Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas has urged the public to interpret the controversies surrounding the late T.B. Joshua from a human rights abuse perspective rather than solely as a religious matter.
This statement follows the release of a BBC documentary that exposes alleged abuses within the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), led by the late Prophet TB Joshua.
The documentary has ignited widespread discussions, revealing instances of sexual abuse, rape allegations, and manipulations of miracles within the SCOAN.
In an interview with Arise News, Anas emphasized that the primary focus should be on the documented cases of abuse rather than religious considerations.
He stated, “I think that the major takeaway from this documentary is the level of abuse we’ve all seen in the film. And I don’t want us to look at this with the lenses of religion; it is a pure human rights abuse story, which all of us as journalists have been covering. In situations where girls have been raped, sexually abused, and manipulations of miracles, it’s about time we say no to these things. We should stand firm and state it as it is to let people know what the real story is.”
Addressing concerns about the timing of the documentary’s release in the wake of TB Joshua’s passing, Anas argued that, the death of an individual does not absolve them of accountability for alleged wrongdoings.
Drawing parallels with historical figures like Hitler, he said the atrocities committed by individuals should be acknowledged and discussed, regardless of their demise.
“I don’t think this is an attack on the church. I have emphasized that we are not here to talk about religion; we are here to talk about human rights abuses. We have covered stories on human rights abuses, and this is not any different from the stories we do. I think that if there is something wrong, we should have the courage as journalists to be able to tell it as it is. The death of a person does not mean that the issue is dead. There are equally important and many poor people who have suffered as a result of these atrocities. We talk about Hitler today; he is dead, but we still discuss the atrocities and the human rights abuses he meted out to people,” he added.
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