From the Korean Times:
Islamic Religious Persecution
By Doug Bandow
The West's relations with the Islamic world remain troubled. The latest challenge was the Swiss vote to ban the construction of minarets on mosques.
However, Islamic governments are in no position to complain. They tend to not only violate human rights, but also persecute Christians, Jews and other religious minorities.
Many authoritarian states violate religious liberty along with other freedoms. But Muslim nations are almost unique in their willingness to persecute religious minorities to promote religious ends, as is evident from the State Department's latest report on religious liberty abroad.
Even the most moderate Islamic states often fall far short of respecting religious minorities. For instance, Morocco detained converts from Islam to Christianity, expelled Christian missionaries, and restricted ``non-Islamic materials and proselytizing.'' Many other Islamic states are far worse.
It's a hard call. On the one hand, you don't want to sink to their level of persecution, on the other, we need to stand our own ground. What's your view on this Keith?
ReplyDeleteI think we have to do a couple of things:1. Maintain our legal frameworks of equal rights for everyone, not special rights for some groups at the expense of others-- and that includes christians. Western countries should not be conned into granting recognition to sharia law in their own jurisdictions.2. We need to treat other countries according to the way they treat their citizens and not give some countries such as Saudi Arabia a free pass just because they have oil reserves.3. We need to name and shame the offenders. Groups such as "Voice of the Martyrs" are invaluable for this.4. We also should recognise that Islam is not a religion of freedom and universal love. That needs to be confronted and dealt with by politicians and where hatred and vilification are being stoked by imams then they need to be prosecuted.There is probably much more that could be said, but that would make a good start!
ReplyDeleteI like your post. Im indonesian, im christian, me and ppl in my province know how the greatest feeling we had to keep faith for what we believe. Couple years ago we were fight with tears and blood, loosing our love ones, saw/felt horrible things that human eyes could imagine, felt how wasnt a justice at all... Just pray, keep in faith and hope that we had and we put in God's hands.. Now He still answered our prayed.. Tsunami in Aceh, earthquake in padang, north sumatra.. Thanx for postin this. HE saw it all father. GbuI live in Ambon, maluku province of indonesia :)
ReplyDeleteWe are live in peace now, hopefully it'll 4ever.. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHello Gabriella. I can't imagine what it must be like to go through that. We saw some of the violence in Ambon on television. We will pray for you and your community. We are blessed to know that God will bring justice in the end, and salvation for all who trust in Jesus. God bless you.
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