, where the 32nd Front maintains control.

It states that ‘Evangelical chapels may only be built in municipal capitals,’ and ‘Pastors and priests will only hold their masses in the churches in the municipal capitals.’ According to El Colombiano, priests and pastors in the heavily rural Putumayo region who have attempted to conduct ministry outside of the municipal capitals have come under threat or been forced to flee.

The manual’s restrictions on religious practice are in line with other reports received by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). The FARC-EP, a left wing guerrilla group which took up arms in the 1960s and is currently in the midst of an ongoing peace dialogue with the government, has targeted religious groups and leaders since its inception and is believed to be responsible for the targeted assassinations of hundreds of church leaders over the past fifty years. These include the murders of Reverend Manuel Camacho in the Guaviare region in 2009 and Pastors Humberto Mendez and Joel Cruz Garciain Huila in 2007; all three pastors reportedly defied FARC-EP restrictions on preaching and evangelism. Around 150 churches are believed to be shut down and religious activity forbidden in south-eastern Colombia in zones under FARC-EP control.

A recent report published by CSW’s partners, the Colombian Council of Evangelical Churches Commission for Restoration, Life and Peace, compiled and analysed ten years of work documenting human rights violations committed against Protestant Christians. The report found that over the past decade, the FARC-EP was responsible for 184 documented cases of religious intolerance. 

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “CSW is not surprised at the content of this manual as it is very much in line with what Colombians living in FARC-EP-controlled zones have been telling us for more than a decade. We continue to be concerned that the FARC-EP actively restricts the fundamental rights, including religious freedom, of the very people it claims to defend. The fact that this document was published and circulated only three months ago, but almost a year after the Colombian government and the FARC-EP entered into a formal peace dialogue raises questions once again about how any peace agreement will affect the civilian population. Respect for the fundamental human rights, including freedom of religion and conscience, enshrined in Colombia’s constitution and international covenants, alongside justice for victims, must be the foundation of any peace agreement. We call on the FARC-EP to eliminate all restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in areas under its influence with immediate effect.”

 

VIETNAM: CATHOLICS SENTENCED DESPITE COMMUNITY PROTESTS

Two Vietnamese Catholics, whose arrest sparked mass protests in My Yen parish, Nghe An Province last month, were sentenced to six and seven months’ imprisonment respectively on 23 October.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has been informed that their families were not allowed to attend the closed-door trial, which lasted around three hours.

Nguyen Van Hai and Ngo Van Khoi were arrested on 27 June and later charged with “disturbing public order”, following an incident that occurred on 22 May, when men believed to be plainclothes police officers stopped and searched Catholics visiting a shrine and attending Mass at a church in Nghi Phuong Commune. As the police officers did not show any identification, there was confusion among the crowd as to their identity, and some people reportedly believed them to be robbers.

It is unclear exactly why Nguyen Van Hai and Ngo Van Khoi were arrested: some sources say they were arguing with the plainclothes officers; others say they were simply being used as scapegoats for the unrest. 
Members of the Catholic community and Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, the Bishop of Vinh, petitioned for their release. In response, the local district chief issued a paper promising that the two men would be released on 4 September. When this promise was not upheld, several hundred petitioners surrounded the District Office and the military arrived to dispel the crowd, armed with guns, batons, tear gas, and guard dogs. According to CSW’s sources inside the country, police and soldiers beat petitioners with electric batons smashed religious icons in the area. Between 21 and 40 people were injured. 
Following the attacks, Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop appealed for “international support and solidarity”. 

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “These sentences come as a huge disappointment to the Catholic community in Nghe, who have been petitioning for the release of Hai and Khoi for over four months. In the process, Vietnamese Catholics’ right to freedom of religion or belief has been severely restricted and the community has been subject to constant intimidation and harassment. The fact that the two men were tried in a closed-door trial is of particular concern. CSW calls on the Vietnamese government to release the two men, to halt all attacks on religious minorities in Vietnam and lift restrictions on their religious freedom.”

SUDAN: CSW CALLS FOR OFFICIAL ABYEI REFERENDUM

 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is calling on the international community to facilitate and guarantee an official referendum on Abyei’s future after an unofficial plebiscite resulted in 99.9% of participants voting to join with South Sudan. 
 

On 31 October, 98% of registered Ngok Dinka voters participated in an unofficial vote, termed the “Peoples’ Referendum”, which was organised by the Ngok Dinka General Conference. In accordance with the stipulations of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the Sudanese civil war and a subsequent ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), voting was open to the nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms and all permanent residents of the Abyei Area. However, permanent residents from the Arab Misseriya tribe refused to participate in the referendum.

According to the CPA, the Abyei referendum should have occurred in tandem with South Sudan’s referendum on independence, which took place on 9 January 2011. However, it was postponed due to ongoing disagreements between Khartoum and South Sudan over voter eligibility. The nomadic Arab Misseriya tribe, which accesses certain pasture-lands in Abyei for part of each year, wish to be accorded full voting rights in the referendum. However, according to the CPA’s Abyei Protocol and the international legal ruling of the PCA, only the Ngok Dinka and permanent residents may vote.

Despite lacking official recognition, the plebiscite is a significant indication of the desire of the Ngok Dinka people to exercise self determination. In a statement issued on 1 November, the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) announced its support for the referendum, calling on the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN) and the governments of Sudan and South Sudan to formally recognise its outcome.

A referendum was scheduled to take place last month in accordance with a 2012 Proposal by the AU’s Abyei mediator, Thabo Mbeki, with voting limited to the Ngok Dinka and permanent residents of Abyei. The Mbeki Proposal also contains provisions protecting the rights of others living in and migrating through Abyei. The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) is on record as stating that if the issue is still unresolved by early December, steps would be taken to endorse the Mbeki Proposal as final and binding.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “This truly is a significant moment for the Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms.  After decades of war and over two years of stalling they have finally had their say, and the resounding result cannot be disregarded. The international community in general, and the AU in particular, must either recognize the results of this referendum or facilitate an official one without delay, while proactively countering any attempts to disrupt it. Alternatively, if the December deadline also elapses, the AU, supported by the UN, must begin the process of endorsing the Mbeki Proposal as final and binding immediately and speedily. In addition, as many of Abyei’s residents who were displaced by fighting in the area are slowly returning, international humanitarian assistance must be increased as a matter of urgency.”