IRFN (Sep 27-Oct 1): Burmese Authorities Desecrate Temples, Monasteries in Retaliation

Oct 2, 2007

International Religious Freedom Archive
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1. Morality Squads Patrol the West Bank during Ramadan (Sep. 27)
2. Belarus Says No Change to Religion Law (Sep. 27)
3. Burmese Authorities Desecrate Temples, Monasteries in Retaliation (Sep. 28)
4. UK's Religious Hatred Law Protecting Muslims and Christians Comes into Force (Oct. 1)
5. Belarus Hopes for Decrease in Number of Foreign Religious Workers (Oct. 1)

Features:
Zenit details the difficulties that non-Muslims encounter within Egypt's legal system.

1. Morality Squads Patrol the West Bank during Ramadan
September 27
Ramallah, The West Bank
The Associated Press reports that a 12-person "morality squad", believed to be linked to Mahmoud Abbas' government, currently patrols the streets in the West Bank, detaining anyone found eating or drinking in public during the holy month of Ramadan. Violators, who are usually detained for 24 hours, have their identity papers confiscated for a short amount of time while the morality squad conducts a brief investigation. Since the month of Ramadan started on September 13, at least 50 people have been detained.

2. Belarus Says No Change to Religion Law
September 27
Belarus
Forum 18 reports that Belarus' Vice-premier, Aleksandr Kosinets, has rejected the idea of any changes to the country's Religion Law, despite the fact that petitioners have collected 30,000 signatures to change it. Kosinets maintained that activity by unregistered religious organizations was in violation of the law, thus justifying the raids and detentions which members of such communities face. Belarus sets specific restrictions for communities wishing to register, including setting a minimum membership and dictating where the community may engage in religious activity.

3. Burmese Authorities Desecrate Temples, Monasteries in Retaliation
September 28
Rangoon, Burma
Radio Free Asia reports that in retaliation for the country's recent monk-led protests, Burmese police desecrated a monastery and attacked monks they found in hiding. At the Moe Gaung Pagoda, police destroyed the building's altars, while at the Ngwe Kya Yan monastery, they attacked monks whom they found upon entry and beat. Many monks have been taken away in trucks by the authorities in recent days, with at least 50 being removed from their monasteries during the most recent altercation. More details of the desecrations and brutality perpetrated by the Burmese regime are described by AsiaNews.

4. UK's Religious Hatred Law Protecting Muslims and Christians Comes into Force
October 1
London, UK
The Press Association reports that a new law in the UK will make "inciting religious hatred" into a criminal offense, punishable by up to seven years in prison. The law, known as the Racial and Religious Hatred Act, is designed to extend protection to religious groups such as Muslims and Christians, which were not covered under previous laws that protected Sikhs and Jews, groups the government considered to be based upon race. The law is seen as an essential balance to counter the idea that the UK's terror laws disproportionately target Muslims.

5. Belarus Hopes for Decrease in Number of Foreign Religious Workers
October 1
Belarus
Forum 18 reports that Belarus' vice-premier, Aleksandr Kosinets, recently voiced his opinion that the Catholic Church should phase out the number of foreign clergy in Belarus during the coming years, sparking fears that other religions would be pressured to do the same. Though Belarus' Jewish and Orthodox communities contain foreign religious leaders, the Catholic Church in Belarus relies most heavily on foreign clergy. There are at least 192 foreigners among the 381 Catholic priests in Belarus, and an additional 105 foreign Catholic nuns. Over the last two years, at least 14 Catholic priests and nuns have been forced out of the country, and religious workers arriving to work with other denominations have been denied entry.