1) Treatment of members of the evangelic church; 2) Information on harassment and forced conscription of evangelical church members in El Salvador
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SLV2497 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, 1) Treatment of members of the evangelic church; 2) Information on harassment and forced conscription of evangelical church members in El Salvador, 1 November 1989, SLV2497, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab2d9c.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
1) Throughout Central America the term evangelical is used mostly to refer to the Christian churches that are not Roman Catholic [See for instance "Pentecostals in Nicaragua", Central American Historical Institute, Vol. 6, No. 8, March 10, 1987 Doug Huss, "Protestants, Sandinistas often Clash", The Guardian, February 12, 1986.].
The IRBDC has recently responded to an information request on the relations of the evangelical churches and the guerrilla movement and the military in El Salvador (see attachments), in which reference is made to the treatment of the La Resurrección Lutheran Church, which could be considered, in a Central America setting, evangelical.
Additionally, several sources reported at the end of 1988 of the bombing which destroyed the main office of the Lutheran Church in El Salvador. [See for instance the British Broadcasting Corporation's Monitoring Service; El Salvador: Lutheran Church Bombed, December 31, 1988; and The Associated Press; "Bomb destroys main office of Lutheran Church in El Salvador, December 28, 1988.] In a separate incident also there was a grenade attack directed against a Lutheran relief post in which a Canadian man was wounded. [The Globe and Mail, "Canadian Hurt in El Salvador could be Home Tomorrow", January 16, 1989, p.A5.]
2) There are no direct reference to harassment and/or forced conscription of evangelical church members in the sources available at present to the IRBDC. However, in general anyone not reporting or avoiding conscription, disregarding his religious beliefs, is subject to harassment and even treated as a deserter by the army (see attachment on conscription in El Salvador.)
Attachments
1. Information Request No. SLV2177 plus attachments.
2. Information Request on Conscription in El Salvador.
3. Copies of quotes on text.
