04/04/2024 USA (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) participated in the 2024 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C., Jan. 30-31. The IRF Summit, in its fourth year, is designed to create a powerful coalition of organizations that fight for global religious freedom and increase public awareness and political strength for the IRF movement.
More than 1,500 people from 41 countries descended on the nation’s capital, and another 1,000 viewed the event online. They came to share their stories of suffering through traumatic ordeals because of their beliefs. They collaborated with relief and advocacy organizations on options for aid and relief, showed persecution trends, and discussed policy. It was two intense days of emotion, anxiety, camaraderie, and fellowship.
Summit co-chairs, former U.S. Ambassador for IRF Sam Brownback and President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights Katrina Lantos Swett and organizers amassed an impressive array of 167 speakers ranging from members of Congress to survivors of religious persecution abroad.
Each day, representatives from oppressed and marginalized religious communities shared their horrifying stories, sought solidarity, and called attendees to action. Among the many witnesses were the Uyghurs, who conveyed multiple and relentless atrocities and systematic persecution by China, and India’s minority religious communities, who faced oppression and exclusion under arbitrarily applied laws.
Brownback and Swett noted, “…One of the most remarkable and uplifting aspects of the IRF Summits has been watching often adversarial groups advocate for each other: Muslims speaking out against antisemitism, Christians defending the rights of their Muslim brothers and sisters, Secular Humanists advocating for the rights of their religious friends and neighbors, and vice versa. This is the power of freedom of religion, conscience, and belief in action.”
Participants saw televised or recorded testimonies from those who could not make the Summit about the imprisonment and mistreatment of faithful people. One brave individual from Latin America recalled chilling tales of persecution while their voice was masked and their face hidden, further highlighting the dire consequences of defying authoritarian regimes. While urgent in their calls for help, these and other witnesses displayed an uncommon strength and resilience bolstered by their hope arising from a deep, observant faith. Summit attendees were in awe of these champions and were inspired to do more.
The Summit offered four different breakout tracks offering several sessions throughout the day to provide participants tailored and in-depth discussions on specific religious persecution topics. The tracks were Vulnerable, Violations, Voices, and Victories. ICC led the Violations track and a team of two dozen volunteers to plan five sessions with some 30 speakers and panelists. Panelists presented their findings and experiences with governmental and non-governmental assaults on religious freedom. Attendees of the Violations track heard from Ukrainian survivors of Russian occupation and religious oppression, Armenian Christians who faced persecution from Azerbaijan, Nigerian Christians whom Fulani militants attacked because of their beliefs, and Cuban and Nicaraguan advocates raising awareness of the government’s escalating pressure on those expressing their faith.
ICC LEADS THE WAY
ICC’s Advocacy team worked with the Family Research Council to lead a Wednesday session, “Violations in Western Democracies.” Speakers included Arielle Del Turco, Director for the Center for Religious Liberty, Family Research Council; Andrew P.W. Bennett, Canada’s First International Religious Freedom Ambassador, Cardus; Dr. Aaron Edwards, Author, and Theologian; Dr. Paul Teller, Executive Director, Advancing American Freedom; and Elizabeth Francis, Legal Counsel, Global Religious Freedom, ADF International.
Dr. Edwards shared how he was fired from his job at Cliff College in England because of a tweet that he posted supporting the biblical view of marriage.
“The session comes at a critical time when someone like Professor Edwards is fired his job because of his religious beliefs, or Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen faces criminal charges for tweeting a Bible verse,” said ICC Advocacy Manager McKenna Wendt. “If a member of the Finnish Parliament is standing trial for her faith, what would stop the government from going after an average citizen? The growing intolerance and prosecution of Christian beliefs in Western democracies is unacceptable. We stand committed to defending the right of every Christian to worship freely, on our own soil and around the world.”
The Violations in Western Democracies panelists highlighted the growing restriction of religious freedom in supposedly “free” Western democratic societies. From limitations on faith-based expression to discriminatory policies, the fight for religious liberty extends beyond the nations traditionally associated with oppression and is now reaching into democracies once viewed as defenders of freedom of expression.
The other four Violations track breakout sessions were: Religious Freedom Violations in War and Conflict Zones, Violations in Surveillance States, Violations Against Indigenous and Occupied Communities, and Concerning Trends in Latin America.
THEMES EMERGE
Several themes resonated throughout the Summit, providing important thought points on the characteristics of religious persecution. Although a wide range of subjects were covered, these were discussed in multiple forums and served as foundational themes upon which other ideas were deliberated.
First, at the core of religious persecution, as purported by multiple presenters and panelists, is a desire by despotic regimes and tyrannical actors/groups to dehumanize a segment of a population, in this case, people of faith. Through persistent and pervasive repressive measures such as misinformation, degradation of dignity, removal of rights, and separation from society, a victim group can be reduced to people who are less than human and thus not deserving of the same considerations as humans. Once a dehumanization status is obtained, guardrails to persecution and genocide no longer exist, and the subject group can be eradicated.
Second, religious freedom is inextricably tied to freedom of speech, and is a hallmark of a healthy government. The extent to which a nation’s people are free to express dissent and offer alternatives to policy is a hallmark of a successful democracy in which citizens can participate. People of faith often find their beliefs in contradiction to a government’s policy and, through lawful and peaceful means, try to change it.
Third, and closely tied to the second point, religious freedom was described by one panelist as “a canary in the coal mine.” This means that when religious freedom is extinguished, it often signifies broader societal decay and the erosion of fundamental human rights. The suppression of faith often precedes wider crackdowns on speech, assembly, and other essential freedoms.
During an especially solemn occasion, the Israeli Embassy to the United States, in collaboration with the Philos Project, hosted a closed viewing of unedited footage from Hamas terrorists’ body cameras and cell phone footage, and CCTV cameras of the October 7 attack in Israel. For nearly an hour, the room experienced devastating scenes of graphic violence. Images of fear and suffering at the mercy of unbridled evil reduced viewers to tears, bewilderment, and anger. After the viewing, the room was quiet while attendees struggled with their emotions. Even the presenters, who had seen the video multiple times, found it difficult to engage with the crowd. Despite the disturbing content, seeing the video was a necessary reminder that evil is not an abstract, but is rather a tangible force exercised through malevolent actors. This evil is relentlessly meted upon vulnerable religious communities, requiring a strong and effective response drawn from the faith and perseverance given by God.
The IRF Summit served as a platform to bring together the persecuted and advocates to share experiences and work on solutions so that all people can pursue their faith freely and live with dignity. Summit attendees agreed that we all must support organizations providing humanitarian aid and legal help to persecuted groups. We also must advocate for legal actions against regimes and actors that violate religious freedom, hold persecutors accountable, and represent victims of oppression via diplomatic pressure and media attention. We can only dismantle the systems that enable such persecution through sustained, concrete efforts.
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