Rights Campaigners Pressure Eritrea Government on Freedom of Religion

5/7/2010

By:
Success K Uchime

In an attempt to make the Eritrean government to rescind its hard posture on religious freedom, five Christian human rights campaigners have continued to pressed on the government of Eritrea to change its stand.

In a report by Release International (RI) www.releaseinternational.org it pointed out that right campaigners from Eritrea, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and England converged on the Eritrean Embassy in London on June 3, 2010, to mark the eighth anniversary of the forced closure of many churches in Eritrea.

According to the report, the Bishop of Woolwich, Christopher Chessun, joined the head of the British Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury, in presenting a letter to the Embassy calling for imprisoned Christians to be set free. At least 12 have died behind bars.

“The letter was handed in at the culmination of a prayer vigil calling for religious freedom in Eritrea. Eritrea has banned most religious organizations and aggressively persecutes Christians. More than 2,000 are behind bars – some kept in airless shipping containers in the heat of the desert, others in underground cells,” the report added.

It said that seven organizations stood together in solidarity outside the Embassy adding that they include, the British Orthodox Church, Church in Chains (Ireland), Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release International, Human Rights Concern – Eritrea and Release Eritrea.

It noted that the organizer, David Turner of Church in Chains said: “We were reminded that the Berlin wall had fallen, apartheid had ended, and that this injustice, too, would end. Love conquers hate, light conquers darkness, and hope conquers fear.”

“Standing there with Eritreans whose family members were behind bars, reinforced for me the reality of the persecution faced in that country. We must and will continue to stand in solidarity until this great injustice comes to an end,” Tuner further said.

The RI report said that among the delegation is Dr. Berhane Asmelash, an Eritrean refugee who had been imprisoned and tortured in Eritrea.

Speaking on this, Dr Berhane, who is now a Church of England curate, said that many Eritrean Christians have lost their lives because of starvation and torture stressing that thousands have fled their country, risking minefields, crocodile-infested rivers and armed border guards to escape to neighboring Sudan, Ethiopia and Yemen.

Release International serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families. It supplies Christian literature and Bibles; and works for justice. And for more information, log on to their website: www.releaseinternational.org

Source: