Religious Freedom Lately: Chilean churches set on fire, Native American petition denied and more
Protests in Chile in October 2019. Creative Commons photo.
Religious Freedom Lately highlights the latest and greatest religious freedom threats and discussion around the world. Did we miss anything? Tell us in the comments.
What Makes A Man Sacred?
A D.C. federal district court has denied petitions from a Native American tribe to stop construction on land that they claim is sacred to their culture and religious beliefs.
The construction project in question is a U.S.-Mexico border wall along the southern end of California. The Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Tribe claims that the project will disrupt the remains of Kumeyaay dead buried in the area.
According to Kumeyaay spirituality, the resting places of the dead cannot be disturbed, lest their souls become unable to rest.
The court claims that the tribe has failed to produce evidence that the disputed area contains human remains or materials suggesting the area contained graves.
“The Government argues that Kumeyaay religious or cultural materials have yet to be identified within the construction sites and that there are protocols in place to avoid or mitigate any potential harm in the future,” Judge Trevor McFadden wrote in the court’s decision.
McFadden said the injunction the tribe asked for is only given in extraordinary circumstances, which they failed to meet.
“A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy that demands a clear showing of imminent harm that is both certain and great. Plaintiffs have not met this high standard,” McFadden wrote in his judgement. “So the Court will deny their motion for expedited injunctive relief.”
Angela Elliott Santos, the chairwoman of the Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Tribe, petitioned that there were cultural resources near the border. However, the court latched on to the word “near” as insufficient.
The federal court claims that the Kumeyaay’s failure to produce concrete evidence of Kumeyaay remains within the area of the proposed project.
“As the impetus for injunctive relief, the Court starts its analysis with the irreparable harm factor. And that is where it will end,” the decision reads. “The Court need not review the other three factors because the Kumeyaay fail to make out a certain, great, and imminent injury in the absence of a preliminary injunction.”
Bishops Plead For Civility As Two Chilean Churches Are Set On Fire
Two churches in Chile burned to the ground after a pair of arson attacks during political protests on Sunday. Widespread protests that turned violent and included looting in some parts of Santiago marked the one-year anniversary of rioting that killed at least 30 people and resulted in billions of dollars in damages. Protesters demand a formal constitution for the nation, as well as an end to economic inequality.
“Violence is bad, and whoever sows violence reaps destruction, pain and death,” said Archbishop Celestino Aos of Santiago. “Let us never justify any violence.”
St. Francis Borgia Church and Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, two of the most historic churches in the country, were set aflame by a large group of masked rioters.
The protests have raged for approximately a year, previously destroying private property and commercial establishments.
“These violent groups contrast with many others who have demonstrated peacefully,” the Chilean Catholic bishops’ conference said in a statement on Oct. 18. “The vast majority of Chile yearns for justice and effective measures that help to overcome inequality. They do not want more corruption or abuse; they expect dignified, respectful and fair treatment.”
Shadow Secretary Threatens To Shine A Light On Uighur Camps
The U.K.’s Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy demands that China open its borders to United Nations investigations, saying that the country’s seat on the organization’s human rights council should be revoked.
Nandy, a United Kingdom MP and shadow foreign secretary, says that China’s minimal efforts to placate international concerns over their treatment of Uighur Muslims are insufficient.
China has been accused of major human rights violations for their prosecution and internment of Uighurs -- an ethnic and religious minority of Muslims in China.
“Gestures are not enough,” Nandy said on Twitter in regard to China’s ongoing mistreatment of Uighurs. “The UK should seek to block China’s seat on human rights council until access is granted Xinjiang. The world must not stand by while the Uighurs face persecution”.
The Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly denied accusations of violating human rights, claiming that the concentration camps holding Uighur Muslims are meant to educate them and better integrate them into society. They have also cited security and religious extremism concerns as motivation for their internment camps.
Uighurs have also been subject to egregious violations of reproductive freedom. Women have been forced to abort children and put on mandatory birth control. The government has also forced sterilization on captives in order to force birth rates to plummet.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer and editor from northeastern Pennsylvania. He covers religious issues with a focus on the Catholic Church and Japanese society and culture.