War: what is it that religions really say about peace?

In a time where peace has become more than the lack of war, war has hit what is considered the “civilized” world, there are few who willingly misinterpret the time, context, and text to justify the killing of other human beings, forgetting all lessons learned from history.

What is religion?

Religion is a social and cultural system that includes predetermined behaviours and rituals, morals, world-views, books, holy locations, prophecies, ethics, and organizations. It connects humans to mystical or spiritual components of the supernatural world. Religion is a combination of religious attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that can be personal or institutionalized.

The different types of religions

There are many religions in the world, but we will only discuss the six major religions in this text. Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Scientology and Hinduism are the 7 of the most known religions. We’ll look at each religion’s scriptural views about peace and the importance thereof.

Buddhism

Buddhism, unlike the first four religions, does not believe in an external God. Buddhists, on the other hand, seek personal enlightenment and adhere to the teachings of Buddha, a former prince who attained enlightenment after renouncing his life of luxury. According to Buddhists, the Four Noble Truths were discovered by Buddha.

Peace, according to Buddhism, is an inner condition of mental tranquillity that flows outward. Attaining a level of inner calm could serve as an example for everyone. Meditation helped Buddha achieve inner serenity, which encouraged him to work for world peace.

Christianity

Photo by Daniele Franchi

Christians adhere to the Christian faith. Christianity is one of the six major faiths. Christians, like Jews and Muslims, believe in one God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They study the Bible and attempt to follow Jesus Christ’s teachings. Churches are where the vast majority of Christians worship.

The Old Testament‘s definition of “peace” largely alludes to completeness, total health, and total welfare. It refers to the totality of God’s benefits bestowed on a member of the covenant community.

This is what the Bible says about peace in its verses. “I leave my peace with you; I give you my peace.” I do not give to you as the world does. Don’t let your hearts be worried, and don’t be terrified. “As a result, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, because we have been justified by faith.”

Hinduism

Hinduism, like Buddhism, is an Indian religion that is not monotheistic. Rather, it is based on a set of traditions and beliefs that were not established by a single person.

Hinduism emphasizes the importance of peace. Because of the eschatological implications, peace is not only necessary within oneself in Hinduism, but it is also extremely important to act peacefully toward others.

Islam

Muslims are people who adhere to the Islamic religion. They believe in the power of Allah, the Arabic word for God, which is another monotheistic faith. Muslims adhere to Islam’s five pillars, read the Qur’an, and pray in mosques.

Peace in Islam is defined as submission to Allah’s will through sharia, Allah’s holy and eternal rule, and the expansion of the Dar al-Islam, or ‘House of Islam,’ to encompass the entire globe. In the absence of sharia, there is no peace. Muslims believe that the only way to acquire inner peace is to completely surrender to Allah.

Judaism

The earliest religious group, Judaism, is the first of these world faiths. Jews believe in a single, all-powerful God who has made a specific deal with people, known as a covenant. To thank God for His protection and direction, Jews devote their lives to following God’s laws.

The Hebrew Bible mentions the well-known commandment to “love thy neighbour as thyself,” which is echoed throughout Judaism’s sacred literature. As a matter of fact, one of the primary concepts of Jewish law is the love of peace and the pursuit of peace.

In Judaism, peace is a very important belief. Jews will greet one another with the Hebrew phrase “Shalom,” which means “peace and happiness.” It evokes feelings of happiness and well-being. Within Judaism, peace between man and God, as well as between organizations and individuals, is highly valued and must be practised.

Scientology

The one that is considered probably the newest world religion due to its fast growth is Scientology, founded by American author L. Ron Hubbard, who is very well known also for his secular work in drug rehabilitation, values and education. It is in one of his fiction books (Battlefield Earth) that we find a very interesting call for Peace.

HEAR ME!! Out of a hell of shot and shell,// Out of this chaos of contention,// Let us bring peace to pointless fight.// Why do we court the whore called war?// Why make of Earth a shattered night?// There is no ecstasy in killing.// Love alone can make man willing.// So hear me warriors, hear me mothers.// There is no pay in slaughtered brothers.
Attention, if your sense is fair,// heed that which we now declare.// PEACE! You races far and wide. PEACE!// Abandon your blood-soaked suicide// and now abide in peace!// Echo me!// As in your hearts you yearn for love, not death!// PEACE, we have declared it.// Snarls and strife must be at end!// In peace alone can this Earth mend.// And now find ecstasy in love, love for Earth, for all.// The gods of peace have now spoken.// OBEY!

Sikhism

Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak, is another religion that believes in a single God. Sikhs believe that there is only one God, who is present everywhere and in all things.

They don’t really believe that war is always sinful, but that it should only be used as a last resort. As Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan, and Guru Tegh Bahadur demonstrated, peaceful techniques include discussion and non-violence.

Conclusion

Religious tolerance is an important component of every peaceful community, and religious freedom is a global human right that all countries must protect. It is critical to respect one’s religion. No one should be judged because it is everyone’s right to worship whatever they believe in.

MPs and faith leaders discuss at UK Parliament role and value of interfaith

The Interfaith Dimension – MPs and faith representatives convene at UK Parliament to discuss the Role and Value of Interfaith

The media often portrays religion as a source of contention, war and conflict, but does religion really give value to the world? Is interfaith important to society? Why must we stand up for freedom of religion or belief?

Henry Smith MP and sponsor of the AFN meeting in Parliament – By AFN UK

At a conference sponsored by Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, and organised by the All Faiths Network, MPs Stephen Timms, Chair of the APPG on Faith and Religion, and Fiona Bruce, PM’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief came together with people of faith at Parliament to deliberate these very issues.

Martin Weightman, Director of the All Faiths Network, introduced a 14 strong panel of speakers representing a wide variety of faith organisations in the UK who presented an undeniable snapshot of the incredible work that faith does. 

He also highlighted a book the group had recently published called People of Faith Rising Above COVID-19 giving testimony to the work of religious groups and documenting the tremendous and often unrecognised value of religious communities. The mentioned book was provided by the AFNs to all speakers for them to have a well-documented example of what different religious movements have done.

Henry Smith MP welcomed the attendees to the meeting and told of his own constituency experiences where there are many diverse religions saying that “faith can bring strength to our communities and particularly in the context of young people, helping them to grow and develop.”

Stephen Timms MP Chair of APPG on Faith and Society – By AFN UK

Stephen Timms MP, Chair for the APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) on Faith and Society outlined the important role that faith and interfaith activities have in fulfilling different needs in society and providing voluntary support. He explained that the APPG had issued a Faith Covenant, which local authorities are signing, to lay the ground rules for collaboration between councils and faith groups so as to encourage stronger cooperation. The APPG has also published a 2020 report on faith contributions to society where most councils surveyed found that their interaction with faith groups was a positive and supportive one.

Fiona Bruce MP, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief – By AFN UK

Fiona Bruce MP, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, spoke of her endeavours to bring about greater FoRB around the world giving examples of different cases where this is heavily restricted but also of some of the successes where FoRB has won through. She also spoke of other initiatives she is involved with including the forthcoming Inter-Ministerial Conference in London this July being attended by governments from 50 countries around world, the subject of which is respect and adherence to religious freedom principles. Fiona Bruce later tweeted “Wonderful to be in the company of so any people so enthusiastic about FoRB at today’s meeting of the All Faiths Network in the UK Parliament”.

Following the presentation of Fiona Bruce, Alessandro Amicarelli, lawyer and Chair of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief highlighted the religious persecution in China and elsewhere and emphasised the need for coordinated action internationally to deal with these issues. He said that whilst the UN is taking some steps, it is not enough and it was very important for other countries, especially the UK and the USA to become involved. He said the upcoming Ministerial, as already outlined by Fiona Bruce was an important opportunity for this to occur and make pressure on different governments where persecution is occurring.

Sheik Rahman President of the Wimbledon Ahmadiyya Moslem Association then told the meeting that he wanted to thank the UK for ensuring that his faith was able to develop freely and without government discrimination in the UK. He reiterated the previous calls for ensuring human rights especially as we are living in an interconnected global world with social media bringing us even closer. He said that we must always connect and reflect on where we are and where we are heading. He also called for a more equal distribution of resources and the critical need to promote the embodiment of humanity and justice in our own lives.

Harriet Crabtree OBE, Director of the UK’s Inter Faith Network told the meeting of the quiet but consistent background activities that have been going on for many years since IFN’s inception 35 years ago, and how it has moved forward throughout these years. She said that interfaith work is not easy to do, that it is often underestimated, underfunded and undersupported, but that those involved want to be the people they have the potential to be, not to be snarled up by prejudice which only hinders happiness. She said that we are all pioneers in a constantly evolving world.

Rabbi Jeff Berger quite comprehensively summed up the spirit of interfaith by telling the meeting that “The challenge for those of us who hold a faith belief is having courage to move from exclusivity to inclusion. From ‘my faith is the only true faith, and everyone needs to join me’ – to ‘each of our faiths is a unique expression of the Divine message given at a specific time in history’. The responsibility of creating a more inclusive, tolerant religious dialogue, and teaching greater religious literacy, falls squarely at the feet of faith leaders.”

Tracey Coleman, Community Officer of the Church of Scientology (the religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard) told the meeting, “I believe that faith in the 21^st century plays a vital role in bringing real solutions and practical help to our communities. As faith volunteers, we are motivated by our desire to help other human beings. Working together with other faiths during the pandemic, we developed relationships based on true respect and friendship. This is the beauty of the interfaith dimension. It is a force that dissolves intolerance and builds peace, therefore actions to uphold freedom of religion and belief must be increased so that people of faith can continue their vital work.”

Mandip Singh, Trustee of the Central Gurdwara London and co-founder of Gurdwara Aid gave excellent examples of value of Sikh contributions to their own and the wider community through the Sikh tradition of langar – a community kitchen preparing and serving vegetarian food for free. At the hight of the pandemic he estimates that around 90,000 free hot meals each day were being sent to frontline staff and vulnerable communities. “It is a place where poor and needy can always get a nourishing meal,” he said, “This all stems from the Sikh spiritual motivation called Sewa (selfless service) and for caring about the welfare of all.”

Sheik Ramzy, Director of Oxford Islamic Information Centre and an imam of Oxford University, also addressed some of the worst religious discrimination issues in the world such as Uyghurs enslaved in China, Rohingya killed in Myanmar. He pointed out that, “interfaith offers an immense contribution to society, It reminds us that our neighbours matter. Upholding human rights is a vital part of loving our neighbours and for those discriminated against we must remember that their rights are our responsibility.”

Ahsan Ahmedi representing Crawley Interfaith Network (CIFN) gave some practical examples to the meeting explaining that CIFN had become a focal point for issues related to religion. Schools would contact them when they needed to have faith speakers, when local tensions arose the police would come to CIFN for assistance and overall they helped the community become more tolerant.

Rev. Dr. Precious Toe, founder Women Worship Gospel Music awards, said, “that working with other faiths is an empowering experience. We give value to society by building bridges. We are helping the next generations of women through our music and give voice to the voiceless as we rise for peace, love, humanity and oneness.”

Martin Weightman, Director of All Faiths Network

Summing up the meeting Mr. Weightman said, “the purpose of the meeting today was to highlight the value of faith and interfaith activity in society and to generate greater support, awareness and broader understanding of this work, the moral value that religions bring to society and the importance of setting an example to others. I think all attendees did this admirably and we will continue to develop this as a work in progress.

“There are clearly some tough issues to be addressed. The problem of violent religious extremism – which was raised during the meeting. There is Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and discrimination against minority religions to name some key issues – but whilst all these rightly have a focus in the mainstream media, they are but a small part of the activities which relate to religious activity. There should be more focus on the positive news relating to religions and interfaith activity. I am therefore very thankful for the support and backing of the MPs and all the attendees who truly care and wish to develop a greater understanding and awareness of these issues and to protect and value freedom of religion or belief”

All Faiths Network in UK Parliament discussing the role & value of faith. Beautiful gathering of faith friends- making a difference in this world. pic.twitter.com/25EUR3Fkzd

— All Faiths Network (@FaithsNetwork) May 18, 2022

US Commission on International Religious Freedom Releases 2022 Annual Report

Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released its 2022 Annual Report documenting developments during 2021, including significant regress in countries such as Afghanistan and the Central African Republic (CAR). USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report provides recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad.   

Cover-2022-USCIRF-Annual-Report

The report covers discrimination and oppression against members of the following faiths: Baha’i, Buddhist Hoa Hao, Buddhist Tibetan, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witness, Orthodox, Protestants, Erfan-e Halgheh Practitioner, Falun Gong, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, Muslim Ahmadiyya, Muslim Shi’a, Muslim Sufi, Muslim Sunni, Church of Scientology, and others.

The report also notes USCIRF recommendations implemented by the U.S. government—including the designation of Russia as a country of particular concern, the imposition of targeted sanctions on religious freedom violators, and genocide determinations for atrocities perpetrated by the Chinese government against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims and by the Burmese military against Rohingya Muslims.

“We are disheartened by the deterioration of freedom of religion or belief in some countries— especially Afghanistan under the Taliban’s de facto government since August. Religious minorities have faced harassment, detention, and even death due to their faith or beliefs, and years of progress toward more equitable access to education and representation of women and girls have disappeared,” USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza said.

“Meanwhile, USCIRF is encouraged by the Biden administration’s continued prioritization of international religious freedom during its first year. To continue this progress, we strongly urge the administration to implement USCIRF’s recommendations—in particular, to expand its Priority 2 refugee designation to grant access for at-risk religious groups in Afghanistan, and to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern.”

USCIRF’s independence and bipartisanship enables it to unflinchingly identify threats to religious freedom abroad. In its 2022 Annual Report, USCIRF recommends 15 countries to the State Department for designation as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs) because their governments engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations.” These include 10 that the State Department designated as CPCs in November 2021: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—as well as five others: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, Syria, and Vietnam.

For the first time ever, the State Department designated Russia as a CPC in 2021, which USCIRF had been recommending since 2017. Regrettably, the State Department removed Nigeria as a CPC though it had been added the previous year and religious freedom conditions remain dire.

The 2022 Annual Report also recommends 12 countries for placement on the State Department’s Special Watch List (SWL) based on their governments’ perpetration or toleration of severe violations. These include three that the State Department placed on that list in November 2021: Algeria, Cuba, and Nicaragua—as well as nine others: Azerbaijan, CAR, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. In 2021, USCIRF removed CAR from its SWL recommendations because incidents of religious targeting and violence had decreased during 2020, but these trends have since been reversed.

The 2022 Annual Report further recommends to the State Department seven non-state actors for redesignation as “entities of particular concern” (EPCs) for systematic, ongoing, egregious violations. The State Department designated all seven of these groups as EPCs in November 2021: al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP or ISIS-West Africa), and Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).

“Throughout the past year, the U.S. government continued to condemn abuses of religious freedom and hold perpetrators accountable through targeted sanctions and other tools at its disposal. Moving forward, the United States should take additional steps to support freedom of religion or belief around the world. USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report makes recommendations on how Congress and the Executive Branch can further advance this universal, fundamental human right,” USCIRF Vice Chair Nury Turkel stated.

In addition to chapters with key findings and U.S. policy recommendations for these 27 countries, the annual report describes and assesses U.S. international religious freedom policy overall. The report also highlights important global developments and trends related to religious freedom during 2021—including in countries that do not meet the criteria for CPC or SWL recommendations. These include: the COVID-19 pandemic and religious freedom, blasphemy and hate speech law enforcement, transnational repression, religious intolerance in Europe, deteriorating religious freedom conditions in South Asia, and political upheaval that raises religious freedom concerns.

The report also includes sections highlighting key USCIRF recommendations that the U.S. government has implemented from USCIRF’s 2021 Annual Report, discussing human rights violations perpetrated based on the coercive enforcement of interpretations of religion, and providing details on individuals included in USCIRF’s Freedom or Religion or Belief (FoRB) Victims List and Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.

Religious movements included in the report, being the target of religious discrimination by states are:

Baha’i – Buddhist Hoa Hao – Buddhist Tibetan – Catholics – Jehovah’s Witness – Orthodox – Protestant – Eckankar – Erfan-e Halgheh Practitioner – Falun Gong – Hindu – Humanist – Jewish – Muslim Ahmadiyya – Muslim Shi’a – Muslim Sufi – Muslim Sunni – Santeria – Church of Scientology – And others

European Academy of Religion 2021: One of the first sessions was on Scientology and Gnosticism

On Monday August 30, at the University of Munster, the European Academy of Religion – a research initiative on religion launched under the high patronage of the European Parliament, offering an exchange platform to scholars, universities, centers, research infrastructures, scientific journals and publishers coming from Europe and the surrounding regions – launched its annual meeting of 2021, in a hybrid format, with on-site and online sessions.

University of Munster, Germany, screenshot

The President of the Academy, Prof. Hans Peter Grosshans (WWU Münster) in an official statement on their website said: “The Münster conference of the European Academy of Religion will discuss these and many more questions which are raised when studying the relation of religion and change.” 

One of the first sessions was called “Gnosticism and New Religions: The Case of L. Ron Hubbard” and tackled the topic of Scientology as a modern gnosis. The session was moderated by Rosita Soryte, board member of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief. Three panelists approached the topic from different angles.

Aldo Natale Terrin, a Roman Catholic priest teaching at the Santa Giustina Institute in Padova, had already written a comprehensive book on the similarities between Scientology and gnosis as well as with other religions, including eastern religions. In his presentation, he developed the fact that the comparison between Scientology and Gnosticism is evident, based primarily on several principles, including its explanations relating to the fall of the spirit, the conception of the world as matter, and the need to recover the knowledge of the hidden “divine spark” that lies in human spirits in order to return to the divine.  He added that there are other manifestations of Scientology that can be compared to Gnosticism giving a number of other examples of this. He concluded by quoting the Italian Humanist Agostino in his Prisca theologia (Ancient theology), an expression which means “that there is a ‘eternal core’ of shared wisdom in all religions, synthesized as a Transcendental doctrine”, saying that “surely Gnosticism and Scientology belong to this Great Tradition”.

Then Massimo Introvigne, managing director of the CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions) and editor-in-chief of the daily magazine Bitter Winter, furthered the discussion by reviewing how in the 60s and 70s, some antagonists to Scientology attempted to take advantage of the relationship of Scientology’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, with several Gnostic traditions and movements before he founded Scientology, in order to depict him as being associated with black magic. Introvigne reviewed different angles that attempted to discredit Hubbard at that time, and debunked the idea that he would have been so motivated. While Hubbard had indeed expressed interest in magic and found it praiseworthy in its attempt to overcome materialism, he also considered that magic was likely to fail as it depended too heavily on rituals and beliefs. He concluded by stating that Hubbard’s assessment of magic (and of Aleister Crowley, the famous British magus who leaded the Ordo Templi Orientis) was in fact surprisingly modern and close to that of more modern academics.

Finally, Eric Roux, chair of the European Interreligious Freedom for Religious Freedom and also a European religious leader of the Church of Scientology, made a presentation based on some of the writings of L. Ron Hubbard, where the Scientology Founder acknowledged that Scientologists are in fact Gnostics, in the sense that “they know that they know”. Scientology, Roux said, is “a quest for liberating knowledge, a desire to transcend the consequences of a ‘spiritual fall’ which has made the spirit prisoner of its own traps, and this can only remind one of ancient Gnostics themes”. He made comparisons between the aspirations of those ancient Gnostics and some of the “gradient scales” and axioms that exist in Scientology demonstrating that the purposes were similar. “Of course,” Roux said, “Scientology is a religion of the 20th century and its quest for knowledge therefore necessarily involves other tools than those that existed in ancient Greece or in the early days of the Christian era. Nevertheless, the result is that Scientology is Knowingness, awareness, and personal freedom for the individual, and this Gnosis,” he concluded.

Yet another legal win for Scientology in Germany

State of Baden-Württemberg loses in court against a Scientologist

EUToday has just reported about this new legal defeat of a German state when discriminating a Scientologist at the workplace for his beliefs. The EuToday newsportal published that “The State Administrative Court of Appeal for Baden-Württemberg dismissed the State´s appeal against a positive judgement won by a Scientologist before the Stuttgart Administrative Court”.

As reported, the statements in the headlines follow from two court decisions in Baden-Württemberg: “a judgement by the Administrative Court Stuttgart of 02.06.2020 (file no. 3 K 6690/19) and a recent decision of the State Administrative Court of Appeal for Baden-Württemberg of 04.03.2021 (file no. VGH 8 S 1886/20) which had dismissed the application of the state to grant their motion for leave to appeal”.

The state, represented by the State Air Traffic Security Agency, had been tipped off by the State Office for Protection of the Constitution about the Scientology membership of the plaintiff. The agency subsequently adjudicated the Scientologist “unreliable” basing this solely on his long-term religious membership, insinuating that he would thereby pursue illegitimate purposes. Consequently, despite his impeccable conduct, the Scientologist was prohibited from entering the security areas of any German airport. The exercise of his profession in his specialist airport related activities as an electrical engineer had factually become impossible, even though because of his professional skills, he had contributed to the security of airports across Germany and Europe in a very responsible fashion for decades.

SCIENTOLOGY MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT FORWARD ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL ENDEAVOURS – SCIENTOLOGISTS FOLLOW THE LAW.

Pointing to the Supreme Administrative Court case law on the security of air traffic, the first instance Administrative Court in Stuttgart had already confirmed the following to be factual with regards to the Scientologist: “That the individual conduct of the plaintiff was directed in any way towards the use of violence or that the result of his conduct was directed … to materially damage the protection of the free and democratic basic order, the existence and the security of the Federation and the States, is not evident.”

The Stuttgart Admin, in a crushing blow to what the German OPC offten infers, stated that, “no factual indicators are evident that the plaintiff pursues or supports or has pursued or supported any anti-constitutional endeavours in the meaning of … the Federal Law on the Office for Protection of the Constitution during the last ten years.”

EUToday continues to report that “That the Church of Scientology and their members respect the fundamental principles of the liberal-democracy as protected in the above law, not only follows from the legal obligations in the corporate statutes of the Church but also, inter alia, from the Church´s and its members´ worldwide commitment to human rights as has been evident throughout the past decades”.

The State Administrative Court of Appeal has now confirmed the above judgement as final. The blanket insinuation in the agency´s appeal that the plaintiff, by reason of his Scientology membership, would “not constantly be willing to respect the legal order” was rightfully rejected by the Appeal Court with the words: “That this can generally be presumed for members of Scientology, is not evident.” As required by the Church of Scientology from all its members, the plaintiff had always respected the law as evident from his impeccable conduct. The Appeal Court also came to the same conclusion as the first instance court with regards to the agency´s second absurd insinuation against the plaintiff and the Church alleging there was “willingness to use violence”. The Appeal Court also set the record straight on this point stating there is “nothing evident” to that effect, “neither for the plaintiff himself nor for the Scientology Organisation.”

Eric Roux, Vice President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, commented: “The above court findings have rightfully confirmed that the Church and its members are law abiding. They show that the past discriminatory pillorying against the Church and its membership in Germany by certain state security agencies are nothing but blatant human rights violations. The time is well past that such agencies must be subject to international human rights law standards as provided for in guarantees of international treaties of the UN, the OSCE and the EU Human Rights Convention so that they act to protect what they were established for and not to make a Swiss cheese out of the human rights principles that they were meant to protect in the first place.”

Source of the information: https://eutoday.net/news/security-defence/2021/state-of-baden-wurttemberg-loses-in-court-against-a-scientologist

The Great Chick Corea last words to continue joy of creating

His last words

“I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, it’s also just a lot of fun.” wrote the legendary Chick Corea before his departure on 9 february 2021, due to a rare cancer that abruptly interrupted his genius.

Spanish connection

With the “Concierto de Aranjuez” as his base, the percussion and vocal caress of Brazil and the flamenco guitar of Paco de Lucía as his ally, Chick Corea was one of the great pioneers who knew how to successfully incorporate his Latin heritage into international jazz.

23 Grammys

He has the fourth highest number of Grammy nominations, 65, of which he received 23, as well as four Latin Grammys, three of them in the “instrumental album” category, more than any other artist, specifically for the albums “The Enchantment” (2006), “Forever” (2010) and “Further explorations” (2011).

In addition to these, “The Vigil” (2013) was awarded “Best Latin Jazz Album”, but before arriving there, in the last part of his life, the road he had travelled had been prolific and extensive when it came to gathering his family heritage and projecting it to the world.

A personal side…

Born Armando Anthony Corea (Chelsea/USA, 1941) into a family of Italian descent, he learned the fundamentals of the genre as the son of a trumpeter named Armando J. Corea and took his first professional steps alongside figures such as Dizzie Gillespie and Miles Davis. One of his drive was since the 70ies the “Joy of Creating“, an article written by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, which Corea embraced since the 70s after reading the book Dianetics. In fact he directed and participated what was announced as the “Stay Well Concert“, organized and broadcasted at the Scientology Network, where he wanted to transmit a sense of positivity in times of COVID-19.

From Miles Davis to Flamenco

Back to his historic and background, the influence of Miles Davis’ “Sketches of Spain” must have been strongly engraved in his ear, since twelve years after the release of that emblematic album, he also took Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” as a musical idea around which to orbit to create a historical piece, “Spain”.

He had previously released the no less referential “Return To Forever” (1972) with the group of the same name, which included another emblematic song of his production, “La fiesta”, with which he had opened the way to an encounter with flamenco.

He continued to investigate in the same direction, both on the band’s next album, “Light As A Feather” (1973), which included the aforementioned “Spain”, and on “My Spanish Heart” (1976), a very personal project that once again combined Hispanic tradition and electronic modernity.

Warm and wild at the same time

Warm and wild at the same time, between soft “pianissimos” and abrupt tempo changes, it contained pieces like the ambitious suites “Spanish Fantasy” and “El Bozo” or the amusing “Armando’s Rhumba”, with his hand-clapping in the background.

Some of these themes became anthological pieces of his production and it was not unusual to see him reinterpret them hand in hand with other icons, as was the case with Herbie Hancock in the albums they released together at the end of that decade.

As for the influence of flamenco in her music, this was even more evident in “Touchstone” (1982), in which she had the guest guitar of Paco de Lucía in the middle of a repertoire full of songs with Spanish names, see “Duende“.

Compadres

Among a large list of collaborators from the Latin music scene, such as Carles Benavent, Don Alias and Álex Acuña, that album also allowed her to return with some of her former colleagues from Return To Forever, such as Stanley Clarke, to produce the song “Compadres“.

He never strayed completely from the path he himself had set out and it was not unusual to see him return to it, as with the aforementioned “The Vigil” (2013), or when he released another of his most acclaimed albums, “Corea.Concerto: Spain For Sextet & Orchestra / Piano Concerto No. 1” (1999), which featured Avishai Ochen and once again turned his gaze to “Spain”, considered by many to be the best composition of his career.

You can watch the 1 hour video documentary “Chick Corea: In the mind of the Master” here, where he presents his latest album Antidote.

Humanitarian Charles Mully on Documentary Showcase

Scientology Network to Air Story of Celebrated Humanitarian Charles Mully on Documentary Showcase

Los Angeles, CA—December 10, 2020—In commemoration of Universal Human Rights Month, observed each December, Scientology Network’s Documentary Showcase is proud to announce its airing of the award-winning documentary Mully. It is the unforgettable story of a man born into poverty who went on to become one of the most celebrated humanitarians in world, airing on December 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Set in Kenya, Mully is the incredible and inspiring life story of Charles Mutua Mully, who was abandoned by his parents at the age of six and went from begging in the streets to becoming a self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur. At the pinnacle of his success, he shocks friends and family alike by using all his wealth to rescue, feed, adopt and educate over 20,000 homeless children who were living in the streets.

Mully captures the emotionally charged, turbulent twists and turns of Charles Mully’s life. It includes dramatic reenactments of his youth and candid interviews with his wife and children, who were initially opposed to Charles’s determination to turn their lives upside down for the sake of helping strangers. At times, the film plays like a scripted Hollywood feature, simply because this extraordinary man follows no other path but the one his heart tells him to follow.

Mully received numerous honors and awards, including the Austin Film Festival’s Audience Award and a 2016 Hot Docs Top Ten Audience Favorite.

Executive produced by Paul Blavin and directed by filmmaker Scott Haze, Mully is one of the great stories of human rights in action.

Watch the documentary on Scientology Network, DIRECTV Channel 320 or watch live on scientology.tv.

ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE

Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world.

DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning Independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues.

For more information, visit scientology.tv/docs.

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The Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018. Since launching, the Scientology Network has been viewed in 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists; showing the Church as a global organization; and presenting its social betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by Independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities.

Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church’s global media center in Los Angeles, the Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320 and live streaming on scientology.tv, mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers offer free course on drug education to offset the rising tide of drug abuse

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Revealing new book on Scientology by investigator Gabriel Carrion, in 3 languages

Reporter Gabriel Carrion launched his book on Scientology and controversies surrounding it with a Church’s spokesperson answering over 50 questions about it.

MADRID/BRUSSELS, SPAIN/BELGIUM, August 24, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — Journalist Gabriel Carrion has launched his second book on Scientology and the controversies surrounding it with the Church’s European spokesperson answering over 50 of the most asked questions about this religion.

Gabriel Carrion, a writer, scriptwriter, and director, has worked as an investigative journalist since 1985 in the press, radio, and television. Expert in national terrorism, media, sects, and new religious movements, he has published two books on the Spanish terrorist group ETA. Retired in 2004 from much of his public activities, he returned in 2008 to research and investigate his book “Scientology the Longest Battle”[only available in Spanish], which was published in 2011.

An essential book to know in depth the foundations and pillars of a religion, which due to the closeness of its founder allows us to throw more light than shadows on its history”

Gabriel Carrion

Since then, he has published two more books, one of them on self-help, and, after several years, his recently released book on Scientology (in Spanish, French, and Portuguese so far) entitled: “THE POWER OF THE WORD [EL PODER DE LA PALABRA], through the publishing house “Walking Away”.

El Poder de la Palabra, said Carrion to The European Times, sees the light as an essay of questions and answers that responds in a clear, yet simple way, to some of the hottest topics related to Scientology, a subject on which the author plans to publish three more books in the future finishing off a project he began in 2008, and to which, when he expects to finish in 2022, he will have dedicated 15 years of his life.

Asked about the book, Carrion stated that:

“When in 1950 L. Ron Hubbard wrote: ‘DIANETICS, The Modern Science of mental Health’, he was possibly unaware of what was coming his way. Shortly thereafter, after further investigation, he felt he had to take an additional step, and so Scientology emerged as philosophical and religious thought that has derived from the sources of its founder, developing exponentially over time. If thousands are its detractors, millions are its followers throughout the world…

“With a controversial record around the world, Scientology and its leader have left no one indifferent. However, the explosion of social media has allowed, often in an orchestrated and tortious way, falsehoods, and comments about L. Ron Hubbard and his Church”.

Gabriel Carrion, writer, free-thinker, and humanist and Ivan Arjona, President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, come face to face in THE POWER OF THE WORD to formulate and answer some of the questions being asked by societies around the world, in order to clarify some of the issues that are part of the fabulous world of lies and dogmatic distortions that also exist.

As Carrion describes it: “An essential book to know in depth the foundations and pillars of a religion, which due to the closeness of its founder allows us to throw more light than shadows on its history”.