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Christian, Muslim and Jewish Leaders Uniting in Toronto
July 5th for Interfaith Human Rights Event in Support of
Persecuted Uyghur Community
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TORONTO, Ontario, June 30, 2011 /Christian Newswire/
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-- On July 5, 2011, One Free World International will host an interfaith
event in Toronto to raise awareness and support for the
persecuted Uyghur community. Speakers will include
members of the Canadian Parliament, leaders from the
Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities, and a keynote
address by Rev. Majed El Shafie. The event will take
place from 7:00 pm-9:00 p.m. at Catch The Fire Church
(formerly Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship), located
at 272 Attwell Drive in Etobicoke.
"Our main goal is to bring awareness to the situation in
East Turkistan and the plight of the Uyghurs living
under Chinese colonial rule," says keynote speaker and
One Free World International founder Rev. Majed El
Shafie. "We will also promote and bring attention to the
urgent needs of the Uyghur refugees."
Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim group who number
over nine million in Xinjiang, a vast desert region of
Western China.
On July 5, 2009, several thousand Uyghurs, mostly
university students, peacefully gathered in the Xinjiang
capital city of Urumqi to protest the longstanding
discriminatory policies of the Chinese government
towards the Uyghurs and the egregious repression of
their religious, political, educational, linguistic and
economic rights. However, security forces used lethal
force on the demonstrators, leading to hundreds dead and
thousands injured in what has been described as the
deadliest outbreak of violence in China in years.
Chinese authorities continue to pursue and arrest people
in connection with the 2009 event, even hunting Uyghur
refugees in neighboring countries.
Says El Shafie, "Millions of Uyghurs have been killed
since China invaded East Turkistan, however the world
remains silent. It is time for us to unite and stand
together. It is time for our voices to be heard.
Religious persecution of any kind is unacceptable."
Rev. Majed El Shafie was arrested, tortured and
sentenced to die in Egypt because of his Christian
faith. Escaping to Israel, he was imprisoned until his
eventual release a year and a half later. Today Rev. El
Shafie lives in Canada and fights for those persecuted
around the world. Pressuring governments, and
challenging both world and spiritual leaders, Rev. El
Shafie has not been afraid to put everything on the line
to help those in need. The upcoming documentary "Freedom
Fighter" tells his story. To view the trailer or learn
more about his One Million Voices Campaign, please visit
www.freedomfightermovie.com.
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