Pastor in Sri Lanka Criminally Charged for Sermon Comments
Authorities had arrested Pastor Jerome Fernando, senior overseer of The Glorious Church in Colombo after a court had ordered officials to abstain from arresting him. He was reportedly released on a cash bail of 500,000 rupees (US$1,540) and two personal bail of 10 million (US$30,810) each and banned from leaving the country.
A Christian leader in Sri Lanka said many churches issued statements standing in solidarity with Pastor Fernando and demanding his release.
“We stand in solidarity because today it is he, tomorrow it could be us as well,” the leader said on condition of anonymity.
He asserted that authorities and religious leaders are gradually turning the attitudes of Sri Lankans against the Christian community.
“Things are happening slowly, and we don’t know what will happen in the long run,” he said. “The unfortunate part is that the church is not ready for such an assault.”
The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) on Dec. 2 expressed grave concern over increasing intolerance and violations of freedom of expression in a press statement on the pastor’s arrest.
In the charges against Pastor Fernando, Sri Lanka authorities had stated that his actions violated Sri Lanka’s International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights Act, which is based on an ICCPR agreement that is designed to protect rights rather than be used to restrict them.
Authorities arrested the pastor based in part on Section 3(1) of Sri Lanka’s ICCPR Act 56 of 2007, which states, “No person shall propagate war or advocate national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”
The NCEASL statement said officials had used Section 3(1) of the ICCPR Act without thoroughly assessing if “expressions truly incite violence or discrimination.”
“The ICCPR Act has often been invoked to protect religions or beliefs against criticism or perceived insult, rather than prioritizing the protection of human rights and shielding vulnerable groups from incitement to violence,” the group stated.
The NCEASL appealed to authorities to withdraw charges against Pastor Fernando and urged them to promote an amicable environment where individuals have the freedom of expression befitting a democracy.
Pastor Fernando was charged with “outraging the religious feelings of any class of persons” under Section 291B of the Penal Code and Section 3(1) of the ICCPR Act 56 of 2007.
Controversial Video
A video of Pastor Fernando’s Sunday sermon of April 30 went viral on social media in May, prompting accusations that he had offended the religious sentiments of the Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic communities in his message.
Some media outlets stated that the pastor said in his sermon that Buddha had been “looking for Jesus,” which led to an uproar among Buddhists.
In mid-May, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered the Central Intelligence Department (CID) to investigate the complaints immediately. Wickremesinghe reportedly pointed out to Advisor on National Security Sagala Ratnayake that such statements could kindle religious conflicts.
Pastor Fernando filed a petition in the Supreme Court on May 26 to prevent his arrest, saying he was advised that his sermon did not constitute any offense. He further noted that Article 10 of the Sri Lankan constitution guarantees “freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.”
