RELIGION: Conversion and Persecution at the End of Millennium

By Marwaan Macan-Markar Reprint | | Print |

Marwaan Macan-Markar

MEXICO CITY, Oct 25 1999 (IPS) - The religious climate in both the developing and developed worlds was far from serene as the millennium draws to an end.

Two words – conversion and persecution – have been cited as worrying indicators by leading theologians.

Conversion – or proselytism – from one faith to another emerged as a source of tension among Christian and Muslim delegates during recent discussions on “religious freedom, community rights and individual rights” held in the US city of Hartford.

The need to distinguish between “proselytism” and “witness” mattered if leaders of both faiths were interested in religious harmony, said Robert Traer of the International Association for Religious Freedom.

But international law was not the place to which to turn, he told the audience from 35 countries gathered in Hartford at a meeting organised by the World Council of Churches (WCC). “There is no such distinction in international law,” Traer added.

The way out was for common understanding to be reached between Christians and Muslims regarding the concept of proselytism. Only then could tolerance, respect and freedom follow, he said.

It is not just among Christians and Muslims, however, that proselytsim and persecution – has provoked angry responses.

In India for instance, the rise of Hindu fundamentalism typified by such groups as the Shiv Sena (Army of Shiva) has resulted in the spread of anti-Christian and anti-Muslim hysteria.

Between 1997 and 1998 there were seven serious incidents of anti- Christian attacks in India and Shiv Sena extremists also were blamed for the earlier razing of the Babri Masjid (Babri mosque).

In Mexico, on the other hand, home to the world’s second largest Roman Catholic population after Brazil, religious tension has arisen following the advent of evangelical churches.

In the rural reaches of this country – particularly the southern states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas – the success of evangelical churches in attracting members to their fold has resulted in confrontations, expulsions from families, arrests, and even “inquisition-like proceedings” by Roman Catholic church followers.

Efforts by leaders of both the Catholic and evangelical groups to douse these religious flames through periodical dialogue have had marginal effect. This is despite the fact that, last year there was a broader effort to reach an interdenominational “non- aggression” pact, involving representatives of five religious communities – Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims and Hindus.

According to Adoniran Gaxiola, a leader of the evangelical Apostolic Church, most incidents of intolerance are instigated by Catholics who viewed evangelical groups as “fanatical sects.”

Every month, say government authorities, there are at least two incidents involving religious intolerance in Mexico.

But governments, too, have been responsible for the repression and persecution of religious minorities around the world.

A survey made public in early September by the US State Department pointed an accusing finger at authoritarian regimes, who were notorious in this regard, but neither did it spare some democratic governments.

This first global survey on religious freedoms revealed that religious persecution was at its worst among the countries from northeast Africa across the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsular to South Asia.

In war-ravaged Sudan, the victims of the state have been Christians, the followers of traditional indigenous religions and Muslims who do not subscribe to the Sudanese government’s interpretation of Islam.

In Iraq, Shi’a religious leaders and activists have not been spared. According to the survey, the government of President Saddam Hussein has been conducting a “campaign of murder, summary executions and protracted arbitrary detentions” for years.

In Saudi Arabia, where the ruling monarchy is the chief proponent of the Wahabi form of Islam, non-Muslims do not enjoy the right of public worship, while the Shi’a minority are subject to a range of vilification.

In Pakistan, the survey highlights discriminatory legislator that has given license for religious intolerance. Hindus, Christians and other smaller Muslim sects have, as a result, been at the receiving end of hate crimes – harassment and killings.

According to Tariq Ramadan, who participated in the inter-faith gathering in Hartford, regular dialogue between religious groups matters to enable individuals the satisfaction of practicing the faith of their choice. Such consultations, however, have to be preceded by discussions of the tenuous issues within each faith community, he added.

But for religious pluralism to have its day, a more fundamental question may have to be answered: “Who says what is a religion?”

This query was posed by Rev. Elga Sarapung, of Indonesia, in a veiled crack at the regime in her country, which has officially recognised only five religions, although many more are practiced by the people

Yet, as the WCC meeting heard, in countries where such recognition does not exist, the circumstances for religious minorities can be as worrying.

The United States was mentioned as a case in point. Earlier this year, a study conducted by the UN Commission on Human Rights, noted that the Muslims in America suffered from “Islamophobia” – even though they enjoyed a wide level of freedom to practice their faith.

Muslims have been persecuted as a result of distorted images and negative stereotypes portrayed by the entertainment media, to a large extent, and the news media, to a lesser level.

Hollywood films like “The Siege”, “Executive Decision” and “True Lies” – which depicted Islamic terrorists as the “bad guys” – were three examples cited by the Washington-based Council on American- Islamic Relations (CAIR) to advance this argument.

Following the Oklahoma city bombing four years ago by a US right- wing militia group, anti-Muslim hysteria still resulted in 200 incidents of harassment, threats and physical violence, a CAIR report declared.

Such forms of persecution experienced by religious minorities was a message that was regularly heard during the WCC’s inter- faith discussion. And as the participants concurred, the right to religious freedom was more than an academic issue.

“The starting point for this discussion and the need for common action is very real human suffering;” emphasised one participant.