Victory for Christian group after Toronto allows music festival

Dot Mediano Tuesday, February 09, 2016

People of all ages and races worshiping at the Greater Jacksonville Festival of Hope, with Franklin Graham. | BGEA

Music festival organizers in Toronto are celebrating a win in their battle against government officials who refused to issue them a permit to use Yonge-Dundas Square in October last year. Management had banned all religious activities from ever taking place in the square, arguing that these might be seen as giving favor to one belief over the other.

Voices of the Nations (VOTN), the organizers of the annual Christian Music Festival, continued to fight for their rights to use the area after initially being denied for religious reasons, and were prepared to take the issue to the higher court but managed to settle the dispute, The Christian Post reported.

After numerous exchanges between the parties, both agreed that the concert must only reference God and Jesus, and hold prayers as long as these were done during the performances.

VOTN issued a letter of intent to sue the city of Toronto and the management board of the Yonge-Dundas Square for violating the rights of freedom of religion and expression in October, as the board originally disallowed the Christian organization to hold their annual music festival because they reasoned that it would be in violation of the city bylaw that a publicly owned property must be secular and open to all religions.

According to Leye Oyelami, the event coordinator, performers of the festival can now freely express their faith through their songs and dances as long as they are in the context of the theme of the event.

As reported by Life Site News, the management board of the square ratified the agreement on Thursday in favor of issuing a permit for the music festival on August 16, 2016.

The organization's next move is now to raise money for the event for the rental fee of the location, tickets, performers' fees and other miscellaneous costs amounting up to at least $15,000.

Last year alone, around 5,000 to 6,000 people had gathered. Director of the VOTN, Beena Ruparelia, prayed that the numbers would still be greater than or the same this year.