Awate Foundation, 467 Saratoga Ave. PMB 500 San Jose, CA 95129 – 1326, U.S.A.
e-mail: awatefoundation@awate.com Website http://www.awate.com/
AWATE FOUNDATION
PRESS RELEASE (2003/04-RAF)
An urgent appeal by the Awate Foundation
Eritrean Regime Closes Churches and Persecutes Members
The Awate Foundation is alarmed by the deteriorating human rights situation in Eritrea. Under the oppressive rule of Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), the sole political organization in the country, Eritrea, the once promising new nation in the Horn of Africa, has become an arena of human rights violations.
The ruling PFDJ-regime has been detaining, torturing and in some cases killing its own citizens in its crafty ways. So far it has responded ruthlessly to the demands of the Eritrean people for justice, accountability, good governance and democratic rights.
One of these rights, as enshrined in the shelved Eritrean Constitution is the right of conscience and belief, and the right to practice any religion. Contrary to the Eritrean Constitution and against all international treaties on human rights, the Eritrean regime has been closing down 'new' churches derived from Evangelical/Lutheran denominations without providing any reason for this unjustified action. The government has also disbanded youth groups associated with the work of these churches.
Early Signs
The incursion on people's faiths started as early as 1993-1994. The first victims were Jehovah Witnesses and Islamic Schools. Beginning in 1993, Jehovah Witnesses were victimized for alleged refusal to participate in the referendum vote and compulsory military service. Consequently, their citizenship was revoked; their business licenses withdrawn and, in some cases, confiscated. They were denied government jobs and basic services from the government. Beginning in 1994, many Islamic Koran Schools were closed and their teachers arrested. Some of teachers have simply disappeared and despite repeated requests by family members, the PFDJ has refused to respond. The Eritrean Muslims “Awqaf” (social/property management) affairs was emasculated and the post of the Mufti (spiritual leader), traditionally an independent post, was severely compromised. Consequently, the Mufti is now judged by most Eritrean Muslims as a PFDJ functionary. This control is not limited to Islam; it is a known fact that Party Cadres infiltrate all religious institutions with the intent to dictate.
New Developments
Beginning in May 2002, the PFDJ has taken additional punitive measures against “new” religions. The Churches that have been closed since last May 2002 include:
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Faith Mission Church of Eritrea,
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The Seven Days Adventists,
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The Kale Hiwot (Word of Life) Church
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and different Pentecostal Churches like Mulu Wengel (Full Gospel) and Rema.
These Churches have hundreds of thousands of followers in- and outside Eritrea and have been growing rapidly during the last few years. All the members of the above-mentioned churches have suddenly been denied a place of worship and through such unwarranted closures most of them are going through spiritual crisis.
Religion in Eritrea
Christianity came to Eritrea in the Fourth Century, and Islam in the eighth century. With minor and trivial exceptions, the adherents of both faiths have co-existed harmoniously since then. Contrary to the experience of other nations, in Eritrea, there is very little record of religious militancy. Throughout Eritrea’s turbulent political history, religion has played a key role in anchoring the population and contributing towards the stability of the nation-state.
The church closures and persecution of the faithful pierce the spiritual essence of the people. At this moment, the peace loving people of Eritrea do not have any rights to appeal their case to anyone. Some of the Church leaders have asked the Liaison for religious affairs within the government for clarification but have received no reply to date. Instead, they have been instructed to go through a registration process and provide the list of their active members. The church leaders told the authorities that they are willing to give the necessary information regarding the church leaders but not of the congregation as a whole.
The majority of the church followers were conscripted to fight the unnecessary border war against Ethiopia, but were not allowed to practice their religions. There is ample evidence that those who were caught listening to religious radio stations, reading the Bible or praying were treated harshly. According to the conscripts, who later fled the country, they were thoroughly searched and stripped off any faith-related materials in their possession. It is difficult to verify but there are even unconfirmed reports of extra judicial killings of believers who refused to follow the military instructions not to worship. Many conscripted youngsters reported that there were cases where soldiers who guarded them were converted after observing the steadfastness of the persecuted believers.
The Awate Foundation is concerned by the closure of the churches and appeals to your good office to come to the support of church institutions and their followers during these trying times. The closure of the churches affects not only the churchgoers but also the whole Eritrean population. Instead of giving proper clarification on the unjustified closures, the government is spreading rumors which are intended to create religious discord among Eritreans. The organizers, members and staff of the closed institutions are citizens whose rights should be protected under the law and are not bent on conspiring against the government. They do not have anything to do with politics and definitely are not instruments of religious institutions outside the country. They are simply citizens with the need to fulfill their spiritual needs. They are not asking the government to cater for their organizations but to be left alone to practice their faith.
Additionally, the government is dividing and confusing the population. This is manifested in the growing divide between major religions and inter-denominational groups. Eritreans, irrespective of their religious affiliations, have peacefully co-existed for decades and the problems that are surfacing now are created by the current system.
As practicing Muslim and Christian citizens who have close ties with our old and new communities through our familial ties, we are quite aware and concerned that there is chaos in the spiritual life of our citizens. We are convinced that the Eritrean regime is primarily responsible for this chaos that has come through church-closures and should be held accountable for the negative impact it has caused. This crisis is tearing our communities apart. We are confident that you will stand at the side of our people and through you we appeal to your organization and respective governments to pressure the Eritrean regime to respect the basic rights of the faithful.
The Awate Foundation
April 23, 2003
Also Check:
1. NECS-Europe's Campaign letter on church closure, Wednesday, 9 September 2002
2. Interview with Stein Villumstad of Norwegian Church Aid, NAIROBI, 17 Apr 2003 (IRIN)
3. HORN OF AFRICA: Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan among world's worst regimes, report says April 15, 2003 (IRIN)
4. ERITREA : Eritrea Jails 170 Protestant Christians Another 74 Still Held in Military prison April 09, 2003 - (Compass)
5. Eritrea: State radio interviews President Isayas on 18 April
