UK KOREAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION
The UK Korean Friendship Association issued the following statement on the apparent denial of the right to hire meeting rooms by the Society of Friends:
The Society of Friends(Quakers) banned the Korean Friendship Association from using their meeting room in Manchester for a meeting . The room had been booked by a Manchester KFA representative but suddenly he got an email stating that
"I have referred your request to the committee of local Quakers and unfortunately we are not able to accept your booking. We understand that the DPRK does not fully support freedom of religion and as a Quaker venue we feel that we would not be living our own values if we were to allow the booking to go ahead."
Prior to this KFA comrades in Glasgow who tried to book a room in the Friends Meeting House were at first told that the booking was okay but then a few days later received an email saying that the meeting room was unavailable to KFA and not giving a reason.
The UK Korean Friendship Association denounces this action as a deeply undemocratic move , denying KFA of the right to free speech , the right to association and the right to organise .It is highly discriminatory and smacks of cold war McCarthyism This is action of the Quakers are part of machinations by the establishment to silence and stifle KFA and hinder our work in defending People's Korea . Since when have Quaker values included discriminating against those with different beliefs to themselves? Probably the Quakers have broken equality and diversity legalisation .
The reason that the Quakers give for banning KFA is a groundless one based on wrong and inaccurate information.
In fact Article 68 of the DPRK Socialist Constitution 2016 edition does state as follows " Citizens have freedom of religious belief.This right is granted through the approval of the construction of religious buildings and the holding of religious ceremonies.
Religion must not be used as a pretext for drawing in foreign forces or for harming the State or social order"
There are 3 churches in Pyongyang , a Catholic one (which a UK KFA member actually visited in 1993) , a Protestant one and a Russian orthodox one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcO-tF3fPdc&t=206s
Additionally there are many Buddhist temples in the DPRK . The Korean religion of Chondoism is also practised and the Chondoists have their own political party with seats in the Supreme Peoples Assembly .
The Quakers have been shown up to another bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites .Scratch a liberal and you find a fascist underneath !
UK KFA will not be silenced and we will continue our activities despite these obstructions and hindrances .
UK KFA
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