February 25, 2010 – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

Malaysia: Most Support Caning of Women, Says Malaysian Official

Malaysia: Most Support Caning of Women, Says Malaysian Official
— Jakarta Globe reports: “Most Malaysians accept the caning of women under the country’s Shariah courts, Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz said on Wednesday.”
— ” ‘Jakim held a seminar to discuss caning long before it became an issue among Malaysians. The outcome was encouraging because the participants understood the whys and hows of it,’ he said as quoted by newspaper Web site thestar.com.”
— ” ‘We are aware that some parties are still unable to accept the punishment but given time and more explanation, I believe they will come around.’ ”
— “He added that Jakim was ‘willing to explain the issue all over again, to whoever needs an explanation.'”
— “Malaysia’s Women’s Minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said on Tuesday that she hoped to organize a conference with representatives of other Muslim-majority countries to discuss the punishment.”

Russian “White Wolves” Nazis Get 23 Years Prison for Murder, Assault

— AP reports: “Nine young men who formed a neo-Nazi group and killed six non-Slavs were sentenced to prison Thursday, as Russia officials battle a surge in racist assaults, hate crimes and xenophobia.”
— “The Moscow City Court said in a statement that 12 mostly underage neo-Nazis who called themselves ‘White Wolves’ were charged with committing 11 murders and one assault since April 2007. A jury found nine of them guilty of six murders and one assault.”
— “The group was formed on Adolf Hitler’s birthday to ‘exterminate’ non-Russians and was active until early 2009, when its members were arrested.”

— BBC: “Neo-Nazi skinheads jailed in Russia for racist killings”
— “Russia has seen a surge of racially-motivated attacks in recent years. In 2009 alone, neo-Nazis are believed to have killed more than 70 people.”

Indonesia: “Muslim Groups Demand Closure of Large Church in Indonesia”

Compass Direct News reports: “Muslim Groups Demand Closure of Large Church in Indonesia”

— “Hundreds of Muslims from outside the area where a 600-member church meets in West Java staged a protest there to call for its closure this month in an attempt to portray local opposition.”
— “Demonstrators from 16 Islamic organizations, including the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), gathered on Feb. 15 to demand a stop to all activities by the Galilea Protestant Church (GPIB) in the Galaxy area of Bekasi City.”
— “The Rev. M. Tetelepta, pastor of the church, told Compass that the church has had the required consent of local residents and official permission to worship since its inception in 1992.”
— ” ‘From the beginning we had permission to worship from both the government and the nearby residents,’ Tetelepta said. ‘We worked on the building permit and had received principle clearance from the mayor of Bekasi. We had also received permission from the Bekasi Interfaith Harmony Forum.’ “

India: Book Seized by Police After Muslim Protest

“Muslims protest against book by civil rights activist”
— The Hindu reports: “Crescent over the world – is a boon or the silent Holocaust, authored by Macha Laxmaiah alias Krantikar, a civil rights activist, caused turmoil in the town on Thursday.”
— “Hundreds of Muslim youths staged demonstrations protesting what they called objectionable contents in the book that hurt their beliefs and sentiments.”
— “They said the book contained banned articles from Satanic Verses written by Salman Rushdie and Lajja by Taslima Nasreen, along with some objectionable cartoons drawn by a Danish national.”
— “Police seized 380 books of the first volume and 410 books of the second volume of the publication in raids at different places in the district and arrested the author. Parties were deputed to other places in search of the books already dispatched.”

Reuters: “Pakistan intends to alter blasphemy law”

Egypt refuses to recognize Muslim born, Christian converts — Mohammed Bishoy Hegazy

Egyptian Christian Convert Mohamed Hegazy (Photo: Voice of the Copts)

Mississippi: Former Ku Klux Klan (KKK) Member Convicted in 1964 Slayings Sues FBI – Edgar Ray Killen

Mississippi: Former Klansman Convicted in ’64 Slayings Sues FBI
— Edgar Ray Killen convicted in 2005 of manslaughter in the deaths of Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman.
— Now Edgar Ray Killen “claims they [the FBI] conspired to suppress his rights to ‘defend his society and culture'”

— Mississippi killings under review – Ku Klux Klan (KKK) murders of civil rights activists

— June 16, 2009: Mississippi: Memorial service marks 45th anniversary of Neshoba Co. civil rights slayings by Ku Klux Klan
— Story of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner written in book “We Are Not Afraid”

— See other R.E.A.L. Reports on Racial Supremacism

New York Senate to Vote on Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

We have received the following action alert on the ERA in New York State:

NYS Senate to Vote on Equal Rights Amendment to NY Constitution

Urgent! WE NEED YOU to take action immediately!

Today, we at NOW-NYS learned that, in a few days, Senate Bill #3489 (the NYS Equal Rights Amendment) is coming up for a vote on the NYS Senate floor. The legislation “provides that no person shall, because of sex, be subjected to any discrimination in his or her civil rights by any other person or by any firm, corporation, or institution, or by the state or any agency or subdivision of the State.” In short, the bill bans gender-based civil rights discrimination.

For the past four years, I, as NOW-NYS President, have been lobbying for this measure. Now, there’s a very real chance to make it happen. But we need to get out the vote for this bill.

Once the bill passes the Senate, it will then go to the NYS Assembly, where it will be up to Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D), to allow this legislation onto the floor.

However, this is not an ordinary bill but a Constitutional Amendment, whose passage in New York is a multi-step and multi-year process wherein: 1) the Legislature introduces a bill, 2) the Attorney General approves the bill, 3) the Senate and Assembly must pass the bill by a majority before the end of a two-year legislative session.

Then: 4) after the election, at the start of the next two-year legislative session, the Constitutional Amendment must age for three months before the Legislature can vote on it ONCE AGAIN. And: 5) assuming legislative passage, the Amendment must finally be approved by the voters.

So this is the very first step in getting our NYS Equal Rights Amendment. But an important step it is! And to get this very big ball rolling WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Take Action now by contacting your Senator. Urge her or him to vote for Senate Bill #3489. It’s time for New York State to make sure women are protected by the New York State Constitution!

NOW-NYS President Marcia Pappas [Info@nownys.org]

Switzerland: Geneva Summit on Human Rights – March 8 and 9

There will be a Geneva Summit 2010 on Human Rights that will be held in Switzerland on March 8-9, 2010, which will be addressing issues such as:
— “Defamation of Religion” versus Free Speech
— Combating Contemporary Slavery: Simon Deng, former Sudanese Slave
— Internet Freedom: The Google-China Story, Censorship and Hacking—Entrepreneurs & Dissidents Debate
— Equality for Women: Massouda Jalal, Former Afghan Minister of Women Affairs and presidential candidate
— The Future of Dissent: Yang Jianli, 1989 Tiananmen Square hero, founder of Foundation for China in the 21st Century

among other issues…

Information on the Summit is at GenevaSummit.org

R.E.A.L. is hoping that we will have one of our supporters from Europe at that event; we will keep you posted!

Iran: ICC Reports Nine Christians Arrested

ICC reports:

On February 2, Rev. Wilson Issavi was arrested by Iranian state security agents in Isfahan, Iran, an incident that has recently hit mainstream Christian media. However, ICC sources have confirmed that there were an additional eight other Christians arrested along with Rev. Issavi who are currently imprisoned and awaiting charges. The names and whereabouts of the remaining eight Christians must remain undisclosed for security purposes.

Rev. Issavi was visiting a friend’s home in Shahin Shahr, Isfahan when state security raided the house unannounced. Rev. Issavi, his hosts and others were apprehended by the security agents and immediately taken to prison. Friends and family are deeply concerned as they are unable to contact Rev. Issavi. The location and physical condition of the nine Christians is unknown.

The arrest of Rev. Issavi was a devastating blow to the Iranian Christian community. Rev. Issavi is known among friends as a humble and devoted servant of the church. He is considered a man of prayer who has lived a modest life to better assist those in need.

The arrests occurred after the Iranian government forced the closure of Rev. Issavi’s church, the Evangelical Church of Kermanshah, on January 2. Before its closure, the Evangelical Church of Kermanshah was among the few remaining open churches in the country.

Iranian Christians are under constant threat of discrimination, imprisonment, torture, and even execution by the Iranian government which severely restricts religious freedom.