Response Magazine January 2016

JANUARY-APRIL 2016

Response Your insight into religious freedom

“ God has faith in you” See inside:

This was the extraordinary and beautiful message in a card received by a Cuban pastor, in prison because of his church work.

Pastor Omar Gude Perez had been imprisoned because his church is growing so fast, it’s made him a target for Cuba’s communist government. When he was at his lowest, an encouraging card arrived to remind him that God had His hand over the situation.

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Speaking up for religious freedom

Nothing can drive them away

Zhang Kai: On the frontlines

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www.csw.org.uk

/Cswuk

@csw_UK

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Warned to stop their Church Work Today Omar is free, and hundreds of you were inspired and encouraged by his story as he toured the UK with us in November, sharing his testimony of God’s grace and mercy!

Your faithful support made it possible for us to keep working on Omar’s case over the years he was in prison, ensuring the Cuban authorities knew we were campaigning for him. We informed the EU representatives in Havana, so his wife Kenia received weekly calls from them to monitor his case, and his health while in prison.

Denied Medical Treatment in Prison Pastor Omar was first imprisoned on trumped up charges in May 2008. A year later, he was sentenced to more than six years in prison. Omar and his family had already received threats from government officials, warning them to stop their Christian activities.

Equipping the UK’s politicians to speak up for religious freedom This year we’ve been working extra hard to put the UK parliament’s spotlight on religious freedom. These powerful decision-makers are in a position to directly address the issue of religious freedom – which impacts so much that we see in the news, including the refugee crisis.

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Omar and his wife Kenia

During his time in prison Omar was only allowed visits from Kenia every three weeks. At times he was fed rotten food and at another point he was denied medical treatment for high blood pressure. While Omar was in prison, the authorities repeatedly threatened Kenia with confiscating the family home.

A huge wave of international support from people like you led to Omar’s release on ‘conditional liberty’ (similar to parole) in early 2011. But the government wasn’t finished with him yet.

The United States had offered the family asylum, but for the next 18 months the Cuban authorities blocked them from leaving the country. It was an incredibly frustrating time: Omar’s two teenage children, Daniel and Keila, were barred from school, and Omar was prohibited from working as a pastor.

The government eventually relented, and Omar, Kenia and their family now live safely in the United States.

In September we held an event in parliament to launch our brand new toolkit for MPs and peers – a guide to the issues of religious freedom, explaining the situation around the world and what exactly they, as parliamentarians, can do to help. Here, our Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas is talking to Fiona Bruce MP and Danny Kinahan MP. Mervyn Thomas with Tobias Ellwood MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Country in focus

CUBA

The inside track:

Joasia REJMAN Yiorvis and his wife

Along with Kenia, Omar is a vibrant speaker, passionate advocate and prayer warrior.

Knocking at every door Today, however, Cuba’s government continues to oppress Christians. When Omar left Cuba he officially made his church’s property over to his nephew Yiorvis – it’s also the headquarters of their denomination.

But the government has annulled Yiorvis’ legal ownership of the property, and is threatening to evict them.

Yiorvis told us, “It is necessary to keep pressuring [the government] through the media and human rights institutions, and to knock at every door we come to.”

Omar’s story is one of hope and solidarity in the face of unprecedented obstacles, and it’s a true testament to the incredible value of being persistent as we fight for justice. We rejoice that Omar, Kenia and the children are free today! Yet what Yiorvis is facing now shows that it’s still not safe to be a Christian in Cuba.

We’ve been working on the religious freedom situation in Cuba for many years – something that’s only been possible through your support and prayers. Your continued support today will help us to knock at every door we come to, as we continue campaigning for Yiorvis’ right to live in the home he legally owns.

U se the enclosed gift form to donate to our work, or go to www.csw.org.uk/donate Benedict Rogers, our East Asia Team Leader, was one of the experts on hand to answer MPs’ questions on religious freedom.

The room was packed with over 30 MPs and peers! It was a fantastic opportunity that we then built on with two more parliamentary events – one on India, ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK, and a deeply emotional event on Eritrea. Hopefully 2016 will see more parliamentary events – watch this space!

If you’ve phoned our office recently, you’ve probably talked to Joasia, our friendly receptionist. We thought we’d kick off the New Year by getting to know the person behind that voice at the other end of the phone!

Hi Joasia, thanks for talking to us! So, first things first, what drew you to work here?

I was really attracted by the cause: I’ve previously volunteered with similar organisations and I was very keen to help oppressed Christians and put my faith into practice.

What does your job entail?

Mainly it’s answering supporter questions, such as finding out information for them from our advocates. I also make sure they’re satisfied with the publications we send out.

What’s the best part of your job?

It’s the best way of getting to know the latest on what CSW is doing! I get so many different questions from our supporters, and in investigating them I always find out more about CSW and the work that we do.

So what keeps you busy outside of work – do you have any hobbies?

I like to ski and I try to keep on top of the languages I know (I can speak French, Polish and German). I also love reading, especially theology. I’m currently working my way through Ben Rogers’ new book, From Burma to Rome.

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In depth: BURMA

No amount of repression can drive them away An astonishing election result in November gave cause for hope in a country which had seemed hopeless for so long. Our East Asia Team Leader, Benedict Rogers, explains what we can expect now for Burma’s future.

A controversial package of laws, including restrictions on religious conversion and inter-faith marriage, was driven through parliament earlier this year. The NLD opposed them at the time, but the question now is how high a priority it will be for the new government to amend or repeal them.

For anyone who has worked on Burma for any length of time, Aung San Suu Kyi’s overwhelming election victory is a cause for hope and celebration. A quarter of a century after winning a mandate in Burma’s last freely contested elections, her party – the National League for Democracy (NLD) – has shown that no amount of repression could drive it away.

The military-backed government, and the current President, former general Thein Sein, appear to have heard the voice of the people, finally, and have pledged to honour the result. It would be very easy, on the surface, to think that our work in Burma was done and that all is well.

Until the elections, Aung San Suu Kyi stayed relatively silent on these issues, conscious of the need to avoid angering Buddhists whose votes she needed. Yet in her first BBC interview just days after the election, she spoke out, saying that people in Burma “do not want to live on a diet of hate and fear”, that those preaching hatred would be prosecuted, and that an NLD government would protect the rights of all people.

The reality is, however, that the military remain extremely powerful, and that the new government will have many serious obstacles to overcome.

Burma still faces rising religious intolerance, and while an NLD government will try to promote religious freedom, it will not be a simple task.

“Hatred is not going to be removed easily,” Aung San Suu Kyi recently told the BBC.

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While the election results give cause for hope, after 25 years of struggle, no one should conclude that our work is done or our prayers are no longer needed.

Burma will continue to face serious human rights challenges, and will need the support of organisations like CSW – through our advocacy, and, crucially, through the faithful prayers of our supporters – for some time to come.

Yet we live and work in the knowledge that we serve a God of miracles. Thank you so much for your support.

Please keep praying!

On the FrontLines

Arrested for fighting injustice

Photo: China Aid

My name is Zhang Kai. In July 2015, I was arrested along with over 300 of my colleagues: fellow lawyers and human rights defenders who fight for justice in China.

We were taken from our homes or our offices, or just grabbed off the street.

For most of us, it was nothing new. I have been harassed many times by the government for my work defending religious minorities. In 2009, while investigat ing the unnatural death of a Falun Gong practitioner, I was arrested, beaten, and locked in a steel cage.

Campaign

UPDATE

But, now, things are different. Sentenced to six months in prison, I am in one of China’s ‘black jails’ – in other words, nobody knows where I am. I have vanis hed into the prison system, and it may be that no one ever hears from me again.

I have been charged with gathering a crowd to disturb public order, stealing, spying, buying and illega lly providing state secrets and intelligence to entit ies outside of China. What I really did was this: I defended churches that have had their crosses taken down , or been demolished. I helped pastors harassed by the government, and I sought justice for those who subscribe to a faith the government doesn’t approve of.

My name is Zhang Kai, and I am on the frontlines.

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Perspectives

SUFFERING

Perspectives How do we respond to suffering?

I know many Christians who are totally convinced that the Church grows through suffering, but I have never met anyone who has prayed for an extended torture session.

Clearly, God works powerfully through our suffering and extreme pressures (Romans 5:3; 2 Corinthians 1:5; 12:7-10; Philippians 3:10).

Perhaps C.S. Lewis was right: pain, he said, is God’s megaphone to attract our attention.

most of us end up asking, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’

Yet suffering remains one of the unfathomable things about God. All suffering is hard to live with, but ironically, it can be harder for Christians who believe in a benevolent and powerful God. It hurts more because God appears to suspend his sovereignty at our expense. Whatever the suffering, God is amazingly patient with our complaints. Job was angry (Job 7:11) and Jeremiah accused God of deception (Jeremiah 20:7).

With hindsight, we know that God has always loved us (John 3:16) but in the aftermath of the Fall, the first evidence is the infliction of pervasive pain (Genesis 3:16-19).

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We are therefore caught between the contradiction of a God who has either allowed or induced suffering on one hand, while expressing hatred for it on the other (Exodus 3:1-14). God the initiator turns out to be God the deliverer. So most of us end up asking, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’

And ‘bad things’ do happen: a tree falling in a playground killing a three year old child, a tragic road accident, or a flood wiping away whole communities. Across the world, extreme poverty has over one billion faces.

Today millions of people are imprisoned and tortured for what they believe. Over 70% of the world’s population experiences suffering because of their religious beliefs – not all of them Christians. And it is precisely in this shared humanity of suffering that Christians are called to do good to everyone – especially those who ‘belong to the family of believers’ (Galatians 6:10).

Even in the worst case scenarios, we are called to believe that the sovereign God who will ultimately wipe away all tears (Revelation 21:4) has already begun that work of freedom (Exodus 3:17; Job 36:15) and is recruiting us as liberating agents who pray, protest and provide for everyone who suffers.

Reverend Joel Edwards

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INVOLVED

Be an encourager!

Touched by the case of Zhang Kai? (p.5) Many other Christians just like him remain in prison for their beliefs. Sadly we don’t know where Zhang Kai is right now, but we have many addresses in Connect & Encourage of pastors and others that you can write to.

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MAKE A GIFT!

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Pursue Justice!

Our annual conference is coming soon! Find out more details at www.csw.org.uk/pursuejustice or check out the poster on the back of Response.

One of the best ways to help CSW is by setting up a regular donation, or even just making a one-off contribution.

We’re always grateful for your generous support. If you’d like to donate, please contact our fundraising team on 0845 456 5464, who will be happy to take your call. Our office hours are Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. You can also donate online at www.csw.org.uk/donate

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Fired up by what you’ve read in this issue of Response? Ready to know how you can respond to all you’ve read? You’ve come to the right place! Here’s six ways you can speak up for religious freedom in 2016.

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Fundraise for Freedom! Follow @CSW_UK

Fundraising doesn’t have to be a chore! Head on over to www.csw.org.uk/fundraiseforfreedom for tons of tips on how to fundraise for CSW in a fun and original way. We’ve had supporters do loads of exciting things, from bake sales to marathons to drinking nothing but water for a year!

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PRAY for Freedom!

If weekly updates aren’t enough for you, follow us on Twitter (@CSW_UK) and on Facebook!

There, you’ll get up-to-the-minute news on everything CSW is doing to fight for religious freedom around the world throughout 2016.

We’ll also let you know about every campaign and action as it happens!

Prayer is always an effective way to help. Sign up to our prayer email to receive weekly updates on CSW’s work along with a digital edition of our printed Prayer Diary, allowing you to focus on a different area of the world week-by-week.

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2016

SATURDAY 23 APRIL 2016 ST Paul’s Hammersmith, Queen Caroline Street, London W6 9PJ

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 @csw_uk /cswuk Registered Charity No. 281836