Category Archives: Freedom

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Open Doors 2023 World Watch List brings much-needed attention to courageous Christians around the world who suffer because of their faith. Released on January 17, the annual World Watch List is a ranking of 50 countries where severe persecution and discrimination against Christians prevail.

Today, more than 80% of the worlds population lives in countries where religious freedom is highly or severely restricted. For millions of people, repression, violence, and discrimination are a part of daily life. Governments and hostile regimes prevent individuals from living in accordance with their faith.

As the latest World Watch List confirms, Christians are no exception.

PROMINENT NYC VENUES REPEATEDLY HOST CHINESE OFFICIAL WHO PRAISED CCP, DENIED UYGHUR GENOCIDE

According to the report, more than 360 million Christians face severe persecution and discrimination for their faith. The number of Christians who have been killed for their faith has also risen by 80% in the last five years.

March 2015: Nigerian soldiers hold up a Boko Haram flag that they had seized in Damasak, Nigeria. (Reuters)

The majority of these killings 90% have occurred in Nigeria. As militant Islamist groups use violence to advance political and ideological objectives, persecution against Christians is most severe in the north, though enforced Islamisation is gradually spreading toward the south.

Open Doors reports that groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militants kidnap, inflict violence upon, or kill their victims and appear to be increasingly conspiring together against Christians, as well as Muslims who oppose them. In northern Nigeria, Christians are also viewed as second-class citizens; converts from Islam may be rejected by their families or endure physical violence.

But as the report notes, Christian persecution extends beyond Nigerias borders. One-in-five of the worlds persecuted Christians live in Africa, and according to the report, "Violence against Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa has reached new heights."

While in Asia, the Chinese Communist Partys model for controlling Christian communities is expanding to other countries. According to the report, "Countries as diverse as Sri Lanka,MyanmarandMalaysiahave headed down this same authoritarian path, joining Central Asian states like Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,Uzbekistan,and Russia."

Today, more than 80% of the worlds population lives in countries where religious freedom is highly or severely restricted. For millions of people, repression, violence, and discrimination are a part of daily life. Governments and hostile regimes prevent individuals from living in accordance with their faith.

In communist China, those under 18 are prohibited from attending church, crosses have been replaced with portraits of Chinas communist leaders, and the CCP is working to rewrite the Bible to align with its ideology. Utilizing oppressive restrictions, surveillance, and propaganda, the Chinese Communist Party is forcing Christians to put the ideology of the Party before the teachings of Christ.

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In Nicaragua, as in communist China, religious freedom threatens the power and authority of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. As Open Doors reports, those who speak out against the Ortega-Murillo regimes human rights abuses and injustices are seen as destabilizing agents. Amidst increasing government oppression, Nicaragua was included in the top 50 countries on the World Watch List for the first time.

Nicaraguas Catholics, which make up 50%of the countrys population, have been a strong force of resistance and, as a result, are targeted for voicing their opposition to the authoritarian Ortega-Murillo regime.

Prominent regime critic, Bishop Rolando lvarez is standing trial following accusations of "conspiracy" and spreading "fake news." Moreover, hundreds of nongovernmental organizations have had their legal status canceled by the regime, including the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order established by Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Tragically, the government accused the sisters of failing to comply with the countrys strict and wide-reaching terrorism law, shut down their organization, and ordered their expulsion from Nicaragua.

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At the launch of this years report, Open Doors U.S. CEO Lisa Pearce affirmed, "The persecution of Christians is now sadly a global phenomenon." However, she also noted, "For all of us, there is something to do. None of us is powerless to help."

The findings of the 2023 World Watch List stand as an urgent call to governments, civil society, and activists to join together to advance and defend religious freedom around the world.

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Callista L. Gingrich is the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

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Persecution of Christians skyrockets worldwide as 360 million oppressed ...

HIGHLIGHTS: Notre Dame and Freedom girls basketball overcome double-digit deficits to win  WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay

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HIGHLIGHTS: Notre Dame and Freedom girls basketball overcome double-digit deficits to win - WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay

'Continuity and Consistency' is the key for first place Freedom Irish girls basketball  WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay

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'Continuity and Consistency' is the key for first place Freedom Irish girls basketball - WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay

Attack on freedom of expression shows fear of governments, says South African playwright Brett Bailey  The Hindu

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Attack on freedom of expression shows fear of governments, says South African playwright Brett Bailey - The Hindu

Former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom discusses the Turkish governments decision to place a $500,000 bounty for his capture on Varney & Co.

The Turkish government issued a $500,000 bounty for former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom's capture however, Freedom asserted that he has "no regrets," and is going to continuously risk his career, family, and "everything" he has to further his activism efforts.

ENES KANTER FREEDOM SPEAKS OUT ON $500,000 BOUNTY FROM TURKISH GOVERNMENT

"I'm trying to be the voice of all those innocent people out there who don't have a voice. So it is worth it, yes. It might cost me my career, my family, and everything I have. But I know in the end, I am doing God's work. So, yes, it is worth it. And I have no regrets," Freedom said on "Varney & Co.," Thursday.

Boston, MA - November 29: Enes Kanter Freedom leaves the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston after he was sworn in as a U.S. citizen and legally changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom on November 29, 2021. (Photo by Suzanne Kreite (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Freedom became aware that the Turkish government placed a bounty on his "head" when he was leading a basketball camp in Vatican City. He received a phone call from the FBI telling him to return to America "immediately."

The former professional athlete was warned by "friends" that the bounty could trigger the cartels, mafia, and even serial killers to start coming after him.

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom discusses his role in the ongoing struggle for human rights in Turkey on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'

During an interview on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Wednesday, Freedom shared that he is not the "only one" to have been unfairly targeted by the Turkish government.

"You know, I'm not the only one. There are so many journalists, academics, professors and celebrities on that list," Freedom explained to host Tucker Carlson.

ENES KANTER FREEDOM CALLS OUT NBA FOR COZYING UP TO CCP AMID HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES: 'SHAME ON YOU'

Freedom, however, is using his burdenous circumstances to further exemplify how problematic Turkey's dictatorship truly is and be the "voice" for those who do not have the privilege of having one.

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom on the Chinese State media's COVID data censorship and onsalught against online critics.

After hearing the news, some members of Congress are calling on the Biden administration to finally "speak up," and "take some action." On Wednesday, Freedom bolstered this plea, arguing that it is time that the White House start "prioritiz[ing] human rights."

"Some of the members of the Congress actually reacted to this news and asked the Biden administration to speak up and actually take some actions. Because I remember the first time President Biden before he took to office, actually, the first thing he said was the problem in the Middle East is our doing, and we need to do something about it. And it's been almost two years and he has not done a thing yet. So we have to prioritize human rights," Freedom explained.

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 27: Enes Kanter #13 of the Boston Celtics poses for a head shot during NBA media day on September 27, 2021 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and (Brian Babineau/NBAE / Getty Images)

"So I'm asking, please Biden administration to take some solid actions and help my friends over there, help my family over there. I haven't seen them almost ten years," Freedom concluded.

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Enes Kanter Freedom issues daring declaration to Turkey over $500k ...

From left, Reps. Dan Bishop, Andy Ogles, Chip Roy and Scott Perry members of the Freedom Caucus were among those who held up this months vote on the House speakership.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo

At the beginning of this month, the House endured the longest contest to elect a speaker in 164 years. Rep. Kevin McCarthy ultimately was elected speaker, but only after he made several concessions to a small but influential faction of dissenting conservative Republicans. Though not every member of the Freedom Caucus a far-right coalition of Republican lawmakers voted against McCarthy, nearly every member who did oppose him was a member of the Freedom Caucus.

That commonality has drawn renewed attention to the Freedom Caucus and its role within Congress. Despite being a minority in the House, the Freedom Caucus has repeatedly punched above its weight and effected genuine change in the chamber. Powerful political factions are as old as American politics, and in most ways, the Freedom Caucus is just a continuation of that tradition. But in a few key ways, its members are doing something different: voting as a bloc, willing to go against their own partys leadership and to gum up the works to make a statement. Those differences have allowed the Freedom Caucus to exercise influence over the better part of the past decade and are why its only just getting started.

Modern congressional caucuses emerged in the last century, though less formal organizations of like-minded members have existed in Congress since the start, according to Ruth Bloch Rubin, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and the author of Building the Bloc: Intraparty Organization in the U.S. Congress. During the Progressive Era in the early 20th century, a group of insurgent Republicans worked alongside Democrats to strip away some of the powers that had been consolidated by the speaker. In the 1960s and 70s, the left-leaning Democratic Study Group worked to push through civil rights legislation (along with, later, the Congressional Black Caucus), against bitter opposition from conservative Southern Democrats.

Typically, such influential intraparty factions emerge only when parties find themselves especially divided, Bloch Rubin said. Its usually because theres enough of a cleavage within the party that these sort of factions have enough members and the distance between one faction and a competitor faction within the same party is enough that it warrants this kind of organizational work, she said.

This was true of the Freedom Caucus. In the 2010 midterms, during former President Barack Obamas first term, a Republican wave elected scores of conservative lawmakers to Congress, giving the party six more seats in the Senate and flipping the House. At that time, there was already a conservative caucus within the House, the Republican Study Committee, and many newly elected Republicans joined. But so did many of the more moderate members, according to former Rep. John Fleming, one of the founding members of the Freedom Caucus.

We noticed that the committee was growing rapidly. And we were seeing faces in there that we had never seen before. We saw people who were not known to be very conservative joining the group, Fleming said, adding that he believed then-House Speaker John Boehner had been encouraging moderate members to join in order to co-opt the committee.

In 1995, just 7 percent of House GOP members were in the RSC. By early 2011, nearly three-quarters were. Fleming said he and some fellow conservatives tried to keep the group tied to its rightward roots, including by electing Rep. Jim Jordan as chairman of the group in 2011. But as the membership swelled, the ideology got a bit diluted. At the same time, many of these same members were growing increasingly frustrated with leadership in the House particularly with Boehner and the status quo. The far-right flank of the party felt Boehner wasnt taking advantage of the GOP majority to get more conservative legislation passed, so they needled him. Boehner retaliated by, according to Fleming, punishing conservative members including by removing them from committee assignments to keep them in line. Boehner did not respond to a request for an interview.

We were irritations for Boehner, and Boehner was an irritation for us, Fleming said.

By Thanksgiving 2014, Fleming and a handful of other members were at their wits end, so they decided to form their own group. In early 2015, the Freedom Caucus was born. It was designed to be very selective about its closed, sometimes secretive membership only ultraconservatives allowed in order to serve as what Fleming calls the conservative anchor of the GOP in the House. Its members would attempt to tow the party toward the right, and once they staked out a position, they wouldnt budge.

While the Freedom Caucus had policy goals in mind, most of its work has focused on disrupting and altering the internal workings of the House. If it could wrest away some of the speakers power, the thinking went, more conservative legislation might have a better shot at passing. One early and consistent way the Freedom Caucus did this was by voting against House rules, slowing down the legislative process and making it harder for bills that the caucus wasnt happy with to come up for a vote. But it also took some bigger swings. While the Freedom Caucus didnt agree to former Rep. Mark Meadowss decision to file a motion to vacate the chair in the summer of 2015 in an effort to oust Boehner, it backed him after the fact, and that consensus was part of what led Boehner to resign as speaker.

Part of what makes the Freedom Caucus a unique intraparty faction is also its greatest strength. If 80 percent of its members agree to a position or action, everyone has to be on board. Thats different from other groups throughout American history, according to Matthew Green, a professor of politics at The Catholic University of America and the author of a book about the Freedom Caucus. It isnt just a group of likeminded members; its also an effective, disruptive voting bloc that stands together. Members are willing to do this because in order to get to that 80 percent threshold, theres a lot of debate and persuading internally, according to former Rep. Ral Labrador, one of the founding members of the Freedom Caucus and now Idahos attorney general. The best debates I ever had in Washington, D.C., were in the Freedom Caucus, Labrador said.

Another difference is the caucuss willingness to buck the speaker and establishment a disposition that can come with political consequences, which is why intraparty factions have historically avoided such sparring.

Thats a big ask. Thats a risky thing to do, Green said. The speaker is powerful, the speaker has powerful friends and youre risking your committee assignments. You could put your fundraising abilities in danger.

These differences are part of how the Freedom Caucus has leveraged its relatively small size (its estimated to have around 40 members currently, though exact membership numbers are not public) to have outsized impact. Perhaps most notably, it aligned behind former President Donald Trump more resolutely than the Republican Party establishment, gaining access and influence through the White House. (To wit: Many former Freedom Caucus members, including Meadows and Fleming, went on to hold positions in Trumps administration.)

Now, with the GOP holding just a narrow majority in the House, the Freedom Caucus can wield its unity and antagonism to even sharper effect. As the vote for speaker demonstrated, a group even half the size of the Freedom Caucus can hold the chamber hostage for days. So when fully unified, just imagine what it might unleash.

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The Freedom Caucus Was Designed To Disrupt | FiveThirtyEight

Tuesday Freedom Kicks: NWSL corrective action, D.C. United preseason good vibes, NWSL draft party, and more  Black And Red United

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Tuesday Freedom Kicks: NWSL corrective action, D.C. United preseason good vibes, NWSL draft party, and more - Black And Red United

Enes Kanter Freedom Claims He's Been Blackballed From The NBA: "I Could've Played In The League Another 6 Years"  Yardbarker

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Enes Kanter Freedom Claims He's Been Blackballed From The NBA: "I Could've Played In The League Another 6 Years" - Yardbarker

Sarah Huckabee Sanders hosts Freedom Fest event ahead of Arkansas governor inauguration  KY3

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Sarah Huckabee Sanders hosts Freedom Fest event ahead of Arkansas governor inauguration - KY3

Freedom wrestlings Horvath raises the roof in top BHWC performance  lehighvalleylive.com

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Freedom wrestlings Horvath raises the roof in top BHWC performance - lehighvalleylive.com