China Is Our Friend, Part 51,762

Yup.

While the mantra of the Free Traders goes something like 'If we make them wealthy, they will be free,' the reality is a little different:

A government decree has ruled that the Marian sanctuary, and the pilgrimages that have brought over 40,000 pilgrims there annually, are evidence of "illegal religious activity".

The Henan government plans to raze the sanctuary, bar pilgrimages to the site, and destroy the celebrated statue of Our Lady of Carmel that is revered by Catholics there. To discourage faithful Catholics from organizing sit-ins on the site to protect the shrine, authorities have scheduled military exercises in the area.

Surely that "freedom" doesn't include anything about religion....

HT: Shaking Off Sleep

By the way, the same thing is playing out in Newly-Democratized Baghdad.

For the last month, al-Qaida has mandated all Assyrian families who wish to remain in a neighborhood in Baghdad must now pay an approximate equivalent of one months salary as protection money. If they refuse to pay the tax, they are given a choice to either convert to Islam, leave within 24 hours, or be killed. The jizya, referred to as a “head tax”, was established by the Quran for all non-Muslims as a means of enforcing their submission to Muslim rule.

It's possible, of course, that Gen. Petraeus has other plans for the AlQ's remaining in Baghdad. We'll see.

HT: Cosmos-Liturgy