The freedom to choose and
practice one’s faith is a fundamental right for all under international law,
and yet we continue to see numerous tragic cases around the world in which that
same right is non-existent, and exercising this freedom is punishable,
sometimes even by death.
As Christians we believe
that all are created in the Image and likeness of God, with His Image intrinsic
to our human nature, which lays the foundation for respect and love for all.
Within this nature, we believe that all have been given the freedom to choose
and live according to those choices, and while freedom of religion is one
choice that is central to the lives of millions across the world, it continues
to be widely violated.
As recently reported by Amnesty International, Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag
is a Christian Sudanese woman in Sudan who was sentenced “to death by
hanging for ‘apostasy’” after refusing to renounce her Christian Faith and
convert to Islam, although she has lived as a Christian since her childhood.
Meriam, who is twenty seven years old and is eight months pregnant, was
reportedly also sentenced to “flogging for ‘adultery’” because her marriage
to a Christian man is considered unlawful. This, among other cases, sheds light
on the intensity of the struggle facing so many around the world who strive to
merely practice their faith.
The recent and
deeply-disturbing development of the kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria who
have reportedly been forced to convert to Islam is yet
another incident that has shocked the international community, and in which
this brutal violation of this fundamental human right is also causing great
distress to families who anxiously await the return of their children.
Egyptian Christians know the effect of religious persecution against numeric
minority communities in the Middle East all too well, with the emergence of
pockets of intolerant Islamism that have led to more attacks on Christians in
the eighteen months following the popular uprising of 2011, than over the
twenty years prior. This intolerance has not only affected Christians however,
as the first attacks after the uprising were on Sufi shrines, and on
a separate occasion Shi’ite Muslims were also senselessly killed in
the streets. That said, as Christians we do not live defeated but strive
to advocate for all who suffer persecution, oppression and marginalisation, be
they Christian or otherwise, man, woman, young or old.
The Baha’i community in Iran is likewise no stranger to religious persecution,
and 14 May 2014 marks the sixth anniversary of the imprisonment of seven Baha’i
leaders, detained for carrying out ‘peaceful activities on behalf of their communities’.
Here in Britain we pride ourselves on our multi-cultural community that seeks
to accommodate and provide for all, and rightly so. We cannot however ignore
the fact that, for many across the Middle East in particular, the concept of
citizenship, justice and equality are not rights available to everyone, and are
very much dependent on a person’s religious affiliation.
We must not forget those around the world who continue to face intense
persecution for merely attempting to live out their chosen faith. We also
continue to pray and advocate for the rights of these individuals and
communities so that this God-given freedom may be exercised within the context
of peaceful co-existence and cohesion. This will then ensure a spirit of true
reconciliation and acceptance within political states and communities that
respect all as equal individuals with equal rights.
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