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May 21, 2013
TAU finds 12th century BCE image of biblical Samson
Tel Aviv University researchers uncovered an archeological depiction of the story of Samson, or at the very least an ancient depiction of an act of animal cruelty.
May 21, 2013
Managing severe anemia in a Jehovah’s Witness
A 26‐year‐old male presented to his primary care physician with back pain of several weeks’ duration. His past medical history was pertinent only for gastroesophageal reflux. The physician diagnosed a herniated lumbar disk and prescribed epidural injections, along with naproxen for the pain. The symptoms seemed to improve, but approximately 2 weeks after his initial presentation. . .
May 21, 2013
KU Hospital doctor delivers infusion of hope to Jehovah’s Witness
On the day the Boston Marathon bombing transfixed the world, Mark Watkins of suburban Kansas City lay face to face with a crisis of life, death and faith of his own.
Little could he guess that, in the end, it would be a controversial product sent from a terrorized city that would save him.
May 21, 2013
Cuban Schools Slap Down Jehovah’s Witnesses
A member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Cuba filed a complaint with the state prosecutor last month alleging discrimination against her three school-age daughters.
She says the authorities have condoned acts of discrimination including physical and verbal violence, which have led the pupils to miss classes and their parents to move house.
May 21, 2013
Turkmenistan police, Torture, Rape Threat, Fines
Туркменистан полиции, пытки, изнасилования угрозы, штрафы
Seven weeks after the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee sought a response from Turkmenistan’s government to complaints by ten Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objectors, about 30 police officers raided the lead complainant’s family home in the northern city of Dashoguz. Two members of the Nasyrlayev family, with four guests, were taken to a police station and three were held for 40 hours…
May 21, 2013
Worldwide Violence Based on Religious Intolerance
In many countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe and in the Russian Federation, nationalists promote the view of a people united by its ethnic origins and its unitary Church. The fusion of a religious identity with nationalist ethnic ideals has led to the exclusion of those who do not share this identity. As a consequence, the so-called nontraditional religions are under attack by governments and extreme nationalists alike.
May 21, 2013
Russia, Attacks on Places of Worship and Cemeteries
В ОБЛАСТИ ПРАВ ЧЕЛОВЕКА В РОССИИ
Western Christian groups, including Baptists and Pentecostals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints experienced similar problems. Overall, no religious organization operating in the Russian Federation is safe from attacks, robberies, neo-Nazi graffiti, or cemetery desecrations. Many sites are vandalized multiple times, reflecting a lack of security and deficiencies in police protection.
May 21, 2013
Armenia and Jehovah’s Witnesses / Հայաստանը եւ Եհովայի վկաներ
According to Forum 18, an international religious freedom nongovernmental organization, 32 conscientious objectors were in prison as of September 20 for refusing military and alternative service, believing the alternative service was not independent of the military. In 2012, courts sentenced to prison terms 16 additional Jehovah’s Witnesses for refusal to serve.
May 21, 2013
The European Association of Jehova’s Christian Witnesses
Religious freedom subcommittee) (07/02/13)in the case of Members of the Gldani Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
May 21, 2013
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey: Odd Men Out on Conscientious Objection
In Europe for example, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recognized conscientious objection as a protected right in 2011 when, in Bayatyan v Armenia, it ruled that conscientious objection was subject to Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Unfortunately, as an Amnesty statement released today highlights, three European countries, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, still refuse to accept this basic obligation under international law.
May 21, 2013
Amnesty International Calls Russian Court Ruling Against Jehovah’s Witness an Attack on Freedom of Expression and Religion
A Russian court ruling which found a Jehovah’s Witness guilty of inciting hatred and enmity against other religious groups for distributing literature, is an attack on freedom of expression and religion, Amnesty International said today.
May 21, 2013
Eritrea: Twenty years of Independence, but still no freedom
Throughout the 20 years of Eritrea’s independence,the government of President Isaias Afewerki has systematically used arbitrary arrest and detention without trial to crush all opposition, to silence all dissent, and to punish anyone who refuses to comply with the restrictions placed on freedom of religion and belief, the system of indefinite conscription into national service and other restrictions on human rights imposed by the government.
May 21, 2013
Right to conscientious objection still not guaranteed in Europe
Amnesty International, marking the International Conscientious Objectors Day, renews its call on all states to recognise the right to conscientious objection to military service.
Nearly two years ago the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that states must respect the right to conscientious objection as part of their obligation to respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, bringing European law in line with international human rights standards.
May 20, 2013
Jehovah’s Witnesses Face Discrimination in Cuban Schools
A member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Cuba filed a complaint with the state prosecutor last month alleging discrimination against her three school-age daughters.
She says the authorities have condoned acts of discrimination including physical and verbal violence, which have led the pupils to miss classes and their parents to move house.
May 20, 2013
Why Do People Say That God Is Cruel?
DO YOU find the question, “Is God cruel?” shocking? Some do, but a lot of people today wonder whether God is cruel—or they assume that he is. Why?
Some who survive natural disasters ask: “Why does God allow these things to happen? Is he indifferent? Or is he cruel?”
May 20, 2013
Jehovah’s Witnesses to return
JOHNSTOWN — For the second year, a Jehovah’s Witnesses district convention will be held on three long weekends in June in Johnstown.
This year’s dates are June 7-9, 14-16 and 28-30, and the hours are from 9:20 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 9:20 a.m. to 3:35 Sundays. The convention will be held at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena, 326 Napoleon St.
May 20, 2013
Jehovah’s Witnesses Find Young Boy Tied to a Pole in Miami Beach
A 12-year-old boy in Miami Beach might have been the happiest person ever to spot Jehovah’s Witnesses. They found him tied to a pole after his dad decided to try out some unorthodox parenting techniques and left him there while he went shopping.
May 20, 2013
Police: Burglars strike Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Clare County
Around 9 a.m. on Monday, May 6, Clare County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a break-in complaint at the Kingdom Hall at 8973 S. Grant Ave. in Grant Township. The culprit or culprits entered the place of worship looking for cash or valuables, deputies said.
May 20, 2013
Jehovah’s Witnesses Begin “God’s Word Is Truth!” Conventions
Jehovah’s Witnesses are planning for their annual conventions and an accompanying campaign to invite the public to attend. This year’s convention theme is “God’s Word Is Truth!” The Witnesses are launching this series of conventions in the United States during May and will continue the programs worldwide through the end of December.
May 20, 2013
VCAT rejects Jehovah’s Witness church site
Victoria’s planning tribunal has upheld a council decision to reject a permit to build a Jehovah’s Witness church in Swan Hill.
The application to construct a place of worship on Berrybank Drive and Butterworth Street was lodged in October 2011.
May 20, 2013
AZERBAIJAN: Harsh fines cancelled, banned books list publication soon?
The official claimed that permission requests took “maybe one week” if a book is short, and “if the book is very long, the review might last more than two weeks”. He refused to explain why the Baptists had to wait three months for a response when they requested permission to import the Bibles.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have repeatedly tried to challenge State Committee censorship of their religious publications in court, so far with no success
May 20, 2013
KAZAKHSTAN: Religious freedom to suffer in anti-extremist programme?
Existing state denigration of specific faiths is widespread. Pentecostal Christians, Ahmadi Muslims, other non-Hanafi Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses have been among those vilified in state publications and films (see eg F18News 16 April 2013 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1825).
May 20, 2013
UZBEKISTAN: Continuing denials of prisoners’ freedom of religion or belief
Uzbekistan has imprisoned and continues to imprison many people for exercising their freedom of religion or belief, but has now released its last current Jehovah’s Witness prisoner of conscience. And the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has stopped visiting prisoners in Uzbekistan, stating on 12 April that “we cannot address humanitarian issues and that renders any visits pointless”.
