Holy See at UN advocates debt relief for poor countries – Vatican News

9 October 2020

By Vatican News staff writer

“Every decision and policy on economic or financial issues impacts the lives of individuals, families and the well-being of society as a whole.” With this premise, the Holy See is encouraging debt restructuring, and ultimately debt cancellation for the most vulnerable countries, to address the growing economic imbalances and the other crises they face as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, made this call on Thursday during the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly.

He pointed out in a statement that due to the demands imposed on the poorer countries by debt servicing and the economic impact of the pandemic, many of them are obliged to “divert scarce national resources from fundamental programs of education, health and infrastructure to debt payments.”

Archbishop Caccia reminded the UN, addressing the committee on macroeconomic policy in particular, that its work should ponder the “ethical implications to achieve economic prosperity for all in order to allow every person to thrive, and for countries to live in peace and stability.” As such, decisions and policies on economic or financial issues that impact the lives of individuals, families and the well-being of society as a whole “must be considered in a much broader light than only immediate financial gain or success.”

Table of Contents

Covid-19 and the economy

Archbishop Caccia highlighted that financial inclusion and sustainable development have been affected by the Covid-19 health crisis due to its devastating impact on employment, production and international and national trade. No one, he notes – from States to families and individuals – has escaped the economic hardships caused by the pandemic.

However, some have felt the impact more than others. Developing countries, he says, are being hit with “a triple economic shock of collapsing export demand, falling commodity prices and unprecedented capital flight,” in addition to handling the pandemic with often inadequate health systems.

Recovering together

To address these hardships, Archbishop Caccia proposes working together to ensure that the economic “recovery packages” and “regeneration packages” are serving the common good. In particular, he highlights two sectors that need special attention in the recovery efforts.

The first according to the Archbishop, is micro, small and medium businesses. He points out that to revive the economy, funding should reach a large number of medium and small business enterprises that “comprise the backbone of economies” in both developed and developing nations.

The second sector concerns workers in “informal” employment. He explained that we have a “particular responsibility” towards these people – men and women – who are being laid off their jobs in areas like construction, catering, hospitality, domestic service and retail among others, and as such, find it hard to provide for themselves and their families. Many of them, he notes, turn to charitable organizations and religious institutions for help. Some others, especially the migrants and those without proper documentation, are unable to file for benefits.

Debt restructuring/cancellation

Archbishop Caccia said there is extensive evidence that developing nations, faced with the obligation of diverting scarce resources towards debt repayment, risk undermining “integral development, weaken healthcare and education systems, as well as reduce the capacity of States to create conditions for the realization of fundamental human rights.”

The Archbishop, therefore, urged the international community to address the economic imbalances between nations by debt restructuring and ultimately cancellation “in recognition of the severe impacts of the medical, social and economic crises” faced by the most vulnerable countries as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

He also called on the international community to combat Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) which, by diverting resources from public spending and cutting the capital available for private investment, “deprive countries of the desperately needed resources to provide public services, fund poverty-reduction programs and improve infrastructure.”

Concluding, Archbishop Caccia encouraged the UN to “find ways to stress the broader and ethical implications of economic activity in the years to come” and emphasized the need to transform the economy to be “genuinely at the service of the human person.”

Pope Francis

The Pope has repeatedly stressed the need for a new economic model especially as countries restart after the Covid-19 pandemic. He has often said that the “only way out of the current crisis is together.”

During his Urbi et orbi for Easter, he specifically addressed the topic of debt relief. “In light of the present circumstances,” Pope Francis said, “may international sanctions be relaxed, since these make it difficult for countries on which they have been imposed to provide adequate support to their citizens, and may all nations be put in a position to meet the greatest needs of the moment through the reduction, if not the forgiveness, of the debt burdening the balance sheets of the poorest nations.”

In his latest Encyclical Fratelli tutti, he spoke about debt relief within the context of the fundamental right of peoples to subsist and grow. This right, he said, is at times “severely restricted by the pressure created by foreign debt.” That debt stifles and severely limits development, he continued. “While respecting the principle that all legitimately acquired debt must be repaid, the way in which many poor countries fulfil this obligation should not end up compromising their very existence and growth.”

After rejecting Mercosur trade deal on climate demands, EU parliament votes to drastically cut greenhouse gases by 2030

Newsdesk

9 October 2020

After rejecting Mercosur trade deal on climate demands, EU parliament votes to drastically cut greenhouse gases by 2030

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    <figure class=""><a href="/data/cache/noticias/78355/0x0/parliament.jpg" class="gallery" title="Results of the vote released on Thursday confirm their preliminary votes earlier this week on a landmark law to make the EU's climate targets legally binding"><img src="/data/cache/noticias/78355/760x480/parliament.jpg" alt="Results of the vote released on Thursday confirm their preliminary votes earlier this week on a landmark law to make the EU's climate targets legally binding"/></a>&#13;
        <span>Results of the vote released on Thursday confirm their preliminary votes earlier this week on a landmark law to make the EU's climate targets legally binding</span>        </figure><div class="img-container">
                    <figure class="small"><a class="gallery" href="/data/cache/noticias/78355/0x0/emissions-de.jpg" title="Groups representing investors with €62 trillion in assets under management, urged  EU leaders to agree an emissions-cutting target of at least 55% for 2030"><img src="/data/cache/noticias/78355/300x190/emissions-de.jpg" alt="Groups representing investors with €62 trillion in assets under management, urged  EU leaders to agree an emissions-cutting target of at least 55% for 2030"/></a>&#13;
            <span>Groups representing investors with €62 trillion in assets under management, urged  EU leaders to agree an emissions-cutting target of at least 55% for 2030</span>            </figure></div>

    European Union lawmakers have backed a plan to cut greenhouse gases by 60% from 1990 levels by 2030, hoping member states will not try to water the target down during upcoming negotiations.

    Results of the vote released on Thursday confirm their preliminary votes earlier this week on a landmark law to make the EU's climate targets legally binding. The law, which contains the new EU emissions-cutting goal for 2030, passed by a large majority of 231 votes.

Parliament must now agree the final law with the EU’s 27 member countries, only a few of whom have said they would support a 60% emissions-cutting target. Lawmakers want to avoid countries whittling it away to below the level of emissions cuts proposed by the EU executive of at least 55%. The EU’s current 2030 target is a 40% emissions cut.

Parliament also supported a proposal to launch an independent scientific council to advise on climate policy – a system already in place in Britain and Sweden – and a carbon budget, setting out the emissions the EU could produce without scuppering its climate commitments.

In the same vein on Wednesday the European Parliament symbolically rejected the European Union-Mercosur free-trade agreement due to what several parliamentarians have called “deep concern about the environmental policy of Jair Bolsonaro.”

In an unprecedented move, Parliament’s plenary approved an amendment in a report on the application of European trade policy, emphasizing that the “EU-Mercosur agreement cannot be ratified in its current form.”

This amendment received 345 votes in favor, 295 against, and 56 abstentions. It is highly symbolic and not mandatory, but it reflects the extremely difficult environment to implement the bi-regional agreement which has been negotiated over the past 20 years.

In practice, the need for additional guarantees by the Bolsonaro government in the environmental area will be essential for Europeans to decide whether or not to move to ratify the bi-regional agreement.

With climate-related impacts such as more intense heat waves and wildfires already felt across Europe, and thousands of young people taking to the streets last month to demand tougher action, the EU is under pressure to ramp up its climate policies.

Groups representing investors with €62 trillion in assets under management, plus hundreds of businesses and non-governmental organizations on Thursday wrote to EU leaders urging them to agree an emissions-cutting target of at least 55% for 2030.

Scientists say this target, which has been proposed by the European Commission, is the minimum effort needed to give the EU a realistic shot at becoming climate neutral by 2050. The commission wants the new 2030 goal finalized by the end of the year.

However, the climate law will require compromise from member countries. Wealthier states with large renewable energy resources are pushing for deeper emissions cuts, but coal-heavy countries including Poland and Czech Republic fear the economic fallout of tougher targets.

Do Cuomo’s New Covid Rules Discriminate Against Religion?

Newsdesk

9 October 2020

Do Cuomo’s New Covid Rules Discriminate Against Religion?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has imposed new restrictions on businesses, mass gatherings and places of worship in towns and New York City neighborhoods with high rates of coronavirus infections — some of which also have large populations of Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. An Orthodox advocacy group, Agudath Israel of America, has filed a federal lawsuit against the new regulations on the grounds that they violate the right to free exercise of religion.

I have devoted much of my career to protecting the free exercise of religion. It is a rare thing for me to side with a government that seeks to restrict anyone’s religious practices. But this time, the government is on stronger ground.

Few constitutional rights are absolute. Free speech can be censored in extreme cases, as when it incites imminent violence. The right to freely exercise religion includes the right to take religiously motivated actions — engaging in worship and rituals and following moral rules. Very occasionally, such actions do serious harm. They cannot be absolutely protected.

No one reasonably believes that free exercise of religion protects a right to conduct human sacrifice. Faith-healing parents are prosecuted when they withhold medical care from a child, and the child dies. There is no constitutional right to refuse vaccinations for religious reasons.

With respect to both vaccinations and withholding medical care, legislatures have enacted protections for religious objectors. But no court has ever protected such conduct under the Constitution.

Pandemic restrictions are like these examples. Covid-19 kills some and permanently injures others; the threat to human life is real and immediate. Those who flout the rules endanger everyone around them, and this is sufficient reason for regulating even a worship service.

Whether a particular regulation is justified depends on its facts. How widespread is the virus in these neighborhoods? Do the regulated zones closely correspond to places where the infection rate is significantly higher? What regulation is actually needed to save lives?

The governor should have to prove his factual claims in the Agudath Israel lawsuit. But assuming that he has the facts approximately right, then the new regulations are mostly justified. The devil is in the details.

Under the Supreme Court’s current constitutional interpretation, the right to free exercise of religion is a special form of protection against discrimination. Religious exercise can be regulated only if it falls under generally applicable rules. If a restriction has secular exceptions, it must also have religious exceptions. These requirements are a challenge to governments writing Covid rules, which must be deployed quickly, adapted to rapidly changing conditions and applied to a multitude of human activities.

Lawyers for religious groups objecting to restrictions can focus on any arguably analogous secular activity that is regulated less intensively than religious activity. But the secular activities comparable to worship services are not retail stores, where few customers linger, but movie theaters, concert halls and other places where people gather in significant numbers and remain for long periods.

Nevada had trouble explaining why churches were more tightly regulated than casinos, another place where people come and stay for hours at a time. But in a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court refused to interfere even with Nevada’s regulation, and this decision may imply an unusual degree of judicial deference in the face of medical emergency.

So Governor Cuomo has wide discretion, but he does need to make sure that any rules are truly nondiscriminatory. And it’s unclear if New York’s new rules are.

The governor’s website says that the rules prohibit all mass gatherings in red zones. There is no discrimination in that. But the actual executive order applies only to “nonessential gatherings of any size.” What gatherings are “essential” is not defined. And that is a problem.

As compared to a total prohibition, houses of worship in red zones benefit from an exception — they are limited to 25 percent of capacity or 10 people, but at least they can meet. In orange and yellow zones, houses of worship can admit larger numbers than other types of gatherings.

But some of these other gatherings can claim to be essential, and houses of worship, it seems, cannot. This is a form of discrimination that would normally require compelling justification.

In yellow zones, schools and restaurants can open without capacity limits; houses of worship are restricted to 50 percent of capacity. People linger in restaurants, and students stay in school all day; it is hard to see how the governor can defend these distinctions.

Political attacks on the new rules have emphasized that the state did not restrict the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. Those were also mass gatherings, although they were outside, and it appears that more people wore masks, but that was hardly uniform. No large outbreak has been linked to the marches, but that could not have been predicted at the time. Both political free speech and free exercise of religion are at the heart of the First Amendment; speech is not constitutionally more important than religion.

The state’s failure to regulate the Black Lives Matters rallies was a mistake. But the state is not forever limited to the least restrictive regulation it has ever indulged in. It can restrict both political rallies and worship services if that is truly necessary to protect public health.

At the same time, the governor must define, and try to defend, the exception for “essential” gatherings. And he will struggle to rationalize the unequal treatment of schools, restaurants and houses of worship in yellow zones.

The lesson here can be briefly stated: Nondiscriminatory rules to protect human life can be applied to the exercise of religion. But the rules must really be nondiscriminatory.

Douglas Laycock is a law professor at the University of Virginia.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: [email protected].

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Campaigners against No Deal Brexit in Ely and Cambridge to press for trade deal ahead of the deadline to leave the EU

Newsdesk

9 October 2020

Campaigners against No Deal Brexit in Ely and Cambridge to press for trade deal ahead of the deadline to leave the EU

PUBLISHED: 08:56 09 October 2020 | UPDATED: 08:56 09 October 2020

                        <p class="byline">
        <a class="email" href="mailto:[email protected]">            <!-- Author Start -->John Elworthy<!-- Author End -->
        </a>            </p>
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                                                            <div>        <img alt="Campaigners against a No Deal Brexit protest in Cambridge and Ely" class="img-responsive lazyload" data-srcset="/polopoly_fs/1.6876049.1602230150!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_75/image.jpg 75w,&#10;                    /polopoly_fs/1.6876049.1602230150!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_145/image.jpg 145w,&#10;                    /polopoly_fs/1.6876049.1602230150!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_225/image.jpg 225w,&#10;                    /polopoly_fs/1.6876049.1602230150!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/image.jpg 300w,&#10;                    /polopoly_fs/1.6876049.1602230150!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_490/image.jpg 490w,&#10;                    /polopoly_fs/1.6876049.1602230150!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_630/image.jpg 630w&#10;                                        " src=""/></div>    
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                                        <p class="article-image-caption">Campaigners against a No Deal Brexit protest in Cambridge and Ely</p>
                                                            <p class="article-image-copyright">Archant</p>
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                        <!--PSTYLE=TX Standard Intro--><h2>Campaigners against a No Deal Brexit protested in Cambridge and Ely. </h2>



        <!-- Article Start -->



<div id="1.6876050" class="object-465"><img alt="Campaigners against a No Deal Brexit protest in Cambridge and Ely" data-src="/polopoly_fs/1.6876050!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_630/image.jpg" class="lazyload"/><em>Campaigners against a No Deal Brexit protest in Cambridge and Ely</em></div>The protest groups formed of residents stood outside Ely Cathedral and Cambridge Guildhall for a symbolic gesture, less than three months before the end

of the transition period.

It was part of the European Movement’s #No2NoDeal virtual action day, where they joined others across the UK who emailed their MP or arranged meetings with them to press for a trade deal with the EU.

Paul Browne, chair of the European Movement branch Cambridge for Europe, said: “As the UK faces a second wave of Covid-19, the last thing our economy

Campaigners against a No Deal Brexit protest in Cambridge and Ely

needs are the disruption, extra red tape and added costs of a no-deal exit from the European Single Market.

“Our manufacturers, exporters and importers need to be free to focus on recovering from the impact of the

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<!-- JWPlayer CAM: End Config > Contextual Article Video Code -->pandemic, and not on preparing for another, this time self-inflicted, crisis.”

Campaigners against a No Deal Brexit protest in Cambridge and Ely

Mr Browne added: “We know that any trade deal agreed between the UK and EU this year won’t come close to the frictionless access to the Single Market we had as

members of the European Union, but it will lessen the economic damage of Brexit and help our employers recover and rebuild in 2021.

“More importantly, a trade deal will lay the foundation for a close future relationship with the EU, helping us to join popular and valuable initiatives such as the Horizon Europe scientific programme, the Erasmus+ educational programme, and the EHIC scheme which provides

access to medical treatment to UK citizens traveling to 31 countries in Europe.”

He said the group was calling on local MPs Anthony Browne, Daniel Zeichner and Lucy Frazer “to act in the interests of their constituents, say no to no deal, and tell

the Government that it must agree a good and close trade deal with the EU that protects and supports our economy through this time of crisis

and into the future.”

Cambridge for Europe is a branch of the European Movement UK and says that “we hope that in the future the UK will re-join the EU, and work towards that goal”.

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Nigeria: Archbishop Martins calls for a return to the true spirit of Federation

officialinstitutions

9 October 2020

Nigeria: Archbishop Martins calls for a return to the true spirit of Federation - Vatican News

Catholic News Service of Nigeria – Lagos

The Archbishop made the call recently as Nigeria commemorated its Diamond Jubilee of independence from British colonial rule. The Archbishop also said that the year of the country’s Diamond Jubilee, 2020, has been the most challenging for all Nigerians due to COVID-19 and the high cost of living.

Table of Contents

We all need to be on a path to peaceful coexistence

Addressing himself to the state of the nation, Archbishop Martins noted that “not enough has been done in practical terms by successive (Nigerian) leaders to foster a deep sense of patriotism and oneness among the various nationalities that make up the country.” He said that it was shameful that sixty years after gaining independence from the British, the country was yet to get its act together. “We still lack quality leadership needed to guide the country on the path of peaceful coexistence, economic prosperity and security of life and property,” said the prelate of Lagos.

Military governments distorted the growth of the country

Archbishop Martins advocated that the Diamond Jubilee year be used, by all, to reflect soberly on the reality and challenges facing Nigeria.

“A cursory reflection shows that we are far below where we ought to be if we take into consideration the human and natural resources with which the country is blessed.” He added, “The advent of the military into governance has remained an obstacle to the growth of the nation.“

Federal states reduced to begging from central govt

Archbishop Martins pointed out that in its current structure, governance in Nigeria gives too much power to the centre. At the same time, the states and local governments have been reduced to appendages that go cap in hand to Abuja to seek for their survival from the Federal Government. “We must return to true federalism in order to become the nation that we want to be,” he said.

Selfishness and disregard for the common good have made it impossible for the Federal Republic to function as it was meant to at independence, declared the Archbishop. He appealed for selfless leadership and patriotism.

The Grace of God has kept us together

Notwithstanding challenges, Archbishop Martins attributed the fact that the country has held together, for the past 60 years, to the grace of God and the resilience of its people. The people, said the Archbishop, have persevered under successive government leaders that have not had the best interests of the nation at heart.

“We thank God that we are alive to mark the Diamond Jubilee of our country’s independence. We are an independent country still searching for how to become a nation, where no one is oppressed, and everyone feels a sense of belonging. In spite of all odds, we have survived for 60 years, and so we must thank God and praise the resilience of Nigerians. However, this year of our Diamond Jubilee has turned out to be one of the most challenging for most Nigerians,” said the Archbishop as he alluded to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic hardships.

COVID-19 pandemic

Archbishop Martins noted that the country was still battling with the effects of insecurity in the country when COVID-19 struck and made life impossible for ordinary Nigerians. He called on the Government to ease the burdens on the people in the face of rising prices for food and essential commodities.

The winners of the ninth edition of the Social Innovation Tournament

Newsroom

9 October 2020

The winners of the ninth edition of the Social Innovation Tournament’s (SIT) General Category are Navilens with first prize and BeeOmonitoring with second prize, whereas Sponsh and PlasticFri were awarded first and second place in the Special Category, dedicated to projects focusing on the environment and with a strong focus on biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. Furthermore, HeraMobileApp was the winner of the Audience Choice Award, a new category this year where awards are assigned by the audience based on their votes. CloudCuddle and PlasticFri were selected to attend the INSEAD social entrepreneurship programme.

The Social Innovation Tournament, the flagship initiative of the EIB Group Institute’s Social Programme, recognises and supports the best European social entrepreneurs. 15 finalists had been selected for the 2020 edition out of an outstanding group of 216 candidates in 31 countries. SIT is normally organised in a different country every year and rewards European entrepreneurs whose primary purpose is to generate a social, ethical or environmental impact. This year’s tournament was scheduled to take place in Lisbon but – due to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the world – it had to be moved online.

EIB Vice-President Emma Navarro, responsible for the EIB Institute and for the Bank’s operations in Portugal stated: “We are proud to reward Europe’s best social entrepreneurs and, by doing so, to promote innovative startups in an early stage of development. The SIT tournament shows the EU bank’s firm commitment to improving their competitiveness and access to finance with a view to turning good ideas into meaningful social and environmental projects. Moreover, at the EIB, the EU climate bank and world’s largest multilateral provider of climate finance, we are particularly pleased to see so many amazing and disruptive ideas that aim to improve biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.”

General Category – Winners

Navilens, from Spain, wants to make cities smarter and more inclusive by empowering visually impaired people with a cutting-edge technology based on a proprietary computer vision algorithm. It replicates the concept of using the camera of any mobile phone to read signage information for visually impaired people and its technology is much more powerful than a QR code. Available in 24 languages, it helps visually impaired users to be more independent in unknown spaces.

BeeOmonitoring (BeeOdiversity), from Belgium, combines nature (bees acting as drones to collect billions of environmental samples on large surfaces) and technology (software processing the data). Through the analysis of samples, BeeOmonitoring can monitor industrial and agricultural pollution, assess the quality/diversity of plants, make targeted improvement decisions and involve local communities to enhance biodiversity.

Special Category – Winners

Sponsh, from the Netherlands, developed a temperature-sensitive smart material that produces water from air, using the natural cycles of day and night. Launched in 2018, Sponsh’s first products are water-producing tree guards for reforestation projects, to help young trees survive their first harsh summers. After 10 years, Sponsh will have planted 80 million trees, turned 174 000 ha of degraded land into forests and absorbed 68 million tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

PlasticFri, from Sweden, is a CleanTech startup with the vision to end the plastic pollution catastrophe. PlasticFri’s mission is to change that reality by transforming renewable resources (agricultural waste and specific non-edible plants) into a biomaterial that looks and works like conventional plastics, but it is 100% biodegradable, compostable and non-toxic. PlasticFri’s impact is not limited to saving CO₂, but also contributes to reducing the impact of climate change, ocean toxicity, ecosystem disruption and habitat disruption while improving food chain quality and biodiversity.

Audience Choice Award – Winners

HeraMobileApp, from Turkey, aims to increase access to preventative health services, related to vaccine-preventable diseases and maternal health among Syrian refugees in Turkey. Before using the application, women are given a tutorial on recommended services and are taught about the risks and conditions during and after the pregnancy, the importance of vaccination for children and the situations that will occur if a child is not vaccinated according to guidelines. HERA currently serves 300 women between the ages of 20 and 49.

Background information

About the Social Innovation Tournament

The Social Innovation Tournament recognises and supports the best European social entrepreneurs. It promotes innovative ideas and rewards initiatives that contribute to creating social, ethical or environmental impact. Typically, it covers projects in the areas of education, healthcare, the environment, the circular economy, inclusion, job creation, ageing and many more.

All projects compete for the General Category and Special Category first and second Prizes of €50 000 and €20 000 respectively, as well as the Audience Choice Award of €10 000 for the project with the most audience votes. In 2020, the Special Category Prizes will go to projects focusing on the environment (with a special emphasis on biodiversity and ecosystem conservation). Two projects will be selected to attend INSEAD’s Social Entrepreneurship programme in Fontainebleau, France.

The prizes are awarded by a jury of specialists from the academic and business worlds. The Audience Choice is awarded by the audience, based on their votes.

About the EIB Institute

The EIB Institute was set up within the EIB Group (European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund) to promote and support social, cultural, and academic initiatives with European stakeholders and the public at large. It is a key pillar of the EIB Group’s community and citizenship engagement.

The EIB Institute supports social innovation and entrepreneurs who target social, ethical or environmental goals or seek to create and sustain social value. This is typically related to unemployment, equal opportunities, the marginalisation of disadvantaged groups and access to education and other basic social services.

Plenary highlights: Commission changes, EU budget and climate law | News | European Parliament

officialinstitutions

9 October 2020

Plenary highlights: Commission changes, EU budget and climate law | News | European Parliament

, 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

Robert Johnson

9 October 2020

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.

10.08.2020.-World-Day-Against-Death-Penalty Download

The new religion of being ‘woke’

Newsdesk

9 October 2020

Julie Reeder

        <!-- 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

BWNS

9 October 2020

Bahá’í-inspired university in Bolivia draws on experiences from first wave of COVID-19 to support staff and students as academic year continues.

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.

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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.

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.

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With the move to online study, the university has been consciously selecting technologies for its operations.

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.

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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.”

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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.”

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