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In 2008-9 a
new law on religion that is even more restrictive than the 2005 law
passed both houses of parliament and went to the president for his
signature. He did not sign it but sent it to a judicial committee
to determine whether it is constitutional. The committee has until
early Feb 2009 to issue its ruling.
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Among the new restrictions, the Law would for the first time
explicitly ban unregistered religious activity.
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It would also ban anyone from sharing their beliefs without both the
written backing of a registered religious association and also
personal state registration as a missionary.
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It would require permission from both parents for children to attend
any religious event. Small "religious groups" – the lowest level of
registered community - would only be authorized to carry out
religious activity with existing members and would not be allowed to
maintain places of worship "open to a wide access". Nor would they
be allowed to conduct missionary activity.
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Apart from a few personal items, all religious literature imported
into the country would require approval through a "religious expert
assessment".
Penalties for holding religious services, conducting
charitable work, importing, publishing or distributing religious
literature or building or opening places of worship in violation of
"demands established in law" would be increased. Repeat "offences"
would lead to a religious community being banned.
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Churches with less than 50 members will be closed. Those with
50 or more will be required to reregister.
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Churches will not be allowed to receive foreign support. All
funds that churches receive must be brought to the justice
department to be counted and recorded.
During
discussions of the new one newspaper referred to the Russian Baptist
denomination as "a known terrorist group" see
Open letter from head of the Russian
Baptists in Kaz: Frans Tiessen. The new law would effectively
establish two favored religions: Islam and Russian Orthodox.
The law is partially due to pressure from Russia to ferret out terrorist
groups in the CIS by making the laws more uniform in CIS countries.
The government here has attempted throughout 2008 to shut down the
largest (Korean Baptists) denomination. You can read more about the
issue of religious freedom in Kazakhstan at the following website
http://www.forum18.org |
This article was published by F18News on: 9 January
2009. The following is an
excerpt.
To read the complete
article see:
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1238
KAZAKHSTAN: Repressive actions
continue, repressive law sent for review
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News
Service <http://www.forum18.org>
President Nursultan Nazarbaev
of Kazakhstan has sent a repressive new law severely limiting
freedom of religion or belief for review by the country's
Constitutional Council, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Meanwhile,
the government continues to repress the exercise of freedom of
thought, conscience and belief. A Baptist has this month had his
main source of income confiscated and been fired from his job,
because he led worship without state permission. Speaking of his
former employer, who fired him after being visited by court
officials, Pastor Aleksander Kerker said that "he is not to blame
though – he was afraid." Hare Krishna devotees have been detained by
police in Almaty for handing out religious literature. Officer
candidates and other students at the Kazakh Air Force's main
training establishment have been warned against "religious
extremism" and "religious groups non-traditional for Kazakhstan".
They were also shown a film claiming that the Hare Krishna faith
incites devotees to commit murder.
Human rights defenders and religious communities
have given a cautious welcome to President Nursultan Nazarbaev's
decision to send the restrictive new Religion Law for a review by
the Constitutional Council. "We'll be delighted if the President
doesn't sign the law," Baptist pastor Yaroslav Senyushkevich told
Forum 18 News Service from the capital Astana on 8 January. "The Law
would introduce harsh persecution." However, he pointed out that his
communities – which refuse to seek state registration on principle –
already face repression. "We're fined and banned from meeting for
worship – they want to close our churches."
To read the
complete article on the New Law click here:
Complete
Article. |