57 Christian girls and boys held in metal containers for possessing bibles

Amnesty International UK ^ | September 19, 2003

[hiho hiho]

Eritrea: 57 Christian girls and boys held in metal containers for possessing bibles

Amnesty International is deeply concerned for the safety of 57 boy and girl members of minority Christian churches being held in metal shipping containers at Sawa military camp in western Eritrea.

The children - detained for possession of bibles - are being held in unventilated, overcrowded and extremely hot conditions, with inadequate food and medical care. Amnesty International is calling for their immediate and unconditional release.

The 57 prisoners of conscience are school children from various parts of Eritrea sent for a compulsory course at Sawa military barracks under recent education regulations. They were arrested in mid-August and held incommunicado in harsh conditions, which Amnesty International believes amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

The 27 girls and 30 boys were arrested for possessing bibles in the Tigrinya language, which is not however illegal in Eritrea. The school children are being pressurised to sign statements to abandon their religion and rejoin the majority Eritean Orthodox Church. Five others arrested with the group were freed after signing the statement.

Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Stephen Bowen said:

"These girls and boys are being held in horrendous conditions merely for their religious beliefs.

"The widespread and continuing arrests of prisoners of conscience, including members of religious groups and their detention without charge, demonstrate a pattern of general disregard for the rule of law, as well as the international and regional human rights treaties which Eritrea has signed or ratified.

"The Eritrean authorities must stop the arbitrary arrests, torture and ill-treatment of these members of minorities churches imprisoned for their religious beliefs."

Background

In Eritrea religious persecution has risen in recent months, even though the government professes respect for the guarantees of religious freedom in the laws and its constitution.

In early 2003 several hundred members of a dozen Christian minorities churches were arrested without any reason given, tortured and detained without charges for several weeks.

All minority churches had been closed down in May 2002 and ordered to register and submit details of members and any foreign funding (which most denied receiving).

Currently about 250 church members are detained in harsh conditions, including up to 80 army conscripts. Three Jehovah's Witnesses have been detained for nine years for their faith-based refusal of military service.

The government's attack on the minority churches, which are mostly part of an evangelical revival movement in recent years, appears to be part of general repression of the rights to freedom of opinion and belief.

These churches, however, have no known political involvement or links with prominent political personalities and journalists currently detained as prisoners of conscience for calling for democratic reforms.

[manna]

Prayer sent ...

[Lion in Winter]

PING

[joesnuffy]

ERITREA CIA FACTBOOK

[LibWhacker]

Pathetic AI won't mention the un-PC fact that Eritrea is predominantly muslim and its legal system is mostly one of Sharia law.

[joesnuffy]

Imagine being held in a steel CONEX out in 100-120 degree heat?
Cooked alive....heat stroke...etc
torture of Christians doesnt seem to interest our Govt too much....more interest in freeing muslims to set up another muslim state friendlier to the US (for the moment)

[Alouette]

Pathetic AI won't mention the un-PC fact that Eritrea is predominantly muslim and its legal system is mostly one of Sharia law.

Did you read the article: The school children are being pressurised to sign statements to abandon their religion and rejoin the majority Eritean Orthodox Church. Five others arrested with the group were freed after signing the statement.

I also thought it was about Muslims. Then I read it and realized why I'm Nasty International became involved.

[LibWhacker]

Wow . . . Skimmed it. Thanks. Totally missed that sentence. Still, I'm a little suspicious of the claim, coming as it does from AI. The CIA factbook does say civil law in Eritrea is mostly Sharia law. Strange that would be the case in a majority Orthodox country. Will do some further checking . . .

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP

[onedoug]

"Bless those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Prayers....

[BlackVeil]

There has also been conflict between Christian Orthodox churches in Ethiopia, newer Christian groups associated with Western missionaries. Aside from the theological issues, it is a sort of East/West culture clash.

[SauronOfMordor]

In the Soviet Union, churches other than the Orthodox Church were given a hard time. The hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church were appointed by the Communist Party, and they were very meticulous about maintaining the forms of Christianity while not making any noises that might upset the government

I would guess that the "official" Church's hierarchy says a lot about the need to be nice to the Muslim masters, and they don't want anybody else to rock the boat

[colorado tanker]

Eritrea is predominately muslim, with a Coptic and Catholic minority, but the story reports evangelicals are making headway. The government is controlled by muslims. The story seems incomplete, which makes me suspicious.

[LibWhacker]

Correct, nothing I've seen in the last few minutes on Google would indicate AI was wrong . . . Soooooo, I take it all back, lol! My bad.

Eritrea, eh? Gonna have to pay more attention to this country. Interesting situation there. Brutal though that the Orthodox Church has anything to do with locking up young kids (in an oven, yet!) as a way to convert them.

[TotusTuus]

Did you read the article: The school children are being pressurised to sign statements to abandon their religion and rejoin the majority Eritean Orthodox Church.

I'm wondering if this is the official majority Christian Church that the government requires Christians to belong to. As I understand it, the Eritrean government ordered the closing of all Christian churches other than the Coptic Orthodox, and several Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran parishes. This following from their fragile independence from Ethiopia. I wondering if the Eritrean population is probably majority Muslim and Animist as in the Sudan.

[ChewedGum]

It is very interesting, the link between Orthodox Christian and Islam. There are some ties there which I do not fully understand. I was only made aware of it recently when my inlaws joined the Orthodox church and suddenly became pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel. (I was very surprised but I have seen more and more evidence since then.)

Gum

[perfect stranger]

You got that right!

[Destro]

You are implying that Church is behind it (if this report is true).

[Restorer]

"Although reliable statistics are not available, approximately 50 percent of the population are Sunni Muslim, and approximately 40 percent are Orthodox Christian. The population also includes a small number of Eastern Rite and Roman Catholics (5 percent), Protestants (2 percent), smaller numbers of Seventh-Day Adventists, and fewer than 1,500 members of Jehovah's Witnesses."

http://atheism.about.com/library/irf/irf02/blirf_eritrea.htm

Apparently the Muslims and Orthodox have a working power-sharing agreemment. Also, apparently, religious services are held in an archaic language. Thus the objection to Bibles in a modern language.

[fishbabe]

well,now i know how the dems and their comrades will take care of christian children in this country!!!!!!!