Nepal is out here arresting nuns

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that two elderly nuns in Nepal were arrested in September for allegedly violating the country’s controversial anti-conversion law. Despite more than a month passing since their arrest, the nuns remain in detention awaiting trial.

On September 14, Sister Gemma Lucia Kim and Sister Martha Park were arrested and charged with proselytizing and conversion activities. The nuns run a facility called the Happy Home for poor slum children in Pokhara, located 200 kilometers from Kathmandu. This facility provides housing, food, education, medical services, and professional trainings to approximately 120 children.

The nuns were kept in police custody until September 27 when they were moved to a district prison. Local church leaders have filed for the nuns to be released on bail, but hearings on this application have been delayed due to Hindu holidays.

Bishop Paul Simick, Apostolic Vicar of Nepal, believes that the allegations against the nuns are baseless and unjust.

“The two have been dedicating themselves totally to the poor for so many years,” Bishop Simick said in a statement to Aid to the Church in Need. “This act reveals not only bigotry on the part of those who accused the Sisters, but also ignorance of the needs of the poor.”

“The Catholic community sees this event as an attack on minority communities with an intent to criminalize missionary activities,” Bishop Simick continued. “The Sisters’ initiatives, such as social services, education and medical care are seen as a bait for conversion.”

Proselytization is considered a criminal offense in Nepal. The process of criminalizing religious conversion began in 2015 when Nepal adopted a new constitution. Under Article 26 (3) of the new constitution, “No person shall behave, act or make others act to disturb public law and order situation or convert a person of one religion to another or disturb the religion of other people…such an act shall be punished by law.”

In August 2018, the Nepalese government enacted this controversial portion of the new constitution when it was added to the country’s criminal codes. Under these new laws, an individual found guilty of even encouraging religious conversions can be fined up to 50,000 Rupees and placed in prison for up to five years.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply concerned by the arrests of Sister Kim and Sister Park. These Sisters have been arrested simply because of their religious identity and their heart for the poor in Nepal. The arrests also bring into question the future of religious freedom in Nepal. Since the new constitution was adopted in 2015, Nepalese Christians have been concerned that Article 26 and its enacting laws would be used to target their community. Today, Nepalese Christians again have seen their fears realized. Nepal’s sweeping anti-conversion law must be repealed if religious freedom is truly a right to be enjoyed by the country’s citizens.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

You mean that the Chinese arrested Zhumin?

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October 25, the authorities in China’s Wenzhou seized Bishop Shao Zhumin ahead of the month of the dead. He was officially detained to go on a forced “vacation,” a measure employed by the government to “educate” dissidents and religious clergy who fail to submit to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s control. 

According to Asia News, sources on the ground relay that the bishop was officially taken away a few days before November, where many masses are celebrated for the dead, accompanied by meetings, rosaries, and prayers.

At this time every year, Catholics in Wenzhou march to the cemetery where Msgr. James Lin Xili, the first local bishop recognized by the Vatican, rests. In past years, authorities have blocked the entrance to Wenzhou's cemetery with iron barriers to prevent Catholics from gathering; this time, they directly took Bishop Shao away.

This was not the first time Bishop Shao disappeared from his parish. He has been repeatedly detained in the last few years, with the longest being seven-month. The authorities often put him under “thought transformation” process which lasts from 10 to 15 days, brainwashing him to join the state-vetted “official” Catholic Church. He never gives in. 

His disappearance took place after the news of Vatican being pressured by China to sever ties with Taiwan was revealed and before President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican in late October.

Despite the signing of a Sino-Vatican deal on bishop appointment in 2018, religious freedom for Chinese Catholics has not improved. Priests and nuns not loyal to the CCP have been harassed, monitored, and detained; crosses and religious symbols have been removed from churches; impoverished Catholics were forced to renounce their faith in exchange of welfare benefits.

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “The Vatican should stop believing the promises made by CCP and see to it that the deceitful authoritarian regime is not to be partnered with. The decades-long persecution of Chinese Catholics has not and will not stop simply because the Holy See and China have signed a provisional agreement on bishop appointment. Bishop Shao’s latest detention is living proof of that.  It is time for Pope Francis to re-examine the Vatican’s approach with China and boldly speak out for the persecuted Chinese Christians.” 
  

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Life Lesson: Do not move to Libya

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that since September 30, 2021, at least 17 Egyptian Coptic Christians have gone missing in Libya. They were living in an Egyptian neighborhood in Tripoli; it is unknown who took them and why. Some friends and family believe they were detained by the authorities, while others believe they were taken by an armed group. Regardless, they hold a common fear that these individuals were targeted because of their Christian faith and that they may face a deadly fate reminiscent of the 2015 beheading of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya by ISIS.

An Egyptian lawyer whose friend is missing shared, “Even now there [is] no confirmed news. (My friend) Emad Nasr and the other Copts traveled to Libya three months ago. They headed to the United Arab Emirates and then to Libya, because there are no direct airlines to Libya. The Copts had visas for Libya (labor visas), but they failed to get work opportunities and the costs of renewing the visas are high. So the police of Libya detained them from September 30 until now.”

“The Copts were staying in the Gargash District in Tripoli. In this residency, they were surrounded by so many persons of other countries like India and Bangladesh. So the action of detaining 17 Copts only is such a mysterious action! We are fearing of repeating an incident like the one who did by ISIS. We are contacting the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to intervene in the situation,” he continued.

The brother of one of the missing Copts said, “It is unknown if they were detained by the Libyan authorities or were kidnapped by unknown parties… they lived in the Gargash neighborhood, in which dozens of Egyptians live. We learned from one of the residents there that a number of Egyptians were kidnapped in this neighborhood without knowing their fate."

According to local press, the names of the missing are: Emad Nasr, Assem Abo Gobrial, George Nasser Riad, Maris Malak Matias, Wael Samir Shawky, Hani Zaki Shaker Allah, Haitham Nazeer Malak, Gerges Nazi Malak, Thabet Gad Hanna, Bakhit Malak Matias, Adly Assad Ataya, Mikhaeil Nazir Malak, Roman Masoud Fahim, Karim Abu al-Ghait, Emad Nasri Qaldi, Daniel Saber Lamei, and Ezekiel Saber Lamei.

October 20 marked the 10-year anniversary of the death of Libya’s former strongman, Moammar Gadhafi. A decade of instability and violence has left Libya a country shattered by competing armed groups, terrorists, militias, as well as competing governments.

Nevertheless, before the rise of ISIS in 2014, Libya was a common destination for Egypt’s Coptic Christian community. Egypt’s Christian community was faced with a choice: experience marginalization that left Christians deeply impoverished inside their home country or seek work opportunities in Libya at great personal risk. The 2015 beheading of Coptic Christians in Libya stopped many from traveling there for work. But Egypt’s continued marginalization of Christians continues to force them to consider alternatives, including high-risk countries such as Libya.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “This is a frightening time for Egyptian Christians, regardless of whether their family or friends are among those missing. The memory of ISIS marching Coptic Christians down a Libyan beach to their deaths runs deep; it was an event that was traumatic for all of Egypt’s Christians, an event that held serious implications for everyone. We urge the relevant authorities to do everything possible to investigate the cause of this latest disappearance, to bring these men home alive, and the perpetrators to justice.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Man killed in Armenia while gardening

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October 9, Azeri snipers killed a 55-year-old Artsakh civilian while he was accompanied by Russian peacekeepers in the city of Martakert. According to reports, the civilian was reluctantly working in a pomegranate garden, but was afraid because of previous Azeri sniper fire which targeted him. His return to work was encouraged and he was accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. However, the sniper resumed his activities, fatally striking the civilian in the chest.

The Republic of Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office said, “According to preliminary information, the driver initially avoided driving agricultural machinery, but one of the peacekeepers offered to sit with him in person in the cabin as an additional guarantee of safety. According to eyewitnesses, they made several turns in that way.”

They continued, “On the same day, a criminal case was initiated on the fact, according to Article 103, Part 2, Clause 14 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (murder committed on the grounds of national, racial or religious hatred or religious fanaticism). An investigation is underway.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh said in a statement that they “strongly condemn(s) such aggressive behavior and provocative actions of Azerbaijan aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear among the peaceful population of the Republic of Artsakh and emigration of Armenians from the country.”

“This and all the previous incidents, which resulted in casualties among civilians or damage to their property, are manifestations of Azerbaijan’s coordinated anti-Armenian policy and another proof that the Azerbaijani authorities’ peaceful calls on the people of Artsakh and claims for peaceful coexistence are nothing but an attempt to mislead the civilized world and weaken the vigilance of the Armenian parties,” continued the statement.

A humanitarian report released by ICC in June 2021 warned, “International, third-party access is a crucial ongoing need, in large part because the conflict continues despite the November 9th ceasefire statement. International recognition of the religious freedom components of this war is an immediate necessity. Peacekeepers are not police. They inherently cannot and are not those responsible for responding to kidnappings, shootings into Artsakh from conquered territories, and other types of criminal activity. These activities remain ongoing. Artsakh’s residents remain under threat to their physical integrity, which has created an absence of safety and stabilization that ensures that the consequences of the war are ongoing.”

The sniper who murdered the civilian in the Martakert incident has been transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office of Russia. Reports of targeted and indiscriminate shootings by Azerbaijan from the conquered territories into Artsakh are a frequent occurrence.

Late September through early December marks the one-year anniversary period of the 2020 invasion of Azerbaijan into Artsakh, a majority Armenian Christian area. The invasion occurred with the support of Turkey and was conducted in a manner which mirrored the 1915 Turkish genocide against Armenian Christians (see ICC’s report: The Anatomy of Genocide: Karabakh’s Forty-Four Day War).

The ongoing threats, intimidation, and harassment of Artsakh’s citizens by Azerbaijan constitute serious religious freedom violations, as well as multiple human rights abuses.

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, said “Azerbaijan’s provocations against Artsakh’s Armenian Christian residents continue despite the ceasefire statement. The targeted murder of a citizen, who was in the presence of peacekeepers, shows just how emboldened Azerbaijan is that they can commit serious atrocities without any consequence. Azerbaijan has come to this position with Turkey’s support and encouragement. The combined pan-Turkic, Grey Wolf ideology driving Turkey and Azerbaijan’s activities towards Artsakh constitute serious religious violations and show a genocidal intent to eliminate its Armenian Christian presence.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Village 2A: The hotbed of sharia law in Pakistan

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that two Christians in Pakistan were gunned down by a mob of Muslims following a property dispute that turned religious. Local human rights defenders claim that the deadly attack was the result of unchecked religious intolerance against minorities in Pakistan.

On October 8, Yaqoob Masih and his brother, Haroon Masih, were shot and killed by a mob of enraged Muslims in Village #2A, located in the Okara District. According to local witnesses, the attack on Yaqoob and Haroon was a result of a property dispute that turned religious between Christians and Muslims.

“A Muslim family had religious hatred against us and other Christians living in the village,” Indriyas Masih, an eyewitness and survivor of the attack, told ICC. “They never like the development of Christians in the village and therefore opposed us in getting a contract for a piece of land for cultivation.”

According to Indriyas, local Muslims were annoyed that the Christians applied to lease six acres of land for cultivation. After several months of arguments, local authorities settled the matter and awarded the lease of the land to the Christians.

“On the incident day, five of us went to the agricultural fields for irrigation work when a mob of over two dozen armed men attacked,” Indriyas continued. “The attack resulted in the killing of Yaqoob and Haroon.”

Indriyas identified nine members of the armed mob and shared that they shouted anti-Christian slogans as they opened fire on the five Christians. Local police registered a First Information Report (FIR #363/21) against the attackers and local Christians are hoping the culprits will be brought to justice.

“The Christians are treated as slaves bounded to Muslims,” Asif Muniwar, a local human rights defender, explained. “Christians enjoy no rights, no dignity, and no protection in this country. The overall system of society is based on religious hatred against Christians and other minorities.”

“The government must take practical steps to provide security for Christians and ensure justice for the Okara victims and their families,” Muniwar continued.

In Pakistan, disputes between Muslim and Christian communities often turn violent due to religious intolerance and widespread discrimination against religious minorities. In many cases, false accusations of blasphemy are utilized against Pakistani Christians to settle persecution scores or incite incidents of religious hatred. In the past, false blasphemy accusations have sparked mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.

For Pakistan’s Christians, who make up only 1.6% of the country’s population, their treatment as second-class citizens often means that they are unable to obtain justice following instances of religiously motivated violence.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply saddened by the murder of Yaqoob and his brother Haroon. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. We are also troubled by yet another incident of deadly violence motivated by the widespread intolerance that exists against Christians in Pakistan. Pakistan must do more to combat the extremism and intolerance that motivates anti-Christian incidents like this. No one should be treated as a second-class citizen simply because of the faith they profess. In Pakistan, however, the faith you profess drastically affects how you are treated by society.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

New Year's Resolution for the Taliban: More Sharia Law

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a member of the Taliban’s interim government and chief enforcer of the group’s strict interpretation of Sharia law, has said that the executions and other brutal punishments will be carried out as a part of the group’s rule in Afghanistan. This announcement has struck fear into the hearts of Afghan Christians who are concerned that they will be viewed as criminals by the Taliban due to their conversions to Christianity.

In an interview with The Associated Press (AP), Turabi dismissed international outrage over the brutality of the Taliban’s rule in the 1990s. As the Taliban’s Justice Minister and head of the Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, effectively the religious police, Turabi oversaw brutal punishments, such as executions and amputations, that took place in sports stadiums and mosques.

“Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi told the AP. “No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.”

“Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security,” Turabi continued, telling the AP that it had a deterrent effect. He went on to explain that the new government was still studying whether to carry out punishments in public.

On August 15, the Taliban entered Kabul in a lightning-fast victory over the former government’s forces. On September 7, the group formed an interim government filled with religious hardliners from the Taliban’s oppressive rule in the 1990s.

Turabi’s announcement that the Taliban intends to return to the group’s brutal and oppressive enforcement of Sharia law has many Afghan Christians bracing for persecution.

According to the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Sharia, Afghan Christians will be viewed as apostates due to their conversions from Islam to Christianity. As apostates, Afghan Christians will be subject to Sharia’s deadliest consequences, including execution.

Afghanistan’s Christian community, estimated to be between 8,000 and 12,000, is almost exclusively comprised of converts from Islam. It is this status as converts that makes Afghan Christians direct targets for persecution and likely to suffer under the Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are very concerned for the safety of Afghan Christians under the rule of the Taliban. Since forming their interim government, the Taliban have been showing us how they intend to rule Afghanistan. For Afghan Christians, and other marginalized communities, the Taliban’s brutal and oppressive rule will likely mean increased persecution. Afghan Christians are particularly vulnerable due to their backgrounds as converts. Under the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia, Afghan Christians will not be viewed as a religious minority. Instead, they will be treated like criminals if their identities are discovered. The international community must take action to protect and rescue this vulnerable community.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

Hindus beat up pastor in a police station in India

 International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Christian pastor in India’s Chhattisgarh state was attacked and beaten by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists while in a police station in Raipur. The attack has shocked the Christian community who now feel that their safety cannot be guaranteed even in the presence of India’s police.

On September 5, Pastor Ankush Bariayar was summoned to the Purani Basti Police Station in Raipur by the Station House Officer. According to local reports, Pastor Bariayar was falsely accused of engaging in illegal religious conversions by radical Hindu nationalists.

When Pastor Bariayar, accompanied by two other pastors, arrived at the police station, a mob of nearly 50 radical Hindu nationalists burst into the Station House Officer’s office and began to beat the pastor with shoes and fists.

“The entire thing happened as if it was well planned,” an eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, told ICC. “I think the police knew about the attack before it took place. It is sad that Christians are not safe even inside the police station.”

“They told me to my face that they would kill me,” Pastor Bariayar told ICC. “I thought I was safe, being with the police in their premises, but I was wrong. In the beginning, the police did not do anything to protect me from the attack. After they hit me with the shoe and punched me in my face, the police then tried to stop them from beating me.”

A First Information Report (FIR no. 0234) was filed against seven members of the mob that attacked Pastor Bariayar. At the time of writing, only two of the seven identified in the report have been arrested.

“Don’t we have the right to go to the police station and talk to the police?” Dr. Arun Pannalal, President of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, asked the media. “Why didn’t the police stop the attackers and protect Pastor Bariayar?”

“We have the right to choose any religion and propagate that religion,” Dr. Pannalal continued. “This is a fundamental right given by the constitution. The government must take the strictest action against the attackers who brazenly attacked the pastor. This needs to be taken to the highest level of law and order in the state.”

Radical Hindu nationalists across India continue to promote false narratives against Christians to justify religious intolerance and violence. The issue of illegal religious conversions is often used to vilify Christians and justify anti-Christian policies like anti-conversion laws.

In states where anti-conversion laws are enacted, including Chhattisgarh, they are widely abused. Radical Hindu nationalists falsely accuse Christians of forcefully converting individuals to Christianity to justify harassment and assault. Local police often overlook violence perpetrated against Christians due to false accusations of forced conversion.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are deeply disturbed by this attack on Pastor Bariayar. The fact that it was allowed to happen in the police station in the presence of the Station House Officer indicates the impunity enjoyed by many radical Hindu nationalists. This is a symptom of a larger problem in India. Religious intolerance and religiously motivated violence have become so normalized that attacks on Christians in the presence of police, outside the station, have come to be expected. The only thing that has shocked Christians here is the location of the attack and not the attack itself. Strict action must be taken against the perpetrators of this attack and the police officers who have allowed this climate of impunity to exist.”

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.