IRFN (Dec. 19-26): Pakistan: Ahmadi Community Risks Charges of "Impersonating Muslims"

Dec 27, 2007

International Religious Freedom Archive
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1. Iran: Top Cleric Calls for Death of Women Found Without Headscarves (Dec. 19)
2. Tibet: Monks Detained for Refusing to Denounce Dalai Lama (Dec. 19)
3. Transdniester: Police Bar Protestant Church from Meeting (Dec. 20)
4. Azerbaijan: Police Bar Children from Attending Adventist Services (Dec. 20)
5. Egypt: Bahá'ís Face Problems in Obtaining Birth Certificates, Identity Cards (Dec. 25)
6. Pakistan: Ahmadi Community Risks Charges of "Impersonating Muslims" (Dec. 26)

Feature: The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution  on "combating defamation of religions" (see press release from Third Committee), though articles 8 and 10 of the resolution have raised concerns about the possible restrictions on freedom of expression they may create. 

1. Iran: Top Cleric Calls for Death of Women Found Without Headscarves
December 19
Tehran, Iran
ADNKronos International reports that one of Iran's top Muslim clerics, Hojatolislam Gholam Reza Hassani, has called for the death of Iranian women who do not wear the hijab, or Islamic headscarf. "I do not understand how these women who do not respect the hijab...are still alive," Hassani said on December 19th. "These women and their husbands and their fathers must die." There is concern that Hassani's statements may result in a renewed effort to punish women who do not abide by Iran's strict Islamic dress code.

2. Tibet: Monks Detained for Refusing to Denounce Dalai Lama
December 19
Tibet
Radio Free Asia reports that two Tibetan monks were detained by Chinese authorities after refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama. The monks, Naning and Tarphel, from the Jesho Baikar monastery in Nagchu, Tibet, were given the choice of sign a criticism of the Dalai Lama or paying a fine of 10,000 yuan. Both monks were taken to an undisclosed location after refusing to endorse the criticism and claiming that they did not have the money to pay the fine.

3. Transdniester: Police Bar Protestant Church from Meeting
December 20
Transdniester
Forum 18 reports that the senior Prosecutor in the unrecognized entity of Transdniester has moved to stop a Pentecostal church from meeting for public worship. Since the church was told that they could not gather all 300 members together at one time, they have been meeting in smaller groups in private houses, which the Prosecutor has also deemed illegal. At this point the church's pastor is afraid to move forward, as he fears that violating the wishes of the Prosecutor will result in the church being stripped of its legal status.

4. Azerbaijan: Police Bar Children from Attending Adventist Services
December 20
Forum 18 reports that police in Azerbaijan's second city of Gyanja have told Adventist pastor Elshan Samedov that he must bar children from attending services at his church and must restrict services to certain properties. Should he fail to comply, Samedov will face time in prison. He has previously been threatened with imprisonment for "turning people into Christians" according to the police. "People don't have the right to meet for religious purposes just where they want," a member of the police's Criminal Investigation Department responded. "They need to have permission."

5. Egypt: Bahá'ís Face Problems in Obtaining Birth Certificates, Identity Cards
December 25
Cairo, Egypt
Bahá'í World News Service reports that two cases involving Bahá'ís in Egypt have been postponed to January 22, 2008. In the first case, a father of twins is seeking proper birth certificates for his children, while in the second, a student is seeking a national identity card in order to re-enroll at university. Both cases have arisen from the fact that Egypt requires all citizens to list religious affiliation on any piece of identification, yet limits the choice of religion to the officially recognized religions of Islam, Christianity or Judaism. There is no option for Bahá'í, and without identity cards or birth certificates, access to employment, education, and health care is impossible.

6. Pakistan: Ahmadi Community Risks Charges of "Impersonating Muslims"
December 26
Rabwah, Pakistan
The Telegraph reports that hard-line clerics in Pakistan are using the country's blasphemy laws to persecute members of the Ahmadiyya community in Rabwah, Pakistan. The laws, promulgated by General Zia ul-Haq, president of the country from 1977 to 1988, allow Ahmadis to be charged with "impersonating Muslims" if they dare to refer to their places of worship as mosques or read from the Koran. Charges of "impersonating Muslims" are still outstanding for the Ahmadis of Rabwah, where some are serving long prison sentences for "posing as Muslims" and for blasphemy.