YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The European Union provided an additional €400,000 in humanitarian aid to support the civilians in Nagorno Karabakh, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič announced.
This funding brings EU emergency humanitarian aid to €900,000 since the hostilities started.
“The EU calls for an immediate end to the hostilities that have already claimed civilian lives. We are extremely concerned about the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, given the upcoming winter and the aggravating coronavirus pandemic,” Lenarčič said.
The man, Abu Yunus Md Shahidunnabi Jewel, was beaten and burnt to death in public although everyone has the right to trial under the law of the land if he or she commits a crime, Matin said at a protest programme in Dhaka’s Shahbagh on Saturday.
“The burning of a man to death in Lalmonirhat was completely against Islam and humanity. I condemn such an incident,” he said at the programme organised by the Muktijuddho Mancha.
The leader of the Islamist party believes there were ill-intentions behind the killing of Jewel.
“Islam is a religion of peace. No religion supports violence and killing. An extremist quarter is trying to create anarchy in Bangladesh in the name of religion. Their main target is to tarnish Bangladesh’s image globally,” Matin said.
The speakers at the programme also demanded punishment to those who spread rumours over religion on social media and at religious gatherings.
A mob killed Jewel and injured another in Lalmonirhat on allegations that he showed disrespect to the Quran at a mosque last Thursday.
Jewel, a resident of Rangpur, is a former student of Dhaka University. Thet father of two lost his job as a school librarian last year. Relatives said he was undergoing treatment for “mental illness”.
FIVE ARRESTED
The police have arrested five people over the killing of Jewel.
“We are conducting an operation to arrest the others,” said Abida Sultana, superintendent of police in the district.
The police, the family of Jewel and Burimari Union Parishad filed three cases with Patgram Police Station over the incident.
The mob also torched Jewel’s motorcycle and the UP office, where the local UP member Hafizul Islam took Jewel and the injured, Sultan Zubayer Abbas, to save them from the angry locals.
Sumon Kumar Mohanta, the OC of Patgram Police Station, rescued Abbas and fled the Burimari Union Parishad office through the rooftop, locals said.
The mob stormed the office and dragged Jewel out before beating and burning him to death on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari Highway near Burimari Land Port.
UP Chairman Abu Sayeed Newaz Nishat said the union council decided to take action after watching videos of the incident.
Additional District Magistrate TMA Momin is leading a three-strong committee formed the district administration to investigate the incident. Md Rabiul Islam, additional superintendent of police in the district, and Patgram Upazila Executive Officer Kamrun Nahar are members of the committee.
Rabiul said the police did arrive at the scene but could not take control of the situation. As many as 10 policemen were injured, he said.
… described as “a new religion,” and is now making … quot; and the abandonment of religion. Still, there is no doubt … the birth of a new religion,” wrote Adrienne LaFrance for … said Molly Worthen, historian of religion and politics at the University …
On October 28, a letter has been sent to Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, asking for review of the future French “law on separatism” by the Venice Commission and the Office for Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE.
The letter was signed by several NGOs and individuals from all over the world, including the well-known Ligue des Droits de l’Homme, after it had been circulated by the Freedom of Religion or Belief Roundtable Brussels-EU, an informal group of individuals and organizations from civil society who gather regularly to discuss FoRB (Freedom of Religion or Belief ) issues. Writers raise several concerns about the law after the announcements made by Macron and members of his government.
Kishan Manocha, Head, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Mr Gianni Buquicchio, President of the Venice Commission
Mr Eric Dupont-Moretti, French Minister of Justice
Re: The announcements on the “Law on separatism”
Dear Mr President,
We write as an informal group of organizations and individuals who are scholars, religious leaders and human rights advocates. We are from many faiths or acting in a secular capacity, representing a high degree of diversity. While there is very little we agree on theologically, or politically, we all agree on the importance of religious freedom for all faiths and none.
We write to you following the announcements that you and members of your government have made regarding the bill on “separatism” that you plan to approve in the Council of Ministers meeting on December 9. While no draft of the bill has yet been circulated, to our knowledge, we have some concerns which have been highlighted by the announcements that have been made.
We acknowledge the cautious approach that you have taken during your official speech. We have noted your insistence on the fact that you are targeting radical Islam, and not Muslims, as well as the fact that you intend to respect freedom of religion or belief. We agree that terrorism is a real issue that needs to be tackled and that a strong response needs to be taken with regards to the dangers that are posed to the French Republic, and we deeply share the traumatisms that result from the recent tragic terrorist events which hit France.
Nevertheless, we are concerned that some of the proposals may lead to the opposite of what you intend. Furthermore, taking into account the statements made by members of your government after your speech, those statements reinforce the conviction that the measures being proposed will violate France’s international commitments towards freedom of religion or belief.
For example, you announced that you plan to ban home-schooling in order to protect children from illegal schools “often administered by religious extremists”. While we understand that these schools pose a threat, a global ban on home-schooling will affect the majority of parents that for many different reasons are using this freedom with satisfying results, regardless of their faith, or none. There is certainly sufficient provision in French law to organize controls and make sure that the children are effectively educated according to established educational programmes.
The “general concept” of the law was unveiled by your Minister of Interior, Gérald Darmanin, on Twitter. It explained that places of worship will be placed under increasing surveillance and “preserved […] from the diffusion of ideas and statements hostile to the laws of the Republic.” However, how will that apply to a priest or pastor criticizing abortion or same-sex marriage, which are part of the laws of the French Republic. What action will be taken against others who may speak out against certain “laws of the Republic” that penalize the poor and the immigrants? Or even if they criticize a law against blasphemy, as it existed still recently for Alsace-Moselle in France? Is anyone now criticising the law an enemy of the state?
Another announced provision that poses a problem is your statement and that of the Minister of Interior, where it is said that the law will allow religious and other associations to be dissolved directly by the Council of Ministers in the case of an “affront on personal dignity” and “use of psychological or physical pressures.” These concepts are vague enough to allow the arbitrary targeting of groups that are acting quite legally and without any violent intent but are in ‘disfavour’ by the administrating body. Furthermore there is no guarantee of judicial process or oversight.
The Minister of Citizenship, Marlène Schiappa, also stated in an interview that, “We will use the same measures against the cults and against radical Islam.” This shows that there is already a clear intent to deviate from the fight against terrorism and enter the realm of prohibiting religious associations on the basis that they do not please someone, simply because they are categorised as “cults” (sectes, in French).
Legislation aimed at terrorism is not surprising. It is a challenge that many countries face. However, States that have chosen to draft laws with such vague concepts as those cited above are States that have totalitarian tendencies (or are in fact totalitarian). Russia, for example, has passed an anti-extremism law that is now used to prosecute and jail political dissidents as well as members of peaceful religious movements such as the Jehovah Witnesses or followers of Said Nursi on the basis of their definition of “extremism”.
When the Venice Commission gave its opinion on law of the Russian Federation on Combatting Extremist Activity, adopted at its 91st Plenary Session, it stated:
7. The broad interpretation of the notion of ‘extremism’ by the enforcement authorities, the increasing application of the Law in recent years and the pressure it exerts on various circles within civil society, as well as alleged human rights violations reported in this connection have raised concerns and drawn criticism both in Russia and on the international level
(…)
28. The only definition of ‘extremism’ contained in an international treaty binding on the Russian Federation is to be found in the Shanghai Convention [on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism of 15 June 2001, ratified by Russia on 10 January 2003]. In Article 1.1.1.3) of the Extremism Law, ‘extremism’ is defined as ‘an act aimed at seizing or keeping power through the use of violence or changing violently the constitutional regime of a State, as well as a violent encroachment upon public security, including organization, for the above purposes, of illegal armed formations and participation in them, criminally prosecuted in conformity with the national laws of the Parties’. The latter clause allows signatory states to prosecute such ‘extremist’ actions according to their national laws.
It made clear that the only definitions of ‘terrorism’ and ‘separatism’ that could be used to take action against individuals or organizations require that violence is an essential element (incitement to, or encouragement of, violence or actual violence).
The European Court of Human Rights has already applied this approach to Russia, regarding a case that involved the prosecution of followers of Said Nursi accused of extremist activities, in IBRAGIM IBRAGIMOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA, which became a final judgment on April 2, 2019.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion of Belief, in the unedited version of his last report on the Elimination of all Forms of Religious Intolerance (October 12, 2020), stated:
17. A concerning number of mandate communications highlight the use of inchoate terrorist offenses that are disproportionately applied to religious or belief minorities. Harassment measures broadly linked to countering terrorism and protecting national security illustrate that in almost every region of the world religious minorities appear to be at particular risk of being designated “terrorist groups” and of having members arrested under “extremism” or “illegal activity” charges. A number of communications addressed the use of national security imperatives as the stated objective by some governments in criminalizing membership in and/or activities of certain religious or belief groups. Such an approach amounts to targeting, and ultimately criminalizing, the peaceful expression of a person’s identity.
19. Numerous State authorities have arrested, detained (sometimes incommunicado) and sentenced members of religious and belief minorities for undefined charges such as intent to ‘disturb political, economic or social structures’ , to ‘disrupt state sovereignty’ or to ‘overthrow the Government’. Such vague provisions fail to fulfil the principle of legality as enshrined in article 15 of ICCPR and give worrying leeway to States to arbitrarily limit the exercise of freedom of religion or belief of certain groups.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) recently released a new document called “Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security: Policy Guidance”. It states in its introduction:
While OSCE participating States have adopted different strategies to ensure that their own security measures are fully compliant with their international obligations and commitments pertaining to freedom of religion or belief, certain laws, security policies and practices have placed freedom of religion or belief and other universal human rights under significant pressure. Such measures, especially those that are very broad or applied arbitrarily, are often enacted in the name of “national”, “state” or “public” security, or in the interests of preserving or maintaining “peaceful coexistence”, “social stability” or “social harmony”. Experience shows that such limitations can worsen rather than improve security.
There are many more international human rights documents that deal with this delicate issue, but for reasons of brevity we are unable to carry out a full review in this letter.
We are at your disposal to meet and discuss this issue further. In any case, we respectfully but strongly recommend that you submit to both the Venice Commission and ODIHR the draft of the law when it is ready, in order to get considered international legal expertise as to how the law meets established human rights principles.
We feel that there is a real risk that contrary to your intention, the proposed measures that have been announced will lead to the targeting of Muslims in general as well as other minority faiths, and that it may well lead to a series of human rights violations.
Respectfully yours,
Organizations
Advocates International, Advocates France, All Faiths Network, CAP Freedom of Conscience, CESNUR – Center for Studies on New Religions, EIFRF – European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom, FOREF – Forum for Religious Freedom Europe, HRWF – Human Rights Without Frontiers, International Christian Concern, Law and Liberty International, LDH – Ligue des Droits de l’Homme, LIREC – Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion, Belief and Conscience, ORLIR – International Observatory of Religious Liberty of Refugees, United Sikhs, UPF The Netherlands
Individuals
Régis Dericquebourg, Président, Observatoire Européen des Religions et de la Laïcité
Michael P. Donnelly, J.D., LL.M., Senior Counsel, Global Outreach
The Most Reverend Joseph K. Grieboski, Senior Fellow, The Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute
Rimon Kasher, Prof. Emeritus of Biblical Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Nancy Lefèvre, Chairwoman, Advocates France
Brent McBurney, President & CEO, Advocate International
Kareem P.A. McDonald, Program Associate, Religious Freedom Institute
Greg Mitchell, Chair, International Religious Freedom Roundtable
Scott Morgan, President,Red Eagle Enterprise
Matias Perttula, Director of Advocacy, International Christian Concern
Malik Salemkour, President, Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH)
Frans de Wolff, Secretary,Dutch Network for Interfaith Dialogue
… say they subscribe to no religion — making them as … often lived near starvation, religion helped them cope with severe … of some conservatives. “Quiet religion rarely bothers anyone,” Boston College … . “Not so with loud religion.”
Trump ally Robert Jeffress, …
The 21-year-old Tunisian suspect arrived in the city the night before the attack, his brother had told the BBC.
But Macron, in a tweet on Saturday said contrary to what he had heard and seen on social media in recent days, France had no problem with any religion.
He said all religious bodies practice freely without stigmatization.
Macron added that France is attached to peace and living together.
Cardinal Parolin on the Covid-19 recovery: “the Church in the frontline for a fairer and more solidary Europe”
“The Church will be in the frontline during the long and difficult process of recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic”, stated Cardinal Parolin addressing the Bishops of the European Union at the COMECE Autumn Assembly held on 28-29 October 2020. Cardinal Hollerich on the EU: “a unifying presence of coordination and support for the Member States, but work must continue”.
In the context of the 40th anniversary of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), the Assembly of EU Bishops, chaired by H. Em. Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, welcomed H. Em. Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Francis, to exchange on some of EU’s most pressing challenges mentioned by the Holy Father in his recent comprehensive message on Europe.
Among the topics discussed were the role of the Catholic Church in the EU for a just, fair and ecological recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and for the promotion of the Common Good through person-centred policies, in particular in the fields of sustainable human development, migration and environment.
Cardinal Parolin highlighted that the Catholic Church has closely accompanied the European integration process since its beginning and that “the establishment of COMECE in 1980 was a tangible sign of the importance attributed by the Holy See to the activities promoted by the European institutions”.
In light of Pope Francis’ encouragement to the EU to be “healthy secular”, the Secretary of State recalled that the Church, while respecting the autonomy of political life, does not restrict her mission to the private sphere. “On the contrary – quoting the Holy Father’s Encyclical Letter ‘Fratelli tutti’ – she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the building of a better world”.
While calling on all of us, including the EU institutions, to “rediscover the path of fraternity that inspired and guided the founders of modern Europe”, the Cardinal assured that the Church would be in the frontline of the long and arduous recovery process from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. “This is an occasion to build a fairer and more solidary Europe that shares scientific research and investments for the production of vaccines and the care for the most vulnerable”, he said.
In their exchange, the Bishops and the Secretary of State also referred to the Conference on the Future of Europe, as “a significant occasion to rethink the European identity and its values, as well as to reduce the distance between the EU institutions and the citizens”.
The Cardinal stressed the importance for the Catholic Church to participate in such conference as partner in the context of the open, transparent and regular EU-Churches dialogue mentioned by the Article 17 TFEU.
The Assembly of COMECE was also an opportunity to assess various EU initiatives. According to the Bishops, the Next Generation EU and the Green Deal seem to be going in the right direction, promoting solidarity among the Member States and an ecological conversion that could benefit Europe and the entire world.
To put an end to the demographic winter characterising Europe since various decades, the Bishop Delegates highlighted the need for policies specifically supporting the family, “the basic texture of our society”.
Regarding the ongoing digital transformation of our societies, they expressed the will to be vigilant and ensure that it follows the integral development of each person and of all peoples, not at the expenses of human dignity.
After welcoming Pope Francis’ message on Europe “as an encouragement to keep working with the EU institutions”, the President of COMECE, H. Em. Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, expressed appreciation for the participation and contribution of Cardinal Parolin.
“It confirms the Holy See’s strong appreciation for the mission of dialogue with the European Union carried out by COMECE” – he stated.
In the context of the current pandemic, the Cardinal Hollerich recognised to the EU “a unifying presence of coordination and support for the Member States” and, in this framework, announced a message with a strong call for solidarity and hope elaborated by the Presidents of all EU Episcopates to be published in the coming weeks.
At the end of the Assembly, the Bishops condemned the terrorist attack that occurred on Thursday 29 October 2020 at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice. H. E. Mgr. Antoine Hérouard, Bishop Delegate of the French Bishops’ Conference to COMECE, led a prayer for the victims, “people who have been killed only because they wanted to pray to the Lord in a church”.
To comply with the sanitary measures established by the authorities of the Brussels Region, the COMECE Assembly was held exclusively in a digital format.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
The Apostolic Vicar of Brunei, thanks Pope Francis for “choosing someone from the peripheries” to be counted among his cardinals. Expressed his sentiments in an interview to Vatican News, Bishop Cornelius Sim described his Church as “periphery within a periphery”. He said the Pope understands that the Church exists in little places where there is not much publicity but where faith is very much alive.
Like other cardinals-designate, Bishop Cornelius Sim too was unaware of and could not believe he was among the 13 new cardinals, but later came to terms with the truth.
“For me, it was bit of a shock and unexpected” he told Vatican News. The 69-year old native of Brunei spoke about the challenges of the one of the youngest and smallest Churches in Southeast Asia and probably also in the world.
At his priestly ordination on November 26, 1989, Bishop Sim became the first native priest of Brunei. In 1995 he was appointed the Vicar General of what was then Miri-Brunei Diocese, and in 1998 he was appointed Prefect of Brunei. When Saint Pope John Paul II elevated Brunei to Vicariate Apostolic on October 20, 2004, he appointed Father Sim Vicar Apostolic. Thus, he became the first local bishop of Brunei. He was consecrated bishop on January 21, 2005.
Largely migrant Catholic community
Bishop Sim, along with 3 other priests, leads the Church of Brunei that is mostly made up of some 20,000 expatriate workers. The wealthy oil- and gas-rich nation has a population of some 500,000 people, more than 70% percent of whom are Muslim.
In this context, Bishop Sim said the challenge of the Bruneian Church is to “provide a home away from home” for the Catholic community that is largely migrant. The Church tries its best to support them, especially in times of trouble such as illness or death. It also helps them financially and with feeding programmes.
He pointed out that native Catholics, who are well off, need to build up their faith levels so that they can be “more conscious and more willing to be engaged” in many ways in supporting the Church.
Youth
The Church is particularly concerned about young people, many of whose ideas do not come through traditional channels but from their counterparts in their “own world” of social media. Hence their relationship with authority is not always like what it was once upon a time.
Listen to the interview with Bishop Cornelius Sim
Peace and harmony
His commitments in his new role as cardinal, Bishop Sim said, would be the same, which to contribute to creating peace, harmony and goodwill in cooperation with citizens of different persuasions and religions. As Christians they need to contribute to build a better and more peaceful Brunei. For Bruneians, he explained, the commitment to peace has a very special significance as the name of their country means the “abode of peace”.
In this regard, the Church that has been in Brunei for more than 90 years, the bishop said, has contributed to the nation especially through its schools. Some 60 percent to 70 percent of students in the three Catholic schools of the country are Muslims.
Priorities
Speaking about enriching the faith based on the sense of the community, Bishop Sim said he has outlined several priorities for the Church in Brunei, such as Bible and faith information, youth and family pastoral care, promotion of priestly and religious vocations, evangelization and social welfare.
The Church, he explained, is not just the liturgy, which is very important, but it also needs to build relationship, first of all within the community, starting with the family and moving out to society, such as the place of work and study.
Currently, the Bruneian Church is in the last year of its 3-year focus on the family.
“Periphery within a periphery”
Regarding his sentiments for Pope Francis for choosing him as cardinal, Bishop Sim said he would like to thank him for “choosing someone from the peripheries”. Describing his Church as “periphery within a periphery”, he expressed admiration for the sacrifice and hard work of Catholics to build the Church by strengthening links within the community for over 90 years. Even though there are many thing that need to be change, he said, his Catholics have been very faithful and loyal to the Church.
He said the “Pope is understanding that the Church exists in those little places where there is not much publicity” but where the faith is very much alive. Hence he thanked the Holy Father for making this clear about Brunei.
Not “in our little bubble” world
He further explained that “as a Church we are not one little group of people, all isolated on our own in our little bubble”. Rather, the Church is much bigger and as a community, it cuts across all boundaries of race, colour, social status, migrant or with permanent residence, because “all of us are children, sons and daughters of Jesus Christ”. He said, all of us are called to understand and live by this, stressing “you cannot have God as your Father unless you have the Church as your Mother”.
In conclusion, Bishop Sim expressed his gratitude to those working in the media at Vatican News for updating and keeping in touch with the worldwide Church.
HBO host Bill Maher panned Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s religion during a Friday night segment on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
Maher made the jokes about Barrett, who is Catholic, during a segment titled “24 Things You Don’t Know.”
“She is making it almost a completely Catholic court,” Maher told his guests before diving into the segment. “And she’s not just Catholic, she’s a Mel Gibson’s dad Catholic … This is a court that looks like ‘The Da Vinci Code’ now.”
WATCH:
Maher’s jokes included:
When my family plays Scrabble, we take out the letters l, g, b, t, and q.
I won’t eat Chinese food because fortune cookies look like vaginas.
When I’m stressed out I’ll eat a whole box of Eucharist.
I’m a classically trained liar.
My volleyball team was 10 and 3 against the other cults in our division.
I believe the Spanish Inquisition had fine people on both sides.
