Response Magazine October 2015

OCTOBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

Response

REFUGEE SPECIAL ISSUE

Your insight into religious freedom

“I never knew what freedom meant before, but now I walk in freedom”

Watch the news and you’ll see refugees in their thousands fleeing heartbreaking, horrific situations of war and persecution.

The refugee crisis has dominated the news in the UK since the summer, and it can be hard not to feel helpless. But there is hope, even in the darkest night…

We spoke to Benyam, a refugee from Eritrea – one of the world’s worst countries for religious freedom. His story gives us a first hand insight into this situation, and inside you’ll find out how your support is helping us make a difference.

“My name is Benyam, and I am an Eritrean refugee. I fought for my country’s independence when I was just 12 years old. But after Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991, things began to go wrong very quickly. Though we had fought for freedom, many Eritreans, including myself, were still not free.

My decision to become a Christian led to the government trying to intimidate me into renouncing my faith. The freedoms I had fought for started to seem a very long way away...”

Continued on page

See inside:

The inside track Meet Joel Edwards

Country in focus Eritrea

In depth: Refugees

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www.csw.org.uk

/Cswuk

@csw_UK

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Continued from page

Country in focus

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ERITREA

Treated as a slave

CSW begins working on Eritrea after Eritrean Christians ask for our help in the wake of church closures in 2002, and an ensuing wave of arrests.

“All Eritreans are forced into national service until the age of 60. For many of us, that’s our whole life. Eritrea is one of the world’s most repressive nations – it’s been ruled for more than 20 years by a cruel dictator. There is no freedom of expression, no freedom of religion or belief. Everything is controlled by the state.

As a young man in Eritrea, you don’t have any dreams.

You can’t move freely from place to place. Fearing a future of religious persecution and indefinite military service, I set off on foot towards the border with Sudan.

It took me many long, difficult and fearful days to escape my home country. More than anything else, I wanted to get to Sudan. It seemed like the Promised Land to me. But when I got there, it wasn’t the safe haven I’d imagined. I lived in fear of being abducted, as the Eritrean government took many people from inside Sudan back to face imprisonment and death, often

Benyam during Eritrea’s war for independence

I was lucky! I didn’t go to one of the desert prisons where people are kept in shipping containers or in pitch-black solitary confinement for weeks on end.

And I was able to leave – many others can’t, or they try to flee, and die along the way. You cannot be a Christian in Eritrea. You cannot be free.”

How you’ve helped abducting them. I had to travel further afield to be truly safe, eventually arriving in the UK. In 2006 I was finally granted leave to remain. Since then I have lived openly as a Pentecostal Christian.

I can pray day and night as I wish! I feel secure and treated with dignity. I never knew what freedom meant before, but now I walk in freedom. I was even able to continue the education that was interrupted so long ago, earning a degree in politics from Nottingham Trent University.

Benyam’s moving story shows us that there’s still a long way to go in the struggle for religious freedom in Eritrea. But we’ve already achieved so much that was only possible through your support – on the right you’ll see how our work has progressed over the years! Because you supported us, we’ve come from a point when Eritrea was hardly ever mentioned at the UN, to now – when the Eritrean human rights crisis has been officially acknowledged and action taken at the highest levels.

Joel Edwards: Strategic Advisor

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! So what brought you to CSW? I’ve admired CSW’s work for years, but it was my doctoral studies that brought me here. CSW has an unusual combination of working for Christians who suffer for their faith, through advocacy at the highest levels, with prayer driving everything.

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We submit evidence to UN hearings on Eritrea’s human rights.

The European Parliament passes a resolution on Eritrean refugees being held hostage by people traffickers in Egypt, after CSW and Human Rights Concern Eritrea (HRCE) issue a urgent joint appeal with other organisations for international intervention.

UN Special Rapporteur appointed to investigate human rights in Eritrea.

And what will you be doing?

I hope to help the UK Church on its journey as it finds out more about how to respond to the challenges of religious freedom.

Finally, where do you hope to see CSW go in the next three years?

I’d like to see CSW expand its prophetic role in educating the UK Church about religious freedom.

Human rights is the lingua franca of the 21st century, so we can’t hope to help persecuted Christians without engaging in the world of human rights.

Want to help your church take action for religious freedom?

We’ve got everything you need! Just call Geni on 07948 185 629 or go to our website www.csw.org.uk/ ambassador

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

The COIE’s mandate is extended and it is tasked with investigating possible crimes against humanity.

The inside track:

In every issue we want to give you an insight into how we work behind the scenes! This time we’d like to introduce Joel Edwards, our new Strategic Advisor.

Joel is a former director of the Evangelical Alliance, an advisory member on faith at the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and is currently studying for a PhD.

2003

2004

So when I changed my religion from governmentapproved orthodox Christianity to Pentecostal Christianity in 1998, this was unacceptable. Christians are considered a threat to the state and Pentecostal Christianity is seen as an ‘imported’ religion. Anyone who doesn’t agree is an enemy of the state. The government tried to force me back to orthodox Christianity, often violently.

“Fearing for my future, I decided to flee”

Our work in Eritrea: the story so far

Did You Know

THE FACTS

First annual protest outside the Eritrean embassy in London

CSW and HRCE among others, lobby country delegations at the Human Rights Council (HRC) for action on Eritrea’s human rights.

Breakthrough when Somalia makes a statement at the HRC on the human rights crisis in Eritrea – the first time the crisis has been addressed at UN level.

UN Commission of Inquiry (COIE) established to report on Eritrea’s human rights.

CSW submits testimony to the Commission.

2015

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Eritrea is a country in the Horn of Africa.

With its capital at Asmara, it is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast Population Est. 6.333 million Capital Asmara Area 718,723 square miles Religions Christian 50%

Islam 40%

indigenous beliefs 2% Languages Tigrinya

Modern Standard Arabic English

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In depth: refugees

reporting at the UN

gees were stranded on Rohingya and Bangladeshi refu d or water. Neighbouring boats off Thailand, with no foo in – tragically, some countries refused to take them ed with what they saw as refugees committed suicide, fac Burma rescued some of a hopeless situation. Eventually Rohingya Muslims would them, but emphasised that no you can read more about be allowed to stay. On page 5 their situation.

ing the words We’ve heard the media us erchangeably – ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ int but what’s the difference?

Human In June we went to the UN highlight Rights Council in Geneva to k between our concerns about the lin e refugee crisis, religious freedom and th ng situation of in particular the appalli g their country.

Eritrean refugees fleein ria Heikkila, our We caught up with Sini Ma r, to find out Public Affairs Team Leade what happened. opportunity to Sounds like it was a great s Council! How did speak at the Human Right it go?

n really encouraging It was a fantastic time! It’s bee how CSW’s work is being over the past few years to see the chance to present taken seriously by the UN, and refugee crisis was just the our recommendations on the latest example of that.

e Convention, a refugee According to the 1951 Refuge l-founded fear of being is someone who ‘owing to a wel religion, nationality, persecuted for reasons of race, ial group or political membership of a particular soc of his nationality, and opinion, is outside the country fear, is unwilling to is unable to, or owing to such of that country’. Unlike avail himself of the protection are forced to leave their economic migrants, refugees ir lives as their own countries in order to protect the tect them, or in many governments either fail to pro threaten their lives. cases, actively repress them and

the Human I see. So what exactly does victims of Rights Council do to help persecution?

human rights around It’s the HRC’s job to strengthen mendations for action the world, and to make recom ts are being violated. on situations where human righ ious opportunities Organisations like CSW have var HRC by delivering oral to engage and advocate at the evidence, organising statements, submitting written nt country delegations. side-events and meeting differe ways for us to feed into These are extremely important and advance religious the decision-making process – freedom around the world!

So what are the next steps?

egations and are We met a number of country del of religion or belief on committed to keeping freedom rse, it’s a long the agenda of the HRC. Of cou sis have cri e ge fu re e th of s die to see the The trage times a term process so we don’t expect me so it’s t bu , ws ne e th been all over rnight, but one thing is for tly what’s causing world change ove ng! Right now bit difficult to know exac sure: we won’t stop campaigni ere really a th Is e. ph tro as cat ss ma g the report we took this eedom and I’m working on developin fr s iou lig re n ee tw be k m are working strong lin to the HRC in June and my tea ? sis ns in the UK the refugee cri on an event for parliamentaria ly, why ual act s, son rea jor ma rean refugee the Erit of the Definitely. It’s one focusing specifically on ort rep our In es. hom ir the response. people are forced to flee crisis and the UK government’s le, mp exa For . this g win at other ways to we cover four case studies sho Please pray for us as we look ya ing Roh the from ma Bur the root causes there are 1 million Muslims in urge decision makers to tackle , ship zen citi ir oved the people group. A 1982 law rem of this crisis. any rights in their own t hou wit which means they live ll ps in appalling conditions.

You can download the fu country. Many live in IDP cam k/ to leave Burma over the report at www.csw.org.u Thousands have been forced 00 gees 8,0 t efu tha d n-r dia reporte report-persecutio years, and in May 2015 the me

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In depth: Rohingya

“Trapped between a crocodile and a snake”

CSW’s East Asia Team Le ader, Benedict Rogers, is our Burma expert an Burma and its borders d has been visiting for over a decade. As pa rt of our work campaig freedom for all, we’ve ning for religious met and campaigned fo r the Rohingya people out of their homes by th wh o are being forced e thousands.

We asked him a bit more abo ut this vulnerable group whose pictures dominated the news earlier this year…

Who are the Rohingya?

They are an ethnic group fro m northern Arakan State in the west of Burma, near the border with Banglades h.

Most of them are Muslims.

What is happening to th

em?

How is their situation lin ked to the current refugee crisis?

In May the international me dia reported that 8,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees were stranded on boats on the Andaman Sea , with no food or water.

Some died and others were severely dehydrated and malnourished. Survivors we re forced to drink their own urine to survive.

As a Muslim group in a mainly militant Buddhist country, the Rohingya face daily dis Why, as a Christian orga crimination. Legally, they niSation, is CSW are ‘non-citizens’, the only speaking up for them? ethnic group in Burma that has this designation. This is Firstly, and most important because of their cultural ly, because our faith demand similarity to a Bangladeshi s it. The Bible is full of comma ethnic group, even though nds to help the persecutedthey’ve been living in Burma Isaiah 1:17 says, ‘Learn to do for generations. good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the Rohingyas must obtain per mission to travel even widow’s cause.’ That alone is good enough reason from one village to anothe r, severely restricting their to help the Rohingya! Howe ver, we also know that access to medical care and education. As ‘non-citizens the Rohingya people have ’, sto Rohingyas can’t be employed od with other religious as teachers, nurses, civil minorities in Burma in the past - notably, with the servants or in any public ser vice. Rape and forced Christian Kachin, Chin, Karen and Karenni people. labour are widespread, and Rohingyas are singled out by the authorities for ext Thirdly, there is unfortunately ortion. Soldiers demand the risk that Rohingya money from them, and wh Mu slims, unable to find help fro en they cannot pay they are m any other source, arrested and tortured. may become radicalised. On e Rohingya has even said: “If our people continue to be persecuted by the regime They can’t even find peace , in nearby Bangladesh. sidelined by the democracy movement and ignored One Rohingya described the situation saying: by the rest of the world, and if radical Islamists come “The Burmese tell us ‘You are Bengali, go back to and offer help, there is a risk that our people will be Bangladesh’. The Banglades his tell us, ‘You are influenced by that and turn to extremism.”

Burmese, go back to Burm a’. We are trapped between a crocodile and a snake.”

What is CSW doing to he lp?

We’ve taken Rohingya repres ent atives to meet the The Rohingyas face European Parliament and Co ngress, as well as working religious persecution as in the UK Parliament to rais e the plight of Burmese well. In the past three religious minorities. years, 12 mosques in northern Arakan have been what can I do? demolished, and a large Pray! Please continue to pra y for the Rohingya, who are number were closed in , sadly, often a forgotten par t of Burma’s struggle. We’d 2006. Religious leaders love it if you could join us pra ying for the Rohingya and have been jailed for Burma as a whole on 8 Novem ber – the day of Burma’s renovating mosques. elections. You could also con sider donating to support CSW’s work with the Rohing ya and others like them.

>> you can support CSW’s work with the Rohin gya at www.csw.org.uk/giving

A Rohingya migrant, who arrived in Indonesia by boat, queues up as they move to better shelter inside a temporary compound for refugees in Kuala Cangkoi village in Lhoksukon, Indonesia’s Aceh Province. REUTERS/Beawiharta

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2015

HIGHLIGHTS

PRAY persecuted

What you’ve helped us achieve in 2015

Come to a

Pray Justice event near you!

Register your free place at www.csw.org.uk/prayjustice Monday 9 November St George’s Church, Ashtead, Surrey

Tuesday 10 November St Mary’s Church, Guildford, Surrey (students and young adults)

Wednesday 11 November Elim Church Selly Oak, Birmingham

Friday 13 November St George’s Tron Church of scotland, Glasgow

Saturday 14 November Perth Baptist Church, Perth Our keynote speaker, Omar Gude Perez, will also be speaking at churches in Belfast, Edinburgh and Falkirk on 15 and 16 November.

Find out more at

www.csw.org.uk/prayjustice or call 020 8329 0025!

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This is TESFAY I was praying with my friends in Eritrea.

Four policemen came

One of them kicked open the door anD whipped us

STOP YOUR PRAYERS!

I spent almost two weeks in an underground cell

You don’t need the Bible!

We weren’t allowed to pray

no windows no lights no toilets

this is HIS STORY Tesfay’s story is just one of many. e.The UN ESTIMATES 5,000 Eritreans just like him leave every month With your help, CSW can continue tackling religious freedom as one of the root causes of the refugee crisis, so that one day, no one will have to choose between their home and their beliefs.

Donate £35 Today Here is my gift of £________ for the vital work of CSW. Please make cheques and vouchers payable to CSW. and return this form to CSW, PO Box 99, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 3YF, UK

they sent me to THE DESERT

If you wish to make a donation by credit/debit card, please complete the form below, visit www.csw.org.uk/giving or call 0845 456 5464, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

I was there for 18 months. it was always hot they tied me up and

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soldiers would kick me inTHE HEAD I think it has

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my head permanently

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HUMAN TRAFFICKERS

I travelled across North Africa to a port

Acknowledging your gift ITALY

MALTA

Greece

Iat spent a week at sea, risk from drowning and serious illness

We are thankful for every gift we receive and want to make sure as much of your donation as possible goes directly to our advocacy work. In order to keep the administration cost low, CSW will only acknowledge gifts over £20. However, we are happy to send you a gift acknowledgement if you require one, ideally by email.

Please tick the box to request a gift acknowledgement Email: _________________________________________________________ By giving CSW your email address, you are agreeing to receive CSW’s emails to keep you updated about our work.

GIFT AID DECLARATION

I eventually arrived in the uk but i’m still at risk of being deported

Please treat as Gift Aid donations all qualifying gifts of money made today and in the future. I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand that Christian Solidarity Worldwide will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I have given.

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I still get frightened.

Even now I struggle to remember where I am going or what I am doing. It’s hard to concentrate.I have throbbing headaches

I’m frightened to leave the house on my own

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 /cswuk @csw_uk Registered Charity No. 281836