When reading through the answers to the opening meme for the month, I saw an expressed interest in learning where about threats to religious freedom today. While freedom is always of a delicate nature, the Independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom named, in 2009, the following thirteen countries as being Countries of Particular Concern (places where governments engaged in severe and ongoing violations of religious freeom):
- Burma
- North Korea
- China
- Vietnam
- Eritrea
- Nigeria
- Sudan
- Iran
- Iraq
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
You can read more about the commission’s findings at Voice of America.
Written by Amy at My Friend Amy
I didn’t really know about the persecution of Evangelical Christians in Eritrea until I heard about gospel singer Helen Berhane’s detention. I cannot begin to imagine the suffering she went through for more than two years – and just reading through this 2007 article – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7056120.stm – is pretty damning of the UK asylum procedures… Have things changed much in the last three years… hmmm
Wow! Marjorie thank you for sharing this important, sickening article on Helen Berhane’s imprisonment, torture and her hope of finding a peaceful life–I wish her and others who suffer religious persecution the strength to endure.
A friend of mine just posted this petition regarding freedom of religion in Israel on fb. I thought it suited this month very well.
http://www.petitiononline.com/ar012010/petition.html
Yesterday, I received an email from a cousin telling me to boycott the Eid stamps published by the postal service. The email reminded the reader of 7 specific crimes and America commitment by Muslims and stated that Americans should not purchase this stamp for Valentine’s Day, which is confusing because the stamps went out at Christmas time. Regardless, I know I’ll now be looking for the stamps to put them on letters as long as i can! The actions of a few extremists does not represent the teachings of an entire faith.
That is so shocking and sad too – when will people realise that the actions of a few fanatics by no means represents the peaceful teachings of all the major world religions practised by the vast majority of believers? It just shows the need for everyday exposure to freedom from bigotry through universal objects like postage stamps…