IRFN (October 29-November 12) Kyrgyzstan Passes New Restrictive Religion Law

Nov 12, 2008

Feature: Saudi Arabia will preside over a two-day U.N. conference on religious tolerance beginning on November 12.  Representatives from the Becket Fund will be in attendance.  The Washington Post has more.

1. Somalia: Increased Fear of Religious Militants

KISMAYO - Public anger at the recent stoning of a 13-year-old girl, Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow, in Somalia shows the growing resentment towards radical Islamists who have gained control of much of the south and center of the country, the BBC reported on November 12.  Her 62-year-old aunt told the BBC that Asha had in fact been raped by three armed men and she had taken her to the police to report it.  In Mogadishu, al-Shabab insurgents are said to move around the city freely and they are the group responsible for her public execution. Al-Shabab insurgents are an offshoot of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which was ousted in 2006 by the interim Ethiopian government. The al-Shabab have also held a military parade in a former military camp in the capital within the past couple of weeks, where they carried out a public flogging of two men sentenced by an Islamic court over a family dispute.

2. Kenya: Italian Nuns Kidnapped

EL WAK – Two Italian nuns were kidnapped in a pre-dawn raid by gunmen in Kenya, and officials suspect they have been taken over the boarder into Somalia, the BBC reported on November 10.  In Somalia, armed gangs have kidnapped and killed a number of aid workers, while there have also been repeated attacks on Catholic targets. There is some confusion over exactly how the nuns were abducted. Kenyan police said they were collaborating with Somali elders over the incident, AFP news agency reported.

3. Kyrgyzstan: New Restrictive Religion Law Passed

BISHKEK - Kyrgyz deputies passed legislation Thursday to strengthen government control over religious groups, the AP reported on November 6. Under the bill, proselytism will be severely curtailed and faith organizations will be obliged to disclose financial information to the authorities.  Zainidin Kurmanov, one of the lawmakers who proposed the bill, said that the legislation includes a ban on private religious teaching at all levels of education, outlawing private religious schools while providing for religious education in public schools. Kurmvanov said that the dissemination of religious literature in public places will also be prohibited. The measures are seen as a government attempt to quell concern about the influence of foreign Christian evangelical groups and fear of radical Islamic organizations.  Religious freedom advocacy groups have said that the bill, if implemented, would violate Kyrgyz commitments to protecting human rights.

4. Morocco: French Magazine Banned for Insulting Islam

RABAT – An edition of the French magazine L’Express International, the "Jesus-Muhammad Shock" issue, has been banned for allegedly insulting Islam, the BBC reported on November 3. The Moroccan information minister said the issue breached the country's press code, but did not specify the precise content regarded as offensive. " The issue discusses the relationship between Christianity and Islam, and Christian Makarian, an editor of L'Express, said that the magazine tried to be sensitive to Muslim opinions and did not understand the reasons for the ban.  L'Express said on its website that the article was published ahead of a meeting this week in Rome between Christian and Muslim scholars to "help the dialogue between Islam and Christianity."

5. Iraq: Religious Minorities Insulted by Electoral Quota

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s religious minorities have expressed disappointment at the few provincial council seats tentatively assigned to them to be approved in the local elections in 2009, the BBC reported on November 3. Iraqi MPs have voted to guarantee six provincial council seats in total out of more than the 400 existent seats. Three are designated for Christians, one for the Yazidis, one for Mandeans and one for the Shabak peoples. Christian MP Yunadim Kanna said of the vote "It is a degrading decision for the unique minorities of this country. It does not serve public interest and we consider it a major insult for all minorities in Iraq." The matter now goes to the three-member Iraqi presidency council, which has the power of veto over proposed laws. The measure falls short of the 12 guaranteed seats proposed by the UN.

6. China: Announces Plans for Future Talks with Dalai Lama

BEIJING – The Chinese news agency Xinhua announced that Chinese authorities plan to arrange for new talks with the Dalai Lama, the BBC reported on October 29. The Xinhua quoted an unnamed government official as saying the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet should "treasure this opportunity" and respond positively. The Dalai Lama announced on the weekend of October 24-25 that he had lost hope that dialogue with China would produce any further results. The Xinhua report also said such talks would be held "despite the Lhasa riot in March and some serious disruptions and sabotages to the Beijing Olympic Games by a handful of 'Tibet independence' secessionists."