News

UN Human Rights Committee calls on Algerian government to “guarantee freedom of religion to all,” stop harassing Christians

August 3, 2018

We reported on the church closures in Algeria on July 18. The Order applauds this statement from the UN Human Rights Committee and hopes that the Algerian government will heed it, and alleviate the plight of its embattled Christian minority. And again we pray the Christians of Algeria will be allowed to live their faith in peace, and that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will bring about a revival of Holy Orthodoxy in this region where it so long ago flourished.

“UN tells Algeria to stop harassing Christians after church closures,” by Eno Adeogun, Premier, August 2, 2018:

The UN Human Rights Committee has called on the Algerian government to “guarantee freedom of religion to all”, and stop harassing its Christian minority.

The plea follows a number of churches and other religious institutions that have been closed down in recent months.

The UNHRC urged Algeria to “guarantee the full exercise of their freedom of thought, conscience and religion to all”.

It also said the Algerian government should “refrain from obstructing the religion of persons who do not observe the official religion, in particular by the means of destruction and closure of establishments or refusal to grant registration of religious movements”.

A total of six churches have been closed since November 2017 in the North African country. While three were later reopened – as well as a Christian bookshop and day-care centre for Christian children, dozens of churches have also received notifications ordering them to close….