Adventist Church president releases statement on persecution of religious minorities in Iraq, Syria Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 08.08.2014 | Religious Liberty It is with great sadness and deep concern that we have learned of the tragic situation where tens of thousands of Christians and others have been subjected to persecution, coercion, killings, intimidation and lack of religious liberty in certain areas of Iraq and Syria. I urgently call upon all Seventh-day Adventist Church members around the world to pray for the victims of this extremism in religious intolerance. We also need to pray for various religious minorities who are targeted because
Portugal grants two Adventists Workplace Freedom on Saturdays Lisbon/Portugal | 08.08.2014 | Religious Liberty Decision comes after years of Religious Liberty proponents working with government officials Seventh-day Adventists in Portugal welcomed a ruling from the Tribunal Constitucional , the nation’s highest court, last month that offers a step toward allowing greater workplace freedom to take a particular day off for religious observance. A decision handed down by the Constitutional Court on July 17 permitted two Adventists employed in a shift schedule the right to take off Saturdays for relig
Australian ambassador to the U.S. commends Adventist contributions in health, education Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 23.04.2014 | Religious Liberty Former Deputy PM Beazley says secular country supports religion Australia’s ambassador to the United States of America visited with Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders last week at the denomination’s headquarters, affirming the South Pacific country’s commitment to religious freedom and discussing the government’s ongoing financial support for private education. Kim Christian Beazley, the former deputy prime minister, thanked church leaders for hosting him in his first visit since he beca
Human Rights Day – Clip about Religious Freedom by Adventists Zurich/Switzerland | 10.12.2013 | Religious Liberty On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day on 10th December, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Switzerland published a movie clip on religious freedom in six languages. Using religious freedom as example it focuses on the universality of human rights. It was produced by young Adventists who are engaged in the film business either full or part time. Religious freedom also protects Atheists "Religious Liberty is an important concern for us Adventists," said Pastor Herbert Bodenman
In Ethiopia, dozens of Christian churches, among them Adventist, burned in interfaith violence Addis Ababa/Ethiopia | 11.03.2011 | Religious Liberty Religious extremists blamed for attacks in region known for harmony At least 30 Protestant churches in western Ethiopia, among them seven Seventh-day Adventist congregations, were burned down last week in a series of attacks by religious extremists from the region. Unrest was first reported on March 2 and has since killed at least one Christian, wounded several others, left personal property destroyed and displaced thousands of Christians, reports indicate. "The level of destruction
U.N. «Defamation of religions» resolution sees dwindling support <br> <br> Religious liberty advocates encouraged by 54 percent increase in opposition Geneva/New York | 03.04.2010 | Religious Liberty Support continues to dwindle for a United Nations resolution seeking to bridle potentially offensive religious speech, despite the measure's passage for the tenth consecutive year, religious liberty advocates said. Three fewer member nations of the UN Human Rights Council voted for the so-called "defamation of religions" resolution this year, a 13 percent drop in support from 2009. Opposition to the resolution grew 54 percent, with 17 nations voting against it compared to last year's 11.
Moroccan Authorities Raid Bible Study, Arrest Christians Marrakech/Marseilles | 10.02.2010 | Religious Liberty A large, military-led team of Moroccan authorities raided a Bible study in a small city southeast of Marrakech last week, arresting 18 Moroccans and deporting a U.S. citizen, reports Compass Direct News. According to local Christian leaders approximately 60 officers from the Moroccan security services on February 4 raided the home of a Christian in Amizmiz, a picturesque city of 10,000 mainly Berber people 56 kilometers southeast of Marrakech. A church Bible study was in progress at the home
Survey: Most American Protestant Pastors Find Islam Dangerous Nashville, Tennessee/USA | 15.01.2010 | Religious Liberty Two-thirds of American Protestant pastors believe Islam is a "dangerous" religion, according to a new survey from by LifeWay Research, a Southern Baptist-affiliated research group. The survey of more than 1,000 Protestant clergy found that 45 percent strongly agree with the statement "I believe Islam is a dangerous religion" and another 21 percent agree somewhat with it. Evangelical pastors were more likely to agree with the statement than mainline Protestant pastors--77 to 47 percent. L
Turks Threaten to Kill Priest over Swiss Minaret Decision <br> <br> Slap to religious freedom in Switzerland leads to threat over church bell tower in Turkey Istanbul/Turkey | 15.12.2009 | Religious Liberty In response to a Swiss vote banning the construction of new mosque minarets, a group of Muslims this month went into a church building in eastern Turkey and threatened to kill a priest unless he tore down its bell tower, according to an advocacy group. Three Muslims on December 4 entered the Meryem Ana Church, a Syriac Orthodox church in Diyarbakir, and confronted the Rev. Yusuf Akbulut. They told him that unless the bell tower was destroyed in one week, they would kill him. “If Switzerla
Adventist religious leaders disappointed with Swiss ban on new Islamic minarets <br> <br> Construction of Mosque prayer towers restricted after national vote Zurich/Washington | 09.12.2009 | Religious Liberty Seventh-day Adventist religious freedom leaders in Switzerland and at the church world headquarters say they are disappointed over last week's national vote in Switzerland banning construction of new minarets -- prayer towers atop Muslim mosques. The action, effective immediately following the November 29 vote, was passed by 57.5 percent of voters following a national referendum supported by a far right-wing political party. The country's three other main political parties and the federal gov
Religious liberty advocates oppose Washington D.C./USA | 08.12.2009 | Religious Liberty Religious liberty experts warn a so-called "defamation of religions" resolution slated for consideration by the United Nations General Assembly this month will invite restriction of religious speech worldwide. Meant to punish those whose speech may offend the religious sensibilities of listeners, passage of the resolution would create a troubling precedent for restricting freedom of religious expression, said James D. Standish, director of UN relations for the Seventh-day Adventist world chu
Former Baptist Chief Executive Officer Lotz receives international religious liberty award Washington D.C./U.S.A. | 19.06.2009 | Religious Liberty Denton Lotz, former general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), received the International Award for Religious Liberty on June 18, in the U.S. capital Washington D.C. Lotz, who was named General Secretary Emeritus upon his retirement from the BWA in 2007, was awarded for making "religious freedom a major focus of his ministry as church leader and church statesman," at the 7th Annual Religious Liberty Dinner, which was sponsored by "Liberty" magazine, the International Religious Lib
Ireland's 'blasphemy law' worries religious liberty proponents <br> Proposed legislation may restrict freedoms of expression Dublin/Republic of Ireland | 27.05.2009 | Religious Liberty A proposed law criminalizing the criticism of religion in the Republic of Ireland may defy international standards of freedom of speech and indicate a troubling trend toward more state control over religious matters, religious liberty experts say. Members of the Oireachtas (Parliament) Committee on Justice are considering an amendment to the country's Defamation Bill that will effectively ban "blasphemous libel," making it a fineable offense to publish or utter such speech. The article w
Adventist leaders, Romanian ambassador affirm commitment to freedom <br> <br> After decades of human rights restrictions, country enjoys full religious liberty Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 16.03.2009 | Religious Liberty The presence of 100,000 Seventh-day Adventist Christians in Romania is "proof" of the church's contribution to the country, said Ambassador Adrian Cosmin Vierita, Romania's emissary to the United States, during a luncheon at the Adventist world church's headquarters March 12. Vierita, who has held his post in Washington, D.C. for the past 14 months, met with Jan Paulsen, world church president, and church officials before the luncheon meeting. The Seventh-day Adventist Church's roots in Roman
Leena Lavanya to receive Baptist World Alliance Human Rights Award Washington, D.C./USA | 06.03.2009 | Religious Liberty Leena Lavanya of India is the 2009 recipient of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award. Lavanya, referred to by some as the "Baptist Mother Teresa," is being recognized for her work among the poor and dispossessed of India. Her "Serve Trust" organization operates several ministries, including homes for the aged, lepers, and adults and children living with HIV/AIDS. Serve Trust operates a school for children in one of the most depressed areas of Narasara
India: Christian-Hindu relations in Orissa still tense Orissa/India | 17.02.2009 | Religious Liberty Adventists who fled from violence have not returned, church leaders say Six months after violent attacks left dozens of Christians dead in Orissa, India, Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders report that conditions remain tense in the region. The August 2008 attacks began after right-wing Hindu groups blamed Christians for the assassination of a Hindu clergyman. Recent estimates put the death toll at 119, with over 4,000 homes destroyed and more than 50,000 people displaced from 360 villa
U.S. Human Right Commission urge Turkey to Implement European Court Decision and to go Forward with Reforms Washington D.C./USA | 12.09.2008 | Religious Liberty The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has monitored and reported on the development of religious freedom concerns in Turkey and calls on the U.S. government to urge the Turkish government to implement the recent European Court judgment as soon as possible. The U.S. Commission is a government entity created by U.S. Congress. The European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously this summer in a case brought by the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate that Tu
New U.S. Religious Discrimination Guidelines Aid Sabbath Keepers Washington D.C./USA | 31.07.2008 | Religious Liberty Compliance manual section strengthens worker's arguments, Adventist says [img id=1296 align=right]Seventh-day Adventists in the United States of America will have some support from the federal government as they seek to observe the biblical Sabbath, a religious liberty leader said. On July 22, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a compliance manual on workplace discrimination on the basis of religion. According to an EEOC announcement, the document reviews the
U.S. President Bush Should Not Attend Opening Ceremony of Olympics Games Washington D.C./USA | 12.04.2008 | Religious Liberty The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges President George W. Bush not to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer unless there is substantial improvement in respecting Tibetans' religious freedom, including by opening direct and concrete talks with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhists' spiritual leader. If the president does attend the opening or any of the Olympic games in Beijing, the Commission proposes that he first v
U.S. Circuit Appeals Court Upholds Religious Discrimination Ruling Fayetteville, Arkansas/USA | 17.01.2008 | Religious Liberty A United States federal appeals court yesterday upheld a ruling that a Seventh-day Adventist worker was discriminated against for not working on Sabbath. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a former driver for United Parcel Service (UPS), Todd Sturgill of Springdale, Arkansas, will keep his award of nearly US$104,000 in lost wages and court fees from an earlier district court ruling and will get his job back. The 8th Circuit justices reversed the award of $207,000 in punitive
Azerbaijan: Raid at Baku Adventist Church - Pastor and Church members fined Baku/Azerbaijan | 16.12.2007 | Religious Liberty Five Seventh-day Adventists and three visitors were allegedly questioned, fined and warned not to meet again after what the small congregation is calling a government "raid" on their meeting hall in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku December 8. The church members said seven men in police uniforms and six wearing plainclothes interrupted Church services mid-morning on December 8, initially demanding passports of those attending, they reported. The 13 officials searched the premises. They confis
Adventist Church Calls for Greater Emphasis on Fundamental Human Rights New York, N.Y./USA | 13.12.2007 | Religious Liberty The Seventh-day Adventist Church called on December 10 for a greater emphasis on fundamental human rights, both in society and in the church. Adventist Church's representative to the United Nations, Dr Jonathan Gallagher, was speaking at the launch on Human Rights Day in New York of a year-long UN program designed to re-affirm rights and freedoms ahead of the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. "Sadly since 1948 and the implementation of the Universal Declaration we have
OSCE Publishes Guide on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools Madrid/Warsaw | 27.11.2007 | Religious Liberty The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), will launch a new guide on preparing curricula for teaching about religions and beliefs in a manner sensitive to human rights concerns on November 28 in the Spanish capital Madrid, ahead of the OSCE's Ministerial Council. The 134-page publication, "Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public School", is designed to assist educators
Uzbekistan: Court fines two Adventist pastors for home church meeting Tashkent, Uzbekistan | 07.10.2007 | Religious Liberty Two Seventh-day Adventist pastors were sentenced September 27 by a court in Tashkent for "unduly organizing and holding worships," Adventist Church officials in the region said. The ministers, whose names were withheld, were each fined 80,000 soum, or about half a month's salary for a pastor, said Victor Vitko, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the Adventist church's Euro-Asia region based in Moscow. Two other church members will also have to pay a combined fine of 30,000
Adventist World President Assured on Religious Freedom During Portugal Visit Ponta Delgada, Azores/Portugal | 04.07.2007 | Religious Liberty Assuring a commitment religious freedom, the president of the Provincial Government of Azores, Carlos César, affirmed his support for equality of all faiths before the law in a meeting with Seventh-day Adventist Church President Jan Paulsen June 28. Though the Adventist Church is not large in the mostly Roman Catholic islands of Portugal, César said the church is "highly respected" by the community, Paulsen said. Paulsen said he was also assured that the Adventist Church, a minority, as well
Evangelical Religious Liberty Organizations Form Historical Network Amsterdam/The Netherlands | 15.03.2007 | Religious Liberty At a conference held from March 6-8 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, fifteen human rights organizations promoting religious freedom including the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) met and formed "The Religious Liberty Partnership" to find new ways of working together for the persecuted church. Chaired by Merwyn Thomas from Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), based in the U.K., the network will meet annually, while a working group of five members will lead various works during the year. The mem
Adventist Lawyers Review Services to Church in Africa Cape Town/South Africa | 01.03.2007 | Religious Liberty A conference of Seventh-day Adventist lawyers from throughout Africa was a first for the African continent. Religious liberty, the legal status of church properties and establishing legal offices were among several issues discussed at a conference of Seventh-day Adventist lawyers from throughout Africa meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 26. Lawyers reviewed their role in serving the church in increasingly complicated operational governance throughout Africa, and compared not
Russia: Church Arsonist Convicted in Novgorod Novgorod/Russia | 28.02.2007 | Religious Liberty The Seventh-day Adventist Church has faced in the past years multiple persecutions in some areas of Russia, including a violent attack on an Adventist pastor’s son in Nizhnekamsk, a killing of a night guard at an Adventist Church in Cheboksary, and an arson attack which destroyed the only Seventh-day Adventist Church in Saransk. In 2003 on September 25 a destructive arson fire destroyed the Novgorod Adventist Church. Now, three and a half years later, Zazu Nikolaishvili, a 39 year old man was
Serbia: Vandalism in Adventist Church Upsets Country Stapar/Serbia | 12.01.2007 | Religious Liberty The vandalism of a small Seventh-day Adventist village church in the province Vojvodina has caught the attention of the country's president, Boris Tadic. In his comments to the nation President Tadic said the January 8 incident was hooliganism and such acts must be stopped. The president also publicly requested that the police speed up the investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. Unidentified people broke into the Adventist church between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. in Stapar, in the munic
New Romanian Religion Law: 'Big Step' but Process Worrisome, Adventists and Other Religious Groups Agree Bucharest/Romania | 21.12.2006 | Religious Liberty Romanian Seventh-day Adventists joined other religious communities and human rights groups this week in raising concern over a controversial Religion Law whisked unpublished and largely undiscussed by legislators through both houses of Romania's parliament last week. Its passage violated national parliamentary procedure in the process, Forum 18 News Service from Norway reports. Lawmakers say Romania's imminent membership in the European Union explains the apparent rush and secrecy surroundin
Adventists Reaffirm Commitment to Religious Liberty on 25th Anniversary of U.N. Declaration New York, N.Y./USA | 04.10.2006 | Religious Liberty This week, representatives of the United Nations' (U.N.) Non-Governmental Organizations, among them Seventh-day Adventist delegates, are expected to hold a conference marking the 25th anniversary of the 1981 "Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief," reaffirming the organization's commitment to religious liberty and human dignity around the world. Though the actual anniversary falls on November 25, due to the Thanksgiving h
World Evangelical Alliance opened UN liaison office in Geneva Geneva/Switzerland | 02.08.2006 | Religious Liberty The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), acting as an evangelical roof organisation, opened a new office in Geneva, Switzerland, in partnership with the Swiss Evangelical Alliance (SEA). The opening of this liaison office in Geneva is part of long-term efforts to strengthen the voice of the Persecuted Church, as well as to influence world leaders in the neighbouring United Nations (UN) and World Council of Churches (WCC). The new WEA office will play an important part in the Evangelical work with t
U.S. Federal Court Rules For Sabbath-keeping Worker Fayetteville, Arkansas/USA | 30.06.2006 | Religious Liberty A United States federal district court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, has ruled for a Seventh-day Adventist who sought accommodation for his Sabbath-keeping beliefs. The worker was awarded U.S. $311,166.75 in lost wages and punitive damages. It is believed to be one of the few such cases in which punitive damages - designed to "reform or deter the defendant," as one definition puts it - have been awarded to a Sabbath-keeper. Todd Sturgill, age 41 and a resident of Springdale, Arkansas, was a 19-
Uzbekistan: Government Reportedly Closes Samarqand Adventist Church Samarqand/Uzbekistan | 19.05.2006 | Religious Liberty The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Samarqand (also known as Samarkand) has been closed by the Uzbekistan government, external media reports indicate. According to a May 17 bulletin from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "Uzbek authorities ... said that they have closed down two Protestant churches on charges of violating the country's law on religious organizations." Also the Russian Press (The Moscow Times and Interfax) reported that the Uzbek government had closed down two Protestant churc
Seventh-day Adventists Counsel Fairness in Approaching 'Conversion Code' Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 18.05.2006 | Religious Liberty Discussions by religious leaders over how conversion between faiths should be promoted must remember the rights of all individuals to select and follow the beliefs their conscience dictates, Seventh-day Adventist religious liberty leaders say. The Vatican based Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID) and the Programme of Inter-Religious Relations & Dialogue within the World Council of Churches (WCC), launched a three-year joint study project aimed at developing a shared code o
UN Expert on Religious Freedom Calls for Greater Support Geneva/Switzerland | 07.04.2006 | Religious Liberty In an April 6 meeting with non-governmental organizations, United Nations special rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief Asma Jahangir called for greater support of the fundamental liberties of conscience. Speaking in the context of the transition from the Commission on Human Rights to the new Human Rights Council, she argued for greater involvement from civil society to advance religious freedom. "Freedom of religion or belief for everyone is only possible in a world where there is
UN Commission on Human Rights Ends Work Geneva/Switzerland | 28.03.2006 | Religious Liberty The U.N. Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) has ended more than 60 years of work. During a concluding session, U.N., governmental, and non-governmental representatives looked forward to the Commission's replacement body, the U.N. Council on Human Rights. The new Council is intended to have greater accountability and transparency, and will meet more frequently. The Peruvian chairman of the UNCHR called the 62nd and last session of the Commission to order. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human R
Adventist Church Joins Pleas on Behalf of Afghan Christian Geneva/Switzerland | 24.03.2006 | Religious Liberty A 41-year-old Afghan citizen who faces execution over his 1990 conversion from Islam to Christianity is getting support from the Seventh-day Adventist Church as well as leaders worldwide. Global attention was drawn these days to the case of Abdul Rahman, who once worked for a Christian relief agency and who lived for several years in Germany. Now living in his native Afghanistan, Rahman was reported to Islamic authorities in the course of a custody dispute involving his ex-wife and children.
U.S.Adventist Educators Ponder Impact of Intelligent Design Ruling Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 23.12.2005 | Religious Liberty A December. 20 ruling from a federal court in the United States finds that "creation science" or "Intelligent Design" cannot be taught in state-sponsored schools because it has a religious base. Seventh-day Adventists are among several faith groups who are questioning that ruling. "Intelligent Design," or "ID" is a scientific theory that postulates a different origin of the universe than Darwin's theory of evolution. The ruling capped a six-week federal trial in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, bef
Turkish Authorities Harass Protestant Communities Istanbul/Turkey | 02.12.2005 | Religious Liberty Turkey’s Protestant Christian minorities experienced fresh harassment this past week from both security police and the judiciary, along with an attempt by vandals to set on fire one local church, reports the Christian news agency Compass Direct (CD). On Sunday, November 27, members of the Agape House congregation in Samsun, a city along the Black Sea coast, were disquieted by a large, white minibus parked in front of their church as they came to morning worship services. Church members sus
Saudi jailed to 40 month in prison for discussing the Bible Riyadh/Saudi Arabia | 16.11.2005 | Religious Liberty A court sentenced a teacher to 40 months in prison and 750 lashes for "mocking religion" after he discussed the Bible and praised Jews, the Saudi newspaper Al Madina reported November 13. The newspaper said secondary-school teacher Mohammad al-Harbi, who will be flogged in public, was taken to court by his colleagues and students. He was charged with promoting a "dubious ideology, mocking religion, saying the Jews were right, discussing the Gospel and preventing students from leaving cl
U.S. Religious Freedom Bill Gets Hearing Washington D.C./USA | 12.11.2005 | Religious Liberty The fight to protect the faith of America's workers on the job advanced slightly in the United States House of Representatives Nov. 10, when the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held what is believed to be the first hearing on the "Workplace Religious Freedom Act," or WRFA. Attorney James Standish, congressional liaison of the Seventh-day Adventist world church to the Congress, said the hearing was a milestone. A similar hearing in the United States Senate is expected sometime in
United States Releases 2005 International Religious Freedom Report Washington D.C./USA, | 09.11.2005 | Religious Liberty The U.S. Department of State released the seventh Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, which examines the status of religious freedom around the world. The annual report to Congress is mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and seeks to examine barriers to religious freedom in 197 countries and territories. The report also notes countries in which conditions have improved and outlines U.S. actions to promote international religious freedom. The 2005 report
Former U.S. State Department Official Claims Religion Washington D.C./USA | 06.11.2005 | Religious Liberty The major problem with the foreign policy of the United States of America, said Dr. Tom Farr, former director of the Office of International Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State, is that "we're not taking religion as seriously as we should." Farr, the featured speaker at the Washington Coalition for International Religious Freedom's October 27 meeting, spoke on the subject, "Still Missing: Religion and American Foreign Policy" to the 40 representatives that make up the group.
Serbia: Increased Attacks On Religious Minorities Belgrade/Serbia | 10.06.2005 | Religious Liberty By Branko Bjelajac, Forum 18 News Service Serbia has seen a sharp upsurge in attacks on religious minorities, with more than one hundred recorded incidents in 2004, double that of the previous year. This high level has continued in 2005, with more than 25 in the first five months of this year, Forum 18 News Service has found in its survey of the attacks, which range from slander and vilification of religious minorities in the media to physical attacks on places of worship and individuals. Bap
Eritrean Information Minister Confirms State Recognition Process of Adventist Church Asmara/Eritrea | 17.04.2005 | Religious Liberty The Eritrean government which has vehemently denied persistent accusations of persecuting minority religious groups, will soon permit the mainstream protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church to operate legally in the country, officials said. "The Seventh-day Adventist Church is about to be authorized, it is at the final stage of the procedure," Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu said, according the South African News resource "News24". The Adventist Church immediately welcomed the news
Eritrea: Adventist Church Welcomes Developments Toward Registration Geneva, Switzerland, | 13.04.2005 | Religious Liberty A positive comment on the process of church registration, made by the head of the Eritrean Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, brought a welcome from the U.N. representative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "Only four have duly registered and, as you may have heard this morning from the representative of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission, the screening process of their respective applications will be finalized in the near future. We urge other groups to follow the good example," sai
United Nation's Kofi Annan Calls for Better Treatment of Human Rights Geneva/Switzerland | 08.04.2005 | Religious Liberty United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan called for major changes to the way human rights are investigated and applied, saying the current UN Commission on Human Rights has been "undermined by the politicization of its sessions," and its "declining credibility has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole." Speaking to the current session of the Commission on Human Rights on April 7, Annan proposed new methods of better implementing the existing rules, ensuri
Geneva: Adventist Church Representative meets with Sri Lankan Ambassador Geneva/Switzerland | 02.04.2005 | Religious Liberty Following a request from Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations representative for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to meet with H.E. Mrs. Sarala Fernando, Sri Lanka's ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, an audience was granted on March 31. [img id=392 align=right]In a private interview that lasted forty-five minutes, the Ambassador Mrs. Sarala Fernando dialogued on a number of issues, including the recent visit of Adventist church president Dr. Jan Paul
Adventist Church Support U.S. Workplace Religious Freedom Act Washington, District of Columbia/USA | 22.03.2005 | Religious Liberty The mainstream protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church last week joined with other U.S. faith groups to advocate for the rights of American workers to honour their faith and remain employed. At a March 17 news conference in the United States Capitol building, James Standish of the Seventh-day Adventist Church joined U.S. Senators Rick Santorum and John F. Kerry, Representatives Mark Souder, Carolyn McCarthy and Bobby Jindal, and a broad coalition of faith leaders to call for the passage of t
Turkmenistan: Adventist Church Services Permitted to Resume Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan | 22.03.2005 | Religious Liberty Five years and four months after it demolished a Seventh-day Adventist church building, the government of Turkmenistan has allowed the local congregation to hold a weekly worship service on Saturday (Sabbath). Church sources report that between 75 and 80 attended the event, including local city officials from Ashkhabad. "We were allowed to rent a [meeting] place and [it] will be available till the end of this year," Pavel Fedotov, who is also president of the Adventist Church in Turkmenistan
Jamaica: Symposium Addresses Spectrum of Human Rights Mandeville, Jamaica | 08.03.2005 | Religious Liberty Suppressing religious freedom, a fundamental human right, can lead to violence and societal damage, said Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations liaison for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "One of the most frequent destabilizing factors in society continues to be the abuse of religious rights," he noted. Gallagher spoke at a symposium on "Human Rights and the Administration of Justice," sponsored by the Jamaican Ministry of Justice and Northern Caribbean University (NCU), held on the NCU Campus
Canadian Government Proposes Marriage Redefinition; Adventist Questions Clergy Protection Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 03.02.2005 | Religious Liberty The February 2 introduction of Bill C-38, the "Civil Marriage Act," to the Canadian Parliament, by Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler has raised concerns for religious freedom of clergy, congregations and individuals across Canada, according to Barry W. Bussey, public affairs and religious liberty director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. The bill, which is expected to pass the federal Parliament before June, redefines marriage as "the lawful union of two persons to the ex
China Readies Rules on 'Religious Freedom' Beijing, China | 22.12.2004 | Religious Liberty The People's Republic of China will implement a series of new rules on March 1. 2005, safeguarding religious freedom for those who worship in state-approved churches. The Xinhua News Agency and China Daily newspapers, both official government news sources, reported on these changes. The China Daily reports the regulations are "the first comprehensive ones of their kind concerning religious affairs promulgated by the Chinese Government," and are the result of a six-year development period. Th
US-Non-Combatant, Sentenced to Jail by U.S. Marine Corps Court-Martial Camp Lejeune, North Carolina/USA | 19.12.2004 | Religious Liberty APD A United States Marine Corps court-martial has sentenced a Marine, who came to a belief in non-combatancy shortly after signing a two-year re-enlistment, to seven months in jail, rather than separating him from the military. Observers say this is a highly unusual outcome for such a case, which is usually handled less drastically. Marine Corporal Joel David Klimkewicz, a native of Birch Run, Michigan, is married and has a 3-year-old daughter. He will be imprisoned, suffer a reduction
Slovenia: Religious Freedom Violations Must Be Combated, Adventist Leaders Say Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia | 17.11.2004 | Religious Liberty Increasing violations of religious freedom must be combated, leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe said last week. Church representatives from 21 countries met in a series of meetings from November 7 to 9 in Rogaska, Slatina, Slovenia. They worked on issues of concern, including the rise of religious extremism, the problems of intolerance and discrimination, and the need to defend freedom of conscience and belief. "Today religious freedom is more important than ever," sai
Turkmenistan: Arbitratry Rule at Police: Finding Nemo, Hunting Adventists Turkmenabad, Turkmenistan | 11.08.2004 | Religious Liberty Nine children were watching a video of the animated film Finding Nemo when police raided the home of an Adventist family in the eastern city of Turkmenabad (formerly Charjou) on August 7. "Without showing any warrant they immediately began confiscating all the literature they could find," a Protestant who preferred not to be identified told Norway based "Forum 18", an independent News Service promoting religious liberty. Police then put pressure on the owners to admit an "illegal" religious serv
United Nations Religious Committee Hears Adventist Religious Freedom Concerns New York, USA | 08.10.2003 | Religious Liberty Attorney Mitch Tyner, representing the Adventist Church, spoke to the UN Religious Committee and highlighted concerns addressing religious freedom and international law. "Religious liberty is an individual right which needs greater protection," said Tyner, adding, "courts and judges should not be allowed to mandate what religion is and to define religious activities." Tyner also commented that international documents that appear to protect religious liberty are weak and rarely protect
