The Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) criticized the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) last week for organizing an event with the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran which was called “The Role of Religions in Protection and Promotion of Human Rights.”
“It is difficult to put into words the damage done by the World Evangelical Alliance to the cause for human rights and human dignity in Iran by arranging for an opening statement by Iranian Ambassador Ali Bahreini at the United Nations in Geneva," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of Global Social Action Agenda of the SWC.
The WEA brought together over 150 of either national or regional evangelical alliances of churches, and identifies itself as the largest organization of evangelical churches.
"This is a time when NGOs, including and especially those that purport to speak for hundreds of church groups around the world, should be focusing all of its efforts to stand in solidarity, and aid and abet, not providing legitimacy on the world stage to the murderous regime in Tehran.”
WEA gives mixed messages
Cooper went on to say that the evangelical organization's decision disrespects an event that the WEA hosted last month in which they honored an Iranian Muslim woman who converted to Christianity. He states that Iran has "anti-blasphemy laws that endanger religious minorities including Christians."
"This is a time when NGOs, including and especially those that purport to speak for hundreds of church groups around the world, should be focusing all of its efforts to stand in solidarity, and aid and abet, not providing legitimacy on the world stage to the murderous regime in Tehran.”
Rabbi Abraham Cooper
Cooper then concluded that the evangelical organization is giving mixed messages, and thus states that it "only serves to embolden the Iranian regime" and claims that "the WEA leadership have given a very powerful example about how religions can damage and degrade human rights.”