Elizabeth Kendal www.elizabethkendal.com

International Religious Liberty Analyst and Advocate

Director of Advocacy: Christian Faith and Freedom (Canberra)

Adjunct Research Fellow: Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths (CSIOF)

at Melbourne School of Theology (MST)

Author: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Dec 2012)

www.turnbackthebattle.com

Blogs: Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB)Religious Liberty Monitoring (RLM)also: Critical Prayer Requests (CPR)

Religious LibertyUniversal Declaration of Human Rightshttp://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19 = freedom of speech and opinionArticle 20 = freedom of peaceful assembly and association

The Reality TodayReligious liberty is in decline globally.

The OIC rejects the UDHR as a ”Judeo-Christian construct”.

OIC met in Cairo in 1991 to formulate the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam.http://www.oic-oci.org/english/article/human.htm

“. . . the Islamic Ummah which God made the best nation. . .”

Article 2 (d) “Safety from bodily harm is a guaranteed right . . and it is prohibited to breach it without a Sharia-prescribed reason.”

Article 10 “Islam is the religion of unspoiled nature. It is prohibited to exercise any form of compulsion on man or to exploit his poverty or ignorance in order to convert him to another religion or to atheism.”

Article 18 (a) “Everyone shall have the right to live in security for himself, his religion, his dependents, his honor and his property.”

Article 24 “All the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic Shari'ah.”

Article 25 “The Islamic Shari'ah is the only source of reference for the explanation or clarification of any of the articles of this Declaration.”

Sharia rejects religious freedomApostasy = death‘blasphemy’ = deathMust eliminate fitna (strife arising from doubt)

When Islam is strong, non-Muslims will be persecuted:by the State; by militants; by radicalised Muslim neighbours

Imprisoned in Iran

Imprisoned in Pakistan

Imprisoned in Indonesia

Ethiopians imprisoned

in Saudi Arabia

Lahore, Pakistan

Sunday 15 March, Youhanabad (St John Christian district)St John's Catholic Church and Christ Church (Protestant).

Twin suicide bombings during worship17+ dead, more than 70 wounded

Claimed by Pakistani Taliban

Christians comprise <2%

among the dead: Abhishak (10)

Joseph colony, Lahore, March 2013Rumour / accusation of blasphemy

Radicalisation post 1979

Islamic Revolution: Iran (Shi’ite)

Fatwa to break siege of Mecca: Saudi Arabia (Sunni)

The late Sheikh Bin Baz

Biblical Christianity is unique in mandating religious freedom.

e.g. Jeremiah 23:28-29 – regarding false prophets.

Matthew 13:24-30 – The Parable of the wheat and the tares.

Christians believe that religious freedom is a “universal human right” i.e. that all people should have it .

However, that belief is not held universally.

Hope for the world?

John 16:3 – “they do this [persecute you] because they do not know the Father or me.”

Prayer, mission, cross-bearing, grace, witness . . . Revival.