David Kilgour
Special to ChristianWeek
The 20th century was undoubtedly the worst in history in terms of violence directed at believers of all faiths. It has been suggested that more Christians were killed in the last century than in the previous 19 centuries combined.
One estimate of the number of human beings of all nationalities who died prematurely for their faith between 1900 and 2000 is a dismaying 169 million, including: 70 million Muslims; 35 million Christians; 11 million Hindus; 9 million Jews; 4 million Buddhists; 2 million Sikhs and 1 million Baha’is.
A major lesson for all faith communities is clear: had all of us stood shoulder-to-shoulder when anyone in our own or another religion was being persecuted anywhere, many lives could have been saved. Will we do better here in the 21st century?
Signs of encouragement
There are encouraging signs of progress. For example, several years ago hundreds of Edmontonians of many religions demonstrated at city hall concerning the brutal and murderous persecution of Muslims in Bosnia. Later, many of us did the same at the legislative assembly over the severe persecution of Christians in Pakistan.
The post-Cold War era since 1989 freed many long-suppressed religious communities, but with it emerged new sources of inter-religious conflict. Among the places where this is currently occurring at a serious level are Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sudan and Sri Lanka.
The present situation in Canada is generally good, but the desecration of Jewish synagogues and cemeteries has increased markedly in recent years. Following the events of September 11, 2001, Canadians of Muslim and Sikh faith experienced beatings, insults and other indignities in various parts of the country. There were also numerous reports of unwarranted harassment of our fellow citizens of Muslim faith by CSIS, RCMP, Immigration officers and other enforcement officials.
Most of the persecution of Christian and other faith communities during the 1900s came from totalitarian regimes, which, demanding that all authority be vested in themselves, detested all religions because their practitioners’ deepest loyalties were elsewhere.
The dictatorships remaining in Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Tibet and Vietnam, continue to persecute Christians, Buddhists and others with various degrees of severity. Enter "persecution of Christians in China” on Google, for example, and you will be dismayed by some of the cases mentioned.
One of the most troubling cases in south China is that of pastor Gong Shengliang, who was sentenced to death in late 2001 under China’s anti-cult law. When many outside China protested, some female members of his congregation were tortured into claiming that he had assaulted them sexually. They were sent to labour camps when they later withdrew their statements, but Gong was convicted nonetheless of rapes and sentenced to life in prison. He was severely tortured there and was reported to be near death in 2003.
Despite such brutal treatment, underground churches across China are growing at a phenomenal rate with current estimates that the country now has approximately 70 million believers in Christianity alone, not to mention other faiths. A new book, Jesus in Beijing, written by David Aikman, predicts that a fifth of China’s current population of 1.2 billion will be Christians by 2050.
Tectonic plates shifting
Marc Gopin, a senior researcher at Tufts University’s Institute for Human Security, is a leading thinker about the many implications of the meteoric rise in organized religion of recent years, including the violence done in the name of religion.
One of the trends he examines is the unprecedented interaction and creativity of people of faith since the Second World War, led by leaders such as Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. It is taking many around the world towards greater determination about human rights and the sanctity of all life forms as creations of God regardless of race or nationality.
Similarly, many Christians and adherents of other faiths today are applying an inclusive vision of a non-violent world that is multi-religious and multicultural.
The continuing, parallel thrust towards religious radicalization, fuelled, paradoxically in part by growing cultural homogenization encouraged by western media, advertising and entertainment, could lead to even more violence in the new century.
Like many, I agree fully with Gopin in saying that, "Only when this evolving global civilization develops into a serious human community with a set of high ideals that are perceived to be and actually are substantial and attractive from a spiritual and ethical point of view that we will see militant religion begin to wane.” The present reality of globalisation, he states, allows a few to become wealthy, some to live in reasonable comfort, but often very insecurely, and most to struggle in constant poverty.
Regional implications: North America
Canada, the United States and Mexico all display both multi-faith cooperation and conflict.
To this, Gopin posits that some individuals in the U.S. have contributed to the creation of religious violence abroad. For example, he blames groups in America who helped fund Hamas bombers and rejectionists in Israel for destroying the Oslo peace process.
Many are also concerned about the consequences of Christians proselytizing in explosive places like Afghanistan and Iraq today, which can have violent ripple effects.
Latin America
Today the intra-Christian conflict is between Catholics and a variety of Protestant denominations active in the Americas and the Caribbean. Christians of every denomination agree that this must stop, but regrettably there are still obstacles, which vary considerably among the roughly 35 countries in the hemisphere.
Indian Subcontinent
Gopin, writing four years ago, mentions the then increasing attacks by Hindu militants upon Christians in parts of India. Fortunately, the numerous educational institutions and other works done by Christians in India over the generations, along with the commitment of most Indians to religious pluralism, makes it hard to sustain persecution against Christians.
The most dangerous conflict currently is between Hindu and Muslim. I agree fully with Gopin that Gandhians across India, both Hindu and Muslim, should rekindle a movement towards conflict resolution and reconciliation that has not been attempted on a large scale since the days of Gandhi himself. Indian Christians could play a constructive role here as well.
Asia-Pacific
There are some well-known centres of persecution of Christians in Asian countries, some of which were mentioned earlier. Tibet is a good case study, albeit with limited or no application to persecuted faith countries elsewhere.
Gopin quite rightly states that in Tibet the suppression of Buddhism and long campaign to de-legitimize the Dalai Lama by the Chinese government has back-fired. Despite all, the gentle Dalai Lama says his quarrel is with the Chinese Communist party and considers ordinary Chinese to be his brothers and sisters. Knowing the importance of not losing face, he is careful not to humiliate China in public.
Gopin stresses that the Dalai Lama is one of the "finest examples in the world today of a leader using all of his religious and cultural insights to pursue justice and peace simultaneously.”
Africa
Older, indigenous peacemaking practices on the continent today have much to offer the world, notes Gopin, and he gives as an example a peacemaking ceremony in Liberia where someone was asked to wear a mask of the devil (the force responsible for all the killing).
I’d suggest that peace and reconciliation between Christians and Muslims currently is needed most in Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt.
Middle East
Gopin thinks a complete overhaul in the approach is needed to secure lasting peace; with the religious communities becoming players to the negotiations as well as other segments of civil society.
Both Islam and Judaism hold numerous principles and values–many in common–that could form a basis for deeper processes of reconciliation and conflict resolutions.
He doesn’t minimize the continuing conflict and worries about civil liberties, including women’s rights, but argues that a cross-cultural process, including both religious and secular principles, must accompany future political negotiations if success is to be achieved.
Europe
Europe only suppressed its religious tensions during the Cold War. Conflicts since 1989 have surfaced between Christians and Muslims in Germany, France and elsewhere. Gopin and I agree that European governments abandoned persecuted Bosnian Muslims for far too long. In Russia and elsewhere, there remains a reluctance to face up to the role that religious conflicts play in its
continuing problems.
Human bridges will increasingly be needed between the angry practitioners of various religions and the rest of the world, says Gopin. He says such men and women must join with secular people to develop the new skills necessary for peacemaking and conflict resolution in the present age in which religion more than ever is a barometer of societal dissatisfaction.
Above all, people, religions and governments everywhere must cease all efforts to homogenize all of us forcibly. The prayers of all Christians are needed in this process.
David Kilgour is the Member of Parliament for Edmonton Southeast.
