Turks still look to destroy Armenians

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on September 23, 2019, Turkey’s Ministry of Interior issued a directive to the Armenian Patriarchate that candidates for the position must be Turkish. This directive violates the historic electoral practices of the Armenian Church, which is based in Istanbul.

The Armenian Church has sought permission from the Turkish authorities to elect a new patriarch since 2008, when then-Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan fell into a mysterious and severe illness which left him unable to fulfill his spiritual duties. Turkey prevented the election on the basis that the Archbishop was still alive. However, he passed away this past March. Armenian Christians are again requesting that Turkey allow the Church freedom when selecting its own leaders.

Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of Turkey’s Parliament, explained to Bianet, “Apart from Armenians in Turkey, there are many clerics from Sivas, Malatya, Adana, Istanbul and all of these candidates were able to participate in all elections; they had the right to be elected. Now, for the first time in the history of the Republic of Turkey, a directive by the Ministry of Interior brings a new restriction to the election of the Patriarch.”

He continued, “They say, ‘You will choose among Armenians in Turkey.’ We have only three high cleric candidates who meet these requirements. This directive is an attempt to usurp the right of natural candidates to be elected and we never accept it.”

The directive by the Interior Ministry ignores a recent constitutional court ruling which held that the government had violated the rights of religious freedom by interfering in the Armenian Patriarch election. 

“The Turkish Interior Ministry’s latest directive imposing severe restrictions on the eligibility of candidates for the upcoming Armenian Apostolic Patriarch elections is yet another worrying attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of religious minorities in Turkey,” said Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities.

“The Turkish government, in accordance with the rulings of the Turkish Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights, should respect the right of religious communities to elect leaders in accordance with their traditions as they interpret them,” continued Erdemir.

The directive was issued while Turkey’s President Erdoğan was attending the United Nations General Assembly, where religious freedom was a major platform under discussion. Turkey ranks as a Tier 2 Country of Particular Concern by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “Turkey’s persecution of Armenian Christians has been ongoing for generations. The 1915 genocide of Armenian Christians continues through policies that make existence within Turkey intolerable. Turkey’s own courts have upheld the rights of Armenians to select their own spiritual leader. We urge Turkey to comply with their own laws and protect religious freedom.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Myanmar army stopped messing with Samson

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on September 9, a Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) officer dropped a lawsuit against Kachin pastor Hkalam Samson. The lawsuit surrounded comments that Rev. Samson made about human rights violations during a meeting with President Donald Trump in July.

According to court judge Than Tun, the complaint against Rev. Hkalam Samson, president of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), was dropped when the Myitkyina Township Court was scheduled to hear the case.

“Lieutenant Colonel Than Htike, who had filed the case, submitted a request to settle and withdraw the case on Sept. 9, so the court has allowed the settlement in accordance with legal procedure[s]… Dr. Hkalam Samson has been acquitted,” he said.

Than Htike from the Northern Command filed the complaint against the pastor on August 26, accusing him of defaming the Tatmadaw. The accusation was based on a live broadcast in which Rev. Samson told President Trump that oppression and torture were still common in Myanmar. He added that there was no religious freedom in the nation.

Rev. Samson told Radio Free Asia’s Myanmar Service that he is aware of the court’s ruling, but has yet to receive an official notice that the complaint has been dropped. He also told Irrawaddy that there had been no negotiations between the KBC and the military aimed at resolving the case.

“I’m happy about the Tatmadaw’s constructive decision,” he said. “Growing international [pressure] probably led to the decision.”

The KBC also issued a statement on September 9, stating that they welcome the news and the Tatmadaw’s decision to properly end the conflict. It also added that the “Tatmadaw’s altruistic sacrifices and understanding are critically needed in creating a federal democratic union system for Myanmar’s future.”

The statement ended with 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “We are relieved to hear that Rev. Samson no longer needs to go through a lengthy and burdensome trial that was unfounded and unnecessary. We continue to call on the Tatmadaw to respect religious freedom and human rights, especially for minority ethnic groups, in Myanmar.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Numerical Expositions: Genesis 4:3

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

- Gen. 4:3 (KJV)

After harvest time, Cain brought his offering to the Lord.  Out of all that we produce, we must give an offering to the Lord.  Offerings are pretty much mandatory in regards to spirituality because giving takes the focus off of yourself.  When I arrive to Genesis 4:5, I will explain why Cain's offering was rejected even though he offered to God.

Numerical Breakdown:  (4) Stay in God's Word in order to see results.  (3) To stay in the Spirit, offer to the Lord.  (7) To be complete, offer to the Lord.

Numerical Expositions: Gen. 4:2

And she again bare his brother Abel.  And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

- Genesis 4:2 (KJV)

Adam and Eve continued to have children with the birth of Abel, their second son.  The name Abel means "vanity" or "breath."  Being vain and self-absorbed was embedded within the name of Abel.  However, Abel was a keeper of sheep.  That meant that Abel had to redirect his focus on the sheep so that none of the sheep would be killed either by accident or by predators.  To eliminate his weakness, Abel chose to do something to counteract that weakness.

Abel is an example to us on how we can improve ourselves by choosing to do something to counteract weaknesses.  The contrast between Abel and Cain is that Abel had to remove the focus from himself while Cain only had to focus on working hard in order to produce crops.  There's nothing wrong with this contrast in hindsight, but this revealed contrast does establish a starting point as to why Cain eventually killed Abel.

Numerical Breakdown:  (4) Stay in God's Word in order to consistently produce.  (1) To stay in the anointing, focus upon protecting others.  (5) To stay in God's presence, be a good steward.

Numerical Expositions: Gen 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

- Genesis 4:1 (KJV)

In this verse, Adam and Eve had their first son whose name was Cain.  This birth fulfilled the first command God gave to mankind, "Be fruitful and multiply."  Obedience to this command produced the desired result of a child.  The name that was designated to the child was Cain.  The name Cain means "acquired" in Hebrew.  The birth of Cain was a new acquisition to the family.

Notice that in the first that the name given to Cain had a specific meaning.  When you have a child, you must give your child a name that has meaning because that name is the designation over the child.  If the child's name does not have any meaning, then the child will not have any meaning on this Earth. 

Although Adam and Eve committed the original sin that was documented in Genesis Chapter 3, they received the reward of the child after recommitting themselves to God.  Another example in Scripture is in I Samuel Chapter 1 with Hannah.  After Hannah recommitted herself with a vow to God, then she was able to have children.  For those couples who are pursuing to have a child, focus on how you can recommit yourself to God.  That new fire will bring about the result that you are desiring.

Numerical Breakdown:  (4) To gain earthly perfection, choose to have good relations with your spouse.  (1) Stay in the anointing in order to conceive.  (5) Stay in God's presence in order to conceive.

India passes anti-conversion law

International Christian Concern (ICC) learned that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government of Himachal Pradesh, a state located in northern India, passed a strict anti-conversion law on August 30. This is clearly in contradiction to India’s constitution and will likely be used to target its Christian citizens and threaten them with imprisonment for sharing their faith. 

According to the new law, no person shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any other person from one religion to another by use of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, inducement, or by fraudulent means. The bill also decreed that any marriage done for the sole purpose of religious conversion would be declared null and void.

In 2006, Himachal Pradesh enacted a similar Freedom of Religion Act that prohibited religious conversions by force or inducement. The 2019 law simply introduces stricter punishments, including sentences up to seven years in prison, for those found guilty of the same actions criminalized by the 2006 law.

Addressing the state legislative assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and a member of the BJP, said, “We are not able to stop religious conversions after that [2006] Act. No case was registered so far despite several cases of religious conversions coming to light. The previous act needed 10 amendments, so we decided to bring the new bill. The new act will be more stringent."

The Christian community of Himachal Pradesh fears that the new law will provide legal cover for religiously motivated violence perpetrated by radical Hindu nationalists.

“We are not worried about the law itself as Christians abide by the law anyway,” Pastor Vinod, who leads a congregation of 450 church members in Nalagarh, told ICC. “However, we are seriously worried about the misuse of this law.”

“The law directly targets the Christian community,” Pastor Vinod said. “It is a real concern for our lives and particularly for the house churches who are in much danger.”

Radical Hindu nationalists frequently use the specter of mass religious conversions to pass laws and regulations that limit religious freedom. These nationalists accuse Indian Christians of converting poor Hindus to Christianity in mass by fraudulent means.

However, India’s own population data does not support this conspiracy of mass conversions to Christianity. In 1951, the first census after independence, Christians made up 2.3% of India’s population. According to the 2011 census, the most recent census data available, Christians still make up 2.3% of the population.

In states where similar anti-conversion laws are currently enacted, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand, they are widely abused. Radical nationalists abuse these laws by falsely accusing Christians of forcefully converting individuals to Christianity to justify harassment and assault. Local police often overlook violence perpetrated against Christians due to the false accusation of forced conversions.

To date, no individual has been convicted of forced conversions in India. This is in spite of the fact that some of the anti-conversion laws have been on the books since 1967.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “International Christian Concern is deeply disappointed by the passage of this legislation. These laws are widely abused by radical Hindu nationalists due to the legal ambiguity within the laws themselves. These laws provide an easy justification for radicals to attack Christian leaders with impunity. One simply needs to claim a pastor was engaged in forceful conversions following an assault. As a result, instead of the pastor’s assailants being arrested, it’s the assailed pastor who is sent to jail. With attacks on Indian Christians continuing to escalate, the passage of a stricter anti-conversion law will only incite more religiously motivated violence.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org. 

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org