Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
A Volunteer Human Rights Group – Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins
Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Sentenced to Seven Years
— The Epoch Times reports: “A human rights lawyer, Wang Yonghang, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by the Chinese court over allegations that he published articles on the Internet sites outside of China.”
Gaza: Woman Killed in al-Shati Refugee Camp to “Maintain Family Honor”
— Palestinian group reports:
— “On Friday afternoon, 27 November 2009, Rifqa Ghazi ‘Abdullah Salama, 29, from al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City, was killed allegedly ‘to maintain family honor.’ ”
— “According to police sources in al-Shati, at approximately 13:30 on Friday, 27 November 2009, the woman’s brother, two uncles and two cousin strangled her using a wet towel while she was sleeping at home near Hmaid intersection in al-Shati refugee camp. The police initiated an investigation into the murder and arrested the 5 accused persons. Initial investigations indicate that the woman was killed allegedly to ‘maintain family honor.’ ”
— Christian Post: “The Swiss Ban Minarets”
— Swiss leader calls for Jewish cemetery ban
— JTA: “A mainstream Swiss political leader is calling for a ban on separate Muslim and Jewish cemeteries. Christophe Darbellay, president of the Christian Democratic People’s Party of Switzerland, made the statement in a television interview Tuesday, two days after Swiss voters passed an initiative to ban minarets.”
Egypt: ‘City of a thousand minarets’ disgruntled at Swiss vote
— Daily Telegraph: “But official reactions will be subdued in a country – Egypt – where minority Coptic Christians wanting to build new churches have been met with strong resistance”
— “Official reactions will also be subdued in a country where minority Coptic Christians wanting to build new churches have been met with strong resistance, and where a draft law on the issue in parliament has been blocked.”
— R.E.A.L. Reports on Egyptian Oppression of Coptic Christians
Pakistan: “Make slavery history, civil society urges government”
— Pakistan Daily Times: “Activists maintain that slavery still exists in Pakistan in the form of bonded labour, human trafficking, forced marriages, and the exploitation of women and chiuldren. They stressed that legislation outlawing slavery should be properly implemented.”
— “They also urged the government to legislate to stop internal human trafficking, which was still not acknowledged as a crime in Pakistan.”
— “They urged parliament to assert its authority to improve the human rights condition of the country and to end slavery. Talking to Daily Times, HRCP Vice Chairman Dr Mehdi Hasan said that slavery did not exist on paper, but in reality it was very much present in Pakistan. Dr Mehdi said that laws outlawing such activities did exist, but were unfortunately not implemented. He said civil society, the media and parliament needed to shift their priorities, they needed to talk more about the issues of the common man.”
UK – Tulay Goren “Honor Killing” Trial: The three brothers accused of killing Tulay Goren are lying, Old Bailey jury told
Waltham Forest Guardian reports:
— “THREE brothers accused of killing a teenager in a so-called honour killing are lying to escape jail, a court heard.”
— “Tulay Goren, 15, disappeared from her home in Glastonbury Avenue, Woodford Green, in January 1999.”
— “The teenager’s father Mehmet Goren, 49, of Navestock Crescent, Woodford Green, and her uncles Ali Goren, of Brettenham Road, Walthamstow and Cuma Goren, of Evesham Avenue, Walthamstow, all deny murder.”
— “At the Old Bailey today, Jonathan Laidlaw, summing up the proscution case, said all three men were lying to try to escape conviction.”
— “He reminded the jury that Tulay’s mother had told the court that Ali was the most senior member of the family and fed and clothed Memet’s family both in Turkey and the UK, yet Ali denied being involved in Mehmet’s family’s affairs.”
“Runaway convert told to talk religion with Muslim parents”
AP reports:
— “A case-management plan filed Monday said Rifqa Bary and her parents should hear what each has to say about Islam and Christianity as a step toward a possible reunification.”
— “But the plan, written by Margaret Shirk, a Franklin County Children Services Board caseworker, also said ‘severe differences’ exist between the 17-year-old girl and her parents over what led Rifqa to run away to Florida over the summer.”
— “The girl has said she feared her father would harm or kill her for leaving Islam. Her father has denied the claim.”
— Plan offers way to reunite runaway teen convert and family
— Religious rift still keeping Rifqa, parents apart
— Columbus Dispatch: “Everyone involved in the Rifqa case, including Children Services employees, is under a gag order. O’Leary spoke in general terms about case plans.”
— “A caseworker developed the plan with Rifqa and her parents, but only Children Services workers signed it. Rifqa and her parents disagree with the plan, and so does the guardian the court appointed for her, according to the paperwork filed with the court on Monday.”
“SHANXI–After the Chinese government sentenced five church leaders to 3 to 7 years criminal detention on Wednesday, November 25th, ChinaAid learned that on November 30, 2009, five more church leaders from Linfen Church, Shanxi, were each sentenced to two years in re-education through labor camps–an arbitrary administrative sentence by the Public Security Bureau enacted so the leaders would not be ‘required’ to go through the court and prosecution system. The sentence was said to be effective from November 11th, when they were already detained.”
“The five Christian leaders are Mr. Li Shuangping, Ms. Yang Hongzhen, Ms. Yang Caizhen (whose husband, Pastor Yang Xuan received 3 years sentence by the court on November 25), Ms. Gao Qin (also known as Gao Fuqin), and Ms. Zhao Guoai. Among the five, ChinaAid has confirmed three members’ 2-year re-education through labor sentences through family members, including Yang Caizhen, Yang Hongzhen and Mr. Li Shuangping.”
“The other two members’ sentences were confirmed indirectly by Linfen-Fushan church leaders. These two latter cases were very difficult to confirm definitively at the time, because the family members have been held under severe government surveillance. The five church leaders were accused of “gathering people to disturb the public order,” referring to their organization of a one-thousand-believer prayer rally held on September 14, the day after the church was attacked by over 400 military police. (Click here to view the video of the Prayer rally held on 9/14/2009.) 17 church buildings were destroyed and over 30 believers were seriously wounded during the unprecedented mob attack in the early morning of Sunday, September 13. Linfen House Church Christians continue to be monitored by Chinese military police, including neighboring Golden Lampstand Church (Jin Dongtai) in Linfen City.”
China Aid reports: “Fushan House Church Christian Sentenced to 7-Years in Prison”
“Senior Pastors Yang Rongli and Wang Xiaoguang were sentenced to 7 and 3 years in prison respectively, at the show trial.”
“SHANXI–ChinaAid just learned that the trial of Linfen house church leaders in Shanxi province was held from 9:00 AM to about 10:00 PM on November 25 (Beijing time), lasting over 12 hours. Pastors Yang Rongli, Wang Xiaoguang, Yang Xuan, Cui Jiaxing, and Zhang Huamei have been been held in detention since their unwarranted arrests on Friday, September 25, 2009, when they attempted to travel to Beijing an lodge a formal complaint about the destruction of their church to the Central governing authorities. Their trial was held in the No. 12 Trial Room at People’s Court of Raodu District, Linfen City, Shanxi province.”
“The verdicts were severe and were announced immediately following the trial. Two criminal charges were used– the crime of “illegally occupying farming land” and “disturbing transportation order by gathering masses.” Sister Yang Rongli received 7 years severe sentence for both charges; Pastor Wang 3 yrs for the first charge, brother Yang Xuan, 3 and a half years, and Cui Jiaxing earned 4 and a half years for the first charge; Sister Zhang Huamei was found guilty of the second charge, and sentenced to 4 years in prison.”
“Sister Yang Rongli and Pastor Wang Xiaoguang’s son was able to briefly chat with his parents during one recess time near the bathroom outside the court room. Sister Yang and Pastor Wang encouraged their son to stand firm in his faith in Christ. Yang and Wang have led the Fushan church, part of the 50,000 members house church network in Linfen and the surrounding villages, for more than 30 years. The Fushan Church leaders unwarranted arrests, detentions, and severe sentences after the massive church destruction on September 13, marks one of the worst crackdown on house church leaders in the past decade.”
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