Re: Falun Gong - live harvesting of body parts by Chinese doctors
Posted by:
shakti
()
Date: March 25, 2011 12:06AM
http://www.cultnews.com/?p=2409
10.25.10
Is Falun Gong a litigious “cult” like Scientology?
by Rick Ross
Canada’s Globe and Mail (October 19, 2010) recently reported “Falun Gong wins legal fight to protest outside Chinese consulate.”
inreuterscom.jpegSpecifically, an appeals court in British Columbia overturned a lower court ruling made last year regarding the removal of a “rudimentary hut” the group maintained around-the-clock outside a Chinese consulate for seven years.
However, the court also allowed the city of Vancouver six months to redraft its sidewalk bylaw. During that time, Falun Gong will remain under a court injunction, preventing its members from rebuilding their protest hut.
Not much of a victory for the controversial group.
But a local Falun Gong follower said, “In China, you don’t have freedom of speech or basic human rights. But here, it’s Canada, and we think we should be able to express our rights.”
However, ironically Falun Gong doesn’t seem to think that others have the right to “freedom of speech.”
Samuel Luo of San Francisco, who ran a Web site critical of Falun Gong, sought help from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2005 after his domain provider received a letter demanding that they reveal his identity and contact information.
Falun Gong labeled Luo’s Web site “defamatory” and “highly immoral,” and accused him of “endorsing the inhumane treatment and killing of Falun Gong practitioners.”
Their legal argument was couched in the claim that Luo had somehow infringed on Falun Gong’s trademark by using its name on his Web site.
The ACLU stated that this “clearly did not violate trademark law.”
Luo told the press, “They want to shut me down just because I criticize them.”
Later in 2005, Mr. Luo was scheduled to be a speaker at a conference of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) in Spain.
However, ICSA officials told Luo his presentation had been canceled after a lawyer representing Falun Gong threatened to sue them (“Falun Gong activists make appeals” San Gabriel Valley Tribune December 29, 2007 By Dan Abendschein).
How do these actions exemplify the values of “truth,” “benevolence” and “forbearance” extolled by Falun Gong?
Like Scientology, another group that has been called a “cult,” Falun Gong has become litigious, filing lawsuits against its perceived enemies and almost anyone that dares to criticize and/or seemingly obstruct its actions.
Falun Gong was denied participation in San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade, they sued (“Falun Gong dispute hangs over S.F. Chinese parade” San Francisco Chronicle January 30, 2006 by Vanessa Hua).
Nevertheless, exclusion from the parade was upheld by the California Supreme Court (”State top court OKs excluding Falun Gong” San Francisco Chronicle August 22, 2008 by Bob Egelko).
In 2007 Falun Gong sought to enter a float in the Pasadena, California “Rose Bowl” through the “Caltech Falun Gong club,” which was rejected (“Rose Parade caught up in Chinese politics” Daily Bulletin July 9, 2007 by Kenneth Todd Ruiz).
Later the group was refused a permit to stage its own protest march before the iconic parade (“Falun Gong members to sue Pasadena leaders” San Gabriel Valley Tribune January 3, 2008 by Kenneth Todd Ruiz).
It’s easy to understand why Chinese community leaders have often resisted Falun Gong’s participation in local events.
During 2008 Falun Gong launched a parade in New York City after an earthquake in China killed more than 60,000 people. Devotees displayed banners and placards that read “Only Without the Communist Party There Will Be a New China” and “Earthquake Cover Up Cost Lives.”
Reportedly Falun Gong members were also discouraging donations and spreading rumors that the Chinese government would steal the money.
When the Falun Gong parade finally marched through the Chinatown district in Manhattan its members were booed. Some spectators gave the thumbs-down sign while chanting a derisive oath in Chinese. Water bottles were also thrown at some of the marchers
The recent Globe and Mail article reported, “the People’s Republic of China…has jailed, tortured and executed many [Falun Gong] followers, according to human rights groups.”
The Epoch Times, which is published by Falun Gong devotees, once reported that a hospital, in Shenyang City functioned as a death camp, claiming that thousands of Falun Gong prisoners were murdered and their body parts were then harvested.
Former Canadian Liberal MP David Kilgour said that he was convinced that these allegations were true.
During 2006 Kilgour and a lawyer named David Matas undertook an investigation and issued a report supporting such claims, which drew media attention.
However, the U.S. Congressional Research Service concluded that the Kilgour-Matas report “did not bring forth new or independently-obtained testimony and [relied] largely upon the making of logical inferences.”
Harry Wu, a prominent US-based campaigner for human rights in China expressed skepticism concerning Falun Gong’s claims, despite his dislike and distrust of the Chinese government.
Wu said, “I tried several times to see the witnesses, but [Falun Gong] said no.” He further explained. “Even today, I don’t know their names.” Wu told the press that his investigators were never able to corroborate the claims of forced organ removals (“Harry Wu questions Falun Gong’s claims about organ transplants” Asia News August 9, 2006).
One Canadian journalist, Glen McGregor, openly expressed skepticism about the Kilgour-Matas report (“Inside China’s ‘crematorium’” published by The Ottawa Citizen November 24, 2007).
McGregor wrote that there is tremendous political pressure placed upon Western journalists to accept such stories as fact, or potentially be labeled as a “Holocaust denier.”
Falun Gong largely relies upon negative historical stereotypes of the Chinese Communist government and concerns about China’s growing global influence to gain sympathy and garner attention within the United States, Canada and other Western countries.
Falun Gong’s credibility regarding its claims about “death camps” largely rests upon this premise. That is, that those who distrust and/or harbor negative feelings about China should be sympathetic and believe Falun Gong.
falun.jpgLi Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong (photo right) has claimed that he possesses supernatural powers and knows “the top secret of the universe” and that “no religion can save people” but the “almighty Fa,” which he correctly and exclusively represents (“For Whom the Gong Tolls” The Washington Post February 27, 2000 by Peter Carlson).
Li also teaches his followers racist beliefs.
Master Li says that “mixed races” are excluded from the “truth” and “have lost their roots…They belong to nowhere, and no places would accept them…the higher levels do not recognize such a human race.”
Apparently this would include the current President of the United States and his children.
But thankfully according to Li even though the Obamas are purportedly “intellectually incomplete,” he can “take care of it.” That is, if the President and his family begin practicing Falun Gong and “cultivate” in accordance with his teachings.
Li Hongzhi also encourages the hatred of homosexuals.
He has said, “The disgusting homosexuality shows the dirty abnormal psychology of the gay who has lost his ability of reasoning at the present time,” Li Hongzhi wrote this in Volume II of “Zhuan Falun,” or “Turning the Law Wheel,” which was translated into English during 1996.
In one talk in Switzerland Li said, gay men and women will ultimately be “eliminated” by “the gods.”
250 Falun Gong devotees from Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa sued Les Presses Chinoises for defamation, claiming the newspaper produced “hate literature” against them by running a report, which was critical of the group. After a long court battle an appellate court in Montreal refused to award damages (Cultic Studies Review Vol.: 07 No.: 03 2009).
But not a single Falun Gong devotee in the United States, Canada or Europe has ever spoken out against the hate speech or hate literature of Master Li. Instead, if this issue is brought up, they will attempt to change the subject to “human rights” violations regarding Falun Gong members in China.
But what about the human rights of everyone else?
Some newspapers have at times reported about the hateful teachings of Li Hongzhi often ignored by journalists.
A reporter for the San Jose Mercury News noted, “Li gets more extreme when he expounds on his teachings to followers in his numerous talks, some of which have not been translated, and in the second volume of his book, which is no longer available in English” (“A Chinese Battle on U.S. Soil” San Jose Mercury News December 23, 2001 by Sarah Lubman).
When that same California reporter confronted local politicians who had supported Falun Gong and/or its founder with his homophobic and racist statements, they appeared embarrassed.
California Congressional Representatives Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren and Pete Stark joined 41 other lawmakers and signed an official letter praising Li for promoting the “highest humanitarian values” and recommended him for a Nobel Peace Prize.
When the reporter asked the California Congressional representatives whether they knew about Li’s views on homosexuals and race before they signed the letter, all three said no.
“Obviously I wouldn’t recommend to the Nobel Institute someone who’s anti-gay, because that’s a human right,” Eshoo said. She subsequently rescinded her nomination, writing to the Nobel Institute, “Mr. Li has made statements that are offensive to me and are counter to many of my core beliefs.”
Stark pleaded plausible ignorance. He said, “If Mr. Li holds views, which promote intolerance of any kind, I was not aware of it.”
Lofgren also subsequently conceded that Li was not Nobel Prize material.
That same year Falun Gong was denied participation in San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade (“Falun Gong dispute hangs over S.F. Chinese parade” San Francisco Chronicle January 30, 2006 by Vanessa Hua).
The “cult” sued yet again.
But its exclusion from the event was upheld by the California Supreme Court (”State top court OKs excluding Falun Gong” San Francisco Chronicle August 22, 2008 by Bob Egelko).
To date perhaps the most chilling example of the destructiveness of Falun Gong is the horrific event, which occurred in Beijing during January of 2001.
Five Falun Gong followers set themselves on fire in Tiananmen Square, reportedly to protest persecution by the Chinese government.
falunvictim.jpgTwo died, including a 12-year-old child. A young woman was also horribly disfigured and crippled for the rest of her life.
“We wanted to strengthen the force of Falun Gong,” said Chen Guo (photo left), when interviewed in her home town of Kaifeng. Her face now a mass of grafted skin with no nose and no ears (”Survivors say China Falun Gong immolations real” Reuters April 4, 2002 by Jeremy Page).
Extreme devotion expressed by “cult” members willing to die for their leader, has been demonstrated historically by such tragic events as the mass suicide at Jonestown in Guyana, the Solar Temple deaths in Switzerland and the group suicide of “Heaven’s Gate” in California.
But when Falun Gong was asked to explain the horrible self-immolation that took place in Tiananmen Square, the group completely ignored its significance and assumed no responsibility whatsoever.
First, Falun Gong claimed that those involved were not practicing members.
Later, Falun Gong attempted to spin a story based upon an elaborate conspiracy theory.
When Canadian journalist Glen McGregor questioned what happened in Tiananmen Square Falun Gong devotees “dumped a pile of printed material in [his] lap and insisted [that he] watch a video that they claimed proved the self-immolation of Falun Gong in Tiananmen Square was a conspiracy orchestrated by the Chinese government to discredit Falun Gong.”
CultNews likewise received the same material.
This level of denial is often understood within the framework of what is called “cognitive dissonance.”
Cognitive dissonance is defined as the discomfort caused by holding conflicting ideas at the same time. The theory concludes that people need to reduce this dissonance and do so, by either abandoning certain previously held beliefs, through denial, some form of justification or simply blaming someone or something else for whatever has caused the conflict (”A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance” Stanford, Stanford University Press 1957 by L. Festinger).
This can be seen through Falun Gong’s denials concerning the self-immolation in Tiananmen Square.
That is, Li Hongzhi’s followers believe “Falun Gong is good,” but suicide and killing children is bad, therefore the dissonance must be resolved by blaming the Chinese government.
But what the tragedy in Tiananmen Square demonstrates instead, is that Falun Gong is potentially unsafe and can be seen as a destructive “cult.”
10.25.10
Is Falun Gong a litigious “cult” like Scientology?
by Rick Ross
Canada’s Globe and Mail (October 19, 2010) recently reported “Falun Gong wins legal fight to protest outside Chinese consulate.”
inreuterscom.jpegSpecifically, an appeals court in British Columbia overturned a lower court ruling made last year regarding the removal of a “rudimentary hut” the group maintained around-the-clock outside a Chinese consulate for seven years.
However, the court also allowed the city of Vancouver six months to redraft its sidewalk bylaw. During that time, Falun Gong will remain under a court injunction, preventing its members from rebuilding their protest hut.
Not much of a victory for the controversial group.
But a local Falun Gong follower said, “In China, you don’t have freedom of speech or basic human rights. But here, it’s Canada, and we think we should be able to express our rights.”
However, ironically Falun Gong doesn’t seem to think that others have the right to “freedom of speech.”
Samuel Luo of San Francisco, who ran a Web site critical of Falun Gong, sought help from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2005 after his domain provider received a letter demanding that they reveal his identity and contact information.
Falun Gong labeled Luo’s Web site “defamatory” and “highly immoral,” and accused him of “endorsing the inhumane treatment and killing of Falun Gong practitioners.”
Their legal argument was couched in the claim that Luo had somehow infringed on Falun Gong’s trademark by using its name on his Web site.
The ACLU stated that this “clearly did not violate trademark law.”
Luo told the press, “They want to shut me down just because I criticize them.”
Later in 2005, Mr. Luo was scheduled to be a speaker at a conference of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) in Spain.
However, ICSA officials told Luo his presentation had been canceled after a lawyer representing Falun Gong threatened to sue them (“Falun Gong activists make appeals” San Gabriel Valley Tribune December 29, 2007 By Dan Abendschein).
How do these actions exemplify the values of “truth,” “benevolence” and “forbearance” extolled by Falun Gong?
Like Scientology, another group that has been called a “cult,” Falun Gong has become litigious, filing lawsuits against its perceived enemies and almost anyone that dares to criticize and/or seemingly obstruct its actions.
Falun Gong was denied participation in San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade, they sued (“Falun Gong dispute hangs over S.F. Chinese parade” San Francisco Chronicle January 30, 2006 by Vanessa Hua).
Nevertheless, exclusion from the parade was upheld by the California Supreme Court (”State top court OKs excluding Falun Gong” San Francisco Chronicle August 22, 2008 by Bob Egelko).
In 2007 Falun Gong sought to enter a float in the Pasadena, California “Rose Bowl” through the “Caltech Falun Gong club,” which was rejected (“Rose Parade caught up in Chinese politics” Daily Bulletin July 9, 2007 by Kenneth Todd Ruiz).
Later the group was refused a permit to stage its own protest march before the iconic parade (“Falun Gong members to sue Pasadena leaders” San Gabriel Valley Tribune January 3, 2008 by Kenneth Todd Ruiz).
It’s easy to understand why Chinese community leaders have often resisted Falun Gong’s participation in local events.
During 2008 Falun Gong launched a parade in New York City after an earthquake in China killed more than 60,000 people. Devotees displayed banners and placards that read “Only Without the Communist Party There Will Be a New China” and “Earthquake Cover Up Cost Lives.”
Reportedly Falun Gong members were also discouraging donations and spreading rumors that the Chinese government would steal the money.
When the Falun Gong parade finally marched through the Chinatown district in Manhattan its members were booed. Some spectators gave the thumbs-down sign while chanting a derisive oath in Chinese. Water bottles were also thrown at some of the marchers
The recent Globe and Mail article reported, “the People’s Republic of China…has jailed, tortured and executed many [Falun Gong] followers, according to human rights groups.”
The Epoch Times, which is published by Falun Gong devotees, once reported that a hospital, in Shenyang City functioned as a death camp, claiming that thousands of Falun Gong prisoners were murdered and their body parts were then harvested.
Former Canadian Liberal MP David Kilgour said that he was convinced that these allegations were true.
During 2006 Kilgour and a lawyer named David Matas undertook an investigation and issued a report supporting such claims, which drew media attention.
However, the U.S. Congressional Research Service concluded that the Kilgour-Matas report “did not bring forth new or independently-obtained testimony and [relied] largely upon the making of logical inferences.”
Harry Wu, a prominent US-based campaigner for human rights in China expressed skepticism concerning Falun Gong’s claims, despite his dislike and distrust of the Chinese government.
Wu said, “I tried several times to see the witnesses, but [Falun Gong] said no.” He further explained. “Even today, I don’t know their names.” Wu told the press that his investigators were never able to corroborate the claims of forced organ removals (“Harry Wu questions Falun Gong’s claims about organ transplants” Asia News August 9, 2006).
One Canadian journalist, Glen McGregor, openly expressed skepticism about the Kilgour-Matas report (“Inside China’s ‘crematorium’” published by The Ottawa Citizen November 24, 2007).
McGregor wrote that there is tremendous political pressure placed upon Western journalists to accept such stories as fact, or potentially be labeled as a “Holocaust denier.”
Falun Gong largely relies upon negative historical stereotypes of the Chinese Communist government and concerns about China’s growing global influence to gain sympathy and garner attention within the United States, Canada and other Western countries.
Falun Gong’s credibility regarding its claims about “death camps” largely rests upon this premise. That is, that those who distrust and/or harbor negative feelings about China should be sympathetic and believe Falun Gong.
falun.jpgLi Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong (photo right) has claimed that he possesses supernatural powers and knows “the top secret of the universe” and that “no religion can save people” but the “almighty Fa,” which he correctly and exclusively represents (“For Whom the Gong Tolls” The Washington Post February 27, 2000 by Peter Carlson).
Li also teaches his followers racist beliefs.
Master Li says that “mixed races” are excluded from the “truth” and “have lost their roots…They belong to nowhere, and no places would accept them…the higher levels do not recognize such a human race.”
Apparently this would include the current President of the United States and his children.
But thankfully according to Li even though the Obamas are purportedly “intellectually incomplete,” he can “take care of it.” That is, if the President and his family begin practicing Falun Gong and “cultivate” in accordance with his teachings.
Li Hongzhi also encourages the hatred of homosexuals.
He has said, “The disgusting homosexuality shows the dirty abnormal psychology of the gay who has lost his ability of reasoning at the present time,” Li Hongzhi wrote this in Volume II of “Zhuan Falun,” or “Turning the Law Wheel,” which was translated into English during 1996.
In one talk in Switzerland Li said, gay men and women will ultimately be “eliminated” by “the gods.”
250 Falun Gong devotees from Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa sued Les Presses Chinoises for defamation, claiming the newspaper produced “hate literature” against them by running a report, which was critical of the group. After a long court battle an appellate court in Montreal refused to award damages (Cultic Studies Review Vol.: 07 No.: 03 2009).
But not a single Falun Gong devotee in the United States, Canada or Europe has ever spoken out against the hate speech or hate literature of Master Li. Instead, if this issue is brought up, they will attempt to change the subject to “human rights” violations regarding Falun Gong members in China.
But what about the human rights of everyone else?
Some newspapers have at times reported about the hateful teachings of Li Hongzhi often ignored by journalists.
A reporter for the San Jose Mercury News noted, “Li gets more extreme when he expounds on his teachings to followers in his numerous talks, some of which have not been translated, and in the second volume of his book, which is no longer available in English” (“A Chinese Battle on U.S. Soil” San Jose Mercury News December 23, 2001 by Sarah Lubman).
When that same California reporter confronted local politicians who had supported Falun Gong and/or its founder with his homophobic and racist statements, they appeared embarrassed.
California Congressional Representatives Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren and Pete Stark joined 41 other lawmakers and signed an official letter praising Li for promoting the “highest humanitarian values” and recommended him for a Nobel Peace Prize.
When the reporter asked the California Congressional representatives whether they knew about Li’s views on homosexuals and race before they signed the letter, all three said no.
“Obviously I wouldn’t recommend to the Nobel Institute someone who’s anti-gay, because that’s a human right,” Eshoo said. She subsequently rescinded her nomination, writing to the Nobel Institute, “Mr. Li has made statements that are offensive to me and are counter to many of my core beliefs.”
Stark pleaded plausible ignorance. He said, “If Mr. Li holds views, which promote intolerance of any kind, I was not aware of it.”
Lofgren also subsequently conceded that Li was not Nobel Prize material.
That same year Falun Gong was denied participation in San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade (“Falun Gong dispute hangs over S.F. Chinese parade” San Francisco Chronicle January 30, 2006 by Vanessa Hua).
The “cult” sued yet again.
But its exclusion from the event was upheld by the California Supreme Court (”State top court OKs excluding Falun Gong” San Francisco Chronicle August 22, 2008 by Bob Egelko).
To date perhaps the most chilling example of the destructiveness of Falun Gong is the horrific event, which occurred in Beijing during January of 2001.
Five Falun Gong followers set themselves on fire in Tiananmen Square, reportedly to protest persecution by the Chinese government.
falunvictim.jpgTwo died, including a 12-year-old child. A young woman was also horribly disfigured and crippled for the rest of her life.
“We wanted to strengthen the force of Falun Gong,” said Chen Guo (photo left), when interviewed in her home town of Kaifeng. Her face now a mass of grafted skin with no nose and no ears (”Survivors say China Falun Gong immolations real” Reuters April 4, 2002 by Jeremy Page).
Extreme devotion expressed by “cult” members willing to die for their leader, has been demonstrated historically by such tragic events as the mass suicide at Jonestown in Guyana, the Solar Temple deaths in Switzerland and the group suicide of “Heaven’s Gate” in California.
But when Falun Gong was asked to explain the horrible self-immolation that took place in Tiananmen Square, the group completely ignored its significance and assumed no responsibility whatsoever.
First, Falun Gong claimed that those involved were not practicing members.
Later, Falun Gong attempted to spin a story based upon an elaborate conspiracy theory.
When Canadian journalist Glen McGregor questioned what happened in Tiananmen Square Falun Gong devotees “dumped a pile of printed material in [his] lap and insisted [that he] watch a video that they claimed proved the self-immolation of Falun Gong in Tiananmen Square was a conspiracy orchestrated by the Chinese government to discredit Falun Gong.”
CultNews likewise received the same material.
This level of denial is often understood within the framework of what is called “cognitive dissonance.”
Cognitive dissonance is defined as the discomfort caused by holding conflicting ideas at the same time. The theory concludes that people need to reduce this dissonance and do so, by either abandoning certain previously held beliefs, through denial, some form of justification or simply blaming someone or something else for whatever has caused the conflict (”A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance” Stanford, Stanford University Press 1957 by L. Festinger).
This can be seen through Falun Gong’s denials concerning the self-immolation in Tiananmen Square.
That is, Li Hongzhi’s followers believe “Falun Gong is good,” but suicide and killing children is bad, therefore the dissonance must be resolved by blaming the Chinese government.
But what the tragedy in Tiananmen Square demonstrates instead, is that Falun Gong is potentially unsafe and can be seen as a destructive “cult.”
Re: Falun Gong - live harvesting of body parts by Chinese doctors
Posted by:
shakti
()
Date: March 25, 2011 12:08AM
[www.culteducation.com]
Supes support 'homophobic cult'
Bay Area Reporter/February 2, 2006
By Matthew S. Bajko
Amid accusations it is giving a San Francisco seal of approval to what some contend is a "homophobic cult," the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution this week in support of ending persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned since 1999 in China, where members of the group are routinely imprisoned.
Both the city's gay supervisors, Bevan Dufty and Tom Ammiano, joined in the 9-2 vote to pass the resolution, despite calls for them not to give any support to Falun Gong, whose founder has called gays "demonic" and has said that "the priority of the gods will be to eliminate homosexual people."
The resolution makes no mention of China or Chinese officials, nor does it specifically address the group's beliefs regarding gay people. It does state that the city does not officially sanction "the views expressed by Falun Gong practitioners" and that the police and Human Rights Commission in San Francisco "should protect the rights and safety of Falun Gong practitioners."
Huy Lu, a Daly City resident and spokesman for the local Falun Gong group, said LGBT people are welcome in the movement. He contended that the accusations of antigay teachings are meant to confuse people.
"We don't have anything against gays, blacks, or any other group," he said. "I practice in the Civic Center and a lot of people go in and out of the Civic Center, some of whom are gay. They are welcome to have us teach them our practice."
The resolution is a watered down version of one introduced by Supervisor Chris Daly that specifically called on Chinese authorities to end their persecution of the movement's followers. Daly, who brought up a similar measure in 2001, did not return calls seeking comment. Passage of the "innocuous" version - as Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi called it - met with criticism from the gay community.
"What a disappointing vote. I have compassion for the practitioners but I think the supervisors have been duped by the master's party line," said a visibly upset Thomas Brown after the vote.
Brown, a gay man whose roommate's parents are Falun Gong members, petitioned Dufty to either not vote for the resolution or add specific language to it condemning the movement's stance toward homosexuals.
"I challenge any gay person in this city to get any Falun Gong practitioner to state they do not agree with their master's belief. I have never heard them refute what he has said. There is deception here," said Brown. "I think it is a vote that will come back to haunt some of the supervisors."
Brown's roommate, Samuel Luo, called the supervisor's vote "a huge disappointment" and warned that the group will use the resolution "to recruit members. It makes it hard for people like me to get family members out of the cult."
Robert Bernardo, president of the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, called the vote "shocking" and said it will have reverberations in the gay Asian community.
"There will be gay Asians out there who will be upset, definitely," said Bernardo, though he said he could see why the supervisors waded into the issue.
"I don't know if it was an endorsement of Falun Gong. It is more about freedom of speech and freedom of expression, which I am all for. That doesn't mean this group is not homophobic nor a quasi-religious cult, which they are," said Bernardo.
Thom Lynch, executive director of the LGBT Community Center, expressed concern about the city adopting the resolution and questioned why the board took up the issue in the first place.
"I certainly think the city should not do anything that supports their views on LGBT issues. I don't think anything in this did do that. If it is just stating people should not be persecuted in China for their beliefs, it is hard to find fault with that," said Lynch.
Though he wondered "how do we get into Chinese cults when we have some many cults here we are not addressing. It is an awfully complicated issue to take on on a local basis. One good thing that came out of it is people are having a debate about it. It just should not be decided at the Board of Supervisors."
Several of the supervisors who voted for the measure went to great pains to explain why they felt it was right for San Francisco to pass it. Supervisor Fiona Ma, the lone Asian American on the board who sought to strike the initial resolution's references to China, painted her vote as one upholding American ideals embodied in the U.S. Constitution.
"I took an oath to defend the constitution of the U.S. and the constitution of the state of California and I am fulfilling it with this vote today," said Ma. "America is built on the fundamental values of inclusion and freedom. And sometimes at the local level, we have to defend these values and rights."
Ma, who faced intense pressure from the city's Chinese community not to vote for the resolution, also came under attack because of Falun Gong's antigay teachings. She stressed before voting to approve it Tuesday that, "I do not support the Falun Gong or their teachings. I do not believe government should endorse or promote any particular belief system. This vote is simply about the values of this city, this state, and this country to protect the freedoms we cherish that are increasingly under attack."
In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter after the vote, Ma said she could not say with certainty if the Falun Gong was homophobic or not.
"I am not completely sure of all the teachings of this movement," she said.
Instead of examining the movement's specific teachings, Ma framed the issue as one about "human rights, individual rights, and ending persecution based on one's beliefs" and said the resolution simply "protects people's right to live in San Francisco and not be harassed for their beliefs."
Prior to the board meeting, Dufty had indicated to the B.A.R. in a phone interview Tuesday morning that he would not vote for the resolution.
"At this point I am really uncomfortable putting the board on record in any way that can be construed as supporting Falun Gong," Dufty said. "I don't feel like it is my role to weigh in on this and I don't feel like I can sort out all of the issues. I am not condemning the Catholic Church and its leadership certainly is very homophobic."
Later in the day, Dufty said he changed his mind after speaking with Ammiano because they both felt that no matter what the group believes, it does not deserve to be persecuted for it.
"In talking with him I became comfortable with the strict interpretation of this resolution," said Dufty, who looked conflicted about his decision in a brief conversation after the vote.
Ammiano, speaking before he cast his aye vote, said though he was "still concerned" about the issues raised regarding Falun Gong's beliefs, he nonetheless saw the resolution "as being very clear it is only about ending persecution."
Chinese parade flap
Falun Gong's views on homosexuality became an issue when the Chinese Chamber of Commerce placed an advertisement in Monday's San Francisco Chronicle that questioned why Ma "is asking the Chinese Community to Support a Homophobic Cult?" The ad described the antigay writings of Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi, who teaches, "the disgusting homosexuality shows the dirty abnormal psychology of the gay who has lost his ability of reasoning at the present time."
Ma said she was "personally insulted" by the ad and defended her record on supporting both gay rights and the gay community.
"I have been very supportive and active on LGBT issues both with my votes at the board and my participation at community events. It is a baseless attack," said Ma, who is running for the Assembly seat now held by Leland Yee.
Ma said she did see a positive aspect to the ad.
"I am concerned about these homophobic teachings. It is a good thing these were called out. I don't think people understand the Falun Gong. So to the extent it is educating the community, it is a good thing," said Ma.
Dufty, a friend of Ma's, added, "I am upset on the attacks on Fiona. They are based on electoral politics."
The chamber's attack ad came one week after a heated supervisors' committee hearing Monday, January 23 when Ma and Dufty voted to send the revised resolution to the full board. Supervisor Jake McGoldrick voted against doing so, and he and Board President Aaron Peskin both voted against the resolution this week.
At the committee hearing, Falun Gong members criticized the Chinese chamber for not allowing them to march in its annual Chinese New Year's Parade and questioned why the city gives $77,000 to a parade that discriminates against certain groups.
Wayne Hu, the chamber's president, said his organization placed the ad in order to defend itself and drum up community support.
"People need to be aware of what their leader or founder has written. It is not just the homosexual community, but all the other things he said in the book about who gets to go to what level. It is very anti-Semitic also," said Hu. "I am hoping for support from the entire city, whether the gay community or the entire city."
Lu, the Falun Gong spokesman, said he was shocked to see the chamber's ad. He called it more than just a political tactic to pressure Ma into not supporting Falun Gong.
"They want to incite hatred among the San Francisco population because they know San Francisco is very liberal. They use that against Falun Gong participants," he said. "If you can see us we are just a very, very peaceful group."
Falun Gong has filed a complaint with the HRC over not being allowed in the parade. The group has also threatened to file an injunction against the city for its support of the Chinese parade, but as of press time no such action had been filed. The HRC is investigating the case and attempting to get both sides to mediate.
"We responded and said we have not violated the human rights ordinance," said Hu.
Hu said his group denied Falun Gong's application to join the parade because when they were in the parade in 2004 they handed out fliers the parade deemed to be political and in violation of the parade's restrictions on groups making political statements. Last year Falun Gong tried to crash the parade, and in the end, marched along the route behind the official end of the parade.
The parade committee has support among gay leaders for its efforts not to allow Falun Gong to march.
"I think it is great that the leadership in the Chinese community recognizes the homophobia of this group and I would support their efforts not to let them march," said Lynch.
Bernardo said GAPA also supports the parade committee's stance.
"While GAPA supports the right for all groups, no matter how ridiculous their teachings, to have freedom of speech and expression, ultimately it is up to the Chinatown chamber to make the decision of who marches in their parade," said Bernardo, whose group sponsored a progay marriage float in last year's parade and will have a gay "family tree" themed float this year. "We shouldn't rain on their parade. They have a right to create the parameters of their parade."
Asked how allowing the gay Asian group to march is not a political statement, both Hu and Bernardo said they see a distinction between GAPA's floats and how Falun Gong behaved during the parade.
Hu said, "I think it is political but they were not trying to make a political statement. Falun Gong is. They are lobbying politicians and community leaders to support their cause."
"We are celebrating families. We are not campaigning for candidates. We are not supporting ballot measures or propositions," said Bernardo. "We believe the parade is not about extremism or anything like that. It is really a family celebration so our focus this year is family. It sounds like [antigay group] Focus on the Family but we are focusing on the family this year. We will have gay-friendly and gay clergy marching with us and lots of kids. They will be children of gay and lesbian Asian parents."
The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, February 11 and winds its way from Chinatown to Union Square.
Supes support 'homophobic cult'
Bay Area Reporter/February 2, 2006
By Matthew S. Bajko
Amid accusations it is giving a San Francisco seal of approval to what some contend is a "homophobic cult," the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution this week in support of ending persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned since 1999 in China, where members of the group are routinely imprisoned.
Both the city's gay supervisors, Bevan Dufty and Tom Ammiano, joined in the 9-2 vote to pass the resolution, despite calls for them not to give any support to Falun Gong, whose founder has called gays "demonic" and has said that "the priority of the gods will be to eliminate homosexual people."
The resolution makes no mention of China or Chinese officials, nor does it specifically address the group's beliefs regarding gay people. It does state that the city does not officially sanction "the views expressed by Falun Gong practitioners" and that the police and Human Rights Commission in San Francisco "should protect the rights and safety of Falun Gong practitioners."
Huy Lu, a Daly City resident and spokesman for the local Falun Gong group, said LGBT people are welcome in the movement. He contended that the accusations of antigay teachings are meant to confuse people.
"We don't have anything against gays, blacks, or any other group," he said. "I practice in the Civic Center and a lot of people go in and out of the Civic Center, some of whom are gay. They are welcome to have us teach them our practice."
The resolution is a watered down version of one introduced by Supervisor Chris Daly that specifically called on Chinese authorities to end their persecution of the movement's followers. Daly, who brought up a similar measure in 2001, did not return calls seeking comment. Passage of the "innocuous" version - as Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi called it - met with criticism from the gay community.
"What a disappointing vote. I have compassion for the practitioners but I think the supervisors have been duped by the master's party line," said a visibly upset Thomas Brown after the vote.
Brown, a gay man whose roommate's parents are Falun Gong members, petitioned Dufty to either not vote for the resolution or add specific language to it condemning the movement's stance toward homosexuals.
"I challenge any gay person in this city to get any Falun Gong practitioner to state they do not agree with their master's belief. I have never heard them refute what he has said. There is deception here," said Brown. "I think it is a vote that will come back to haunt some of the supervisors."
Brown's roommate, Samuel Luo, called the supervisor's vote "a huge disappointment" and warned that the group will use the resolution "to recruit members. It makes it hard for people like me to get family members out of the cult."
Robert Bernardo, president of the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, called the vote "shocking" and said it will have reverberations in the gay Asian community.
"There will be gay Asians out there who will be upset, definitely," said Bernardo, though he said he could see why the supervisors waded into the issue.
"I don't know if it was an endorsement of Falun Gong. It is more about freedom of speech and freedom of expression, which I am all for. That doesn't mean this group is not homophobic nor a quasi-religious cult, which they are," said Bernardo.
Thom Lynch, executive director of the LGBT Community Center, expressed concern about the city adopting the resolution and questioned why the board took up the issue in the first place.
"I certainly think the city should not do anything that supports their views on LGBT issues. I don't think anything in this did do that. If it is just stating people should not be persecuted in China for their beliefs, it is hard to find fault with that," said Lynch.
Though he wondered "how do we get into Chinese cults when we have some many cults here we are not addressing. It is an awfully complicated issue to take on on a local basis. One good thing that came out of it is people are having a debate about it. It just should not be decided at the Board of Supervisors."
Several of the supervisors who voted for the measure went to great pains to explain why they felt it was right for San Francisco to pass it. Supervisor Fiona Ma, the lone Asian American on the board who sought to strike the initial resolution's references to China, painted her vote as one upholding American ideals embodied in the U.S. Constitution.
"I took an oath to defend the constitution of the U.S. and the constitution of the state of California and I am fulfilling it with this vote today," said Ma. "America is built on the fundamental values of inclusion and freedom. And sometimes at the local level, we have to defend these values and rights."
Ma, who faced intense pressure from the city's Chinese community not to vote for the resolution, also came under attack because of Falun Gong's antigay teachings. She stressed before voting to approve it Tuesday that, "I do not support the Falun Gong or their teachings. I do not believe government should endorse or promote any particular belief system. This vote is simply about the values of this city, this state, and this country to protect the freedoms we cherish that are increasingly under attack."
In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter after the vote, Ma said she could not say with certainty if the Falun Gong was homophobic or not.
"I am not completely sure of all the teachings of this movement," she said.
Instead of examining the movement's specific teachings, Ma framed the issue as one about "human rights, individual rights, and ending persecution based on one's beliefs" and said the resolution simply "protects people's right to live in San Francisco and not be harassed for their beliefs."
Prior to the board meeting, Dufty had indicated to the B.A.R. in a phone interview Tuesday morning that he would not vote for the resolution.
"At this point I am really uncomfortable putting the board on record in any way that can be construed as supporting Falun Gong," Dufty said. "I don't feel like it is my role to weigh in on this and I don't feel like I can sort out all of the issues. I am not condemning the Catholic Church and its leadership certainly is very homophobic."
Later in the day, Dufty said he changed his mind after speaking with Ammiano because they both felt that no matter what the group believes, it does not deserve to be persecuted for it.
"In talking with him I became comfortable with the strict interpretation of this resolution," said Dufty, who looked conflicted about his decision in a brief conversation after the vote.
Ammiano, speaking before he cast his aye vote, said though he was "still concerned" about the issues raised regarding Falun Gong's beliefs, he nonetheless saw the resolution "as being very clear it is only about ending persecution."
Chinese parade flap
Falun Gong's views on homosexuality became an issue when the Chinese Chamber of Commerce placed an advertisement in Monday's San Francisco Chronicle that questioned why Ma "is asking the Chinese Community to Support a Homophobic Cult?" The ad described the antigay writings of Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi, who teaches, "the disgusting homosexuality shows the dirty abnormal psychology of the gay who has lost his ability of reasoning at the present time."
Ma said she was "personally insulted" by the ad and defended her record on supporting both gay rights and the gay community.
"I have been very supportive and active on LGBT issues both with my votes at the board and my participation at community events. It is a baseless attack," said Ma, who is running for the Assembly seat now held by Leland Yee.
Ma said she did see a positive aspect to the ad.
"I am concerned about these homophobic teachings. It is a good thing these were called out. I don't think people understand the Falun Gong. So to the extent it is educating the community, it is a good thing," said Ma.
Dufty, a friend of Ma's, added, "I am upset on the attacks on Fiona. They are based on electoral politics."
The chamber's attack ad came one week after a heated supervisors' committee hearing Monday, January 23 when Ma and Dufty voted to send the revised resolution to the full board. Supervisor Jake McGoldrick voted against doing so, and he and Board President Aaron Peskin both voted against the resolution this week.
At the committee hearing, Falun Gong members criticized the Chinese chamber for not allowing them to march in its annual Chinese New Year's Parade and questioned why the city gives $77,000 to a parade that discriminates against certain groups.
Wayne Hu, the chamber's president, said his organization placed the ad in order to defend itself and drum up community support.
"People need to be aware of what their leader or founder has written. It is not just the homosexual community, but all the other things he said in the book about who gets to go to what level. It is very anti-Semitic also," said Hu. "I am hoping for support from the entire city, whether the gay community or the entire city."
Lu, the Falun Gong spokesman, said he was shocked to see the chamber's ad. He called it more than just a political tactic to pressure Ma into not supporting Falun Gong.
"They want to incite hatred among the San Francisco population because they know San Francisco is very liberal. They use that against Falun Gong participants," he said. "If you can see us we are just a very, very peaceful group."
Falun Gong has filed a complaint with the HRC over not being allowed in the parade. The group has also threatened to file an injunction against the city for its support of the Chinese parade, but as of press time no such action had been filed. The HRC is investigating the case and attempting to get both sides to mediate.
"We responded and said we have not violated the human rights ordinance," said Hu.
Hu said his group denied Falun Gong's application to join the parade because when they were in the parade in 2004 they handed out fliers the parade deemed to be political and in violation of the parade's restrictions on groups making political statements. Last year Falun Gong tried to crash the parade, and in the end, marched along the route behind the official end of the parade.
The parade committee has support among gay leaders for its efforts not to allow Falun Gong to march.
"I think it is great that the leadership in the Chinese community recognizes the homophobia of this group and I would support their efforts not to let them march," said Lynch.
Bernardo said GAPA also supports the parade committee's stance.
"While GAPA supports the right for all groups, no matter how ridiculous their teachings, to have freedom of speech and expression, ultimately it is up to the Chinatown chamber to make the decision of who marches in their parade," said Bernardo, whose group sponsored a progay marriage float in last year's parade and will have a gay "family tree" themed float this year. "We shouldn't rain on their parade. They have a right to create the parameters of their parade."
Asked how allowing the gay Asian group to march is not a political statement, both Hu and Bernardo said they see a distinction between GAPA's floats and how Falun Gong behaved during the parade.
Hu said, "I think it is political but they were not trying to make a political statement. Falun Gong is. They are lobbying politicians and community leaders to support their cause."
"We are celebrating families. We are not campaigning for candidates. We are not supporting ballot measures or propositions," said Bernardo. "We believe the parade is not about extremism or anything like that. It is really a family celebration so our focus this year is family. It sounds like [antigay group] Focus on the Family but we are focusing on the family this year. We will have gay-friendly and gay clergy marching with us and lots of kids. They will be children of gay and lesbian Asian parents."
The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, February 11 and winds its way from Chinatown to Union Square.
Re: Falun Gong - live harvesting of body parts by Chinese doctors
Posted by:
shakti
()
Date: March 25, 2011 12:34AM
Again, let me be clear: I have no ties or sympathy for the CCP. Organ harvesting is a worldwide problem. I do notice that Falun Gong's claims get a free pass in the Western media, while the same criminality when done by our "allies" in Kosovo gets very little press. If China started to cooperate on its currency, my guess is we'd never hear a Falun Gong story again, as the U.S. would abandon their support for them.
The Epoch Times is the house organ of Falun Gong, and no more trustworthy than the Xinhua news agency.
Another interesting thing: do a google image search on "Falun gong". Nearly all the photos will be gruesome SIMULATIONS of atrocities by the Chinese government, not actual atrocities themselves. I can't think of another group of which this can be said.
The Epoch Times is the house organ of Falun Gong, and no more trustworthy than the Xinhua news agency.
Another interesting thing: do a google image search on "Falun gong". Nearly all the photos will be gruesome SIMULATIONS of atrocities by the Chinese government, not actual atrocities themselves. I can't think of another group of which this can be said.
Re: Falun Gong - live harvesting of body parts by Chinese doctors
Posted by:
ngan chee kean
()
Date: September 23, 2013 12:46AM
Sry. The news 'Face of Falun Gong' by rick ross is quite doubtful especially when these so-called falun gong practitioners (it is a fake) is arranged to meet with a cult expert to give their views? chinese communist party really knows how to mind control people to make people believe falun gong is evil.
the most basic teachings of falun gong is truthfulness, compassion, forbearance and i'll give you an example,
"The issue of killing is very sensitive. For practitioners, we have set the strict requirement that they cannot kill lives. Whether it is of the Buddha School, the Tao School, or the Qimen School, regardless of which school or practice it is, as long as it is an upright cultivation practice, it will consider this issue very absolute and prohibit killing—this is for sure. Because the consequence of killing a life is so serious, we must address it in detail. In the original Buddhism, killing mainly referred to taking a human life, which was the most serious act. Later, killing large-sized lives, large domestic animals, or relatively large animals were all considered very serious. Why has the issue of killing been taken so seriously in the community of cultivators? In the past, Buddhism held that lives that were not supposed to die would, if killed, become lonesome spirits and homeless ghosts. Before, rituals were performed to free these people’s souls from misery. Without such services, these souls would suffer hunger and thirst, living in a very bitter situation. This is what Buddhism said in the past.", lecture 7, first paragraph, zhuan falun.
can anyone point out the teachings of falun gong asks its members to do evil (as in the case of news that came out from china) like the one above.
if the teachings does not ask its members to do evil then however hundreds or thousands of news that came out stated falun gong members did this or that evil thing, i'll say it's a fake. because chinese communist party is fake those news.
the most basic teachings of falun gong is truthfulness, compassion, forbearance and i'll give you an example,
"The issue of killing is very sensitive. For practitioners, we have set the strict requirement that they cannot kill lives. Whether it is of the Buddha School, the Tao School, or the Qimen School, regardless of which school or practice it is, as long as it is an upright cultivation practice, it will consider this issue very absolute and prohibit killing—this is for sure. Because the consequence of killing a life is so serious, we must address it in detail. In the original Buddhism, killing mainly referred to taking a human life, which was the most serious act. Later, killing large-sized lives, large domestic animals, or relatively large animals were all considered very serious. Why has the issue of killing been taken so seriously in the community of cultivators? In the past, Buddhism held that lives that were not supposed to die would, if killed, become lonesome spirits and homeless ghosts. Before, rituals were performed to free these people’s souls from misery. Without such services, these souls would suffer hunger and thirst, living in a very bitter situation. This is what Buddhism said in the past.", lecture 7, first paragraph, zhuan falun.
can anyone point out the teachings of falun gong asks its members to do evil (as in the case of news that came out from china) like the one above.
if the teachings does not ask its members to do evil then however hundreds or thousands of news that came out stated falun gong members did this or that evil thing, i'll say it's a fake. because chinese communist party is fake those news.
Re: Falun Gong - live harvesting of body parts by Chinese doctors
Posted by:
rrmoderator
()
Date: September 23, 2013 01:14AM
ngan chee kean:
Apparently whenever you don't like the facts you insist they are "fake."
But I met face to face with the two women that you mention, based upon my discussion with them, they were both victimized by the "mind control" of Falun Gong.
The group of Falun Gong practitioners that set themselves on fire were influenced by Li Hongzhi and his teachings and told what to do by local Falun Gong leaders in China. The self-immolation was staged by Falun Gong as a protest against the Chinese government.
See [www.cultnews.com]
A 12-year-old girl and her mother died. A middle aged man Wang Jindong was hospitalized with severe burns. The two women that I met with were horribly burned and barely survived.
It is interesting to note that Falun Gong and Li Hongzhi have accepted no responsibility for this tragedy. Instead, Falun Gong has attempted to place the blame of the Chinese government. Why would anyone risk death and the death of their child and/or endure so much pain to participate in a government plot? This conspiracy theory is ridiculous.
The attempt by Falun Gong to blame others for its undue influence and bad behavior illustrates a common characteristic that Li Hongzhi and his followers share with groups commonly called "cults." That is, Li and his devotees refuse to admit mistakes and/or acknowledge when their teachings and/or behavior is wrong.
Li Hongzhi promotes racist and homophobic hate teachings, which is "evil" in my opinion.
See [www.cultnews.com]
“If you want a good description of a cult, all you have to do is read what they say they are,” Margaret Singer told the San Francisco Chronicle at a Seattle conference in 2000. The psychologist, who was the most respected cult expert of the 20th Century observed, “They actually say ‘Don’t Think.’ Just recite the master’s teaching.”
Apparently whenever you don't like the facts you insist they are "fake."
But I met face to face with the two women that you mention, based upon my discussion with them, they were both victimized by the "mind control" of Falun Gong.
The group of Falun Gong practitioners that set themselves on fire were influenced by Li Hongzhi and his teachings and told what to do by local Falun Gong leaders in China. The self-immolation was staged by Falun Gong as a protest against the Chinese government.
See [www.cultnews.com]
A 12-year-old girl and her mother died. A middle aged man Wang Jindong was hospitalized with severe burns. The two women that I met with were horribly burned and barely survived.
It is interesting to note that Falun Gong and Li Hongzhi have accepted no responsibility for this tragedy. Instead, Falun Gong has attempted to place the blame of the Chinese government. Why would anyone risk death and the death of their child and/or endure so much pain to participate in a government plot? This conspiracy theory is ridiculous.
The attempt by Falun Gong to blame others for its undue influence and bad behavior illustrates a common characteristic that Li Hongzhi and his followers share with groups commonly called "cults." That is, Li and his devotees refuse to admit mistakes and/or acknowledge when their teachings and/or behavior is wrong.
Li Hongzhi promotes racist and homophobic hate teachings, which is "evil" in my opinion.
See [www.cultnews.com]
“If you want a good description of a cult, all you have to do is read what they say they are,” Margaret Singer told the San Francisco Chronicle at a Seattle conference in 2000. The psychologist, who was the most respected cult expert of the 20th Century observed, “They actually say ‘Don’t Think.’ Just recite the master’s teaching.”
Re: Falun Gong - live harvesting of body parts by Chinese doctors
Posted by:
yasmin
()
Date: September 24, 2013 02:44AM
hi ngan chee kean;
How do you feel about allegations of homophobic practices in Falun Gong?
The two women who were severely burned were both Falun Gong practitioners, and state that they burned themselves because of falun Gong. I believe there was another Falun Gong practitioner who died, who also set fire to himself?
It is heartbreaking to see the photos of the women who were so harmed by the fire. Their lives have been forever changed.
While my personal opinion is that Falun Gong is not a group that I would recommend to anyone for anything, it is still also possible that some Falun gong practitioners have had their organs harvested against their consent. There has been a fair amount of outcry over the last couple of years in Western media, and some peer reviewed journal articles which discuss the fact that China has been able to sell/procure organs at a rate far higher than other countries, despite a cultural aversion to organ donation. It has been admitted by the Chinese government that convicted criminals who face the death penalty have had their organs sold in the past. Amnesty International, a well respected human rights organization, seems to feel that Falun gong practitioners have been one of the groups targeted for organ donation. A good organ comes from someone who is young and in good health. There have been rumors that arrested Falun Gong members have been blood typed as a possible precursor to later use for organ donation.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2013 02:45AM by yasmin.
How do you feel about allegations of homophobic practices in Falun Gong?
The two women who were severely burned were both Falun Gong practitioners, and state that they burned themselves because of falun Gong. I believe there was another Falun Gong practitioner who died, who also set fire to himself?
It is heartbreaking to see the photos of the women who were so harmed by the fire. Their lives have been forever changed.
While my personal opinion is that Falun Gong is not a group that I would recommend to anyone for anything, it is still also possible that some Falun gong practitioners have had their organs harvested against their consent. There has been a fair amount of outcry over the last couple of years in Western media, and some peer reviewed journal articles which discuss the fact that China has been able to sell/procure organs at a rate far higher than other countries, despite a cultural aversion to organ donation. It has been admitted by the Chinese government that convicted criminals who face the death penalty have had their organs sold in the past. Amnesty International, a well respected human rights organization, seems to feel that Falun gong practitioners have been one of the groups targeted for organ donation. A good organ comes from someone who is young and in good health. There have been rumors that arrested Falun Gong members have been blood typed as a possible precursor to later use for organ donation.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2013 02:45AM by yasmin.
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