The decision is part of the measures adopted by the Chinese communist government with the intention of controlling the increasingly oppressed religious freedom in the country.
Newsroom – China – Beijing (December 22, 2021, 12:00 PM, Gaudium Press) China’s state religious affairs administration announced this week that from March 1, 2022, it will not be allowed to carry out any kind of religious activity on the internet without government authorization.
Improving “democratic” control over religions
The decision is part of the “Administrative Measures for Religious Information Services on the Internet,” approved by the Chinese State Council in collaboration with the Ministry of State Security and other ministries.
This new offensive against religious freedom is a reflection of the directives of Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, who in early December, during a national religious conference, announced his intention to improve “democratic” control over religions, which means tightening religious repression.
Publishing religious information on the Internet
According to the Chinese ruler, religions must adapt to the fact that China is a socialist country. The faithful must unite around the Party and the government, rejecting all foreign influence.
Organizations and individuals who wish to publish religious information on the Internet should submit an application to the Department of Religious Affairs. In addition, sermons, sermons, ceremonies, and religious training activities may only be broadcast on the Internet after a specific license.
Christmas celebrations prohibited
According to AsiaNews, because of the sinicization of religion promoted in China, a process that began in 2015, even Christmas celebrations in some schools have been banned. The reason for the ban is simple: this is a “Western festival” and is a threat to the Chinese national culture.
The Communist regime considers that in the last year, the multiplication of events related to ‘Silent Night’ – the Chinese term for Christmas Eve – and Christmas Day, constitute an aggression against Chinese culture. Chinese citizens are invited to report cases of Christmas celebrations to the police. (EPC)
Compiled by Zephania Gangl
