#Remember_Gu
#Coercive_Conversion_Education #1st_Memorial #NewYorkTimes
In the lead-up to the first anniversary of the death of Ms. Ji-In Gu, many
people throughout the world have now heard of her early death through global media channels.
After Ms. Gu - a believer at Shincheonji Church of Jesus - had escaped her
first kidnapping from a Catholic monastery in July 2016, she petitioned in writing to the then Korean president for these so-called "coercive
conversion pastors" - mainly from the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) - to be held
accountable for their actions and urged for the eradication of the CCK’s coercive
conversion programme. However, her plea fell on silent ears and she was kidnapped for a
second time before being suffocated to death on January 9th 2018.
Despite
the outright violation of her individual rights, it was international media that publicised her death to
the Korean people as local authorities ruled her death as a 'religious
and family issue’. Since Ms. Gu’s death, 25 rallies have been held
in 17 countries demanding justice and eradication of this heinous coercive
conversion programme. Nearly 200 media agencies in 33 countries have now actively
reported on the New York Times’ advertisement “Ban Coercive Conversion”
published on 28th November, including ABC (American Broadcasting Corporation)
6, CBS (Colombia Broadcasting System) and FOX News Channel 34. These article highlight the devastating effects of 'coercive conversion' in what is a supposedly democratic
country that guarantees religious freedoms within article 20 of its constitution
(links below).
Regardless
whether one is a believer, all people with a sense of morality would agree that forcibly converting
someone from one religion to another goes beyond issues of religious freedoms
and infringes on one’s human rights. The practice is so degrading. In the words of one of the 150 victims of
coercive conversion in South Korea this year since Ms. Gu’s death, “I lived my daily life bound
with handcuffs on. I even needed to urinate and defecate in front of my father
watching me. It was very shameful.”
As letters of condolences from believers and non-believers alike flood in from all over the world, let’s take a moment to commemorate her passing. A special one year Memorial Ceremony for this victim of Coercive Conversion Education, Ms. Ji-In Gu, will be held shortly in South Korea. Please tune in.
As letters of condolences from believers and non-believers alike flood in from all over the world, let’s take a moment to commemorate her passing. A special one year Memorial Ceremony for this victim of Coercive Conversion Education, Ms. Ji-In Gu, will be held shortly in South Korea. Please tune in.
Memorial Ceremony for the victim of Coercive Conversion Education, Ji-In
Gu
Korean News Articles (Google Translate required)
TimeNews http://bit.ly/2BFEdrp
SCJ News http://bit.ly/2rbFCQz
Jeonnam News http://bit.ly/2SmKBJT
International News Articles
The Enquirer (UK)
Established Africa (Republic
of South Africa)
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