There have been "significant religious freedom violations" in 38 countries around the world, and in the past two years the situation for minority faith groups has deteriorated further with freedom violations in nearly half of those countries.
The latest Aid to the Church in Need report on religious freedom around the world makes for grim reading and ilustrates the millions of people whose lives are in daily jeopardy simply because of their faith.
Two new countries, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, have been placed for the first time into the "discrimination" category, indicating the growing intolerance towards religious minorities.
Many of the violations are as a result of action by authoritarian regimes.
However, two countries previously ranked as "persecution countries", Kenya and Tanzania, are now removed from the list and "unclassified" because of the decline in Al Shabaab militancy.
The report, Religious Freedom in the World, describes how "aggressive nationalism" is now so bad it can be described as "ultra-nationalism", involving violent and systematic intimidation of religious minorities where they are branded as disloyal aliens and a threat to the state.
Alarmingly, the report illustrates how many faith minorities exist behind a "curtain of indifference", their sufferings largely ignored by a "religiously illiterate West", as the issue of religious freedom is eclipsed by issues of gender, sexuality and race.
It also describes the rise of "neighbourhood terrorism", where militant extremism motivated by religious hatred is leading to a surge in attacks in Europe and elsewhere in the West.
Writing in the report, editor in chief John Pontifex says: "While, in numerous respects, these 2018 findings were comparable to those recorded in 2016, there is one significant difference: namely, a marked increase in the number of countries with significant religious freedom violations, where the situation has clearly worsened.
"2018 recorded 18 countries where the situation had declined, up four on the previous reporting period. This represented a marked deterioration. It reflected a general pattern, which shows an increasing threat to religious liberty from state actors. Examples here include Burma (Myanmar), China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkey. Although the threat from Islamist and other non-state actors has declined since 2016 in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Tanzania and Kenya, in many other countries the threat from Islamism was notable but not necessarily sufficient – yet – to warrant a categorisation indicating change for the worse.
"The evidence suggested the threat in this area was likely to increase going forward into the next decade. This same projection can more definitively be made with regard to state actors – authoritarian regimes – which, since 2016, have caused a setback for religious freedom in numerous countries, including those with both regional and global influence.
Among those countries which saw the sharpest decline in religious freedom during the period in question, India is particularly significant as it is the world’s second most populous country with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Report after report has highlighted egregious acts of violence, each with a clearly-established motive involving religious hatred. One such example comes from Madhya Pradesh state in central India. Describing 'an atmosphere of hostility against us', Archbishop Anthony Chirayath of Sagar told how fanatic nationalists physically threatened families in his diocese and told them to leave."
He continues: "This violence against Christians, Muslims and other minorities – many of which belong to low-caste communities – reveals the emergence of a particularly aggressive form of nationalism evident both in India and other countries around the world. The nationalism in question not only identifies a threat to the nation state from law-abiding minority groups but carries out acts of aggression calculated to force them to forsake their distinctive identity or leave the country. Such a threat can be termed ultra-nationalism."
Lord Alton, a pro-bono member of the ACN board, said at the report lauch that religious persecution is a perennial issue but it is often driven to the margins of public life.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, an Admadi Muslim who is the Prime Minister's special envoy on freedom of religion and belief and whose own faith community has suffered much persecution especially in Pakistan, said: "This is an issue which is very personal to me, that I feel extremely passionate about it. When you have faith, whatever that faith may be, it gives you deep conviction to stand and do the right thing."
He added: "The report to be totally honest makes for grim reading. We would rather we weren’t here to see a report like this being produced."
He said he had travelled to various countries where religious persecution is all too common. "I get great strength from my own faith because it inspires me to do that much more. When i talk to persecuted minorities their request is simple – they just want to be a citizen of their country."
He also mentioned the case of Asia Bibi, a Catholic Christian recently freed from prison in Pakistan after her conviction for blasphemy was overturned. "We continue to do all we can for her protection, to work with our partners to ensure she is protected."
Aid to the Church in Need Australian national director Mr Bernard Toutounji said his organisation's biennial Religious Freedom in the World report was an important document, especially at a time when the topic of religious freedom was being discussed across Australia. “Australians might ask why they should be concerned about the persecution of Christians on the other side of the world. To that, I would say that we no longer live with the same national isolation that we once did. The world is a global village in terms of trade, economy, politics and religion. Many of us have family and friends across the world and the trends that we note in one place in regards intolerance and persecution of those of faith can be trends that surface on our shores."
Speakers from the floor who challenged Lord Ahmad over the case of Asia Bibi included Rehman Chishti, the Conservative MP who is the Prime Mininister’s trade envoy to Pakistan and who resigned earlier this month as the party’s junior vice-chairman citing the Brexit draft agreement and the handling of the Bibi case.
At the time he tweeted a copy of his resignation letter, adding: “My letter of resignation sent to PM @theresa_may stepping down as Vice Chairman @Conservatives & PM Trade Envoy to Pakistan. 1. Cannot support Draft EU Withdrawal Agreement. 2. Very disappointed by lack of leadership shown by UK Gov to do morally right thing in Asia Bibi Case.”
He said at the event that the Pakistani government cannot legally stop Bibi leaving Pakistan and called on the British government to put into practice the high regard it claims to have for British values and offer her asylum.
Lord Ahmad insisted the British government is doing all it can to ensure the safety of Bibi.
Loading ...
