Among our letters and cards were ones sent directly to persecuted Christians who have been put in prison because of their faith. We also sent 20 letters (signed by the members of Vital Signs’ Freedom of Conscience Committee) to various government officials in some of those nations where these prisoners are being unjustly held. Those nations included China, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Pakistan, Vietnam, Iran, Egypt, and Kazakhstan.
Below is the basic outline of those letters.
We, the undersigned, urge you to please demonstrate fresh justice and compassion in regards to the sad plight of prisoners in your country who are experiencing unfair and harsh imprisonment because of their Christian faith. We specifically intercede today for _____________________.
Please recognize that sincere Christians represent a blessing to your nation as they are morally upright, diligent workers, respectful, kindhearted, and generous. They do not seek to undermine the State but rather to enhance its strength and culture through prayers, devotion to family life, and peaceful service.
To mistreat persons merely because of religious differences (or other acts of conscience) is a tragic mistake, one that frustrates, angers, and saddens people of tolerance and goodwill throughout the world. Please act quickly to open the jail cells of those enduring undeserved punishment for their religious faith.
“Religious freedom, an essential requirement of the dignity of every person, is a cornerstone of the structure of human rights, and for this reason, an irreplaceable factor in the good of individuals and of the whole of society as well as of the personal fulfillment of each individual.” (John Paul II)
Thank you for your consideration of this crucial human rights matter.
Respectfully,
If you would like to join forces and write to (and in behalf of) persecuted Christians, I urge you to check in with the Prisoner Alert section of Voice of the Martyrs website very soon.
