Key Quotes - Religious Persecution

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Last update: Wednesday 25th March




The legislative assembly of Madhya Pradesh state on July 10 passed a more restrictive version of its existing anti-conversion law, effectively overturning the religious freedom guaranteed under India’s constitution. The bill, yet to be signed off by the governor, requires anyone wanting to change their religion to first seek official permission and obliges religious leaders to report conversions, and mandates a three-year jail sentence for failing to do so. That rises to four years in the case of a minor, a woman or a Dalit (untouchable). Seven Indian states have already passed anti-conversion laws, as a result of pressure from Hindu nationalists.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now, September 2013



Aleksei Shchedrov, a 28-year-old Christian, is facing a prison sentence because of his outreach to the homeless, it was reported in early August. Since December 2011, Aleksei has been running a shelter in his home in Aleksandrovka in the Grodno region that provides members of the street community with food, a bed, a bath and clothing. He also prays with his guests, and there is a prayer room at the shelter that is used by local villagers as well as residents. It is this prayer room with which the authorities have taken issue.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now, September 2013



The US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2012 (released in May) shows persecution against Christians and Jews is on the rise, especially in Muslim countries. Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia are among the many countries where non-Muslims are suffering persecution. Saudi Arabia prohibits any religion except Islam and enforces state restrictions on religious freedom. The report also devotes a section to the ongoing global increase in anti-Semitism, citing Venezuela, Egypt and Iran as countries with political and religious leaders who openly espouse Holocaust denial and anti-Israel rhetoric.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now - July 2013



A Christian B&B owner ordered to pay a homosexual couple compensation after refusing them a room has appealed against her sentence, claiming that she would have refused a double bed to an unmarried heterosexual couple, too. Susanne Wilkinson refused to let Michael Black, 62, and John Morgan, 56, who are not joined in a civil partnership, share a double bed in her Swiss B&B, in Cookham, Berks, in March 2010. Mrs Wilkinson, a married mother of four, believes that sex before marriage is a sin and "against God's law" and says that she refuses to let unmarried couples — whether straight or gay — share a bed under her roof. A judge at Reading county court ruled last year that she had unlawfully discriminated against the couple on grounds of their sexual orientation and awarded Mr Black and Mr Morgan, of Brampton, Cambs, damages of £1,800 each. Mrs Wilkinson is now challenging the ruling at the Court of Appeal, insisting that while her beliefs are "old-fashioned" she is in no way anti-gay.
Religious Persecution	Daily Telegraph June 21 2013



Graphic designer Jamie Haxby applied for a job at Prested Hall Hotel to assist with marketing and promotion; during the job interview he was asked whether he was a Christian as his portfolio for work contained work for Christian groups, it was reported in March. The interviewer remarked that as she and the other people on her team were atheists they would never work with a committed Christian, and apologised for wasting Mr.Haxbys time. Mr Haxby has tried to resolve the dispute with the hotel, but they have ignored his approaches. The matter is now heading for an employment tribunal.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now – May 2013.



The Christian owner of a printing firm in Northern Ireland faces being hauled to court over his refusal to print a gay magazine, it was reported in April. Nick Williamson says that the printing material would go against his religious beliefs. But the editor of MyGayZine, Danny Toner, has approached a solicitor and referred the matter to the equality commission for Northern Ireland. In 2000, in the case of a Christian printer in Canada facing a similar situation, it was decided that he would not be required to ‘print materials of a nature that could reasonably be considered to be in direct conflict with the core element of his religious beliefs or creed’.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now – May 2013



A police chaplain says he was removed from his post because he disagreed with gay marriage on his personal internet blog, it was reported on March 1. The Rev. Ross, a retired Church of Scotland minister, said: ‘Just before the summer, a particular senior officer read my personal blog and objected to my support for traditional marriage as, it was claimed, it went against the force’s equality and diversity policies. I was summoned to a meeting, which resulted in my services being dispensed with. This, I would emphasise, is before any legislation has been placed on the statute book’.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now, April 2013



Saudi Arabia has introduced a tracking system that monitors any cross-border movements by female citizens following the case of a woman who apparently converted to Christianity and fled the country. Women are not permitted to leave Saudi Arabia without the permission of their male guardian (father, husband or other male relative), who must sign a consent form at the airport or border. The new measure alerts a woman’s guardian by text message when she leaves the country, even if they are travelling together. It has been reported by Saudi media that the introduction of the tracking system was triggered by the escape earlier this year of a woman from Al-Khobar who had apparently converted to Christianity.
Religious Persecution	Life And Work, February 2013



Christian children’s worker Celestine Mba was, in November, told by an Employment Appeals Tribunal that her employer was justified in not accommodating her Christian observance of Sunday. The Employment Appeals Tribunal held that Sunday was not a ‘core’ component of the Christian faith because some Christians would be prepared to work on a Sunday, and thus Christians as a whole do not need Sunday protected.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now, February 2013



Head teachers in Sweden were told that they could take pupils to Christmas services in church, but Jesus could not be mentioned, it was reported at the end of November. Advent services for children are part of the curriculum, but religious content has been ruled out by education officials.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now, January 2013



Christians Against Poverty, the debt advice service, has recently opened up 21 new centres, which drew criticism from militant secularist groups. There are now 218 centres around the country, with the new centres stretching from Glasgow to the Isle of Wight. However, this news provoked the ire of the militant secularist organisation, the National Secular Society, who put out a press release criticising the group. ‘This is another example of the Big Society in action,’ said Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society. ‘If you want services, then you may have to pray to get them. I don’t suppose CAP would turn people away on the basis that they refused to participate in prayers, but no doubt there are other organisations that would.’
Religious Persecution	Christianity, January 2013



On November 16, a high court judge ruled that bosses at a housing trust were wrong to demote a manager who said gay weddings in churches would be ‘an equality too far’. Adrian Smith, a Christian, made the remark outside work time on his personal Facebook page, which was not visible to the general public. But bosses at Trafford Housing Trust, near Manchester, took action against Mr Smith saying the comments amounted to ‘gross misconduct’ and could bring the Trust into disrepute. It emerged in evidence that the trust was worried it could lose a gay rights charter award unless it took action against Mr Smith. However, the judge, Mr Justice Briggs, said the Trust had no right to demote Mr Smith over his Facebook comments, and that the Trust’s actions were a ‘serious’ breach of his contract.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now, December 2012



Following a court hearing on September 17, a judge has ruled that a Christian owner of a B&B broke equality laws when she didn’t allow a gay couple to share a double bed. Susanne Wilkinson has been ordered to pay £3,600 in damages for hurt feelings to the two men. However, the judge accepted that Mrs. Wilkinson was genuine about her Christian beliefs and that she has stopped unmarried heterosexual couples from sharing a double bed. He has granted her permission to appeal.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now, November 2012



On September 10th 2012 Christina Summers was excluded from the Green Party of councillors in Brighton for expressing on views on same-sex marriage. Christina voted against a motion to support the government’s plan to legalise same-sex marriage at a council meeting in July. In a local newspaper she made it clear she voted against it because of her faith: “I’m accountable to God above any political party”. Christina is taking legal advice from the Christian Legal Centre to decide whether to seek a judicial review over her dismissal.
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now – October 2012



A district judge in Brighton on September 17 struck out all charges against Christian pro-life campaigner Andrew Stephenson, while the previous week the case against his fellow campaigner, Kathryn Sloane, was dismissed during the same trial. Andy and Kathryn were arrested in June 2011 for showing pictures of aborted babies outside the Wistons BPAS abortion clinic in Brighton. They belong to campaign group Abort67, which has held peaceful demonstrations outside the clinic for the past five years. Following the outcome of the case, lawyers representing the pair were seeking an urgent meeting with leaders of the Association of Chief Police Officers to examine how the Public Order Act is being interpreted and used by police with regard to public expression and demonstration, especially that motivated by religious belief. Christian Concern
Religious Persecution	Evangelicals Now October 2012

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