The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
This time of year is usually filled with celebration, reflection, and relaxation. Sadly, I feel deeply unsettled by a defamatory guest opinion piece titled “Shen Yun is back again” published in the Arizona Daily Star, and I feel compelled to respond.
The article is biased and full of inciting statements about Falun Gong, a religious minority, and makes false claims against Shen Yun Performing Arts. To many, the United States is the “land of the free.” Religious freedom is a cornerstone of this nation, offering hope to those denied such rights elsewhere. As a Falun Gong practitioner myself, I was shocked to see my faith unfairly targeted beyond recognition.
My father is currently imprisoned in China for his unwavering commitment to his faith as a Falun Gong practitioner. Over the past decade, he has endured repeated arrests, detentions, imprisonment, torture, and forced labor. Reading articles like this is especially painful, as my mother and I anxiously await his release and our reunion as a family.
Falun Gong is a spiritual practice based on the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. It is non-discriminatory and transcends class, ethnicity, and education levels. Practiced in over 100 countries, its teachings have been translated into more than 40 languages and are freely accessible on falundafa.org. Anyone can learn the meditative exercises for free locally.
The practice is not affiliated with any political party. In fact, since 1999, the U.S. Congress has passed five bipartisan resolutions in support of Falun Gong, four unanimously and one with a vote of 412-1.
The Department of Justice has exposed China’s transnational repression campaign against Falun Gong, with multiple Chinese agents arrested just this last November for attempting to bribe IRS agents to target Shen Yun and illegally collecting intelligence on U.S. Falun Gong practitioners.
Historically, China was known as Shen Zhou, or “The Divine Land,” a name reflecting the sacred connection between deities and mortals. Ancient Chinese civilization flourished on a divinely inspired cultural heritage, emphasizing harmony between Heaven, Earth, and humanity.
Much of this traditional culture has been suppressed under communist rule. In Arizona, Shen Yun, dedicated to reviving and sharing this lost heritage through art, has received strong community support. However, its opposition to communism has made it a target of the Chinese Communist Party, which seeks to slander and discredit the troupe.
A 2024 nonprofit report documented over 130 incidents in 38 countries where Chinese agents attempted to undermine Shen Yun through threats, vandalism, and intimidation. Last March, police in Costa Mesa, California documented a 7-inch slash on a Shen Yun tour bus tire. In December, Shen Yun organizers received a threatening email with violent threats and photos of a pistol and ammunition.
The op-ed relies heavily on a flawed New York Times article that offers a biased, one-sided view while refusing to consider alternative perspectives. The Times failed to disclose ties between certain interviewees and the Chinese government entities, deliberately amplifying negative accounts of a small unrepresentative group of former performers, while ignoring numerous positive testimonials from over 1,000 current and former Shen Yun performers.
In response, a former dancer who was proud to be part of Shen Yun wrote in Newsweek: “In my experience, starting from day one — and I was there — our management took very good care of us.” Many other performers have shared similarly positive accounts on the Shen Yun Community site.
Training for a world-class troupe is physically demanding and injuries are inevitable. Dr. Damon Noto of Northern Medical Center regularly provides top quality care to Shen Yun performers, but the NY Times never reached out to him. It is not uncommon for professional athletes and dancers to push through minor aches or injuries. But if injured Shen Yun dancers truly weren’t treated, as the Times article suggests, wouldn’t Shen Yun be short of dancers? How, then, could it have grown from one troupe to eight troupes today?
It is disheartening to see such damaging remarks against a cultural and religious minority enduring such severe persecution.
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