Some JWs overseas use a false name to evade the authorities. Is this a common practice?

by dropoffyourkeylee 14 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  dropoffyourkeylee

  I had posted this a few days ago and got no response, then I realized I had messed up the title, so here goes again;

  I have learned from a credible source that JWs from the US have recently gone to Morocco to witness, where the work is under ban, and while living there have lived under assumed names. This is (according to my source) under the direction of the branch (I'm not sure which branch it would be, but I would guess France). I'm thinking, isn't that illegal? How can they get away with that? What would the American embassy say about that? if this is true I am simply shocked.

  Has anyone else heard of Witnesses using false names and pretexts to evade the authorities in countries like Morocco?
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  emeth

  Shocked? You should be shocked about morrocan authorities that prohibit preaching by christians of any denomination. In WWII overhere in europe JW's also used other names to evade the Nazis. Does that shock you too?
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  Listener

  The WTBTS have had no problems in directing their followers to break the law when it comes to their preaching work.

  They openly brag about bringing in banned publications (not just bibles) into certain countries, for instance.

  Emeth it is sad that Rutherford put JWs in such a position in Germany and the fools still stood by him and his organization.
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  prologos

  of course there is a biblocal precedent for ignoring specific laws of the land that deal with preaching, as it was with the ban in the first century Jerusalem.

  Why someone would "risk their neck", literally for literature that always contained falsehood, because it would be superseded soon.

  At least one witnes exposed to the literature that was smuggled through the RIESENGEBIRGE, see wte 12/15/2013 pages 3-5 remarked that the content of these backward, contradicting ideas spread through this material caused problems with the sisters& brothers already in confinement, because they did not know what to believe, the superior authority as taught in the late 20s or the NULITE of the early thirties: JH&JC= SA.

  nom de guerre exposed through handwriting analisis.

  of course JWs are

  PUBLISHERS and is common practise to PUBLISH under an assumed name. literary license, literature freedom; and

  Even using th name JWs since 1931 might be not truthfull.
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  DATA-DOG

  Well, it's just sad. It's needless. Also, it is against the law. If a brother comes to my country from Mexico, and he is NOT a legal citizen, then he can't be used in the congregation. Why? He is breaking the law, that's why. Wouldn't his preaching to Americans, even though he is also breaking a law, make him an exemplary publisher? He should be promoted, not deported. Hmm..

  The only difference with Morocco is that it's a new land, full of Real-estate opportunities. Who cares what laws are broken? It's a double-standard. I don't know what exact law is being broken in Morocco. Do they not want public preaching? Is Christianity banned, or just JWs? If I lived there, and the government said, " No D2D.", well fine. People could come to my home for dinner, and we could discuss the Bible. There are other ways of preaching without breaking the law.

  DD
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  DATA-DOG

  This is interesting:

  http://www.religiontoday.com/news/morocco-begins-new-wave-of-christian-expulsions-11631912.html

  Aidan Clay, ICC regional manager for the Middle East, said: "Laws against proselytizing are again being enforced in order to ensure that Moroccan Muslims do not convert to Christianity or to other religions, and to preserve Morocco as a majority Islamic state. What on the surface appears to be anti-proselytizing laws, are in actuality laws against religious conversion -- no Muslim will convert to another religion if they are prevented from hearing about other religions. This directly violates the fundamental human right of religious freedom -- the ability to embrace the religion of one's choice.

  Who does this remind you of? Ironically, the European Association of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses is still a member of the OSCE, unless something has recently changed. How would the OSCE, the primary partner of the U.N, feel about the EAJCWs violating the right of religious freedom of it's members through extreme shunning? Why does the GB allow the EAJCWs to be associated with the primary partner of the Wild Beast of Revelation?
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  dropoffyourkeylee

  My issue with this has more to do with safety. The couple referred to in the OP are in their 20's who travelled to Morocco on their own money as American citizens (they are from NY state). They are not officially missionaries (I did not learn if they are Couples School grads) but they went at the arrangement of the branch, who advised them to live under false names. I understand that open preaching to Muslims is outlawed and severely punished. So what happens if things go sour? Would the away WT back them up to get them home safe? I doubt it. And would the American embassy help after finding out they were living under false names? it's outrageous that the WT would put these young folks at such risk, all for the sake of their pitiful excuse of a message.

  There I've had my rant... I'm done now.
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  Listener

  Data Dog "There are other ways of preaching without breaking the law."

  There is no need to put JWs under unnecessary risks.

  If the WTBTS were to come up with other ways of carrying out the preaching work there would be no one left to peddle their publications door to door.
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  PaintedToeNail

  Does anyone remember the similiar situation in the Phillipines about 14-15 years ago? The brother who risked his neck to preach the word in a VERY Muslim area disguised as a cosmetics salesman (Avon? can't remember exactly). He was captured and beheaded. His physical brother had to collect his head which was in a box. It was all over the news. It wouldn't surprise me if something along the same vein happened in Muslim Morroco...and the WTBTS will be able to wring their hands and say 'too bad, too bad' and be completely absolved of compilicity, as they weren't funding or helping these poor deluded in their preaching work, it was merely a suggestion to go to where the need is greater.
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  Julia Orwell

  And funnily enough, the jws working in Malaysia whom I met once told me the society has directed them NOT to witness to Muslims at all, but to search out non Muslims so as to avoid trouble with the Malaysian authorities. So they protect their people in malaysia, but to hell with you in Morocco. Witness to Muslims and get killed or jailed, see if we care!