CSW.

Hi, On a typical Sunday, church leaders across the country deliver their sermons, without fear of arrest. And we expect to listen to their preaching, without being harassed. Things are very different in Chengdu, China, where Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Church was forced from the pulpit to the prison. He is currently serving a nine-year sentence for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ and ‘illegal business activity.’ Pastor Wang Yi was arrested in December 2018 alongside 100 church members. While the others were released, he remains in prison – reported to be held in solitary confinement and denied adequate medical care. This is the price Pastor Wang Yi is paying for practising his faith. Please, will you support people like Pastor Wang Yi and others who face discrimination and imprisonment for their beliefs? Pastor Wang Yi has been imprisoned on trumped up charges – a common tactic to try to suppress unregistered churches. Those who choose to practise their religion outside the state-controlled organisations are subjected to harassment and, sometimes, police raids and arrests. Religious freedom in China continues to decline rapidly. Temples, mosques and churches have been demolished by the authorities. Clergy have been replaced by those with government approval. Surveillance cameras have been installed in and around places of worship to track who goes in. And we mustn’t forget the over one million people from Uyghur and other minorities detained in camps in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. You can help challenge these injustices, and many others, by making a gift of £4 today.

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