Jan 8, 2008
International Religious Freedom Archive
If you would like to sign up to have these weekly newsletters delivered straight to your e-mail inbox, click here.
1. Hindu-Christian Violence in India Escalates (Dec. 29)
2. Tunisia to Permit Hijab in Theory, not Practice (Jan. 3)
3. Indonesia's Islamic Forum Asks for Ban on Ahmadi Community (Jan. 4)
4. Moldova Expels Romanian Orthodox Priests (Jan. 4)
5. Man Attempts to Claim Wife's Body from Malaysia's Islamic Council (Jan. 5)
6. Malaysia Denies Visas for Foreign Religious Workers (Jan. 8)
Feature: The Cross and the Crescent: A profile of Turkey's Christians, from The Economist.
1. Hindu-Christian Violence in India Escalates
December 29
Orissa State, India
Human Rights Watch reports that interfaith violence between Christians and Hindus in the Indian state of Orissa escalated during the Christmas season, with both Hindu and Christian properties being destroyed and at least eight deaths. Violence between the two groups, which have clashed over the issue of conversions, has occurred before, though the local government preferred not to intervene. The most recent incidents mark a new level of violence, and yet the government has not investigated the root causes of the attacks, nor has it pledged to ensure the religious freedom of its citizens. Compass Direct reports that approximately 90 churches have been burned down and nearly 600 houses have been torched or vandalized. Many Christians are still in hiding in the mountains outside of Orissa.
2. Tunisia to Permit Hijab in Theory, not Practice
January 3
Tunisia
Bloomberg reports that despite a recent legal victory of a schoolteacher who contested Tunisia's ban on headscarves in state buildings and schools, the ruling will not be enforced across the country, as the government still regards the hijab a source of division. Though the US Department of State reported in its 2007 report on International Religious Freedom that women wearing hijabs could be found in a variety of public settings in Tunisia, police harassment of women in hijabs was also said to have increased.
3. Indonesia's Islamic Forum Asks for Ban on Ahmadi Community
January 4
Jakarta, Indonesia
The Jakarta Post reports that Indonesia's Islamic Community Forum, an umbrella organization of more than 50 Islamic organizations, visited the country's Attorney General on January 3 to ask him to ban the Ahmadiyya Muslim community from operating in the country. The visit preceded a meeting of the Coordinating Body for the Monitoring of Religious Beliefs, which was held January 8th. Speaking for the Attorney General, Indonesia's Junior Attorney General for Intelligence Affairs said that the Committee would view the letter they received from the Forum as a "recommendation" to be reviewed at the January 8th meeting.
4. Moldova Expels Romanian Orthodox Priests
January 4
Moldova
Forum 18 reports that Moldova is in the process of expelling four Romanian Orthodox priests from the country, hoping that the Christmas holiday, when NGOs and media organizations are not working, will make the expulsions less noticeable. Two of the priests, Fr. Ion Bigea and Fr. Constantin Dumitrascu, have already been barred from returning to the country, while two others, Fr. Iulian Budescu and Fr. Ion Tivlea, are currently in the country and awaiting expulsion. Some of the priests have been accused of "administrative offenses", though Moldova does not require Romanians to have visas in order to enter the country, and had previously not required foreign priests to obtain work permits in order to operate in Moldova.
5. Man Attempts to Claim Wife's Body from Malaysia's Islamic Council
January 5
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
New Straits Times reports that the Kuala Lumpur High Court has granted a temporary stay in Ngiam Tee Kong petition to reclaim his late wife's body from Malaysia's Federal Territory Islamic Council, which claimed the body after her death on December 30, saying she was a Muslim when she died. However, Ngiam says that his wife was a practicing Christian, and disputes a notice of conversion that he received from the Federal Territory Islamic Council the day after her death, saying that his wife had converted to Islam six days before she died. The hospital has refused to release the body to Ngiam until he agrees that his wife was a Muslim. The case will be heard on January 18.
6. Malaysia Denies Visas to Foreign Religious Workers
January 8
Malaysia
The Straits Times reports that Malaysian officials have refused to issue visas for foreign priests, saying that non-Muslim religious workers in the country have been granted only six-month visa renewals and have been told they must leave the country after these expire. The refusal will have the greatest impact on Malaysia's Hindu community, which says that without foreign priests, it will not have enough priests to conduct prayers. Immigration officials in Malaysia have confirmed the report, but refused to give any reason as to the sudden change in policy.