Adventist World Affairs

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	Adventist World Affairs	May 2002
(News and Analysis from the Department of Public Affairs of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church)

NEW YORK: UN Special Session on Children Concludes Successfully

New York, NY… The United Nations concluded its Special Session on Children late May 10 with a unanimous agreement (from 180 nations) on a new agenda for the world's children, which included 21 specific goals and targets for child health, education and protection over the next decade. More than 3,000 delegates, 60 world leaders, 2,000 non-governmental representatives (NGOs), and 250 children attended the Session on Children, May 8-10. Other leading figures included Microsoft's Bill Gates, East Timorese Nobel laureate Bishop Carlos X. Belo, and actors Harry Belafonte and Roger Moore.

Also in attendance were Matthew Mills and Samantha Burchard, UN liaison officers for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "Adventists have long recognized the need to provide children with quality living conditions, health services and education. We hope that our presence sent a clear message of how much Adventists care for the children of the world," Mills said.

Commenting on the 1990 World Summit for Children, Carol Bellamy, executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that, "We have fallen short of meeting the goals set for children a decade ago, and we were reminded during the pre-session meetings that children should not be seen as an expense, but an investment."

After a week of negotiations and panel discussions, Bellamy praised governments for their commitment for children. "When it comes to children's health and welfare, there is really very little difference among nations," she said.

Statistics reveal that approximately 150 million of the more than 2 billion children in the world today are malnourished; nearly 11 million die before their fifth birthday; over 120 million do not attend school (and those that do, four out of five never reach the fifth grade); 10 million die each year from preventable causes; and an alarming 300,000 are fighting in wars.

Known for its educational institutions and children's programs worldwide, the Adventist Church will remain committed to children and doing all it can to improve quality of life for kids worldwide. [Viola Hughes]

UNITED STATES: Adventist Leaders Attend White House Briefing

Washington, D.C…. Representatives from the Seventh-day Adventist Church attended a White House Presidential Briefing on legislation designed to increase charitable giving, April 11. The event took place in the East Room of the White House.

"It is always a privilege to represent the church, but it is a particularly special experience when that representation occurs at the White House," commented attorney James Standish, director of legislative affairs for the Adventist Church. "It gave us an important opportunity to not only hear President Bush in person describe his vision, but also to catch-up with many of our contacts in the administration, and to get to know new people we may be able to work with on issues in the future."

Also in attendance was Dr. Clarence Hodges, vice president for the church's North American Division, who said, "We are very much concerned about the president's desire to see faith-based organizations do more. That will be good for all those in need. We must serve them with love and without strings. However, we must be careful to help the government steer clear of funding religion and religious leaders. And religious leaders must be careful not to compromise their principles for government funds. We will not know the details of the Bill until it's finished, the law signed, and the regulations published. Therefore, we are involved at this stage to influence that process to avoid the pitfalls of uniting church and state and compromising principles."

President Bush discussed the Charity Aid, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act at the briefing. The CARE Act, S. 1924, the product of a yearlong intense debate over the "faith-based initiative," is co-sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. In order to accommodate some of the most serious concerns over the faith-based initiative, particularly concerns over the separation of church and state, the Bill leaves out some of the most controversial proposals that were initially floated. At the same time, it includes some important charitable giving incentives as well as provisions designed to provide incentives to poorer Americans to begin savings accounts. [AWA Staff]

NIGERIA: Extremist Interpretation of Sharia Threatens Nigeria's Stability

Silver Spring, MD… The Talibanization of Nigeria: Sharia Law and Religious Freedom, a 101-page report recently released by Freedom House reflects the rapid spread of extreme Islamic rule in Africa's largest nation. The report warns that the implementation of extremist interpretations of the Sharia could provoke further inter-religious conflict in Nigeria. Thousands have already perished as a result of the adoption of the Sharia in 12 of the 36 states in Nigeria.

There is no dispute among Muslims that the Qur'an is the basis of the Sharia and that its specific provisions are to be scrupulously observed. The Sharia contains the rules by which a Muslim society is organized and governed, and it provides the means to resolve conflict among individuals and between the individual and the state. While parts of the Sharia had always existed in Nigeria's civil law, some Nigerian states are expanding Sharia jurisdiction to criminal law matters in ways that violate the country's constitution and international human rights standards.

Northern Christians fear that the Sharia-based laws will be applied to them, and will create an atmosphere and legacy of discrimination and "second class" status; creating the potential for violence. The report concludes that if left unchecked, the rapid spread of extreme Sharia could push Nigeria into civil war.

"The majority of Muslims are moderate people of faith who promote peace. While the Sharia is based on the Qur'an and prophet Mohammad's teachings, extremists' interpretation has led to confusion, and in some cases conflict," commented Karim Bromund, director of inter-religious affairs for the Islamic Supreme Council of America. "The Qur'an teaches that everybody has the god-given right to practice what they believe, and the Sharia is like a road on which a Muslim travels. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like yourself can help people understand our differences by helping us to promote principles of tolerance, love and acceptance," Bromund concluded.

The Seventh-day Church has always stood by principles of tolerance and religious freedom, and its mandate to fulfill that concept is implemented by its Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty in countries around the world. The Adventist Church also operates a Muslim Relations Center in California that seeks to promote relationships of mutual understanding and respect between Muslims and Adventists.

"We are engaged in seminars for educating our people about Islam and how to relate respectively for spiritual encouragement and growth of both faiths," said Dr. Jerald Whitehouse, director of the Muslim Relations Center. "Our unique lifestyle (forbidding unclean meats, alcohol and tobacco as harmful to our body) provides us unique opportunities for relating with Muslims. We also encourage local churches to participate with local mosques in joint seminars and in community projects that enhance the quality of life and values in the community. It's helpful to understand that most Muslims share the same concerns for family morality and values as we do, and we can work together to preserve these," Whitehouse concluded.

Bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon, Nigeria's more than 126 million citizens are made up of 50 percent Muslims, 40 percent Christians, and 10 percent indigenous beliefs. The Adventist Church has approximately 150,000 members in Nigeria, worshipping in more than 1,000 congregations. [Viola Hughes]

UNITED STATES: Significant Progress to Protect Sabbath Keepers in the Workplace

Washington, D.C…. Sabbath keeper's problems at work have intensified as employers move towards a seven-day workweek, 24 hour-a-day schedule. Too many men and women have been fired, demoted or passed over for promotions because of their fidelity to God's day of rest. While federal, state and local laws provide robust protection for many types of employee attributes, protection for people of faith in the workplace is minimal.

The Office of Legislative Affairs is working vigorously for the passage of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA) - a piece of legislation that will give people of faith the legal protection their fidelity deserves.

Senator Santorum of Pennsylvania has agreed to be the lead Republican on the Bill in the Senate, which is scheduled to be introduced into Congress next week. The WRFA was introduced in New York State last week. [James Standish]

YUGOSLAVIA: Adventist Church President Warns of Increasing Intolerance

Silver Spring, MD… The president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Yugoslavia warned of increasing intolerance and hostility towards protestant minorities.

Dr. Radisa Antic made his comments during an interview at the headquarters of the Adventist Church on April 18, saying that attacks on Adventist churches are occuring almost daily.

"It has become a habit of teen gangs to attack our churches," he said. "Just in early April in Belgrade, I met the pastor carrying five windows out for repair, a frequent activity. In Backa Palanka, the church was broken into at least ten times, and the interior vandalized. The police are uninterested in our reports of these crimes. I have experienced such hostility personally - for example, at one meeting I was attacked by three youths who pelted me with eggs."

While not wanting to attribute blame, Antic says that the Orthodox Church "is gaining more and more power in many places when it comes to religious affairs. The authorities are unwilling to do anything without first obtaining approval from the church leaders, and there have also been instances of police harassment of Adventist members."

Additionally, at least two or three articles or reports appear in the media every week condemning "sects." "Two books were published just recently that identified the Adventist Church as a dangerous sect,' even though we are the largest Protestant church in the country," comments Antic.

In the past the Adventist Church has had good relations with Orthodox Church leaders, most recently even holding a seminar on religious freedom in an Orthodox monastery, says Antic. He concludes, "We continue to pray and work for religious freedom and mutual respect between religious groups, recognizing that force and intimidation has no place in the message of Christ." [Jonathan Gallagher]

FRANCE AND BELGIUM: Adventist Leader Voices Concern over Anti-Semitic Attacks

Silver Spring, MD, USA… A Seventh-day Adventist Church leader added his voice to the chorus of concern over the recent anti-semitic attacks in France and Belgium. In the attacks a group of soccer players were beaten with metal bars, a kosher shop was fired upon, a Jewish couple assaulted, and a school bus full of children stoned. In parallel incidents several synagogues were firebombed, with one in Marseille being totally destroyed. The attacks are the latest in a series of violence that has plagued these two countries. More than 400 incidents have been documented in France alone.

"Adventists are appalled at such incidents of persecution and intimidation," said Dr. John Graz of the Adventist Church's Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty. "We add our voice to the condemnation of such attacks which are completely unacceptable in modern society. Such violence reveals a degree of hostility and hatred that has so often led to terrible disasters. We call on all people of good faith to respect one another, especially one another's religious beliefs. The violation of religious freedom and the victimization of minorities cannot be allowed to escalate, and we call on all authorities to prevent such violent acts." Graz's comments come as the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a release April 15 deploring the violence.

"These attacks on Jews in France and Belgium are despicable," said Michael K. Young, chair of the Commission. "We hope the French government, in particular, will follow through on its recent statements to track down the perpetrators and hold them to account; making it clear such behavior will not be tolerated in France."

The Adventist Church has always rejected violence and intimidation practiced by any group and in 1999 released an official statement calling attention to the rise in persecution and intolerance. [Jonathan Gallagher]

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