Update: Arifur Rahman, a Bangladeshi cartoonist who was arrested over cartoons which "hurt the [religions] sentiments of the people", has been released on the orders of a court.
1. Belarus: Prisoners Denied Religious Rights
BELARUS - Though both Belarusian law and international agreements maintain that prisoners have the right to receive pastoral visits, engage in communal worship, and have access to religious literature during periods of incarceration, prisoners in Belarus claim this is not the case in practice. Belarusian prisoners and detainees say that their requests for pastoral visits frequently go unanswered, according to reports received by
Forum 18 on March 20.
2. Saudi Arabia: Government Modifies Textbooks, but not Quite Enough
SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Arabia has modified its standard textbooks after heavy criticism for the books' content, reports the
Yemen Times on March 23. The books, which previously contained anti-semitic sections and glorified violence against Jews, have been revised to appear more innocuous, yet still contain worrisome parts. The books teach children as young as second grade that they must reject religions other than Islam, and continue to include conspiracy theories about Jews. Though the new editions contain no incitement against Shiites, they define Ahmadi Muslims and Baha'is as heretics.
3. China: Torture of Tibetan Monks and Nuns
TIBET - Exiled Tibetans have reported that China continues to torture Tibetan monks and nuns in prison and deny medical care to those in need of it, according to a story by
AsiaNews on March 25. The Tibetan Solidarity Committee has reported 140 confirmed deaths and 1,100 arrests, though the actual figures are unknown and expected to be much higher. Prisoners are now being sent away from the capital of Lhasa, where the prisons are full, to locations further afield, where they are often denied medical care for their injuries. Other pro-Tibet organizations report that torture has become a routine in police investigations, and that monks and nuns are singled out for torture in "inhuman ways".
4. Algeria: Churches Closed in Cabilia Province
ALGIERS - Subsequent to a 2006 law which requires all non-Muslim religious communities to obtain permits in order to operate, Algeria has shut down churches in the country's Cabilia province. Algeria's minister of religious affairs, Abdullah Ghulamallah, has stated that the churches will be required to adhere to the new regulations in order to operate. On March 25,
ADNKronos reported that an estimated 11,000 Christians live in the country, though the actual number may be higher due to 6recent conversions which have been kept secret.
5. China: "Patriotic Education" in Tibet's Monasteries
BEIJING - In a move to tighten its control over Tibet, China has called for a more intense program of "patriotic education" in Tibetan monasteries, which would require Tibetans to accept Tibet as an "inalienable part of China" rather than a distinct entity. China's Public Security Minister, Meng Jianzhu, detailed that this would include exerting a greater control over religion in the area. Chinese security has also focused on universities, banning students from speaking to "outsiders" or from holding assemblies.
The Washington Post carries a full report on the changing situation on March 25.
6. Russia: Methodist Congregation Dissolved for Running a Sunday School
RUSSIA - A regional court in Smolensk, Russia, has dissolved a local United Methodist congregation after officials discovered that the church ran a Sunday school,
Forum 18 reports on March 26. Local government officials began an investigation into the activities of the church in late January, when the auxiliary Orthodox bishop of Smolensk contacted them to file a complaint about the church's activities. A court decided on March 24 that the congregation had broken the law by engaging in "educational activity...without a corresponding license". The loss of legal status means that the congregation can no longer maintain any sort of public identity as a religious organization.
7. India: Sixth Indian State Approves Anti-Conversion Law
JAIPUR - The Indian state of Rajasthan has approved a new anti-conversion law after two years of parliamentary debate,
AsiaNews says on March 26. The new law, which prohibits conversions by "force, allurement, or fraudulent means" sets a fine of 50,000 rupees (about 1,260 USD) or a prison term of up to five years for anyone who is convicted of involvement in such activity. Concern over the new law stems from the fact that anti-conversion laws have frequently been used to invalidate conversions in the past, even before an official inquiry has been made into whether or not there had been any coercion involved. In addition to Rajasthan, five other Indian states currently have anti-conversion laws: Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh.