Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has some interesting opinions

First, I would like to say that I am not Jewish. I feel I do not discriminate against religion at all, as I believe it is every person's right to practice any religion they wish that does not interfere with the general welfare and health of a population.

Now on to this article. More or less, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said non-Jews sole purpose in life is to serve Jews. He also related them to donkeys.

"With gentiles, it will be like any person – they need to die, but [God] will give them longevity," Yosef said. "Why? Imagine that one’s donkey would die, they’d lose their money."

"This is his servant... That’s why he gets a long life, to work well for this Jew,” Yosef said.

Gentiles is a synonym for a non-Jewish person.

As a non-Jewish person, I was offended by this. My sole purpose in life is serve Jewish people? I am like a donkey? I think not. While Mr. Yosef probably doesn't care what I think, he needs to realize that public relations still matters in religion. Speaking publicly, he needs to realize the majority of the world is NOT Jewish, and that many will share my opinion.

Let me be frank --- freedom of speech is important and I fully support his ability to say these things.

But when there's so much fighting and unrest over this "holy land", maybe saying these things only adds fuel to the fire.

Argentina's Religious Freedom Day

November 25 was Argentina's Religious Freedom Day, a national holiday that began in 2004. It was decided to be on 11/25 because on 11/25/1981 the United Nations approved the "Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on religion or belief."

CALIR is the Argentine Council for Religious Freedom, whose objective is to promote religious freedom in all forms, individual or collective. CALIR is on the radar promoting freedom through communities and universities.

I think that it's important that CALIR uses a university platform to spread its message of religious freedom, because professors and academic authority are looked up to by many students and seen as progressive. It's also impressive that this day was publicized throughout the city of Buenos Aires, which shows that there is open communication about religious freedom in the country's capital. Religion is important in a cultural context in South America, so I would imagine that there are less cultural barriers to communicating about it. It would be interesting to see though, if this would stand for a very dissimilar religion to the area, such as Hinduism or Buddhism.

I am a Muslim

I attended an event at the Schlow Centre Region Library called "I am a Muslim." At the event, there were three speakers who are Muslims from different parts of the world. One of the speakers was from Kosovo, another was from Sudan, and the most memorable speaker of the night was a female student from Saudi Arabia who spent time talking about the hijab:

"It's a choice...just because I wear the hijab, that doesn't mean I am a good Muslim...If you don't wear the hijab, that doesn't mean your a bad Muslim," she said.

She also addressed the woman's role in Islam:

"I can go to work if I want, but that money is mine, not my husbands. Islam appreciates a woman," she explained.
But she elaborated by saying, "Her [a woman's] responsibility is to raise the children, not make the money for the family, that's the man's job."

As you can tell from the picture, a lot of students and people from the community came out to the event.

Giving Thanks

Today, I just want to take the opportunity to say how thankful I am for religious freedom. In the United States, I am free to worship God in public without harmful repercussions, and others may choose to worship as they wish as well.

The Hudson Institute advocates religious freedom as a component of U.S. foreign policy and believes in freedom to communicate those freedoms. The group mentions how "pivotal" it is to society, and how Thomas Jefferson and America's founders found it important enough to be dubbed the "first freedom."  I like how they've chosen to define religious freedom:

"Religious freedom has two dimensions. It belongs to individuals and also to religious groups. It includes a person's right to walk down the street wearing a cross, a yarmulke or a headscarf, or not to do so, and to express and live out one's beliefs in society. It also includes the rights of groups to worship God as they wish in community, to run schools, hospitals and other institutions, to publish and possess sacred literature, and order their internal affairs."

Let's count our blessings today-- Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Rally to Stop Abductions & Allow Religious Freedom in Japan

"Clergy, civil rights leaders and Japanese victims of religious freedom violations protest the Japanese government’s failure to protect the rights of minority religious believers." Photo taken from religousfreedom.com.

On Friday, demonstrators in Boston were invited to speak with the Deputy Consul General after protesting in ten cities across the U.S. The demonstrators want the Japanese government "to stop the abuse and discrimination of minority believers in that country." People who choose to practice minority religions have been abducted and abused in an attempt to force them to leave their religions, and this has been going on since 1966.

It's interesting to see how these demonstrators are using the United States as their marching ground for help in Japan and to freely communicate their religious needs. You can follow this issue at stopjapanabductions.org, and hopefully see how the Japanese Government will react to this cry for help.

Insulting Prophet Mohammed = Death in Pakistan

Taken from religion.blogs.cnn.com

Can you imagine being put to death for insulting a religious figure? In Pakistan, insulting the Prophet Mohammed (a violation of the country's blasphemy law) will earn you life in prison or a death sentence.

Asia Bibi has been jailed for 15 months, but she will most likely avoid the death sentence. Officials believe she was falsely accused, after investigating her petition for mercy. Bibi says that women "who don't like her" made the claim against her.

My hope is that Bibi will be found innocent. It's still shocking that words-- simple communication-- can bring about death in Pakistan. The people are clearly allowed to talk about Prophet Mohammed and their religion, but only if it's in a positive light. Not freely.

Pastor on trial for sharing faith with Muslims

From www.klove.com/news/top-stories.aspx

Mark Holick was communicating his faith by sharing Christian packets outside of a mosque in Kansas when he was arrested. The officer gave no answer when Holick asked what he was being charged with.

Holick is no stranger to speaking out about his faith, and won a previous trial after being arrested for sharing his faith on a public sidewalk down the road from a homosexual event.

Holick may have annoyed both of these groups by sharing his faith outside of these functions, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the write to share and communicate.

Clinton Reacts to International Religious Freedom Report

In her statement titled, "Annual Report on International Religious Freedom," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reacts to the U.S.'s recent report.

Here are some snippets from her statement:

"Every year, the State Department prepares a comprehensive review of the status of religious freedom in countries and territories around the world...this is not only the American view; it is the view of nations and people around the world...

Because we believe in religious freedom and because we are committed to the right of all people everywhere to live according to their beliefs without government interference and with government protection, we are troubled by what we see happening in many, many places. Religious freedom is under threat from authoritarian regimes that abuse their own citizens. It is under threat from violent extremist groups that exploit and inflame sectarian tensions. It is under threat from the quiet but persistent harm caused by intolerance and mistrust which can leave minority religious groups vulnerable and marginalized.

During the past year, al-Qaida issued calls for further violence against religious minorities in the Middle East. Sufi, Shia, and Ahmadiyya holy sites in Pakistan have been attacked. So was a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad just a few weeks ago. We received reports from China of government harassment of Tibetan Buddhists, house church Christians, and Uighur Muslims. And several European countries have placed harsh restrictions on religious expression.

These infringements on religious freedom strain the bonds that sustain democratic societies. With this report, we hope to give governments, NGOs, and citizens around the world valuable information about the status of religious freedom and a call to action for all of us to work together more effectively to protect it....

Indeed, freedom of speech and freedom of religion emanate from the same fundamental belief that communities and individuals are enriched and strengthened by a diversity of ideas, and attempts to stifle them or drive them underground, even when it is in the name and with the intention of protecting society, have the opposite effect. Societies in which freedom of religion and speech flourish are more resilient, more stable, more peaceful, and more productive. We have seen this throughout history. And as this report reflects, we see it in the world today..."

Trouble Spots

Here is a map that displays countries from Europe, Africa, and Asia that have the most violations in religious freedom. Do any of the countries surprise you?

Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, 2010

Photo taken from www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148657.htm

On Nov. 17, this year's Report on International Religious Freedom was published. The United States feels that religious freedom and tolerance is important, and publish this report to praise the countries that are doing well and document the countries where repression is highest. Notice that the cover pictured above was designed to show "places of worship found in some unexpected places." The report also acknowledges all contributors and says: "The work of all of these individuals advances the cause of freedom, ensures accuracy in our reporting, and brings hope to repressed people around the world."

I had no idea a report like this existed, and I'm glad the U.S. is leading a movement toward religious freedom and communication around the world. 

Take a look at some countries listed-- do any of the results surprise you?

Chinese Perspective

My boyfriend's parents grew up in China. While visiting them this weekend, they were reflecting on Christianity in China, as they just returned from a visit. Mrs. Juang returned to the exact church she attended as a child and was able to sit in the same seat. She said that in China, there are two Christian churches that are "allowed" by the communist government-- but the kicker is, the pastors are hired and paid by the Chinese government as well. However, she also said that there are many underground churches, as we've commented on in past posts. According to Mrs. Juang, Chinese youth have been rapidly converting to Christianity in recent years.

Even in places where people may not be allowed to worship freely, they are still defending their faith and worshiping how they choose. I would be interested to learn about the communication structure of these underground churches-- how they recruit, how they obtain religious materials, where they gather together, and how they keep from being discovered.