“These are cross party issues, because they are too big to be party issues.” Sir Iain Duncan Smith
This week, the APPG for Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) supported an event focusing on the current religious climate in China, namely the persecution of Christians and other minority religious groups. The event and its speakers highlighted the religious persecution on an individual level, discussing the imprisonment of Pastor Ezra Jin and others, as well as addressing the broader FoRB violations taking place such as those forced into labor camps in Tibet, forcible sterilization in Xinjiang, and other brutalities being faced and dealt with. The event highlighted the importance of speaking up against religious persecution, having the courage to stand out, and the value of defending global religious freedom.
Keynote speaker Grace Jin Drexl shares her own experience dealing with personal and systematic persecution. Grace is the daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin, who was arrested by Chinese authorities and imprisoned for simply exercising his right to practice his religion. As a result, Grace notes her family has, and continues to, receive transnational repression. On a governmental level, Grace notes that the Chinese government has embarked on a systematic control of religious life, called “Sinicization” (or “Zhongguo hua”). The government has begun forcing generationally-practicing Christians to switch hymns for revolutionary songs, and replace sermons with socialist ideas.
Internationally, Human Rights are grounded and granted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Lord Alton commented, “Article 18 is the right to believe, not to believe, and change what you believe. We have committed ourselves to the UDHR.”
“This is also about solidarity…It is important that these young people are given freedom because they will shape the future. Christians in China have faced persecution for many years, they will be the voice for the voiceless.” MP Jim Shannon
Grace encourages all to have courage and not to fear speaking the names of the imprisoned. We are urged to raise internal awareness, and use our collective voices to spread the message calling for an end to persecution.
