Raffaella Di Marzio: An Analysis of Rejections of Chinese Christians’ Asylum Applications

In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has continued to escalate its persecution of Protestant and Catholic home churches, and listed The Church of Almighty God as a particular target for its oppression, carrying out widespread arrests and persecution. Many Christians have had no choice but to leave their homes behind and become itinerant, and some have even been forced to flee to democratic countries overseas to seek political asylum. Consequently, the outside world has gradually come to know the truth of the persecution they’ve suffered, causing great concern on the part of some international human rights experts, religious scholars, and professors; they have also made appeals on behalf of these Christians who have fled. However, the governments of some democratic countries have disregarded the truth of the CCP government’s persecution of Christians as well as international society’s condemnation of the CCP, rejecting Christians’ asylum applications with a variety of reasons. This has resulted in a very low acceptance rate of Chinese Christian asylum seekers in Europe. Some have received removal orders and some have even been sent back to China. Professor Raffaella Di Marzio, who is in charge of the Center for Studies on Freedom of religion, Belief and Conscience in Italy, has researched and analyzed the issue of the rejection of persecuted Christians’ political asylum applications by some democratic governments.

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Massimo Introvigne | Part 1 : Lies and Violence—Debunking the CCP’s Persecution of Christians

　　As is well known, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seized power through lies and violence, and it relies on lies and violence to maintain its power. The CCP’s rule is nothing but lies, violence, and murder. The CCP propagates atheism, regarding religion as the spiritual opium of the people. Christians preach the gospel and witness for God to carry out God’s will, but the CCP condemns such righteous deeds as abandoning and breaking up their families, and arrests and imprisons Christians on various false charges. In mainland China, Christians from various house churches, particularly from CAG, suffer brutal oppression and persecution for the sake of their religious belief, some of whom were left disabled or died. Many Christians have gone into exile and were rendered homeless with their families scattered. Countless Christian families have been thus broken! In this episode, we have invited Professor Massimo Introvigne, an Italian scholar of new religious movements, founder and managing director of Center for Studies on New Religions, to talk about why the CCP oppresses and persecutes The Church of Almighty God, whether the CCP’s accusations against The Church of Almighty God are true, and who is the main culprit behind the breakdown of Christian families, and so on. The truth will be uncovered, and the CCP’s cruel and evil essence against God that wins fame through deceiving the public and fights against justice will be exposed. Please stay tuned!

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Christians of The Church of Almighty God Will Be Brutally Persecuted by the CCP Once Repatriated

On January 4, 2018, according to the U.S. State Department, pursuant to the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, China is re-designated as a “Country of Particular Concern.” This is the nineteenth consecutive year that China is included in the “Country of Particular Concern” list. At the same time, when the freedom of religious belief in China draws great attention of the U.S. government, the asylum applications of many Christians of The Church of Almighty God who had been persecuted by the CCP, and who had fled abroad to South Korea and European countries, are denied again and again. These governments even issued orders for their deportation and had their Alien Registration Cards withdrawn. Once repatriated to China, these Christians are bound to face the CCP’s arrest, torture and imprisonment, even the danger of death. Their situations are critical!

Christians of The Church of Almighty God  Will Be Brutally Persecuted by the CCP Once Repatriated

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Side Event of UNHRC in Geneva: Spotlighting The Church of Almighty God & Religious Freedom in China

　　On March 1, 2018, during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, the Coordination of the Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP LC) organized a Side Event on the denial of religious freedom in China and the case of The Church of Almighty God. The event was introduced and coordinated by Mr. Thierry Valle, the president of CAP LC. A panel of international scholars and human rights and freedom of religion experts discussed the dramatic situation of the members of The Church of Almighty God both in China, where they are severely persecuted, and in South Korea and Europe, where their requests for asylum are often denied. During the event, attendees also watched a video with testimonies of three members of The Church of Almighty God who suffered brutal persecution at the hands of the authorities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Their stories aroused profound reflection generally.

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Christian Feng Aixia’s Account of Her Experience of the CCP’s Cruel Persecution

Feng Aixia accepted Almighty God’s kingdom gospel in 2006. She was arrested by the CCP police when preaching the gospel in 2014. During the interrogation, the police stripped her off, slapped her on the face, beat her with electric batons, pulled one of her hands back over the shoulder and the other hand up along the back before cuffing them together, etc., torturing her in various kinds of ways. In the end, she was detained for fourteen days on the charge of preaching the gospel illegally and disturbing the social order. After her release, unable to bear the threat and control of the CCP, she was forced to leave her home and flee everywhere.

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Human Rights Expert Do Heeyoon: If Christians Are repatriated, Human Rights Groups Will Not Stand By

Human Rights Expert Do Heeyoon: If Christians Are repatriated, Human Rights Groups Will Not Stand By

On November 28, 2017, in response to concurrent public attacks and smears against The Church of Almighty God in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, South Korean human rights expert Do Heeyoun and eight other non-governmental organizations jointly condemned the Chinese Communist government for its many years of brutal persecution against The Church of Almighty God, and expressed the view that the asylum applications of Christians of The Church of Almighty God should be recognized by their respective host nations. During a recent interview, with the pending asylum applications of Christians of The Church of Almighty God at risk in South Korea, South Korean human rights expert Do Heeyoun said: The South Korean government has always advocated human rights, so it would not unreasonably force people onto the road to ruin. If the government does leave these people high and dry, many international human rights groups won’t sit idly by. He hopes this type of situation won’t happen.

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Western Scholars vs CCP Representatives at the UN in Geneva About The Church of Almighty God

On March 1, 2018, during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, the Coordination of the Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP LC) organized a Side Event on the denial of religious freedom in China and the case of The Church of Almighty God (CAG). A panel of international scholars and human rights and freedom of religion experts discussed the dramatic situation of the members of The Church of Almighty God both in China, where they are severely persecuted, and in South Korea and Europe, where their requests for asylum are often denied. During the event, there was a debate between the western scholars and CCP representatives of the Chinese delegation…

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Since the Chinese Communist Party came into power, it has been oppressing religious beliefs and frantically arresting and persecuting Christians. In recent years, some Chinese Christians have been forced to flee overseas because of their faith. However, their asylum applications are denied in Western countries, especially some in Europe, as the authorities of these countries do not acknowledge the fact that these Christians have been subjected to persecution, and they are in danger of being deported back to China. Carlos Iglesias, a senior Spanish human rights lawyer, comments on the egregious human rights situation in China, as well as its status quo of religious persecution. Regarding the exiled Chinese Christians being denied political asylum, Mr. Iglesias appeals to the authorities of Western countries to act with caution, saying "when they grant or deny this asylum, what is at stake is that person's life."

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Christian Video | The Best Decision of My Entire Life—Accepting Almighty God's Work of the Last Days

Christian Video | The Best Decision of My Entire Life—Accepting Almighty God's Work of the Last Days

Since Almighty God began His work of the last days in China, more and more people have come to spread and bear witness to His words. Almighty God’s end-time work long ago expanded outside of China’s borders, and His words have been translated into many different languages and published online. More and more of those who truly believe in God and long to seek the truth are investigating Almighty God’s work, and many want to gain an understanding of The Church of Almighty God and God’s work in the last days. In response to audience requests, in this episode two American Christians, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt from The Church of Almighty God, share their stories of coming to believe in Almighty God as well as what they have experienced and reaped within the Church.

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Virginia Christian Film Festival: Musical "Every Nation Worships the Practical God" Wins Six Awards

Virginia Christian Film Festival: Musical "Every Nation Worships the Practical God" Wins Six Awards 

"The kingdom has descended; the new age has begun; God has returned!" This is the most stirring of the good tidings from The Church of Almighty God's musical—Every Nation Worships the Practical God. On January 27, 2018, this musical, bearing witness that Jesus the Savior has already returned, was shown at the Virginia Christian Film Festival. In one fell swoop, it won six awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Choreography, Best Music and Best Acting.

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Human Rights Lawyer Carlos Iglesias: Repatriating Chinese Christians Is Putting Their Lives at Stake

Human Rights Lawyer Carlos Iglesias: Repatriating Chinese Christians Is Putting Their Lives at Stake-Eastern Lightning

Since the Chinese Communist Party came into power, it has been oppressing religious beliefs and frantically arresting and persecuting Christians. In recent years, some Chinese Christians have been forced to flee overseas because of their faith. However, their asylum applications are denied in Western countries, especially some in Europe, as the authorities of these countries do not acknowledge the fact that these Christians have been subjected to persecution, and they are in danger of being deported back to China. Carlos Iglesias, a senior Spanish human rights lawyer, comments on the egregious human rights situation in China, as well as its status quo of religious persecution. Regarding the exiled Chinese Christians being denied political asylum, Mr. Iglesias appeals to the authorities of Western countries to act with caution, saying "when they grant or deny this asylum, what is at stake is that person's life."

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Do Heeyoun: Guard Against CCP Blaming The Church of Almighty God for Invented Incidents of Extremism

 Guard Against CCP Blaming The Church of Almighty God  for Invented Incidents of Extremism-Do Heeyoun

On November 28, 2017, in response to concurrent public attacks and smears against The Church of Almighty God in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, South Korean human rights expert Do Heeyoun and eight other non-governmental organizations jointly condemned the Chinese Communist government for its many years of brutal persecution against The Church of Almighty God, and expressed the view that the asylum applications of Christians of The Church of Almighty God should be recognized by their respective host nations. During a recent interview, with the pending asylum applications of Christians of The Church of Almighty God at risk in South Korea, South Korean human rights expert Do Heeyoun said: The South Korean government has always advocated human rights, so it would not unreasonably force people onto the road to ruin. If the government does leave these people high and dry, many international human rights groups won’t sit idly by. He hopes this type of situation won’t happen.

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Christians of The Church of Almighty God Will Be Brutally Persecuted by the CCP Once Repatriated

Christians of The Church of Almighty God Will Be Brutally Persecuted by the CCP Once Repatriated

On January 4, 2018, according to the U.S. State Department, pursuant to the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, China is re-designated as a “Country of Particular Concern.” This is also the nineteenth consecutive year that China is included in the “Country of Particular Concern” list. At the same time, when the freedom of religious belief in China draws great attention of the U.S. government, the asylum applications of many Christians of The Church of Almighty God who had been persecuted by the CCP, and who had fled abroad to South Korea and European countries, are denied again and again. These governments even issued orders for their deportation and had their Alien Registration Cards withdrawn. Once repatriated to China, these Christians are bound to face the CCP's arrest, torture and imprisonment, even the danger of death. Their situations are critical!

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Eastern Lightning | International Society for Human Rights Condemns the CCP's Violations of Human Rights

Eastern Lightning | International Society for Human Rights Condemns the CCP's Violations of Human Rights

On November 19, 2017, the French Jaurès Team of Amnesty International, a long-time human rights watchdog organization in various countries, held a running activity called Run for Freedom (Courir pour la Liberté) at the Buttes-Chaumont Park (Parc des Buttes Chaumont) in Paris, aiming to call on the Chinese and Turkish authorities to immediately cease persecution of its Turkey chairman, Taner Kılıç, Chinese women's rights activist Su Changlan, and nine other Turkish human rights activists. This is yet another call and condemnation by the international community on the dramatic deterioration of the human rights conditions in China and Turkey. The persecuted Christians of The Church of Almighty God also participated in the running activity, who expressed that they were participating in the event to support human rights and appeal for the abusive human rights situation in China. They introduced that since God appeared to work in 1991, The Church of Almighty God has been suppressed and persecuted by the CCP government. Statistics show that just in the short span of two years between 2011 and 2013, as many as 380,000 Christians of The Church of Almighty God had been unlawfully arrested, imprisoned and convicted by the CCP government, of which 43,000 were subject to various means of torture in secret courts that resulted in the death of 13 people. To date, well-documented cases indicate that 44 Christians of The Church of Almighty God had been persecuted to death by the Chinese government. As a result of the escalating repression, they were forced to flee to overseas countries for asylum. Their experiences have also drawn the attention of an increasing number of international human rights organizations and individuals.

#10 The CCP Claims the Conditions of Religion in China Are Favorable. Massimo Introvigne: NOT True

#10 The CCP Claims the Conditions of Religion in China Are Favorable. Massimo Introvigne: NOT True

On November 20–21, 2017, in just two days, seventeen reports attacking The Church of Almighty God (CAG) were published intensively on Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po, the mouthpiece media of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Hong Kong (HK), citing the rumors and fallacies consistently fabricated by the CCP to discredit and condemn the CAG. The reports also described at length the development of the CAG in South Korea. They claimed that the CAG had been condemned as a “cult” in Korea, and that the Korean government should not grant refugee status to Christians of the CAG. Prof. Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist, the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), makes comment on this.

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