The EU, religious faith and swimming challenge - here are the letters for May 23, 2019

EU has no intention of giving any ground

After watching the Eurovision Song Contest you begin to realise exactly what the rest of Europe think of the UK.

This is not a new experience, it has been going on ever since we joined the EEC, and later when Thatcher stood up to them that was the last straw. They have constantly blocked anything that the UK tried to get passed in the EU Parliament and we have never been an equal member of this German/French-run club.

Every one of the MPs who are trying to hold Britain to ransom by blocking any kind of deal to leave the EU should be sacked and banned from becoming an MP again until they understand the meaning of democracy.

Do the people of this country really think that the EU negotiators should just keep blocking any kind of deal that the UK try to negotiate?

We know that they have no intention of giving any ground.

Our negotiating team was far too weak and when things began to stall, they should have said, “We have no intention of rolling over, negotiate a reasonable deal, or we walk”.

But now the lily-livered MPs are insisting that the voters who went against their wishes should be ignored.

Does this mean that if the vote had been to remain, we would have been allowed to object and insist on another referendum?

I don’t think so.

Dave Croucher

Address supplied

SOCIETY

Nobody should

be persecuted

What can the international community do to protect religious freedom worldwide?

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released its 20th annual report which analyses the conditions in those countries considered by USCIRF to be the world’s worst violators, along with policy recommendations on how they can be improved. The report focuses on a list of 28 countries, ranking them in different tiers of concern.

Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. With violence against believers on the rise around the world, it is vital that nations strongly promote religious freedom and highlight those countries where it is most imperiled. The report continues to draw attention to the worst abusers against people of faith, and even no faith, and stands as one of the key resources for advocates and governments.

The international community cannot be silent where individuals are given death sentences for simply stating their beliefs, imprisoned in camps or killed because they belong to an unfavourable religious group, or subject to persecution or discrimination in any other form based on their religion or beliefs.

Another report, recently commissioned by the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Jeremy Hunt, similarly shows an increase in global levels of persecution on religious grounds. The report focuses on the global persecution of Christians and is being conducted by the Bishop of Truro.

An interim report once again confirmed that Christians are the most persecuted religious group, reaching levels as extreme as genocide and that persecution is “growing in scale and intensity”.

According to the report, the reactions of the international community have been lacking and largely ineffective. We increasingly see Christians and other religious minorities face persecution and denial of their fundamental rights. All people have the right to freely choose and live out their faith. We urge all governments to uphold this right and do more to protect religious minorities and promote religious freedom.

Ryan Christopher,

Senior Policy Officer for ADF International

APPEAL

Take part in challenge

Meningitis Now and the Swimming Teachers Association would like to invite parents and their children to take part in a new water-based challenge to help us fight deadly meningitis.

Splash Now can be held in your local pool during swimming lessons, in a paddling pool in your back garden, in the sea – anywhere, as long as it involves water.

All we ask is that participants use the opportunity to raise some money for Meningitis Now and raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of the disease.

We think this could be a really fun way to encourage babies, toddlers and older children to get involved in swimming or just to enjoy cooling down on a hot summers day, as well as help us to support families that have been impacted by meningitis.

To find out more, please visit our fundraising pages on the Meningitis Now website.

Kat Hollywell

Meningitis Now