Hindu radikáli chcú potlačiť náboženskú slobodu v Indii
Zastavme v Indii zákon trestajúci konverziu ku kresťanstvu
Zastavme v Indii zákon trestajúci konverziu ku kresťanstvu
Táto petícia - adresovaná indickej vláde, veľvyslancovi pre náboženskú slobodu, americkému ministerstvau zahraničných vecí a vysokému komisárovi EÚ pre zahraničné veci - žiada, okamžite zastavenie legislatívnej iniciatívy, ktoré sa usiluje presadiť anti-koverzné zákony.
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For a modern democracy, like India, this is a test. And, one that could be costly in their international relations.
This petition - sent to the Indian Government, the US State Department's Ambassador for Religious Freedom and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs - asks that the BJP put an immediate stop to this legislative movement. And, it also calls on the US and the EU to entreat the Indian Government to rethink this approach to sectarian issues, using the force of economic sanctions if necessary.
What are "anti-conversion" laws?
"Anti-conversion" laws are aimed at preventing Indian citizens from converting from Hinduism to another religion. And, although "anti-conversion" measures already exist in 6 of India's 29 states, this would be the first time a national or federal law would seek to restrict an individual Indian's religious liberty, which, theoretically, has protection under the Indian Constitution.
One of the BJP's senior leaders, and adviser to India's Prime Minister, Amit Shah, has supported the move, saying: "The government is ready to bring about [an anti-conversion law]. If you feel the state government's law are not effective, there is a need for an all-India law."
And, one of the proponents of the new law, MP Tarun Vijaya, is quoted as saying: "The bill will advocate for a non-bailable warrant to be issued against the person found engaged in the act [of conversion], along with a ten-year jail [sentence]".
So, this could well mean serious jail-time for Christians who simply express their belief in Christ.
And, it is well well-known that the "anti-conversion" measures, already in place on the state-level, are used against Christian and Muslim minorities in those states.
As the US State Department's "International Religious Freedom Report 2014" shows (especially in the "Government Practices" section), "anti-conversion" laws, at the state level, have been used by state and local authorities to harass religious minority populations - usually with trumped-up charges.
A Recent Example.
In September, "anti-conversion" laws were used to arrest and charge two Protestant pastors in the northern Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Revs. Sunny Oommen and John Alexander, of the Church of North India, were arrested and charged for praying in the home of one of their own congregation!
Coming to their defense, a Catholic Bishop, Bishop Almedia, whose diocese is in the same state, stated: "The law and order situation in the state has almost collapsed as government officials act (in a) biased manner against Christians."
What can we do?
These measures are clearly not in keeping with fundamental human rights and human dignity. And, any BJP attempt to nationalize these bad laws should be firmly rejected.
As above, this petition will be sent to the Indian Government, the US State Department's Ambassador for Religious Freedom, and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs. We will ask the BJP to reconsider this wrong-headed policy, and, at the same time, ask the US and the EU to intervene both politically and economically. Perhaps the prospect of economic sanctions will make the BJP rethink this unjust plan.
As the legislation has not yet been presented before the Indian Parliament, we still have time to affect the course of events.
Please sign this urgent petition, now!
Thank you.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34918431
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34943206
http://www.ucanews.com/news/indian-bishop-calls-anti-christian-harassment-a-serious-worry/74221
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"Anti-conversion" law is an unjust and anti-democratic approach to sectarian issues
Dear Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi,
Dear US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Mr David Saperstein,
Dear High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Federica Mogherini,
Recent media reports suggest that some Indian MPs, in the ruling BJP, are preparing to launch an effort to pass a national "Anti-conversion" law.
This is a dangerous and wrong-headed approach to sectarian issues. India is the world's largest democracy, and such "anti-conversion" measures would surely signal a lack of trust in its own citizens' thinking and decisions around religion.
According to the US State Department's 2014 Report on Religious Freedom, "anti-conversion" laws, which already exist on the state level (in 6 of India's 29 states), are routinely used to harass Christians and other religious minorities in India.
Putting this type of restriction into India's national legal code would be an unjust and regrettable move. Such a law could send a message to the majority Hindu population that the persecution of religious minorities in India is, somehow, protected by the state. As we know from painful experience in Pakistan, blasphemy laws, there, are routinely used to wrongly jail and harass Christians and other religious minorities.
For India, this would be a grave irony given its recent history of relative communal (sectarian) harmony.
Additionally, such religious and human rights violations could also result in economic sanctions by the US Government and other world actors, like the EU. As the Pew Research Center reports, North Korea, China, Sudan and Burma (aka Myanmar) were all under US economic sanction for religious freedom violations in the past. Why should India wish to follow in their footstep?
With these issues in mind, we, the undersigned, call on the BJP to scrap its plans for a national "Anti-conversion" law, and to, rather, formulate a plan to better deal with sectarian issues than recourse to "anti-conversion" measures.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
"Anti-conversion" law is an unjust and anti-democratic approach to sectarian issues
Dear Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi,
Dear US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Mr David Saperstein,
Dear High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Federica Mogherini,
Recent media reports suggest that some Indian MPs, in the ruling BJP, are preparing to launch an effort to pass a national "Anti-conversion" law.
This is a dangerous and wrong-headed approach to sectarian issues. India is the world's largest democracy, and such "anti-conversion" measures would surely signal a lack of trust in its own citizens' thinking and decisions around religion.
According to the US State Department's 2014 Report on Religious Freedom, "anti-conversion" laws, which already exist on the state level (in 6 of India's 29 states), are routinely used to harass Christians and other religious minorities in India.
Putting this type of restriction into India's national legal code would be an unjust and regrettable move. Such a law could send a message to the majority Hindu population that the persecution of religious minorities in India is, somehow, protected by the state. As we know from painful experience in Pakistan, blasphemy laws, there, are routinely used to wrongly jail and harass Christians and other religious minorities.
For India, this would be a grave irony given its recent history of relative communal (sectarian) harmony.
Additionally, such religious and human rights violations could also result in economic sanctions by the US Government and other world actors, like the EU. As the Pew Research Center reports, North Korea, China, Sudan and Burma (aka Myanmar) were all under US economic sanction for religious freedom violations in the past. Why should India wish to follow in their footstep?
With these issues in mind, we, the undersigned, call on the BJP to scrap its plans for a national "Anti-conversion" law, and to, rather, formulate a plan to better deal with sectarian issues than recourse to "anti-conversion" measures.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
