With no formal education or funds from family or investors, I had become a successful businessman in the Shenyang fashion industry before the age of 30. I was the best Chinese citizen that the government could hope for – a thriving business and I donated money and clothing every year whenever there was a disaster in the country. Even though …
The Persecuted are Suffering in Magnitudes We Cannot Imagine
Today, the threat to international religious freedom is greater than ever as the virus pandemic is being used by governments and hate groups to justify and institutionalize repression. There is a vast number of ‘invisible’ people suffering for their religious identity, their faith, and or acts of conscience. The Coronavirus has not slowed religious persecution, but neither has it destroyed …
Coronavirus Does Not Slow Religious Persecution
The past three months have jolted the world out of complacency with regard to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s long record of poor governance and lack of consideration for humanity. Religious persecution has continued amidst the coronavirus outbreak, and the CCP has even gone so far as to brag about its misdeeds—though it surely hoped readers would fail to read between the …
Perilous Times for Muslims in India
Rukhsar, a Muslim woman who fled her home along with her family following Hindu-Muslim clashes triggered by a new citizenship law, reacts as she takes shelter in a relief camp in Mustafabad in the riot-affected northeast of New Delhi, India,. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis This week Hindus in India (and around the world) celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi, also known as …
Egyptian Coptic Christian Ramy Kamel Arrested Again Under False Charges
Three months ago around 1:30am on a Saturday morning, seven plain clothes policemen arrested Ramy Kamel in his home under false charges brought by Egyptian authorities. Kamel’s house was stormed by security forces who confiscated his phone, camera, and laptop and then took him away. Several hours later Kamel, a Coptic Christian advocate, founded the Maspero Youth Union in 2011 …
All Faiths Must Join Together to Stem the Tide of Religious Persecution
The National Prayer Breakfast, a yearly event first held in 1953, is the largest gathering of religious leaders from across America and around the world held in Washington, D.C. The series of meetings, luncheons and dinners is always hosted by two members of Congress, one Democrat and one Republican. It attracts leaders from state capitols, large Christian faith-based NGOs and …
Iran Doubles Down on Persecuting Christians
Iran’s crackdown on Christians and other religious minorities continues to shock the conscience. They systematically violate the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act and that is why the U.S. has designated the Islamic Republic as a “Country of Concern.” As the regime faces increasing internal unrest, the more it will crack down on religious minorities it perceives is threatening its stranglehold …
Seven Lessons From the Persecuted
When 21Wilberforce opened its doors in January 2015, little did I realize that the wisdom I would gain from the persecuted would far exceed anything I could offer them. As we near the end of 2019, I want to share seven insights the persecuted have taught me. First, I experienced joyful worship from 1800 Chinese house church pastors our team met in …
Eritrea Christians’ Feet Held to the Flames
Eritrea brutally oppresses its people and has more than earned its being called the “The North Korea of Africa,” with an estimated 2,000 Christians, along with others, incarcerated for their faith. The State Department has designated Eritrea a Country of Particular Concern since 2004 for its religious freedom abuses. USCIRF reports that individuals in Eritrea who protest government actions or …
Cuba: Still The Western Hemisphere’s Worst Abuser of Religious Freedom
The Cuban government last week prevented several church leaders affiliated with the Alliance of Evangelical Churches from leaving the island to attend the Alliance’s general assembly in Indonesia. But that action was only the tip of the iceberg. One pastor, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said that in addition to harassment, intimidation and interrogations, the …