By: Aeneas Lavinium
ICLA

The new Western backed regime in Libya is engaged in open state sanctioned religious discrimination. According to The Guardian (1) arrests have been made due to the ‘crime’ of preaching Christianity. The Guardian article states:

“Four foreigners have been arrested in Libya on suspicion of being missionaries and distributing Christian literature, a charge that could carry the death penalty.”

It must be remembered that Libya is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (2), an organisation that chooses to lecture the whole world about religious freedom. This situation in Libya is yet another example of how the OIC is not really in favour of religious freedom. It also demonstrates clearly that Western nations who support the OIC are either gullible or complicit in the OIC’s plans to destroy both freedom of expression and authentic freedom of religion.

The OIC’s intention with regard to UNHRC Resolution 16/18 is to protect what it regards as the only true religion, Islam, and to propagate sharia across the world. If the persecution of religious minorities that is allowed in some OIC member states is anything to go by the OIC does not care about religious freedom at all.

Western Governments who pander to the OIC are encouraging religious persecution in OIC countries. They are also encouraging the persecution of non-Muslims in Western countries. The untold suffering that Western governments are causing in this regard should be a source of eternal shame to them. The United Kingdom recently was granted observer status at the OIC (3) and as a result gave legitimacy to this organisation, its acts, and omissions. The UK has become an OIC lapdog. We have heard of no public statements from the UK Government criticising the OIC for the religious persecution that it allows in its member states.

The title of UNHRC Resolution 16/18 that the OIC has been peddling in the name of religious freedom reads as follows (the full text can be found HERE):

“Combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against, persons based on religion or belief” (4)

According to The Middle East Forum (MFE) (5), the justification given for this outrageous persecution is that preaching Christianity is regarded as a threat to national security. It quotes Libyan security official Hussein Bin Hmeid as follows:

“Proselytizing is forbidden in Libya. We are a 100% Muslim country and this kind of action affects our national security.”

As the MFE article points out, Libya has not always been a 100% Muslim country, it was once Christian just like many in the Western world today. Western citizens are increasingly being bullied into accepting sharia compliance. The attitude of Libya shows quite clearly why Westerners who are demonised by their own Governments are right to be concerned about the spread of sharia.

Surely the actions of the Libya authorities in this case amounts to negative stereotyping of a religion (that is assuming that Islam is not the only true religion in the world) with regard to UNHRC 16/18. Surely it means that Christianity is stigmatized in Libya! Surely it is a clear example of religious discrimination! Furthermore it is not an individual member of the public that is doing this but the state itself.

Perhaps, in the spirit of Interfaith Dialogue instead of persecuting religious minorities, OIC countries should be actively encouraging religions other than Islam. After all, Western Governments are actively promoting Islam in their territories. It would not mean that Islamic countries should be as zealous in such promotion as their Western counterparts. After all, Western Governments are promoting Islam even to the point of persecuting those who question the wisdom of such policies – an approach that is clearly morally repugnant. It seems very clear that interfaith ‘dialogue’ is currently only a one way process. Perhaps it is the corruption associated with the ‘oil weapon’ that is to blame. However, that weapon would be ineffective if we had truly honourable politicians in the West whose one and only concern was the welfare of their people. Alas, that seems not to be the case.

ICLA calls upon the UK Government to use its OIC observer status to demand that the OIC acts to deal with the blatant religious discrimination that goes on within its member states. Specifically the UK Government should publically demand that proselytization of all religious be allowed in OIC member states.

We call upon the OIC to demonstrate in clear terms that they support freedom of religion and that when they say this they do not regard Islam as the only true religion. We invite them to tell us specifically what they are doing to combat religious intolerance in OIC member states.

(1) Libya arrests foreign ‘missionaries’ (The Guardian)

(2) Member States (OIC)

(3) Organisation of the Islamic Conference Admits UK as Observing Member (Islam Today)

(4) Resolution 16/18 (UNHRC)

(5) Death for Preaching Christ in ‘Liberated’ Libya (Middle East Forum)