Oct 17, 2007
International Religious Freedom Archive
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1. Egyptian Shiites Accused of "Causing Contempt" for Islam" (Oct. 6)
2. Serbia: Attacks on Religious Minorities Less Frequent, More Violent (Oct. 9)
3. Chinese Priests Forced to Attend Mandatory "Political Sessions" (Oct. 9)
4. Tajikistan Demolishes Mosques; Fears for Synagogues, Churches Rise (Oct. 10)
5. Belarus: Church Warned to Stop "Illegal Religious Activity" (Oct. 11)
6. Iranian Christians Deemed Apostates, Flogged (Oct. 15)
Features:
AsiaNews speaks with Nazrul Husein, the secretary general of the Islamic Federation of Nepal, about the difficulties of being Muslim in Nepal.
Today's Zaman reports that, following a decision from the European Court of Human Rights, religion classes will no longer be compulsory in Turkish elementary and secondary schools.
Update: The Daily Trust reports that on October 9, the Upper Shari'a Court of Tudun Wada, in Nigeria's Kaduna State, upheld a restraining order against civil rights activist Malam Shehu Sani, prohibiting him from circulating his book "The Phantom Crescent" which presents a critical look at Shari'a law.
1. Egyptian Shiites Accused of "Causing Contempt" for Islam
October 6
Cairo, Egypt
Human Rights Watch reports that two Egyptian men, Mohammed al-Dereini and Ahmad Sobh, were detained and charged with, among other offenses, "promoting extreme Shi'a beliefs with the intent of causing contempt of the Islamic religion". While speculating that the detention of the two men appears to be linked to a broader effort by the Egyptian government to silence its critics, HRW notes that Shi'a activists face additional risks: Egypt's Shiite community has suffered several instances of arbitrary arrests, detentions, and torture since at least 1988.
2. Serbia: Attacks on Religious Minorities Less Frequent, More Violent
October 9
Serbia
Forum 18 reports that attacks against Serbia's religious minorities have increased in severity, though declining in number at the same time. According to Forum 18's annual survey, religious sites were more likely to be the target of arson attacks, and members of religious minorities – Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Protestants – are more likely to find themselves victims of violence. Religious communities worry that police are often unwilling to protect victims or to take threats seriously, and that when perpetrators are identified, they are often let off with light sentences.
3. Chinese Priests Forced to Attend Mandatory "Political Sessions"
October 9
Guangxi Region, China
AsiaNews reports that Chinese priests who were found to have distributed Pope Benedict XVI's letter to Chinese Catholics (text) are being forced by the Chinese government to attend obligatory political sessions in the hopes that they will "[learn] from their mistake". Since the letter's publication on June 30, its distribution in China has been severely impeded: police have destroyed physical copies, and the vice-president of the Chinese Patriotic Association, Liu Bainian, has blocked websites which carried the text of the letter.
4. Tajikistan Demolishes Mosques; Fears for Synagogues, Churches Rise
October 10
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Forum 18 reports that religious buildings in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe remain under threat of demolition, as the government has freely admitted to destroying mosques. Justifying the decision, a representative of the Religious Affairs Department explained that the demolished buildings "were not registered...as mosques, and they spoiled the architecture of the city." Jewish and Protestant communities have begun to fear for their own places of worship, especially ones which are located in areas of the city marked for redevelopment.
5. Belarus: Church Warned to Stop "Illegal Religious Activity"
October 11
Gomel, Belarus
Forum 18 reports that the Living Word Church, a charismatic congregation in Gomel, southeastern Belarus, was given a warning to halt their "illegal religious activity". The congregation, which comprises about 100 members, worships at private premises, in violation of Belarus' Religion Law, which states that any congregation that meets outside of a designated place of worship must receive state permission prior to the gathering.
6. Iranian Christians Deemed Apostates, Flogged
October 15
Tehran, Iran
The Farsi Christian News Network reports that an Iranian Christian couple were flogged after being declared "Mortad", or apostates. The couple, a woman from an Assyrian-Iranian family and a man who had converted to Christianity, were denied a Christian marriage ceremony due to the rules governing the marriage of ex-Muslims, and thus married in accordance with Islamic law. However, the courts consider marriage by Islamic law equivalent to re-conversion, and when the couple were later found at a Christian prayer meeting, they were denounced as apostates. In September, agents of the Revolutionary Court visited the couple at their home to execute the sentence of flogging. The full article can be found here; please be warned that it contains graphic photos.