JANUARY-APRIL 2015
Response The newsletter of Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Pakistan: Stemming the tide of hate Your day starts like any other. You go about your normal day: household chores, working, looking after your family. Then, with one knock on the door, everything changes. The local police tell you to leave immediately; a violent mob of 3,000 people is on its way and you need to flee before they attack. By the next morning your home and church have been burnt to the ground and what little you had is now gone. We wish we could say this is just a story, but sadly it isn’t. It’s what happened to one of the poorest Christian communities in Pakistan, when a violent mob went on the rampage. We really want to stop this happening ever again. That’s why we need your help... Continued on page
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2 Together in unity Page 2
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A demonstrator burns a cross during a protest in the Badami Bagh [Joseph Colony] area of Lahore March 9, 2013. An enraged mob torched dozens of houses located in a Christian-dominated neighbourhood of Lahore on Saturday, local media reported. REUTERS/Adrees Hassain
In depth: Changing nations Page 4
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2015
Shape the future this year! Page 6
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Country in focus Continued from page
1 a violent mob of 3,000 people targeted the Christian community at Joseph Colony in Lahore, in March 2013. The violence was sparked after a young Christian man was accused of blasphemy and local imams openly called for him to be killed. What followed was a devastating attack that left Joseph Colony completely ruined. What little they had was destroyed by hate.
Sowing the seeds of hate The seeds of hate are sown throughout Pakistani society. Whether through the media, in the education system, via social media or public discourse, prejudice is tolerated and bred to such an extent that the environment is ripe for an attack on religious minorities. These expressions of religious hatred, or hate speech, pervade society and are one of the main reasons for the persecution, harassment and violence towards religious minorities, including Christians.
When hate speech erupts with violence Over 100 Christian homes were torched and destroyed when
Today, almost two years on, Joseph Colony’s Christians still live with the aftermath of the attacks, struggling to rebuild their lives. What of the people who destroyed their homes? Well, they’re still freely going about daily life as they did before. The only person in prison is the man whose alleged blasphemy triggered the riots.
The answer: countering prejudice with positive speech
hatred and intolerance to breed, can we stop the violence which is devastating minority communities across Pakistan and elsewhere. CSW is supporting and working with partners in Pakistan who are working directly with religious leaders to help change society at a grassroots level, encouraging them to speak tolerance in place of hatred. We’re also calling on Pakistan’s government to put into action their promises to protect religious minorities, by implementing the recommendations made last year by their Supreme Court which set out clear steps for creating an environment of religious tolerance. As part of our advocacy, we’re looking to help create an unbiased education in Pakistan and working with local organisations to make that a reality.
So what’s the answer? At CSW we believe that to stop the rising tide of attacks on minorities, we need to get to the root cause and tackle hate speech. Only once we change the culture and mindsets within a society that allow religious
Together in unity Daniel Sinclair, CSW’s Communications Director, travelled to Burma recently and saw what happens when Christians overcome their doctrinal differences and work together towards a common goal... ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!’ Psalm 133:1 We’ve all heard these words many times. But too often we allow secondary doctrinal differences to keep us from standing together. Yet through CSW’s work, I’ve seen in every country the importance of Christians overcoming theological disagreements in order to fight injustice and persecution. Simply from a numbers perspective, a government is more likely to listen to the whole Christian community than each denomination individually.
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Tell us what you think
PAKISTAN
Now’s your chance to tell us what you think of us, in our supporter survey! We’ve seen some amazing successes for religious freedom over the years – but we couldn’t have done any of it without you. So we want to make sure you’re getting the information and resources you need to campaign and pray with us.
The future? You decide... If you want to help create a different future for Pakistan’s religious minorities, take action to RETUNE the conversation today.
Here’s how: Visit www.csw.org.uk/retune to email Pakistan’s Prime Minister to ask his government to live up to its promise to defend Pakistan’s religious minorities. We want to see the Pakistani government tackling hate speech by implementing the following recommendations made by their Supreme Court: Developing appropriate curricula at schools and colleges to promote a culture of religious tolerance; Taking appropriate steps to ensure that hate speech in social media is discouraged and the perpetrators brought to justice; Forming a National Council for minorities which will monitor and safeguard the rights of religious minorities.
Along with my colleague Ben Rogers, I visited The Mandalay District Christian Fellowship (MDCF) which was established in 2014, and has 22 members across denominations including Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Evangelical and Baptist.
We’d like to know a little more about the issues and countries you’re really interested in, and what we can do to improve how we communicate with you. Please fill in the enclosed survey and return it to me in the freepost envelope provided. It shouldn’t take more than ten minutes. You can also take the survey online at www.csw.org.uk/survey2015 Your feedback will be invaluable in helping us with our planning for the coming year. We’d also really appreciate your prayers (you’ll find some pointers on p.15 of the Prayer Diary) – particularly as we have new people joining the team and others taking on new responsibilities. It’s a real encouragement to know that you’re praying for us! I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Emma Howlett Communications Manager
Reverend JoJo is a Pentecostal minister, and he told me, “We can all come together to fight for our rights. If we, as Christians, join together we can make real change.”
The group communicates with the government and other religions on behalf of Christians in Mandalay, and they asked us for advice on how to influence the government and other decision-makers to help tackle injustice. The MDCF has six sub-committees dealing with economic issues, education, health, media, social welfare, and the legal system. These issues affect everyone in Burma, including the Christian minority – which makes up just 4% of the majority-Buddhist population.
I found Reverend David TuTu’s testimony inspirational. He said, “I used to only be interested in spiritual issues and felt that social things were worldly. Now I know that as Christians we should ask for our rights. It’s the time of Moses: ‘Let my people go!’” I found it incredibly encouraging to see a group of Christian leaders in Burma deciding that their unity was more important than their minor theological differences. Perhaps there’s something we can learn here in the UK?
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Campaign
UPDATE
s n o i t a n g n i g n a h C : h t p e d In
History is made by people who show up and speak out to shape the future. You can do it too!
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How? Show up at the general election this year, and make sure religious freedom stays on the government’s agenda.
manu arch at the Em M 14 n o r e ay r Day of P burma s at the Burma rg.uk/prayfor r .o te r sw o .c p p w w su w W t tion a Join CS More informa Centre in London.
What do I need to do? On 7 May the UK will hold a general election, and as campaigning begins we need you to raise religious freedom concerns with your parliamentary candidates. We know there are important domestic issues to think about – but we also know you really care about religious freedom. So please help us to make sure it doesn’t get forgotten.
What should I say? We need you to ask each candidate, if elected, to commit to: Pressing the new government and their own party to keep freedom of religion or belief as a human rights priority for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Personally pursue and hold the government to account in ensuring freedom of religion or belief plays a central part in every aspect of foreign policy, including trade, aid and diplomacy; Ensuring that the UK is an outspoken defender of freedom of religion or belief at the international level, including at the EU and UN.
How do I contact my parliamentary candidates? It’s easy! Send a letter to your parliamentary candidates raising the points above. Speak to your parliamentary candidates when they are canvassing or at local hustings. Arrange an appointment with your current MP and other candidates.
The Show Up campaign, initiated by Christians in Politics and the Evangelical Alliance, partnering with various Christian organisations including CSW, is encouraging Christians to get involved in the election by actively participating rather than just passively commenting on events. The example below of David Burrowes shows the impact you can have: simply by building a relationship with your MP and asking them to speak up for religious freedom, you can influence the British government’s attitudes and policy towards the things that concern us.
Will it really make a difference? David Burrowes is the MP for Enfield Southgate, and recently made his first visit to Burma with CSW. You may also have seen him on the panel at last year’s Burma Day David of Prayer. He’s been increasingly involved with Burma over the years – and it all began with a promise made to one of his constituents.
Burrowes
In 2005 David was standing as an MP for the first time. A local resident approached him and said, “If you’re elected you have to speak up for Burma.” David promised that he would, and he has kept his promise: working closely with CSW on a number of occasions to speak up on the issues in Burma.
Show Up at the general election and make your voice count! www.csw.org.uk/showup 5
Get
INVOLVED
15 FOR
2015 Want to make a real difference for religious freedom this year? Here’s 15 things you (and your friends) can do to get involved during 2015…
Give up your weekly coffee! Sacrifice a weekly coffee and make a regular gift of £8 per month.
Help bring an end to hate speech! Urge the Pakistani government to take steps to tackle the hate speech which fuels violent attacks against religious minorities. (See p.2-3 for details.)
Visit www.csw.org.uk/2015 for links to help you take action!
Spread the joy!
“You, our brothers and sisters, have been a great support to us”
Don’t support us all on your own – give this copy of Response to a friend when you’ve read it and encourage them to sign up.
“During the two years and eight months when I was a prisoner, I found out that other prisoners had been recruited in order to commit crimes against me, to assassinate me, to take my life, so that it could be portrayed as a fight amongst inmates. When this came to the attention of CSW, they started to share with a wider audience the need to be praying for us, and those three prisoners, who initially had violent intent and attitudes, became my friends... And you, our brothers and sisters, have been a great support, God has put you here on earth for this specific moment, and I want to personally thank you all, because of your support when no one else could help, you were a very important channel to God for us.” Omar Gude Pérez, church leader formerly imprisoned in Cuba
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Miracles in minutes
Be a Good Samaritan! Read Luke 10:25-37 and think about how you could be a Good Samaritan today.
Help in an hour
Send a card Just download Connect & Encourage or call 0845 456 5464 to get a printed copy, pick a few people to write cards to and pop them in the post!
Millions of people can’t worship freely. Donate 20p to CSW for every time you went to church last year.
Put your trainers on! Run a 10k or a half or full marathon, or hold your own fundraising event.
Go to www.csw.org.uk/ connectandencourage
Call Bill on 020 8329 0020
Change the world with your prayers
Be a history-maker
We serve a God of the impossible, so why not join us in lifting up some ‘impossible’ situations to God and watching him move!
Join the global outpouring of prayer for the persecuted Church on the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted Church.
Challenge & change your church! Having a CSW speaker at your church won’t just help CSW, it will inspire and change your own church.
Pursue Justice at our National Conference on 25 April (see the poster on the back cover)
Call Jill on 020 8329 0014
Be our hands and feet in your church
Leave a gift that lasts beyond this lifetime
Contact Geni at genijohnson@csw.org.uk to find out how
Call Bill on 020 8329 0020 to find out more about legacies
Show Up & shape the future! Give 20p per visit to church
Make a difference in a day
When you meet parliamentary candidates in your area, ask them how they plan on defending and upholding religious freedom if they are elected.
Find out more on p.5 or at www.csw.org.uk/showup
Be a nation-changer at the Burma Day of Prayer on 14 March
Register your free place at www.csw.org.uk/prayforburma
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Please pin this po up so other ster book their s can fre tickets! e
2015
SAT 25 APRIL 11AM-4PM The Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW
to find out more and register free:
www.csw.org.uk/pursuejustice
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is an organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice. PO Box 99, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 3YF, United Kingdom T: +44 (0)845 456 5464 F: +44 (0)20 8942 8821 E: admin@csw.org.uk www.csw.org.uk Registered Charity No. 281836
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