The American Spectator : Religious Persecution Update

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Religious Persecution Update

By Doug Bandow on 12.11.09 @ 6:07AM

The freedom to worship freely remains under assault worldwide, for any and every reason.

(Page 2 of 2)

Israel. The Jewish state suffers from the virulent hatred of many Muslims, but itself is less than welcoming to minority faiths, in part due to the outsize political influence of Orthodox parties in government. Like Fiji, Israel avoids the virulent oppression characteristic of Burma, Eritrea, and India, but does not live up to its potential for protecting full religious liberty.

State points to "governmental and legal discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism." Moreover, "Some individuals and groups committed abusive and discriminatory practices against Israel-Arab Muslims, evangelical Christians, and Messianic Jews." Israeli occupation policies also "had the effect of severely restricting the ability of Palestinian Muslims and Christians to reach places of worship and to practice their religious rites." Although Christians suffered some discrimination and harassment in the occupied territories, the Palestinian Authority, in contrast to so many other Muslim entities, generally respected religious freedom. (There have been occasional unofficial abuses, such as the destruction of several churches in 2006 after Pope Benedict's remarks on Islam, and the Authority has been unable or unwilling to respond effectively.) The relative official tolerance makes Israel's practices appear even more unnatural.

The U.S. government's chief responsibility is protecting the liberty of Americans, not of peoples in other lands. Nevertheless, the president does enjoy the world's biggest bully pulpit, which he should put to use promoting individual liberty, including the right to worship God freely. And that means engaging governments which fail to fully fulfill their responsibility to respect the most basic freedom of conscience of their peoples.

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topics:
Religious Persecution, Religious Freedom

About the Author

Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).

Letter to the Editor View all comments (54) | Leave a comment

Ken (Old Texican)| 12.11.09 @ 10:13AM

Doug,
Your article leads me to a very serious question, and I do not ask it lightly.

Here in the States, how do we deal with "congregations/mullahs" who teach as part of their religion..."Death To Infidels"?

Alan Brooks| 12.11.09 @ 1:23PM

If we can explain to those secularists who aren't pigheaded that since social progress is dead-- it died in this decade-- religion that isn't mushy on one hand or too fundamentalist (we need SOME fundamentalism) on the other is necessary.
Any religion outside of satanism and even 'white' magic is worthy. The older the religion the better. Hinduism, Buddhism are fine. But Christianity is tops, as Jesus was the greatest of the greats. King of kings.

And who else is there anymore?

Alan Brooks| 12.11.09 @ 1:27PM

We can reason with Islamics in America. But it will take decades.
As the hood in American Graffiti said, Rome wasn't burned in a day.

Ken (Old Texican)| 12.11.09 @ 2:56PM

Alan,
Jesus offerred us a "son/daughter" relationship with our Creator.
Yes Sir...King of Kings!

ccc| 12.11.09 @ 4:06PM

Necessary for what?

Alan Brooks| 12.11.09 @ 6:19PM

if you have to ask, mr. civilian conservation corps, you are at the wrong blog.

go to NAMBLA, boy.

reform uscirf| 12.15.09 @ 9:28PM

"uscirf.blogspot.com" is a blog advocating reforms and self-policing at USCIRF, It raises following questions in a constructive fashion:-
* Legal:
* USCIRFs compliance with International Religious Freedom Act 1998?
* USCIRF overlooking potential violations of Article 9 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
* Conflict of Interest and bias at USCIRF.

* Failure to champion "Freedom of ALL Religions"?

* Lending voice to those who want to curtail "Freedom of worship"?

* Contradictions and Inconsistencies between various reports?

* Lack of transparency and disclosure. Problems with quality of content?

drainthe swamp| 12.11.09 @ 11:26AM

In the States, UK and Canada so-called "hate speech" laws are purposefully designed to inhibit or suppress Christian (and secular) freedom of expression of un-PC views

Margie| 12.11.09 @ 2:04PM

Go here for more information on the persecuted around the world, and the Christians who provide help and comfort to them, along with the Gospel of Jesus Christ~
http://www.persecution.com/

Road Kill| 12.11.09 @ 2:56PM

"The first are Muslim nations that seek to reinforce the Muslim faith -"

Diversity to the PC crowd? Freedom of religion is a Constitution right, but it may one day bite the hand that feeds it. Can we really just get along?

Ret. Marine| 12.12.09 @ 9:31PM

"Can we really just get along?" No my friend, the muslims are not here to "just get along", they are here to dominate and secure this Nation to the ummah. If you don't believe that get the recent book out there by P. David Gaubatz, titled Muslim Mafia. The "Ikhwan" or brotherhood seem to have a different plan for the USA. Their intentions are not to get along, but, to divide and conquer.

Postbus| 12.11.09 @ 3:59PM

I find the similarities of Jesus's story with Isis/Osiris (and Eyptian/Sumerian myths) to be uncanny. I think this type of legendary story is something people have been able to identify with for a a long time.

Danny Haszard| 12.12.09 @ 4:49AM

Jehovah's Witnesses and freedom of speech.

They will extol and preach *God's Kingdom* and this sounds attractive,what they hide from you is their Watchtower society version that Jesus has already had his second coming in 1914 and is working *invisibly* through them.
They have won 37 of their 46 US Supreme court cases assuring us all of freedom of speech and assembly and equal protection under the law.

The sad irony is that the Watchtower Society *daily* abuses the human rights of thousands of its members. It denies current members the right of free speech by forbidding them to speak to former members, even close family members.
And it denies former members their right of freedom of worship by refusing to allow them to leave the religion with dignity, should they come to disagree with Watchtower's practices or doctrines.
The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is an oppressive cult that controls every aspect of its members' lives.
--
Danny Haszard dissident born JW 3rd generation

ChuckD| 12.12.09 @ 9:36AM

Danny, I believe what you say about JW and agree they are a dangerous cult. But the Muslim religion has already implemented Dhimmitude on the Western World thanks to the liberal elitists who rule us. The name of Jesus can be used as a curse word, but the slightest criticism of Mohammad sets off riots against embassies and vicious attacks against Christians world wide.

Fears of fatwas from mullahs have caused movie directors, writers, and TV scripts to avoid criticism of a code that allows for honor killings and the devaluation of women.

The neo-liberals, lost in their fantasist world view, will of course counter that Christian fundamentalists do the same -which is a bald face lie. They always show as evidence the most backward of Christian examples where people have twisted the Scripture to fit their own agenda, a la David Koresh. Or they cherry pick quotes from the Bible that say things like "Women submit to your husbands..." as proof that Christians are the same as Muslims when it comes to the way they treat women.

The above quote is taken out of context and the true meaning of Paul's command is lost. But even if their interpretation was true, it doesn't matter. The problem with Islam is not what they believe, it is how they go about enforcing what they believe.

No one is afraid of Christian retaliation from criticism except at the voting booth or the cashier's counter. No one is afraid of portraying Pastors as womanizing or Priests as child molesters in movies or on TV. All the movie and TV terrorists are right wing tea baggers who go to church and believe in abstinence.

It's open season on Christian conservatives, and the question authority crowd is eager to show how brave they are by slamming and demeaning the established Church.

But they all cower and run at any suggestion of doing the same when comes to Islam.

Our own government, encouraged by the Christian hating left, sponsors the depiction of the most graphic anti-Christian images imaginable, like the Piss Christ.

We don't have to wait for the Muslims to take over, they already have.

Ret. Marine| 12.12.09 @ 10:19PM

I tend to disagree with this statement, "we don't have to wait for the muslims to take over, they already have"
Not likely. There are a lot of lies over the muslim's intentions here. There are the liberals who think in such manner without understanding they are the ones who have been fooled by the words and actions of the mouth peices of CAIR just for one example, peaceful religion, we are patriotic americans. Nothing could be further from the truth. They may claim to have millions in their numbers, (CAIR claims to have over 6+million) but, in truth the numbers according to the US Census puts these numbers at around 3.5 million at the most. They may claim to have political clout, but recent revelations about this muslim clout was made clear when the FBI recently cut ties to CAIR because of ongoing investigations and their connection to terrorist funding and support. Virtually all ties from and leading to CAIR are connected to the muslim brotherhood, a known terrorist organization recently exposed through the Holy Land Foundation Trial last year.
Mr. klinton was fooled, most of the Democratic Black Caucus members and I might add a few Republican's as well, have in the past taken dirty money from this Org. We now have a sitting US Senator who is the Chairperson of CAIR, two members of the Black Caucus were sponsored and elected by financial support from terrorist tied groups.
But more to your point. The dhimmi attitude seems to be coming from the liberal media, of course if one rely's upon talking points, rather than say, educating yourself on this so-called religion of peace, it becomes quite apparent that the liberal lamestream media has been sucked up into the many false statements coming from organizations affilliated to the brotherhood, and repeat, repeat and repeat more of the same lies obviously become truth to many of casual observers.
Yes, you are correct to mention the obsurdity that some how the religion of peace is some thing special and should and demands to be treated as such. They are special only in the manner that they are the only religion known to man to command and demand their soldiers, sunni, salfi, shia muslims to kill the infidels, or kifir's as they claim the "People of the Book "(Christians) and pigs (Jews) are the unfaithful to allah. They are correct in saying we are unfaithful to allah, but we as a Christian Nation are obiedent to God. Hugh difference between a moon-god (allah) and God, the creator of the heavens and of the earth.
Don't be fooled in their propaganda, it was designed to do just that. One day they may find that the Christian's have decided that too many casualities are a direct result of their "man made disasters" , and a second Crusade may just be the answer to the problem that is muslims.

Ken (Old Texican)| 12.12.09 @ 2:00PM

Take heart, Chuck D.
The militant muslims will shoot their own foot off....over and over again, until we run out of patience.
We shall win this war...believe it.

sam| 12.13.09 @ 3:02PM

Problem being most people are no longer devout Christians, and every generation less of us in the US are anything but generically "Christian". This will the world's lone Fascist religion without opposition as the ACLU and useful idiots on the Left all but hand the country over to them through the court system.

ChuckD| 12.13.09 @ 10:52PM

Exactly.

Sam| 12.13.09 @ 12:27PM

Why does this chat board always break down into anti-Muslim attitudes and praise and encouragement for all things Christian. Here's a news flash for you happy clappers: This is why so many people don't like you!

Why do you think there are so many assaults on Christmas? On Christian teaching? I agree- the left has taken it too far in trying to suppress Christmas, a wonderful holiday that is rooted in American tradition.

But do you know why the left gets away with it? Because people are just sick and tired of Christians like you insisting that we live in a Christian country and that your religion is always allowed to subvert the constitution just because of your tradition.

Plus, younger people like myself are annoyed by your constant squealing about how we're bending over backward for the Muslims and how they're all militant and out to get us. For adults, you people are some of the most fearful people I have encountered. Afraid that your religion is under attack. Afraid that our country is being destroyed.
You're bickering like petulant children who have had your toys taken away by Mommie. Start acting like adults. Otherwise, it will only get worse for you.

Different sam| 12.13.09 @ 3:07PM

Uh, "younger people" like yourself should take a look at the rest of the world - any place where Muslims move in and infect an existing society. The stated purpose of this Fascisistic religion is to make the world over to Muhammad's stated order.

Also, "younger people" like yourself should educutate yourselves about what exactly the religion Islam teaches with respect to those aren't of the "religion of peace" - for instance Islam means "obedience", not love.

Perhaps then "younger people" like yourself wouldn't be so sad to the rest of us.

Margie| 12.13.09 @ 1:50PM

Hello Sam,
I heard a marvelous book reading the other day. It was a book about the discovering of America, and the Christians who came here, including Christopher Columbus. There were included in that book some of his writings that had not been published before. It turns out that he was a true Christian man who was guided and prompted by God to come here. There is no mistaking it.
Sam, if only you knew how this country truly was part of God's plan for a country based on honoring and serving Him. That is indeed, our beginnings. But contrary to what you have probably learned in school, there is no "separation of church and state" in the Constitution. What the Founders wrote was to make sure that the government did not infringe upon the peoples freedom to worship, and that the government did not create a "state" religion. Christians were never about forcing a religion upon anyone, but are about the freedom to worship however you see fit.
The reason our country is falling apart has to do with the removal of God from our schools, from our society and sadly, our own lives. The Left in this country are mostly against all that is good and right and true, and that includes our media. They are lockstep "goons" along with the Democrat party and are hugely contributing to our demise. It's the truth.
The Light and the Glory by Peter J. Marshall is the book I mentioned. It would be a wonderful book for anyone to read.
God bless.

ladisney| 12.13.09 @ 2:54PM

Christianity has undergone the reformation. The separation of church and state, while not absolute, has been a strong tradition for centuries. Islam recognizes no such separation. Government, Law, inter-personal relations and relations with non-Moslem nations are all dictated by the Koran and the Hadeeth. Mohammed is the great example and all Moslem's should emulate him. That includes bringing all the world under the control of Moslems. Any Moslem who takes the words of the Koran and Hadeeth seriously knows this. It's time the rest of us realized it too.

Margie| 12.13.09 @ 3:56PM

The Constitution of the United States of America is our law. It is based on freedom, (as is Christianity), from Government having any control of individuals lives, and serves as a protection against any Government involvement in the forming of any Religion over us.
Muslims come here because they know they will be free to practice their Religion. But they are not entitled to take over our free country by force. That isn't going to happen.

Brad| 12.14.09 @ 12:52AM

Something is fishy about the comparison of Israel to the territories administered by the Palestinian authority: Christians have been emigrating from the PA areas to such an extent that in towns like Bethlehem, which have been predominantly Christian for nearly 2,000 years, Christians are now a dwindling minority.

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