Faith and Hope: My Falun Gong Rally Reflection

Tyrone McGowan
August 05, 2010

Protesters demonstrate by sitting, in straight rows, on the grass with their legs folded.

Protesters hold large signs on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

IRD’s Faith McDonnell speaks to the crowd gathered.

My summer internship experience with the Institute on Religion and Democracy has provided me with numerous opportunities to learn and enhance my skills. One of the sayings that I heard repeatedly throughout the summer from staff members was: “Your internship experience will not be complete until you attend a rally with Faith.”

I guess my internship is complete now that I had the privilege of accompanying Faith McDonnell, IRD’s Religious Liberty Programs Director, to a July 22 rally on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This was not your typical Capitol Hill rally. This was a public demonstration calling for an end to the Chinese government’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and its pattern of coercive intimidation overseas.

Falun Gong has experienced harsh persecution since 1999, when the peaceful Chinese spiritual movement was banned by the Chinese government as an “evil cult.” In China, members face sentences of imprisonment or labor camp. According to the Congressional Research Service, since the mid-1990s Falun Gong gained a large and diverse following with estimates ranging from 3 to 70 million members. There are also several thousand practitioners in the United States and other countries with significant Chinese populations.

By the time Faith and I arrived at the West Lawn of the Capitol, the demonstration was already underway. Vibrant yellow, blue, and green banners that read, “Stop Persecution of Falun Gong in China,” served as a wonderful backdrop against the blue sky and familiar Washington, D.C., monuments.

With temperatures in the upper nineties that day, I was amazed with the level of discipline the protesters demonstrated by sitting, in straight rows, on the grass with their legs folded with virtually no shade to protect them. This discipline can be attributed to their strong exercise regimen with a particular emphasis on meditation, moral values, faith, and spiritual beliefs. We may not fully comprehend or agree with the Falun Gong belief system, but we must admire the fortitude of its followers and support their struggle for freedom.

In addition to Faith’s address, the demonstrators were able to hear from members of Congress and other passionate human rights activists and religious leaders who stand with Falun Gong against China’s abuses. Faith’s address was thoughtful and inspiring. She began by reminding them of the IRD’s continuing commitment to work for the human rights and religious freedom of all who are oppressed by the Chinese Communist regime.

In the midst of ongoing persecution, Faith offered three signs of hope. One sign of hope is from the U.S. government, which upholds the rights of Falun Gong practitioners. In its annual International Religious Freedom Report, the U.S. State Department continues to label China as a “country of particular concern.” Also, since the persecution began in 1999, members of Congress have made numerous public statements and introduced resolutions showing support for Falun Gong.

The second sign of hope can be found in the courageous Chinese citizens who are working for a free China. The final sign of hope to which Faith pointed was the protesters themselves, who had come out on that warm summer afternoon.

Faith closed her statement by quoting a biblical passage that basically says that despite extended periods of isolation and exile, hopes and dreams can still be achieved. This renewed sense of awareness suggesting that hope can be restored in the midst of persecution is what resonated with me the most from the demonstration. Together, the citizens of the world must translate that same hope into action by continuing to work to ensure that a free China becomes a reality.