, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201001STO88313/
World Community must take steps to ensure repealing of laws mandating death penalty for apostasy or blasphemy
This World Day Against Death Penalty The International Community must take immediate steps to ensure states repeal laws which mandate the death penalty for apostasy or blasphemy
As the World Day Against Death Penalty approaches over 10 countries still have the death penalty for apostasy or blasphemy.
Sixteen organisations, from different faiths and none, have submitted a letter to all UN member states urging them to take immediate steps to address this and to protect fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, freedom of expression, and the right to adopt, leave or change their religion or belief.
In the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, the Republic of Maldives, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, several states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Federal Republic of Somalia, United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Yemen[1] the courts can sentence an individual to death if they leave the state religion or express a dissenting opinion about the religion.
The death penalty, even when not applied, is used to pressure individuals to recant and to not practice publicly. One ex-Muslim described the laws as being a constant, “sword over our throats.” The UN Secretary General has noted this concern saying that even where a moratorium is in place the laws have, “a chilling effect on the legitimate exercise of human rights.”[2]
The death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy has also been shown to incite violence by non-state actors against those who leave or question the religion. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has said, “where domestic laws provide for the death penalty for religious offence, it is more likely that the existence of such laws will encourage vigilante mobs or zealots to murder those alleged to have violated those laws.” The most recent example was in July 2020, when a man shot dead Tahir Ahmed Naseem, who was on trial for blasphemy in Pakistan.
The hope is that this effort will increase the pressure on countries to repeal their laws on the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy following Sudan’s repeal this year, and further expedite countries’ full compliance with international human rights standards including the freedom of expression, and the right to adopt, leave or change religion or belief.
[1] Global Legal Research Directorate Staff; Goitom, Hanibal. Laws Criminalizing Apostasy, 1 June 2014, www.loc.gov/law/help/apostasy/index.php. Some regions in Northern Nigeria also have the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy.
[2] UN Human Rights Council, Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, Capital punishment and the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, A/HRC/42/28 (28 August 2019), available from undocs.org/en/A/HRC/42/28.
The new religion of being ‘woke’
<!-- content -->Critical race theory, including anti-racism and white fragility, is the new religion of the left. Its followers are “woke,” and to even question the theory is to commit heresy. Words are violence. Silence is violence.
Young people are “true believers” with a sense of purpose. Having a group identity of all variables involves a primacy that is contrary to the post-racist society that has been the nation’s goal for decades and, in turn, it does damage to the very problem it seeks to oppose.
Critical race theory teaches that every significant disparity in life between White and Black America, including crime, education, employment, etc., is only the result of White racism or systemic racism, and to question it or even think about it is to volunteer to be made out as another ignorant racist who doesn’t get it. This “advanced, higher reasoning” is the new faith, and people question the true elect in this religion at their peril. They may lose their job if they question its infallibility. In fact if someone does question it – that is a sign that they are not only ignorant, but guilty and racist.
It’s a foundation of moral ideas and impulses masquerading as knowledge.
It demands all of society be reprogrammed.
It’s the doctrine of a new religion. There is inequality, depending on whether the self-proclaimed prophets deem a person as oppressed or oppressor based solely on the color of their skin, and unlike other religions, there is no forgiveness, no grace and no redemption.
It’s pernicious and dangerous that they purport to possess actionable information by which other people should live their lives.
While it has the tenets of a religion, it rests in stark contrast to the Judeo-Christian religions and the principles on which the country was founded. In America, citizens are free to believe or not believe in God, but realize that many of the American freedoms, culture and prosperity they enjoy are a direct consequence of those ideas and philosophies.
Judeo-Christian principles call for the ideas of equality and liberty, separation of powers, basic laws that govern human behavior and checks and balances. It values debate and free speech to protect other freedoms. It values personal responsibility, charity and peace and the right to not believe in a religion.
It struck me recently that as I grew up, my Christian religion taught me that my problem was not primarily with others but was an inherent problem with me, as with all humanity. It wasn’t just racism, although racism would be one problem of many. I was taught “red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight,” and we are all made in the image of God.
I learned that the inherent consequence and proof of “sin” is why parents have to teach their children not to lie, cheat, steal or treat others badly. And, just like when someone breaks the law, there has to be restitution. That’s where Jesus dying in our place comes into play. Then there is forgiveness, liberation and freedom to serve and love others with the love we’ve been shown. In the Bible and New Testament, the foundation of Judeo-Christian thought is that people should love and treat others the way they want to be treated. They are to live their lives striving for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control – not power. If someone needs a coat, give him your shirt also. Take care of widows, the poor, people in prison, etc. And truth is to be sought after. It’s imperative.
Judeo-Christian teaching is not a White man’s teaching. It comes from the Jewish/Hebrew people of the Middle East. Again, believe in it or not, love it or hate it, it was the foundation of our country and the belief that everyone has inalienable rights given to them by God and not the government or a local group of any kind. People have the right to liberty and justice for everyone. It’s why after the Revolutionary War, which separated us from England and founded our new country in 1776, it was unconscionable for slavery to continue.
And while people are tearing down the statues of leaders they consider more morally deplorable than themselves, remember that history may not be kind to this generation either after people continue to be enlightened by science regarding many things including human development, abortion, the harmful chemicals and technology and diets imposed on our babies and families and sex trafficking. Are people really more moral today?
My Christian religious leader questioned, taught and reasoned with leaders in the temples. He broke the cultural, racist, patriarchal and sexist traditions of the time by treating women with respect, even prostitutes and Samaritans, which was not allowed. He gave attention to the outcasts. He healed the sick, dined with “sinners” and the most hated people in the culture. He railed against the religious leaders and called them “dead men’s bones in whitewashed tombs.” He chastised them for making money off the people. He was innocent. Rather than lording power over people, his example was to be a sacrifice.
So, contrast that with the young people who are learning that they have “moral authority.” Rather than looking inside themselves, the problem lies with literally everyone and every social construct and system outside them. They are taught the problem is with all those other people out there. They are victims and have to fight for power, subjugation, revolution and control. They have no control personally for their position in life. Everything is stacked against them, and rioting and burning down cities has become a “useful tool.”
What we need is more love, more understanding and more debate.
Julie Reeder can be reached by email at [email protected].
University applies lessons learned from COVID first wave
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — Despite the challenges facing all educational institutions, Nur University in Bolivia has been striving to cope with present circumstances and adapt quickly by drawing on lessons learned from the first wave of COVID-19.
The Bahá’í-inspired educational institution has found two aspects of the learning experience to be essential during this time. One is that students should be closely engaged and not left to themselves. Another is that thoughtful consideration should be given to identifying technologies suitable for present circumstances.
“All of the staff are being especially thoughtful—for instance, trying to call students and determine their needs, and recording every online class for those who could not connect to live online sessions,” says William Shoaie, the rector of the university.
A special committee has been formed to look after the needs of students, speaking with them about their situation and helping them find accommodations where needed. Professional resources for medical advice and counselling have also been made available.
Conscious use of technology
With the move to online study, the university has been consciously selecting technologies for its operations. Mr. Shoaie says, “We are mindful that introducing any technology has implications for processes and relationships, because each technology favors certain kinds of interaction and can have long-lasting effects.”
In the first semester, which began in March, some teachers offered recorded lectures to students and interacted with them through group messages. Although this made lessons easily accessible, the collective experience of students learning together was lost. Some students were less engaged than those in classes that were held through group video discussions.
In the vision of Nur, education entails much more than conveying information and knowledge. “A lot of the learning process is based on interaction among diverse students and faculty, which provides something that the content of a course alone does not. People who study by themselves can learn the same subject matter, but in terms of the underlying skills, attitudes, and moral and spiritual qualities that one needs in order to contribute more effectively to society, it is better to work and learn with many different people.
“So an important aspect of adapting has been to maintain as much interaction as possible among staff and students.”
An expanded understanding of education
Mr. Shoaie explains that although the pandemic has created many challenges, the university sees new possibilities for enhancing educational approaches. “We are not simply trying to replicate previous dynamics and patterns,” he explains, “but are being proactive in improving the educational experience in ways that we could not have imagined before.
“Because teachers and students have been open to discovering new modes of interaction through the use of certain technologies, learning is no longer confined to set hours or a place. For example, students communicate in messaging groups when they have questions; teachers and other students respond, providing supplementary materials. Our minds were structured around meeting in person, but now the dynamics are more organic. The teacher’s role is that of a facilitator rather than someone who stands in front of a class and conveys knowledge. We have had to reconceptualize some things, seeing the learning process as much more engaging and participatory than before.
A new vision by the students
One student named Romina reflects on the transition in the mode of education, saying: “Even though this situation with virtual classes has been difficult, we have been encouraged by the perseverance and care of the university to continue, and have been provided with the tools needed.”
A unique feature of Nur University’s approach is that it promotes service to society as a critical element in one’s life.
“The spirit of service that we develop at Nur University,” Romina continues, “has meant that we have not been passive during this crisis. Rather, we have been joining friends and others to help alleviate suffering.”
All the changes that Nur University is making this year are allowing it not only to be a place where people are being educated, but to continue to serve as a body of people acting collectively to improve the condition of their society.
Sassan, a final-year student, says, “You can feel that the university has a new spirit this year. You can see it in the conversations friends are having and their commitment to serving their fellow citizens with a greater sense of purpose.
“The pandemic has strengthened the identity of students at Nur University who, as part of their education, are learning to be attentive to the needs of their society, seeing each other through this difficult time.”
Established 38 years ago in Santa Cruz, Nur University has grown to become a significant center of education in Bolivia. The university offers a range of programs in the arts and sciences and emphasizes the development of moral capacities as an important aspect of all areas of study.
Brexit talks face moment of truth, says European Council president
Talks on a trade deal between Britain and the European Union face a moment of truth ahead of a meeting of EU leaders next week, European Council president Charles Michel said on Thursday.
<p class="no_name">Mr Michel was speaking in Dublin after talks with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, about the ongoing Brexit negotiations. He urged Britain to put its cards on the table, saying the EU needed clarity about their position.</p>
<p class="no_name">“The coming days are crucial. This is the moment of truth. There is only one week to go before the European Council,” Mr Michel told journalists.</p>
<p class="no_name">“This is a challenging situation. We think we need more clarity and we will see if it is possible to make real and concrete progress,” he said.</p>
<p class="no_name">“The EU is doing its utmost to find an agreement with the UK, but not at any cost.”</p>
<p class="no_name"> Mr Martin said “the mood appears to have changed”. </p>
<p class="no_name">“There has been more intensified engagement . . . but mood is one thing; it does need substance to follow the mood. One needs concrete outcomes from the negotiations, and positions need to change. I think Europe has given good indications over the last while and they need to be reciprocated,” he said. </p>
<p class="no_name">“I have been very consistent from the outset that the logical outcome of this in terms of the citizens that we represent is to have a comprehensive free trade agreement absent of quotas and tariffs.” </p>
Universal Health Coverage ‘more urgent than ever’ – UN chief
Painting a gloomy picture of under-investment in health, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his video message to senior ministers: “Universal Health Coverage is not only essential to end the pandemic, it will also drive progress across all health-related SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]”.
“COVID-19 has made the need for Universal Health Coverage…more urgent than ever”, the UN chief upheld, reminding that it is also a major recommendation in the policy brief that he launched just a day earlier.
‘Global public good’
Other recommendations in the policy guidance include strengthening public health measures; coordinating a global pandemic response; and protecting other health services during the pandemic, including mental health and sexual and reproductive health programmes.
“We also call for funding for the groundbreaking ACT-Accelerator initiative to ensure everyone, everywhere, has access to future COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatment”, Mr. Guterres said, adding that it should be seen as “a global public good”.
The Secretary-General said he hoped the meeting would “build momentum for urgent action” to transform policies and systems to deliver health and human security for all.
‘Urgency, determination and innovation’
The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated that COVID-19 has eroded decades of progress towards ensuring that everyone, everywhere can get the health care they need without experiencing financial hardship.
Investing in stronger health systems is not only crucial in responding to the coronavirus but also to protect people from future health threats and make health for all a reality.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the pandemic has “exposed the geopolitical fault lines of our world” and strained the solidarity “so badly needed” to address the “shared global crisis”.
But far from derailing efforts to achieving universal coverage, “the pandemic must drive us to forge ahead with even more urgency, determination and innovation”, he told the virtual meeting.
The WHO chief reminded nations that investing in health is not optional, but instead “the foundation for stable, prosperous and peaceful foundations and economies”.
Promoting and protecting health also promotes and protects jobs, education, peace, sustainability and more, he stressed.
While acknowledging the crises caused by COVID-19, Tedros said that it must be a turning point, “a catalyst for making universal health coverage a reality”.
“The only way forward is together, working in solidarity for a healthier, safer and fairer world, as if it was a matter of life and death, because it is”, the top UN health official spelled out.
UN promotes greater universal health coverage investment – Vatican News
By Robin Gomes
As part of the response to the pandemic, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been issuing a series of policy briefs to provide ideas to governments on how to address the consequences of this crisis, leaving no one out. He launched his latest policy brief entitled, “Covid-19 and Universal Health Coverage”, with a video message on Wednesday.
He called for greater investments in universal health coverage saying the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of strong public healthcare systems and emergency preparedness for communities and economies globally.
Hard lessons from Covid-19
Guterres called on everyone to draw “hard lessons” from the pandemic, for which the world was not prepared. One of the lessons, he said, “is that under-investment in health can have a devastating impact on societies and economies.”
Nine months into the crisis, he pointed out, Covid-19 has claimed more than one million lives and infected more than 30 million people in 190 countries, with new waves of rising infections. It has cost the global economy $375 billion a month, about 500 million jobs have been lost so far, and decades of human development are going into reverse.
The pandemic has revealed utterly inadequate health systems, yawning gaps in social protection, and major structural inequalities within and between countries.
Healthcare for all
Even though health is a fundamental right and universal health coverage (UHC) a key target for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Guterres pointed out, at least half of the world’s population does not have full coverage of essential health services and over 800 million people spend at least 10 per cent of their household budgets to pay for health services.
The Secretary-General underlined the need for governments to invest in universal health coverage and to make public health programmes inclusive and equitable, without financial barriers. “Health treatment should not depend on financial status,” he insisted.
Pope Francis on healthcare
As Guterres launched his policy brief entitled, “Covid-19 and Universal Health Coverage”, on Wednesday, Pope Francis in the Vatican called for more equitable and inclusive healthcare systems that leave no one out. “Healthcare systems need to become much more inclusive and accessible to the disadvantaged and those living in low-income countries,” he said in a message to the virtual plenary meeting of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
“If anyone should be given preference,” the Pope said, “let it be the neediest and most vulnerable among us.” And when vaccines are available, there should be equitable access to them regardless of income, always starting with the least, he said.
The UN policy brief also made recommendations such as checking further transmission of Covid-19 through proven public health measures and a coordinated global response; protecting the delivery of other health services during the pandemic; ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to future vaccines, tests and treatment; and strengthening preparedness.
European Parliament adopts resolution on rule of law in Bulgaria
With 358 votes in favour, 277 against and 56 abstentions, MEPs adopted the resolution on the rule of law in Bulgaria. The document calls for full and unconditional respect for European values, BNR reported.
The European Parliament regrets the significant deterioration in the compliance with the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights in Bulgaria, including the independence of the judiciary, the separation of powers, the fight against corruption and freedom of the media.
The continuing systemic problems in the judiciary have been criticized. The resolution expresses solidarity with the demands for justice, transparency and democracy, concerns about the process of constitutional reform and changes to the election law before the elections.
The resolution is not legally binding. Prior to the vote, Socialist and Green groups voted in favour of the resolution, while the European People’s Party voted against.
European Parliament urges leaders to snub Saudi G20
The European Parliament on Thursday voted to downgrade its attendance at the November G20 summit in Saudi Arabia over human rights concerns, and to urge for sanctions.
The bill is one of the strongest political messages the institution has ever issued on Saudi Arabia and comes on the two-year anniversary of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
MEPs approved a wide-ranging resolution that condemns Saudi human rights abuses and urges the European Union to downgrade its representation at the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit to avoid legitimizing human rights violations.
Belgian MEP and vice chair of the delegation for the relations with Arab Peninsula Marc Tarabella said: “We are all aware of the importance of Saudi Arabia as a partner of the European Union and for the stability of the Middle East. However, this must not be an alibi for violating human rights.”
“The assassination of Khasoggi remains unpunished, Raif Badawi is still in prison; Loujain al-Hathloul and the women activists and even members of the royal family like Prince Salman Abdulaziz and Princess Basmah are detained without charges for years.
“For these reasons, with this resolution we strongly urge the Presidents Von der Leyen and Charles Michel to reconsider EU’s participation in the G20 summit organized by the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in November. This would be an opportunity for the EU to show coherence with its values and to not legitimize the impunity for the crimes committed in Saudi Arabia.”
Read more: UN slams Saudi Arabia in rare rebuke
Human rights violations
The bills lists a litany of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, including, but not limited to:
- The flogging of dissident author Raif Badawi
- The imprisonment and death sentence of teenage activist Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr
- The prosecution of women’s rights activists
- The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
- Humanitarian violations in Yemen
- Ill treatment of Ethiopian migrants
- Poor working conditions for migrant laborers
- Numerous executions
The bill could mean that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel will not attend November’s virtual summit in Riyadh, if they heed the call of the Parliament.
The joint resolution was written by MEPs from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group, the Renew Europe group and the Greens–European Free Alliance. The dominant center-right European People’s Party group was not involved in the resolution.
Khashoggi sanctions
The bill also calls on Saudi Arabia to:
- Accept and care for refugees from Yemen
- End abuse and torture of those in detention
- End migrant deportations
- Allow investigations into human rights violations
- Allow rights monitors into the country
- Abolish the Kafala system used to monitor migrant laborers
- Declare a moratorium on death sentences
- Stop arms exports
Read more: Can Saudi Arabia afford human rights abuses?
It also urges the European Council to adopt sanctions against those responsible for the murder of journalist Khashoggi.
Sources within the European Parliament said the bill sent the message that the promotion of human rights and EU support of Saudi Arabia were contradictory.
“It would be quite embarrassing to see Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel sit next to Mohammed bin Salman,” the source, who requested anonymity, told DW. “If you want to deal with the EU in terms of diplomatic exchange, economy and trade, you also have to deal with European values and the respect of human rights.”
Pope intention for October: that women have greater leadership roles in the Church – Vatican News
By Vatican News
In his prayer intention for October 2020, Pope Francis asks everyone to pray that women be given greater leadership roles in the Church.
It has become the custom of Pope Francis to release a video message detailing his prayer intention for each month.
This month, the video is a collaboration with the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. It highlights the role of the laity, whom Pope Francis considers true protagonists in the proclamation of the Gospel.
In the video, the Pope asks especially that women be given participation in “areas of responsibility in the Church” because they “tend to be left aside.”
Over his pontificate, Pope Francis has made many gestures to give momentum to this desire to give women greater weight in the Church. The Pope’s Evangelii gaudium reads:
“Demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected, based on the firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity, present the Church with profound and challenging questions which cannot be lightly evaded” (104).
Fr. Frédéric Fornos S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, observes that “since 2013, much has been accomplished, but more needs to be done.”
He also points out that “by virtue of Baptism, we are all called to faithfully proclaim and serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to be missionary disciples of the Lord. Nonetheless, among the lay faithful, women have been consciously and unconsciously relegated to an inferior level. As Francis reminded us in Querida Amazonia, many women, moved by the Holy Spirit, keep the Church alive in many parts of the world with remarkable devotion and deep faith. It’s essential that they participate more and more in areas where decisions are made. This requires a profound change of mentality; it requires our conversion, which implies prayer.”
Full text of the prayer intention:
No one has been baptized a priest or a bishop. We have all been baptized as lay people.
Lay people are protagonists of the Church.
Today, it is especially necessary to create broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church.
And we must emphasize the feminine lay presence because women tend to be left aside.
We must promote the integration of women, especially where important decisions are made.
We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church, without falling into forms of clericalism that diminish the lay charism.
