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A.C.S. - Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre - Segretariato Italiano
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Hard copies of the
original complete Report (in Italian) can be requested by
contacting: Also the electronic version of the complete Report (in Italian) can be requested. To receive
a free printable copy of this summary (in pdf
format), send an email to info@alleanzacattolica.org
with subject "Please, send the Report 2002 Summary".
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Although in the Western part of the Continent pressure exercised by civilian authorities for a move towards secular policies appears to have eased, although potentially discriminatory laws remain in force, the situation remains serious in a number of ex Communist countries, such as Russia and the Ukraine, where the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations continue to endure serious limitations in their evangelisation activities. There a numerous countries in which there do not appear to have been significant institutional changes, or relevant episodes concerning the subject of religious freedom, among these: Andorra, Albania, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Luxemburg, the Principality of Monaco, Norway, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. As far as Austria is concerned on June 30th eleven organizations requested to be registered with the status of religious communities, a classification introduced with a Bill dated 1998 regarding the "Status of Confessional Religious Communities". Nine of these were recognised: Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Baha’i, the Baptists, the Evangelical Alliance, the Movement for Religious Renewal, the Pentecostalists, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Copt-Orthodox Church, and the Hindu religious Community. The remaining two, the Church of Scientology and the Hindu Mandir Association, withdrew their respective requests. In Belgium the list of the sects which are considered "potentially dangerous and damaging to society", drawn up in 1997 by the parliamentary Commission for sects, continues to be a source of discrimination for the listed groups. The Report by the U.S. Department for Religious Freedom informs that during the month of March the Jehovah’s Witnesses received a letter in which the Movement was informed that they would no longer be allowed to use the Expo Centre in Brussels where their traditional annual convention has been held since 1935. The letter indicated that the reason for this refusal was the presence of their religious group on the parliamentary list. The situation is even more critical in Byelorussia, where the policies favouring the Orthodox Church, the most widespread religion in the country, implemented by President Lukashenka, has caused an increase in religious discrimination. In addition to this it is also against the law to rent out space for celebrating religious functions, which makes it impossible for those Churches who do not own property to celebrate public functions. In considering subversive, or potentially so, many other religious communities, the Byelorussian government with its strong favouritism for the Russian Orthodox Church, is guided not only by promulgated restrictive laws but also by a thick network of decrees and rulings that have not been made public, which often annul the provisions of the laws that have been published. The Catholic and the Protestant Churchs have encountered numerous obstacles in their work, including difficulties in buying property or building places of prayer, problems when inviting foreign clergy or religious operators. Religion is taught, although the classes are optional, in the schools of the three "ethnic groups" in Bosnia Herzegovina – Serbs, Croatians and Bosnians – in spite of cultural and religious differences. There is however a tendency to limit the hours of religion for minority confessions in the different areas of the country, where 60% of the population is Muslim, 35% is Christian and 5% is agnostic. Both the political administrative "bodies" into which the Republic was divided after the Dayton Agreements signed in 1995 – the Croatian-Bosnian Federation and the Serb Republic of Bosnia – have presented laws inspired to this orientation, which however have been stopped by the Supreme Court while awaiting a general and coherent plan on this subject. At the moment the local authorities use ample discretionary power regarding property nationalised by the former socialist-communist government; this discretionary power is at times used as a political tool and to bring pressure on religious leaders. Within a framework formally and constitutionally guaranteeing religious freedom – in both the "bodies" – ethnic nationalism still plays a determining role in the actual enjoyment of this freedom. What is above all at risk is the destiny of the refugees who are slowly returning to their countries of origin. In particular, the return of Catholic refugee families of Croatian origin to areas where there is a Serbian majority is usually hindered and takes place very slowly. In March, according to a Fides press report dated the 23rd, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Vrhbosa-Sarajevo and President of the Bosnian Episcopal Conference, complained about this problem during an interview to the Vatican Radio. In Bulgaria about 10 municipal administrations have approved, or are about to approve, deliberations that regulate the activities of religious communities; the alarming aspect is that these regulations violate the Constitution, a number of national laws and the international treaties that Bulgaria has signed. According to the law concerning local autonomies, Municipal Councils can take decisions regarding the implementation of activities falling in the sphere of municipal properties, education, health, social care and the protection of the environment. Over the last two years, however, the local councils have started to broaden their competence to include the regulation of a number of fundamental human rights, intervening with ordinances that are clearly in contrast with the Constitution, with the laws of the country and consequently with the hierarchy defined for normative law, and with international commitments undertaken by Bulgaria. These ordinances have been adopted by the municipal councils of Sofia, Gorna Oriahovitza and Plovdiv Pleven. These ordinances have rendered illegal, for example, religious activities of denominations that have not been duly registered; religious meetings and conferences are only possible if they are held in places of prayer registered as such with the Municipality, in spite of the fact that the Constitution states in Article 43 comma 3, that meetings held indoors do not need authorization; the distribution of religious material, listed in one of the ordinances alongside pornographic material, is only allowed inside registered places of prayer or in specialised bookstores; all publications, circular letters, and newspapers published by religious communities must previously be sent to the Municipality, with a budget and stating the origin of financing received for printing, so as to be examined by the Mayor; financial aid coming from abroad must also be declared to the Mayor. The fines for those who infringe these laws are severe. A new law concerning the legal status of religious communities is being drawn up at the moment in Croatia and will include rules concerning the teaching of religion in schools and provisions for supporting the Churches and the communities. The Bill – which will replace two previous provisions dated 1978 and 1988, when Croatia was still part of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia – according to Christian, Orthodox, Baptist and Adventist minorities, appears to effectively award, as commentated by "Keston News Service" on April 4th, a privileged role to the Catholic Church and degrades the other cults, especially through distinctions between "historical" religions (which have existed for more than 100 years in Croatia) and religious communities founded more recently, perhaps with the view to stipulate agreements or understandings with each of the abovementioned. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has reported 23 cases of aggressions for religious reasons – the interruption of religious functions, physical aggression of priests and damage to cemeteries – that took place in 2001: 18 of these were addressed against the Serb-Orthodox Croatian community. In February the Orthodox Church in Darda, in eastern Slovenia, was damaged by vandals for the fifth time in 18 months. In Estonia the Parliament approved a new version of the law regulating "Churches and parishes". The changes introduced forbid the registration of every Church or union of congregations which has an administrative or financial management that is, permanently or temporarily, managed by a leader or institution that is resident outside Estonia. President Lennaert Meri refused to promulgate the law, stating – according to "Keston News Service" on June 29th – that it would have meant an intrusion in the sphere of the autonomy of religious institutions, violating constitutional guarantees, and that it would have introduced "disproportionate restrictions" on the practice of religious freedom. President Meri took into account, in his decision, the opposition expressed by the Council of Churches, which he had met on June 28th, regarding this law. Both the Orthodox Church, which depends from the Patriarch in Moscow and the Estonian Council of Churches, had in fact expressed on various occasions their concern pertinent to the fact that these provisions would limit the registration of Churches or congregations that had been active in the country for some time. The Bill returned to Parliament on July 2nd complete with the President’s resolution in which he explained why he had refused to undersign it. Among the reasons for his veto, President Meri indicated Article 14, comma 3, of this Bill, which forbade the registration of religious organizations governed by seats abroad, stating that these provisions would imply a "disproportionate restrictions" of religious freedom. The Bill therefore will have to be discussed again, but should Parliament approve it a second time, the President will have to decide whether to sign it or send it to the Supreme Court for a final decision. On May 30th 2001 the National Assembly in France approved the Bill for the "reinforcement of prevention and the repression of all sectarian groups", also known as the About-Picard law concerning sects. In force since June 14th 2001, the measure seems to complete eight years of work that started in 1993 with the publication of the first national report on sects. Among the main points, the penal responsibility of an incorporated body undertaking activities having for their object, or by effect, creating, maintaining or exploiting the psychological or physical submission of people taking part in these activities. This juridical case in point also includes the actual or legal managers of groups for a number of crimes such as attacks on the lives or the physical integrity of people, endangering people, attacks on their freedom, dignity, personality, endangering minors, illegally practicing medicine or pharmacology, fraudulent advertising. The approved law has taken into account a number of criticisms expressed by the Christian Churches. First of all the crime of mental manipulation, which was included in previous versions and which, according to objections presented, lent itself to arbitrary interpretation and use has been removed from the final draft. As a matter of fact, although the form has undergone changes, the range of action of the law has remained unvaried, because this crime has been replaced with "fraudulent abuse in situations of ignorance or weakness both of a minor, or of a person whose particular vulnerability, due to age, disease, weakness, physical or mental deficiency is manifest and known to the agent, or of a person in a state of psychological or physical submission resulting from serious pressure or reiterated by techniques that might alter his/her capacity of judgment, to induce this minor or this person to do an act or an omission that might be seriously prejudicial to them". While in Germany an administrative Court in the Baden-Wurttemberg confirmed on June 26th 2001 the state provision that forbids Muslim women teachers to cover their heads with a veil during lessons, the entry of Greece in the European Union, which took place on January 1st 2001, has encouraged Greek legislators to have a broader approach to the recognition of the right to religious freedom also for those citizens who do not belong to the Orthodox Church. On May 4th "Human Rights without Frontiers" presented an interview with the Greek-Catholic theologian Yannis Spiteris about John Paul II’s visit to Greece. The Capuchin friar expressed optimism and said that, in spite of the red-hot hostile atmosphere with which the Orthodox are preparing to greet the Pope, this visit will leave a deep mark. The protests from the Greek Church are countless: the monks from Mount Athos, for example, organised a prayer vigil so that the visit might be cancelled. Spiteris then revisited the path that led to the actual accomplishment of this historical journey by John Paul II, who was the first Pope to visit Greece since Pope Constantine’s stay in 710: after the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, in his letter "Pilgrimage to the places linked to the history of redemption", John Paul II had expressed the wish to visit the Areopagus in Athens where Saint Paul had preached. At the time the Catholic Church presented a formal request to the Orthodox Church, which refused using various excuses, but Greek President Stephanopoulos, during his visit in Rome, formally invited the Pope to visit Athens. The Holy Father himself – as reported by the newspaper "Avvenire" on May 17th – during the general audience held on Wednesday 16th, once again went over the stages of his journey to Greece, Syria and Malta which he described as "the last part of the Jubilee itinerary through the main places of the history of salvation" and "an unforgettable return to the sources from which to draw the freshness of the initial Christian experience". The Pope then stated that it had been "a special grace" to have met the clergy and the Catholic faithful in these countries, whom he could encourage and urge on fraternal charity. One of the main problems pertinent to relations between the Italian State and the Catholic Church with regards to religious freedom, concerns the teaching of the Catholic religion in schools and the juridical status of the teachers of religion, who are now nearly all lay people appointed by the Archbishops’ Curias. The problem has expanded following the progressive de-christianisation of the country, the increased spreading of other religions, ancient and new, and the repeated attempts by political and lay cultural forces to eliminate, or however reduce, the teaching of religion in schools, trying to remove from the Catholic Church the privilege of being able to teach with teachers chosen by the Church itself. So as to understand the extent of this problem it is sufficient to remember that from 1929 to 1985 religion classes were regulated by three laws, seven ministerial circular letters, and a sentence from the State Council, while from 1986 until March 31st 2002, there have been 19 laws, 167 ministerial circular letters, at least 80 decisions by Regional administrative law-courts, 25 sentences from the State Council and seven from the Constitutional Court. And as is well known the sentences from the law-courts in these cases tend to fill political voids. On February 14th 2002 the government presided by Mr Silvio Berlusconi approved a Bill that bears the name of the Minister for Education, Mrs. Letizia Moratti, which not only envisages that religion teachers are to be employed by means of a regular long-term contract, but also intends to strengthen and provide a correct position for religion classes in state schools. A Bill for the regulation of religious communities, presented by the Minister for Cults, Vojislav Milovanovic, is being drafted by the Serb Parliament. In March 1993, Parliament abrogated the regulation in force during the communist regime, creating a legislative void. The Bill – presented in June 2001, as reported by the "Keston News Service" on July 20th – has already provoked reservations from the Protestant minority because it would assign a very important role to the Orthodox Church, apparently in contrast with the Federal Constitution. According to a representative of the Baptist Union, the "new political commissioners" would wear the cross instead of the red star. As in Croatia, here too the affirmed discrimination between the majority Church and the other confessions would be made easier by the distinction between "historical" or "traditional" religions and the "other" religions. In Serbia the first group would include, in addition to the Jews, also the Lutheran community, widespread among the Slovakian minority, and the reformed Evangelical community, present in the areas that are principally inhabited by Hungarians. Fearing discrimination, the minority communities are also against any form of religious classes in schools. The Protestant communities’ position – accompanied by a request for starting a dialogue with the government, as reported by "Keston News Service" on September 25th – has been strengthened during an ecumenical meeting held on August 23rd in Belgrade. The Yugoslav army has plans to introduce military chaplains among its troops, but according to "Keston News Service" which published the news on March 20th, it is not yet clear if this also applies to Catholics and other religions apart from the Orthodox Church. Since the Popular Yugoslav Army was founded, therefore for the past 60 years, military chaplains have been forbidden. Meanwhile, in the smaller military units the preparation of places of prayer and personal worship were envisaged for the troops in the barracks. According to a survey taken in the army in 2000, 74.1% of Serbian soldiers declared that they were believers; the data is contained in the volume "Armija i vera" ("The Army and Religion"), presented in Belgrade in March 2001. In Montenegro during the year 2001 tension continued between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Montenegro Church which unilaterally declared its autonomy, tension which resulted in a number of violent episodes between the supporters of these two communities. The Seventh Day Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witnesses have reported difficulties in building and restoring their places of prayer, caused by officials who believe they are in this way proving their loyalty to the Orthodox Church. A local NGO has reported that during the last days of 2000 unidentified attackers set fire to an Adventist place of worship in Niksic. Relations between the small Catholic community in Kosovo, which has about 60.000 members, and the other religions appear to be good. During the second quarter of 2001, "Eglise dans le Monde", reported that the Catholic Church has at its disposal a diocese, Skopje-Prizren, and 23 parishes with 35 priests and 70 men religious.". In Latvia the process for re-conquering religious freedom, oppressed during the years of the socialist-communist totalitarian regime, seems to be definitely well under way. In an interview with the "Osservatore Romano" on March 3rd, Cardinal Janis Pijats, archbishop of Riga, declared: "Relations between the State and the Church are now normal. For example we are allowed to teach religion in the state schools if there are at least 10 pupils interested. We also have a number of tax benefits, for example all Church-owned buildings are tax-exempt. Every Sunday the television broadcasts Holy Mass. Television provides air-time for Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox, and Baptists. The State also guarantees radio programs for the faithful. In Riga we also own a small TV studio. Every Sunday we broadcast a one hour State-financed Catholic religious program. After years during which printing and owning religious literature was forbidden, the faithful now have a wide range of opportunities: prayer books, magazines, and other religious reading material in the Baltic language. These publications are mainly financed by our German Catholic friends". In Lithuania the new government Councillor for religious Affairs is Julius Ratkus, a Catholic teacher. Ratkus therefore cooperates with Arvydas Jozaitis, the Prime Minister’s political advisor for culture, education and religion, with a political role. During the first months of 2002 a new Department for Religious affairs became operative at the Department of Justice. The opening of this department, though, has been delayed, although planned for some time, due to the lack of adequate financial resources. The Minister for Justice had requested, in the spring, the opinions of the representatives of the main religions concerning the creation of this department. The status of religious groups in Macedonia is defined by a law approved in 1997. In 1999 the Constitutional Court abrogated various articles contained in this law and a new draft is being elaborated. The Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) separated in 1957 from the Serbian Church (SOC) and in 1967 declared its own independence, but is not recognised as an autocephalous Church by any other Orthodox Church. In these religious controversies the MOC has always been supported by the government. On August 13th an outline agreement was signed by the President of Macedonia, also a member of the United Methodist Church, Boris Trajkovski, and Prime Minister Ljupce Georgijevski on one side while the other party included representatives of the Albania minority, NATO, the European Union and OSCE, so as to attempt to "guarantee the future of democracy in Macedonia" and to "promote the peaceful and harmonious development of civil society". The agreement explicitly names a number of churches and groups, mainly the Islamic religious community and the Catholic Church, but there is no explicit mention of the Jewish and Methodist communities that do however work cooperating with the others. In Moldova there is still a latent contraposition between a Moldavian majority, linked to Romania, and a Russian-speaking minority, which has also proclaimed a Transdniestrian Moldavian Republic (RMT), protected by the 25th Russian Army Corps stationed nearby. In March 2001 the Government in Poland created a department, within the Ministry of the Interior, for "monitoring" the activities of new religious groups and new cults (see the ACS 2001 Report on religious freedom in the world) which, furthermore, had not yet begun to operate on June 30th, while on January 7th 2002 a new law came into force in the Czech Republic regulating religious freedom, a law voted against by the Senate and that has been formally vetoed by the President of the Republic, Vaclav Havel. Both the Senate and the President accuse the law of being unconstitutional and in contrast with religious freedom and human rights. In Russia the 1997 law regulating freedom of conscience and religious organisations introduced restrictive and potentially discriminatory elements compared to the 1990 law: this appears to be the opinion of Russian experts who are concerned about the respect of religious freedom. After investigating the laws regulating religious matters in other OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) countries, the Helsinki commission declared, as reported by "Human Rights Without Frontiers" on October 5th 2001, that "the 1997 Russian law regulating freedom of conscience and religious organisations has been used as an instrument for limiting the activities of religious groups and organisations". Another controversial aspect of the 1997 law is the limitation of rights, of the activities and the status of religious groups that have existed in the country for less than 15 years; in fact, only the movements which have been active for more than 15 years can request the status of "organization". This provision, in addition to being the cause of serious problems for many religious groups, is conflicting with the Constitution, according to which all religions are considered equal by the law. The law regulating freedom of conscience has, however, always been supported by the Russian Orthodox Church which instead believes it to be an important means for "protecting the individual from ‘destructive cults’". Many religious communities are faced with the problem of having to find places of prayer. Relations between the Slovak Republic and the Holy See are regulated by an agreement signed on November 24th 2000 and ratified on December 18th of the same year. The text has established clear and univocal rules for both parties during their coexistence and cooperation. Legislative relations within the framework of the Catholic Church’s activities on the territory of the Republic are also the object of this agreement. The signing of this agreement represents for the Catholic Church a guarantee for its existence and its activities which cannot be unilaterally modified or annulled by the State. For the Republic of Slovakia instead it represents the creation of a legislative basis which solves an anomalous situation in foreign relations between a State founded on civilisation and the Christian culture. Other international agreements are now expected to be signed, based on the same principles. In particular, they will concern the right to reject statutory service in the National Army at age 18 for men, schools and religious education, ecclesiastical service in the army and the police, and financial guarantees for the Catholic Church in Slovakia. On December 14th the "Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Slovenia concerning juridical issues" was signed in Ljubjana. The agreement regulates relations between the State, the local Catholic community and the Vatican, as well as the right to religious freedom. The "Osservatore Romano" reported on December 19th a statement by the Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel – who signed the agreement together with Monsignor Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican Secretary for relations with States – according to whom this new juridical instrument represents a decisive stage in the country’s modernization and for harmonious cooperation between the Holy See and the government, also guaranteeing maximum religious freedom for Catholics, who form the vast majority in the country. In Spain, on February 20th, the Constitutional Court made public its decision to recognize the Church of Unification as a religious organization having the right to be registered as such at the Ministry of Justice. The Court, reported "Human Rights without Frontiers" on February 28th, thereby rejected the previous negative opinions expressed by the same Ministry of Justice in 1992, by the Court of Appeal in 1993 and by the Supreme Court in 1996. Religious freedom remains a worrying issue in Turkey, a country with a totally Islamic majority, but that is secular by its own Constitution. The United Nations Report on religious intolerance and public discrimination published in January 2001 after a visit to Turkey in 1999, states that the Department for Religious Affairs exercises "excessive power in the management of religion to the point that religious practice seems to be regulated by the government, while Islam is treated as if it were a State affair". The report points out that the Muslim and non-Muslim minorities are not sufficiently protected and it recommends the verification of the effectiveness of the guarantees provided to minorities by the Lausanne Treaty. The Orthodox faithful in the Ukraine, about 60% of the population, warmly welcomed the Pope’s visit which took place between the 23rd and the 27th of June 2001, visit that was, on the contrary, controversially greeted by the Russian Orthodox Church and its affiliated Church in the Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which depends from the Patriarch in Moscow (9.040 communities, according to Jesuit Fr. Giovanni Marchesi, in "La Civiltà Cattolica" of September 1, 2001). Orthodox opposition also prevented the Byzantine Catholics from joining the Crimean Inter-denominational Council, twice refusing their admission, on the basis that theirs was a "non traditional confession" in the region. |
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AMERICAS Unfortunately a clear attitude of religious discrimination still exists in the Americas, especially due to the totalitarian Cuban regime and Fidel Castro’s allies, among them especially the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. The decision taken by the provincial government of Catamarca concerning the teaching of religion in state schools recently caused controversy in Argentina, started by criticism from the Jewish Organization DAIA. After this criticism, Governor Oscar Anibal Castillo reversed the decision by decree, but the Catholic leaders have requested its reintroduction. Last January in Buenos Aires some unidentified individuals threw a bomb at a Shiite Muslim Mosque, causing the wounding of a police sergeant guarding the building and damage to the nearby Islamic bookstore. After this episode the measures of security at all religious institution have been increased. In Bolivia, according to a "Compass Direct" press release dated March 23rd, judges and politicians are working on having the Constitution revised and also trying to stop discrimination against religious minorities. In the rural areas, especially those inhabited by Quechua or Aymara Indians, the religious clashes are often violent. In particular, against Evangelical Christians who refuse to take part in the "Christo-pagan Festivals", which include drinking alcohol and sacrifices made to the gods of fertility, who are punished with fines or imprisonment. These Christians hope to be successful in presenting a proposal for a reform aimed at putting an end to religious discrimination in the country. One of the many episodes of violence against the clergy that took place in Brazil in 2001 was the murder of the Italian priest Father Nazareno Lanciotti, who died on February 21st after a long agony caused by this attack. A priest who was his friend, Father José da Silva, told the newspaper "Avvenire" that two hooded men entered the missionary’s house during a dinner party with friends and helpers and obliged him to play Russian roulette. When they pulled the trigger for the fourth time the shot that entered the back of the priest’s neck went off. According to "L’Osservatore Romano" dated March 1st there is no clear evidence as far as the identity of the murderers is concerned nor about the agents of this assassination. Father José da Silva believes that there is no doubt that this was revenge for the Catholic candidate’s victory in the elections for the seat of Mayor in the small town of Jaurù when Divino Marciano defeated José Gonsalva Filho, linked to the Freemasonry, in the local elections. The 2001 report on religious freedom by the U.S. State Department published on October 26th points out that during the month of May the government of the Province of Ontario in Canada announced a legal provision envisaging tax exemption for all private schools, including religious ones. Until then, such exemption only applied to private Catholic schools. The same source also reports that in the same month of May, a Muslim religious representative had started legal action against a judge of the province of Ontario who had expelled him from a courtroom in 1993 for wearing Islamic styled headwear. "Avvenire" dated June 19th reports that between May 25th and the 28th about 200 bishops, priests, religious and laypeople held a meeting so as to discuss the missionary situation in the country, for the first time in Cornwall, Ontario. Inter-religious dialogue and the role played by laypeople were also emphasised. During the course of the year the level of the animated debate in Chile regarding the new "Law regulating worship" was softened. This law attributes juridical identity in public law to religious organizations, a status that until now had been the privilege of the Catholic Church and the Antioch Orthodox Church. In spite of this, a Special Commission from the Chamber of Representatives has warned in a report of the risk that with this Bill the law allows the legalisation of sectarian groups that are considered destructive. In April the Supreme Council for Justice in Colombia established that the Columbian Institute for Higher Education, which organises vocational tests in Colleges, should find examination dates that are not Sundays for Evangelical students sitting their exams. In January the representatives of various Christian Churches protested against the abuse and threats received from the Marxist narco-terrorists belonging to the FARC by some of their members who had refused to take part in business linked to the cultivation of cocaine in the regions of Meta and Caqueta. According to a "Misna" agency dated July 3rd, the Catholic Church has taken a strong position against government policies concerning the protection of the family and life. As far as Cuba is concerned, the landmark for the conditions of religious freedom remains Pope John Paul II’s apostolic visit in January 1998, which should have restored to the Catholic Church and to the other religious communities the freedom to freely and publicly profess their religion. As a matter of fact, the situation is obviously far more complicated. When he received the Cuban bishops on their "ad limina" visit, the Holy Father retraced the events of the three years that followed his visit, speaking of positive aspects as far as religious freedom is concerned (such as the reinstatement of the Christmas festivity), the possibility of holding a number of religious processions, the Catholic community’s greater participation in the country’s life, and, most of all, the changed trends in religious participation. In fact, according to a survey taken in the month of April by the "Kirche in Not-Info", in 1986 only 10% of Cubans professed the Catholic faith, while today the percentage has risen to 40%. Among the requests presented, one that is of particular importance is for a law formally ratifying freedom of speech and association as well as the amnesty for political prisoners – very numerous in Cuba – who are not guilty of murder or attempted murder. Furthermore a new electoral law has been requested allowing the presentation of independent candidates. Among the acts of religious discrimination perpetrated in 2001 in Guatemala one in particular stands out: the news released by the "Misna" agency concerning the murder of an American nun, Sister Barbara Ann Ford, who was barbarically assassinated by gunfire on May 5th in Guatemala City. Although there is no certain evidence, there seem to be links between this murder and the nun’s work for Monsignor Juan José Gerardi, the Capital’s Auxiliary Bishop, who had been murdered on April 26th 1998, with whom the sister had written the report on crimes committed during the 36 years of civil war, entitled "Guatemala, never again". Jaime Septien, director of the Catholic Church’s Mexican weekly magazine "El Observador", reports a greater respect of the rules in his interview to the "Zenit" Agency on October 18th. He states that with the presidency of Vicente Fox, there has been real change in the country. In spite of this Septien emphasises how the 10 promises concerning religious freedom, made by Fox during his electoral campaign, have not yet been implemented, not even in their initial stages. The Catholic Church believes however that the government is about to recognise the real contribution that the Church makes to society. Paraguay is one of the countries in which there are no particular problems as far as religious freedom is concerned. The celebration in 2001 of the 65-year presence of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the region of Pilcomayo, at the border with Bolivia bears witness to this. Their commitment during these years has been marked by extraordinary progress and is today intense, especially in pastoral care for the young and in the field of the mass-media, as documented by the inauguration of the Vicariate’s official radio station, "Radio Pa’i Puku", which is committed to evangelisation and defending human rights, allowing those who live in rural areas to be informed on cultural, social and political issues. The serious social-economical situation instead provides reasons to fear that the country might, according to the bishops, once again face civil war as happened in 1947. The changes in policies by the American administration have been obvious since the new President of the United States, George W. Bush, took office in the White House. Among the many examples of these changes, reported by many world daily newspapers and press agencies, among them "Zenit" on February 5th, we might quote cuts in financing to international organisations which promote abortion and the creation of the Office for Initiatives founded on Faith and the Communities, led by John Dilulio, which has the objective of involving religious organisations in state help programs already open to lay volunteers. These initiatives have often provoked criticism from public opinion and religious leaders, among them Protestants Pat Robertson and Jerry Folwell, who – as reported by "Avvenire" on March 9th – have said that with the creation of Mr. Dilulio’s Office, the State might try and influence their organisations after financing them. The decision taken by the Supreme Court allowing a young group of Evangelists, the Good News Club, to use the facilities of a New York State school for after-school Bible classes and a prayer program dedicated to primary school children, has been widely challenged both by the American press and by various religious associations. President Bush has also extended sanctions, in force since 1996 against Iran and Libya, countries which are guilty, according to the U. S. Congress, of supporting international terrorism and producing weapons for mass destruction. These sanctions, extended until 2006, penalize all foreign companies investing over 20 million dollars in the energy sector in these two countries. In May some representatives of the Catholic, Anglican and Protestant Churches refused to participate in the Inter-religious Parliament of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (PIV), a body recently created by the government which intends to coordinate the social programs of religious organisations. In a document published on May 10th, the Catholic Church had already expressed its concern regarding the PIV’s autonomy and independence, considering it an undue attempt to centralise the social activities of the Church and of other religious organisations. On August 2nd the "Misna" agency reported that following a number of attacks on three centers of worship in Caracas, the seven main churches in the city’s historical centre remained closed for three days starting on August 1st. The decision was taken by the city’s Archbishop Cardinal Ignacio Antonio Velasco Garcìa, who, however, is convinced that these terrorist attacks were not necessarily addressed at the Church’s leaders. |
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ASIA During the year 2001 the most populated part of the world turned out to be the one most affected by problems pertinent to religious freedom. Discrimination against non-Muslims - who are placed in a position of social inferiority in most Islamic countries - is now added to the "historical" persecutions of Christians, who suffer the violent repression of the socialist-communist regimes in China, Vietnam, North Korea, and Laos. In the Caucasus region, in particular in the former Soviet Republics, there are problems in asserting respect for individual religious choices and there is a constant violation of individual religious freedom. There is also, especially in India, the growing threat from Hindu extremists, the cause of numerous violent episodes against religious minorities. Finally, even in states with a Buddhist majority such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka there are numerous political and legislative obstacles for missionary activities. Until last November, Afghanistan was ruled by the "Taleban" regime, which since October 7th 2001, with NATO’s military intervention on the capital Kabul, sponsored by the United States, has lost increasingly large areas of territory, and has eventually fallen, and substituted by Amid Karzai’s temporary government in 2002. Confirming the ban against all religions that are not Islam, in January 2001 the mullah Omar announced on the state owned "Radio Shariat" – as reported by "Human Rights Without Frontiers" on January 17th, quoting "Cns News" of January 9th – that "every Afghan Muslim will be condemned to death should he/she accept Christianity or convert to this useless religion, or should he/she be seen to invite people to Christianity and Judaism, or be seen distributing or selling their books", accusing the believers of other religions, and especially Christians and Jews, of "trying to eliminate the pure Islamic religion all over the world". These are provisions already in force since 1998 (see the ACS 2000 Report on religious freedom in the world) and which represent nothing less than the precise application of the Shariat law. However, more specifically – emphasises a "Zenit" press release on January 8th – punishment, including up to five years imprisonment, was envisaged for the owners of bookshops who would sell books considered offensive or a source for the propagation of "false beliefs". The harsher punishments laid down, according to the Talebans themselves, were aimed at defending the country from attacks by the enemies of Islam, both from inside and from outside the country, who would try to "corrupt Muslims by offering them financial incentives if they convert to Christianity or Judaism". As in Afghanistan, religious freedom is practically non-existent in Saudi Arabia. All public worship that is not Islamic is strictly forbidden and punished, while private worship is submitted to various restrictions, in spite of statements to the contrary expressed by the government. In recent years announcements in favour of authorizing private worship have in fact multiplied within the framework of the respect of human rights, but the distinction between the public and the private sphere it is not yet clear. The Christians and the infidels, as reported by the daily paper "Libero" on April 10th, are not allowed to build a cemetery to host the remains of their own dead, let alone hold a funeral service. The macabre discrimination is enforced so as to avoid that prayers should be said on Saudi territory which hosts the holy places of Islam. The family must therefore get rid of their relative’s corpse as quickly as possible, sending the body back to their own countries at a cost of about 3,300 Euros. In Armenia the Apostolic Church preserves the role of the state religion. All other confessions, according to a report on religious freedom issued by the U.S. State Department, must register with the State Council for Religious Affairs which depends from the Prime Minister. The requirements for registration are quite restrictive, and, in the event of non-registration, the group would encounter rigorous restrictions. By the end of June about 50 groups had registered. Religious classes in schools are optional, but reserved to members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In Azerbaijan, the State Commission for Relations with Religious Organization, led by Rafik Aliev, is responsible for creating conditions that ensure freedom of conscience, controls the implementation of laws governing religious matters, the registering of religious organizations, the organization of pilgrimages to foreign countries, and is authorized to represent the State in dealing with disputes concerning religious organizations and when necessary to report these matters to the attention of the competent State authorities. The Commission also has the authority to carry out necessary controls on the publication, importing and distribution of religious material and also on religious schools. Recently there has been tension in Bangladesh between the Islamic community and the government, when in January the Supreme Court declared the unconstitutionality of all fatwas, the sentences pronounced by the experts in Islamic law. In Brunei three Christians: Malai Taufick Haji Mali Mashor, Mohamed Fredie Chong Abdullah and Yunus Murang, who had been arrested and incarcerated for about a year for having taken part in activities involving evangelisation and for having joined in a cycle of prayers, were freed on October 18th. According to the "Compass" press release dated December 12th, their liberation took place after the three had sworn to the Sultan of Brunei, assuring that "they would not repeat their mistakes". During their detention, Taufick and Chong, who had converted from Islam, were repeatedly offered "Islamic rehabilitation". An offer that at least as far as the first man is concerned seems to have taken place inside the prison, through torture and beatings. In the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan the Christian minority is suffering severe persecutions, witnessed by "Christian Solidarity Worldwide" on April 19th, with a report on Bhutan police action which took place on April 8th, during the Christian festivity of the Palms. With clearly intimidating intentions, the authorities placed on police records all the faithful who had gathered in front of the place of worship where they were meeting, stopping a number of Baptist ministers and threatening them with detention during interrogations which took place later. In Cambodia, instead, religious freedom is guaranteed by Article 43 of the Constitution, approved in 1993. This article sanctions first of all the "freedom of belief and worship" for all Cambodian citizens, guaranteed by the State, but on two conditions: that this does not violate "security and public order" and that it does not "damage other religious confessions". Furthermore the same Article 43 establishes Buddhism as the "state religion". Religious freedom in China is governed by Article 36 of the current Constitution, in force since 1982, which states that "citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy the freedom of religious belief". The second comma then guarantees that "no state body, public organisation or individual may force citizens to believe, or not to believe, in any religion; nor may citizens be discriminated against because they believe or do not believe in any religion". However this freedom immediately finds restrictions in the following commas of Article 36. The third comma in fact recites: "The State protects normal religious activities. No one may use religion to become involved in activities that threaten public order, place at risk the health of citizens or interfere with the State educational system". While the Constitution already clearly presents premises for the smothering of religious freedom, one must bear in mind that the implementation of these principles is then left to directives, regulations, circular letters, both national and local, that are more addressed to the current situation and somehow intended to totally control all religious activities. §§ In spite of détente policies between the two Koreas, the situation concerning religious freedom does not seem to have improved, although it is difficult to obtain precise information regarding events inside North Korea, the most closed country in the world. The concept of "freedom of religious credo" is limited – if not totally abolished – by the very Constitution which in its introduction describes "the great leader" Kim Il Sung himself as a divinity: "founder of socialist Korea", founder "of the immortal idea of the Juche" (the guiding principle for North Korea, which can translate as "self-sufficient), "sun of the nation and star of the reunification of the fatherland", who "has dedicated his entire life to the people, guiding them with noble benevolent policies and transforming the entire society into a large and united family". As far as Catholics are concerned, anonymous sources at the Holy See – quoted by "Compass" on April 13th 2001 – have reported that while it is thought that there are about three thousand Catholics in North Korea, in South Korea there are already 60 priests ready to cross the border at the 38th parallel as soon as the détente between the two Koreas allows it. There are no priests in the North in fact and therefore Mass cannot be celebrated. The 63 million baptised Catholics in the Philippines live with the dreadful nightmare of terrorist attacks and kidnappings by Islamic extremists. The U.S. State Department report on religious freedom refers to the inauguration, at the beginning of 2001, of a number of Churches in the Jabal Ali area, the land was given to four protestant congregations and one Catholic one by the Emirate of Dubai. In May 2001 the heir to the throne of Dubai then granted the Greek Orthodox Church permission to build their own place of worship. The atmosphere, as far as the respect of religious freedom is concerned, has worsened also in Georgia during the past year. There have been more numerous attacks on religious minorities by the Basilists, an extreme Orthodox group led by an excommunicated priest. In most cases, the police did not step in to protect those attacked, and at times even sided with the aggressors. The religious minorities are therefore more and more exposed to serious attacks, and the legislative, judicial and executive powers seem unable to defend them in a suitable manner. On March 30th 2001 Parliament approved an emendation of the Constitution, based on which reciprocal relations between the State and the Orthodox Church are defined in a concordat. The concordat, drawn up jointly by a group of parliamentarians and the representatives of the Orthodox Patriarchy, covers multiple issues, among them education, health, welfare, prisons, the army, Church property and finance. The majority of Japanese Catholics, as reported by "Misna" on June 23rd, has more than doubled over the last decades thanks to immigrants, but these are not often appreciated within the same Catholic communities. A number of nationalistic aspects, in fact, according to the "Religious Liberty Prayer List" dated May 16th, influence the Christians’ daily life. In particular, the ceremonies with which the national flag is honoured in schools are the object of discrimination of those teachers, who, for religious reasons, do not intend to participate and consequently have had their salaries reduced, suffered unwanted transfers and in some cases even dismissal. Among the legislative changes that have been made this year in India, the Catholic Episcopal Conference welcomed with particular satisfaction the approval of two emendations of the 1925 inheritance law which discriminated against Christians. The "Zenit" agency reported on November 25th that previously a Christian needed Court approval before inheriting from a relative. There are however still a number of serious violations of the right to religious freedom, both in the national and in the local legal system. An anti-caste march was held in New Delhi last November 4th in favour of equal rights for all Indian citizens. When reporting the news of between 50 and 100 thousand participants, "Compass" on June 6th reported that on that occasion there were many conversions from Hinduism to Buddhism and other religions such as Christianity, religions that do not accept the caste system. The previously announced presence of a number of Christian leaders at this demonstration had caused an immediate reaction from the Hindu extremists, who had asked for the event to be cancelled, initially succeeding in obtaining this from the Police District Commissioner who retracted the authorization so as to avoid "mass conversions". The demonstrators, proclaiming their right to convert to another religion, then gathered at another location marching peacefully. In Indonesia Article 29 of their 1945 Constitution specifically mentions religious freedom, and in the first comma, establishes that "the State is founded on faith in the One and Only God" and, in the second comma, specifying that "the State guarantees religious freedom to all people, each according to their own religion or credo". The first comma, de facto, repeats the principles on which the Constitution is based, synthesized in the "Pancasila" (pronounced Panciasila, from the Sanskrit "Panca", five, and "Sila", principle). "Faith in a Monotheistic God" is also affirmed in the Decree of the People’s Consultative Assembly. The government therefore officially recognises five religions: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism and Hinduism. This way all citizens – although not obliged to practice – must however choose one of the five approved religions. The Iranian President Mohamad Khatami is continuing in his efforts for establishing a more open Islamic regime, in spite of a still very influential conservative component, often frustrating his intentions. In February 2001, the President accused those who expect to "monopolize Islam and the revolution" of acting against the people. As far as inter-religious dialogue is concerned numerous initiatives were promoted during 2001. The March number of "Actualitès des Religions" quotes on this subject the visit to Iran (the first in 25 years) by a delegation from the Russian Orthodox Church, which stayed in a number of cities and established contact with the Shiite clergy, and also mentioning the series of conferences held in February at the Teheran University by the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Schonborn. The review speaks with satisfaction about the decision to unfreeze "important public funds" to help churches and synagogues that have been neglected until now. A few days later, another visit contributed to improve relations with the Catholic Church. It was a diplomatic mission to Iran from March 3rd until March 8th by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican secretary for relations with states, which was reported in issue number 6/2001 of the magazine "Il Regno". In Iraq the Shiite community’s difficult conditions have remained unchanged and political and religious reasons are at the root of this situation. Among the most serious previsions one must take into account the iron control over places of prayer, in particular the Shiite ones, the interdiction to hold processions, the prohibition or limitation of sales of religious texts or broadcasting religious programs using means of communication, the interdiction for Shiite leaders to lead prayers, interference in the organization of pilgrimages to the Mecca and the Shiite commemoration of the Ashura. In Israel, government policies still reflect the matter-of-fact discrimination between the Jewish and the non Jewish population. Only 2% in fact of the Ministry for Religious Affairs budget is distributed to non Jews. In May 2001, as reported by the U.S. State Department for Religious freedom, the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of a mosque built in the illegal village of Husseinya, in the Negev desert. The village is part of 45 settlements that are not recognised by the government and hosts half of the 130 thousand Bedouins who live in this area. Sometimes the Orthodox Jews also suffer some discrimination. In June 2001, the Grand Rabbinate stipulated that the observance of the Jewish faith in immigrants who have arrived in the country after 1990 must be verified before they are permitted to celebrate a Jewish wedding. This was a decision that provoked apprehension among the thousands of immigrants from the former USSR. In June 2001, states the U.S. Report, the Jewish religious authorities ascertained the suitability of the victims of the attack to the Tel Aviv discotheque, where 21 Russian immigrants were killed, to be buried with a Jewish funeral. One of these victims, whose Jewish identity was doubtful, was buried in a special part of the cemetery causing bitterness in the Russian community. In the territories administered by the National Palestinian Authority, the NPA wrote a draft for the Constitution in March 2001, which establishes that "Islam is the State’s official religion, while there is respect for other divine religions and their sanctity". The same document states that the principles of the Shari’a are the main source for legislation. Within the Ministry for Religious Affairs there is an office delegated to deal with Christian matters. The Christians have six representatives in the Palestinian Legislative Council which has 88 members, a number that is far superior to their real proportion. Respect for freedom to worship has lessened also in Kazakhstan in the course of the past year, as witnessed by normative developments, among which the approval of a new Administrative Code, with its probable negative effects on the life of non-registered religious organisations, and the proposal for various emendations, all very limiting for religious freedom, some of which have been rejected by Parliament following international pressure. The Pope’s visit however, which took place on September 22nd 2001, met with the broad receptiveness from the government and from religious leaders. The Grand Mufti, the Muslim spiritual leader in Kazakhstan, proved to be interested and even presented a number of constructive proposals. There were no negative reactions from the Orthodox Church. The threat of possible spreading of Islamic extremism in Kyrgyzstan has led the government to present a new Bill for regulating religious matters, which was meant to substitute the current and more liberal law dated 1991. The draft however, had it been approved, would have created many problems also for other religious organizations present in Kyrgyzstan. The Bill in fact envisaged a series of very restrictive provisions. The Catholic Church, in spite of numerous attempts, has not yet managed to obtain registration by the State Commission for Religious Affairs and continues to operate as a non-registered foreign group. The lack of registration created a serious problem for the Church of St. Michael Archangel, in the capital city Bishkek. In 1997 the parish assumed the status of "missio sui iuris", and the parish priest appointed by the Vatican, Father Aleksandr Kan, has the juridical status of Bishop. "Keston News Service" reported on February 23rd that the difficulties in deciding the legal status of this parish, involving deciding whether it was a mission or a local church, caused its existence to be considered illegal. Natalya Shadrova, a member of the State Commission for Religious Affairs, explained to "Keston News Service" that the parish’s direct subordination to a foreign centre, and especially its title of "mission", meant that it was obliged, as established by a 1996 presidential decree, to register with the Commission. While in Kuwait various Christian denominations (Catholic, Anglican, Greek-Orthodox, Armenian and Coptic) are recognized by the government and can freely celebrate their religion, but must abstain from any missionary activity among the Moslems, in Laos, there are two articles in the Constitution of the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos that concern religious freedom. Article 30 (in the chapter dedicated to the fundamental rights and duties of citizens) establishes that "all citizens have the right and the freedom to believe or not believe in religions", almost ratifying the State’s indifference as far as religion is concerned. Previously however, in the First Chapter defining "the political regime", Article 9 sanctions the superiority of Buddhism together with the functional character of all other religions to the regime, declaring that: "The State respects and protects all legal activities undertaken by Buddhists and by the faithful of other religions; it mobilizes and encourages Buddhist monks and novices, as well as priests belonging to other religions, to participate in the activities that are beneficial to the Country and the people". But above all, "all acts that create division of religions or classes of people are forbidden", a rather vague formula that the communist regime uses for justifying restrictions to exercising religious freedom. Although the Lebanon is considered to be a leader in the Middle East as far as the respect of religious freedom is concerned, permitting the various religious groups to have their own schools, associations and religious courts, religious discrimination in this country can be attributed to the political system which assigns the highest public offices to the different communities. While in Malaysia, facing a court in the state of Selangor there is an appeal pending, presented by the local Catholic community so as to obtain a sentence granting the authorization of building a church in the city of Shah Alam (over the past ten years in fact, the authorities have changed their minds three times on this subject), in Myanmar at the beginning of July, the State Council for Peace and Development (this is the name of the Burmese totalitarian government) emanated an order according to which the Christian communities are forbidden to gather in places of prayer built less than a century ago (the persecutory intent is obvious, and thereafter since June over 80 churches have been closed in the capital). In Nepal the legislation in force forbids the practice of any form of evangelisation with the Hindu citizens, sanctioned by the Criminal Code with detention up to three years. This limitation allows Hindu extremists to accuse any member of a different confession, causing the immediate arrest of the person concerned. Islam is the official state religion in Oman, a country in the Gulf, but religious freedom is guaranteed within certain conditions (respect of public order, abstaining from proselytism) for other religions. Seminars for ecumenical dialogue are tolerated to the extent that they do not constitute an invitation to the Moslems to abandon their faith. In the past, the Sultan had conceded land to the Christian and Hindu communities, almost exclusively composed of immigrants, so they might build their own places of prayer. The publication of non-Islamic religious material is forbidden, although the authorities tolerate their import from abroad. The terrible attacks of September 11th on New York and Washington and the subsequent war against terrorism have had considerable repercussions also on religious freedom in Pakistan, a country that has found itself in the front line in the "war on terror" (see: war against the Talebans and al-Qaeda). President Pervez Musharraf in fact – who came to power with a coup d’etat on October 12th 1999 – after September 11th seems to have managed to find the strength (and international support) to stop the expansion of Islamic fundamentalist groups that were "talebanizing" Pakistan. Even the strengthening of his personal power – he proclaimed himself president on June 20th 2001 – was seen by the religious minorities as a possibility for further guarantees, in spite of the fact that Musharraf had not yet kept his promises concerning corrections to be made in the law regulating blasphemy and the one for a separate electorate. The attempts to control the madrassas (Koranic schools), a real source of fundamentalists, have not been particularly effective. A great deal has changed since September 11th: numerous radical Islamic leaders have been arrested or greatly limited in their activities. In January 2002 Musharraf managed to pass the law abolishing a separate electorate, and reform has begun also for the 7,000 madrasses a reform that intends to gradually transform them into real schools – illiteracy is a social plague in Pakistan – rather than a source of guerrillas. The reform envisages that these schools be registered and their budgets periodically checked, providing the government authorities with the power to close those that have not been formally approved. In the meantime the "war on terror" has dangerously increased the tension between religious groups, with more threats and prevarications by Islamic extremists especially against Christians. During 2001 the collection of funds continued in Qatar so as to start building a compound that will host places of prayer for the Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox communities, authorized by the government in 2000. The Catholic Church appears to be well ahead in land planning, unlike the other two communities. In Syria instead restrictions and governmental control over the activities of the various religious groups has remained unchanged during 2001. Considering political Islam as a threat to its stability, the government has entrusted its security services with the job of supervising the contents of sermons given in the Mosques and between one prayer session and another they are often ordered to close. In Sri Lanka the official religion, although not described as "State religion", is Therevada Buddhism which is to be "supported and protected" together with "other religions" according to the fundamental charter of the Republic. A registration procedure, which classifies seven religious groups, is provided for all confessions: Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, and four Christian Protestant denominations. Other groups such as The Church of the Saints of the Latter Day are not recognised. In Tajikistan too there has widespread fear of Islamic extremism which operates through two main groups: the Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Uzbekistani Islamic Movement. The two organizations operate in central Asia and, through guerrilla acts and propaganda, want to re-establish in the ex Soviet Turkesthan, the new "Caliphate", the guiding State for all Sunnite Moslems which disappeared when the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the First World War. The government, because of fears that fundamental Islam will spread, a fear shared by most of the population, has enacted more controls of the activities of a number of religious groups. During the past year respect for religious freedom has declined also in Turkmenistan, a Country already considered to be the most repressive among all the ex Soviet Union countries as far as religious freedom is concerned, and characterized by a single party presidential system. The government is in fact intensifying its policies for the eradication of religious activities by all non-Muslim and non-Orthodox groups. In Uzbekistan the secular model imposed in this country by the government has caused the isolation of religious communities from a large number of aspects of public life. The religious groups – especially the non-Muslim communities – have no access to the state media. They are also forbidden to form political parties or social movements; they are not allowed to sell religious publications; only the clergy belonging to registered communities may appear in public wearing ecclesiastical clothes. Within this framework there is also a decree, issued in February, about which "Keston News Service" provided information on March 23rd – but that the Commission for Religious Affairs says it has no knowledge of whatsoever – which forbids educational institutions to have any contact at all with religious organizations, whether they are registered or not. This decree caused the cancellation of a Christian music concert that should have been held in the Catholic Church of the Scared Heart in Tashkent. During 2001 the negative conditions pertinent to religious freedom in Vietnam remained mainly the same, in spite of a change at the top management of the Communist Party, and therefore of the country, which had increased the hope that there might be a degree of change. In April in fact the IX Congress of the Communist Party was held and on the 22nd of the same month, the changing of the leadership was made official. The outgoing Le Kha Phieu left his place to 61 year old Nong Duc Manh, president of the National Assembly since 1992 and a member of the ethnic minority in the North. Although Nong was considered a reformist, he immediately presented himself in the sign of continuity. There have been no particular changes during 2001 as far as the respect of the right of religious freedom is concerned in Yemen. The members of the small Jewish community, now reduced to about 500 faithful, have the right to vote, but cannot be elected. The other thousands of Jewish Yemenites who immigrated to Israel during the past decades are permitted to visit the Country if they hold non-Israeli passports. |
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AFRICA In addition to Sudan, where a 20-year war is still going on, led by the Muslim regime against the Christian and animist populations in the southern areas of the country, in various other Muslim countries, among these Nigeria, clashes are reported in which Christians are often the victims, and are also threatened in their daily lives by the spreading of Koranic law. The phenomenon of violence and assassinations which target the missionaries is still widespread all over the Continent, also because of the numerous conflicts that still exist. In Algeria the Constitution defines Islam as the state religion, the only one that can be practised with no juridical limitations, but it also forbids all forms of discrimination based on religious faith. It is also forbidden to form political parties based on religion, language, race or region of origin. Conversions from Islam to other religions - although not illegal – are extremely rare and often clandestine. Non-Islamic proselytism is illegal and the government imposes restrictions to importing non-Islamic literature. For example, on July 26th 16 people were arrested at Cap Falcon, 260 km west of Alger, because found in possession of copies of the Bible and other Christian documents. Furthermore family law forbids Muslim women to marry men belonging to a different religion. The new Criminal Code, in force since June 27th 2001, envisages severe punishments, including fines and detention, for whoever preaches in a Mosque without being an Imam appointed by the government and for those who carry out acts "against the noble nature of the mosque". The law also forbids public meetings with the aim to practice other faiths that are not Islam. Although religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution in Angola it is not always respected due to the civil war that has greatly marked life in this country also throughout 2001, causing, directly and indirectly, violations of human rights and of the citizens’ religious freedom, and in particular, that of men and women religious, often the victims of attacks, threats and harassment. The peace agreement signed in April 2002 by the government and the rebels of the Union for the total independence of Angola (UNITA), has raised great hopes. In 2001 the Catholic Church, which represents most of the population and is the only authentic moral authority in the country, was often mentioned by the press, both due to the work involving mediation and reconciliation that the Church has never renounced, and because of reports made against the government and against UNITA, as well as for the problems which have often afflicted priests, as well as men and women religious in various areas of the country. The temporary Constitutional Act guarantees religious freedom in Burundi, a freedom that is generally respected by the government. Last April however, the leader of an indigenous religious group was arrested and his church was closed for reasons pertinent to security and public order. During 2001 the clashes that oppose rebel factions against the government presided by Pierre Buyoya continued, and in spite of the efforts made by the negotiator, Nelson Mandela, the violence never ceased, causing many deaths among the civilians. As far as Cameroon is concerned there are no particular violations of religious freedom to be reported, as this right is guaranteed by the Constitution. However for several months, the confrontation between the Catholic Church and President Paul Biya’s government continued. According to the issue of "Mondo e Missione" of February 2001, after the Permanent Council of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference published a note concerning the misdeeds of the Police Operative Command, accused of carrying out torture and summary executions, Cardinal Christian Tumi, Archbishop of Douala, once again denounced the lack of democracy and freedom of the press, the corruption and violation of human rights, as well as the oppressive behaviour of some of those responsible for security. A strong stand that provoked government reaction, and, in particular, that of the Minister for Communications who said the Cardinal wanted to open his own radio station so as to work against the government and run as a candidate in the next presidential elections. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference also criticised the Country’s executive organ and denounced the corruption, which has become a serious plague in the country, as well as the liberties taken by the police forces. Although no particular violations of religious freedom have been reported in Chad, where the latter is guaranteed by the Constitution, but not always respected by the government, the Christians’ situation in this country with a strong Islamic majority is sometimes critical. This was revealed by a "Compass" news agency of May 18th which reported statements by a religious leader who denounced the difficulties encountered by Christians, especially in the North of the country: "The population fears persecutions when people decide to turn their backs on their own social-cultural background and on their own religion. The Churches are often afraid both of religious persecutions and of the government. All forms of abuse committed against Christians in the North are ignored by the authorities". The new Constitution
approved in July 2000 and in force since August 4th of the
same year in the Ivory Coast guarantees religious
freedom, even though the authorities sometimes tend to limit
this freedom in point of fact. The violent clashes which
broke out between militants belonging to the Republican
Coalition (RDR), faithful to the Muslim and Northern leader
Alassane Ouattara, and those of the Ivorian
People’s Although in Egypt the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, the government imposes a number of limitations to this right. Islam is as a matter of fact the state religion and the main source of inspiration for legislation. All religious practice that is in contrast with the Koranic Law is forbidden. Both Christians and Jews however can normally practice their religion without suffering oppression although this does not prevent forms of religious, political and social discrimination of the minorities. The Copt Christians are especially attacked and in spite of the fact that they represent a historically significant presence in the country, they continue to suffer discrimination and abuse. The repression also affects non orthodox Moslems. 14 people were arrested in the outskirts of Cairo for having denigrated Islam. The police confiscated books and videos containing, according to their report, beliefs that were not correct with regards to the issues of pilgrimage, prayer and Islamic festivities. The author Nawal el Saadawi, leader of the Arab feminist movement, was also put on trial, accused by a fundamentalist lawyer of apostasy and of being unworthy of her husband, a strict Muslim. In Ethiopia the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, which is generally respected, although at a local level the government sometimes violates this right. In 2001 the Protestants in particular complained about the more serious violations, having suffered discrimination by a number of authorities who would not provide them with land for building their churches and cemeteries. In some areas Protestant proselytism seems to have caused violent reactions and a number of religious leaders have been allegedly threatened and beaten. Government authorities appear to remain passive when faced with such events and this has encouraged inter-religious tension between members of the Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches and those who belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. In Kenya the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, which the government in general seems to respect, although there are a number of restrictions and a few interferences, especially as far as certain groups and movements are concerned, such as the Mungiki, who add to their religious practice a number of activities that are rather more financial and involve political opposition. The tension between Christians and Moslems has instead eased. After the violent clashes that took place in December 2000, since January 2001 the two communities have returned to peaceful cohabitation both in the capital Nairobi and along the coast. "If we want to be God’s real witnesses – declared Monsignor John Njenga, Bishop of Mombassa, the main city in a region with a Muslim majority – we must live in harmony and in reconciliation". In Libya, the government places serious restrictions on religious freedom, openly stating its preference for Islam. There is a small Christian community in this country, almost exclusively made up of foreigners. The Anglicans predominantly come from sub-Saharan Africa and reside in Tripoli for work reasons. The Catholics have two bishops, one in the capital, mostly for the Italian community, the other in Benghazi, for the Maltese community. There are Catholic priests and nuns in the coastal cities and in Sebha and most of them work in the hospitals and with the disabled. There are also Greek-Orthodox and Copt priests both in Tripoli and in Benghazi. Although they do not suffer real violations of their religious freedom, Christians are submitted to restrictions, such as the limitation to have only one church in each city. The government also controls the mosques and the Islamic institutions. The 2001 report by the U.S. State Department with regards to Religious freedom also reports continuous clashes between the police and a number of Islamic groups that oppose Gheddafi’s regime and sponsor the introduction of a more traditionalist form of Islam. In Malawi, although the Constitution guarantees religious freedom and relations between the various religious confessions are basically good, there have been a number of violent episodes against Christians. After the events of September 11th the threats and oppression against Christians have increased dramatically. Reverend Abusa Wedja, a minister of the Assembly of the Church of God, confirmed that the Churches which are active in evangelisation had become easy targets, especially for anti-Christian extremists. In spite of the fact that Islam is the state religion in Morocco, where the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, the Jewish and Christian communities may however freely practice their faith, even though the government puts a number of restrictions on proselytism and on the propagation of religious material by Christians; it does permit the distribution and the sale of Bibles in European languages, but those in Arabic are confiscated, and their importation or sale is forbidden. According to the 2001 report by the U.S. State Department with regards to Religious freedom, the other religious minorities are also subject to different levels of restriction. In the main Moroccan cities there are group of baha’i, who are forbidden from organizing public meetings. The government also keeps under control activities in the mosques and places some restrictions on certain Islamic groups whose activities go beyond merely religious aspects and involve political aspects. In Mauritania the Constitution establishes that the country is an Islamic republic and decrees Islam to be the state religion. Consequently the government restricts religious freedom. In spite of this the Christians belonging to the expatriate community and the rare local Christians are in general able to freely practice their religion. Proselytism, the distribution of informative religious material and conversions from Islam to other religions are however forbidden. The 2001 Report by "Sos Esclavage Mauritania", the Association that fights for the abolition of slavery, denounces the instrumental use of religion for maintaining a system that is still deeply rooted in the country. "Religion – says the report – is used for justifying slavery, for perpetuating domination and for extinguishing any idea of revolt or desire for liberation". Although the Constitution guarantees religious freedom in Mozambique, it does not permit the creation of political parties based on a religious confession, considering them a threat for national unity. During 2001 there has been some tension between the government and the Catholic Church to the extent that during the inter-regional assembly of the Bishops in Southern Africa (IMBISA which includes Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Sao Tomè and Principe and Zimbabwe) the Church took a stand, publishing a statement in which an attempt to organize a campaign against the Church by the government, the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) the party in power and the local media, was denounced. This was reported by "Fides" on January 5th. According to IMBISA a coup was being prepared against the archbishop of Beira, Monsignor Jaime Pedro Gonçalves, who had received repeated death threats. Attacked by Filipe Paunde, Secretary to FRELIMO in the central province of Sofala, the Archbishop was accused of supporting the opposing party, RENAMO, and of promoting the division of the country. Although Nigeria is a secular state and its Constitution, in force since 1999, guarantees religious freedom, the introduction of the Shari’a in an ever increasing number of states of the Confederation (a dozen out of 36) instigated extremely serious clashes and violence, which caused thousands to be killed, wounded and evacuated. Those involved in the conflict are the Muslim and the Christian communities. The Christian community in particular has been the victim of serious violations of human rights and of the religious freedom. The Constitution already recognises some aspects of the Shari’a, which is an integrant and relevant part of the law-way of this country. However after the end of 1999, following the example set by the Governor of the State of Zamfara, many other federal governors have introduced Koranic law in their own States, asserting that most of the population is Muslim and that the people asked to live according to rules dictated by their own religion. The application of the Shari’a has not only exasperated the diffidence and the conflictuality that already existed between the two main religious groups in the country, but also increased difficulties and tensions in the middle of which the young Nigerian democracy struggles, dealing with religious issues mingled with ethnic, political, social and financial problems, in addition to widespread lack of security, corruption, injustice and discrimination. Also in the Central African Republic the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, establishing however a number of legal conditions and forbidding everything that the government considers religious fundamentalism and intolerance. There are indeed no interferences or restrictions to report and the members of the different religious communities are able to freely practice their faith. However the chaotic political situation and the clashes that followed have caused tension between the government and the Catholic Church which has suffered damage to a number of its buildings. During the clashes between those faithful to President Ange Félix Patassé and the rebels, who laid waste to the capital Bangui between the end of May and the beginning of June, hundreds of people lost their lives and many were wounded. Many houses were destroyed and the Catholic mission of Saint Paul, where Archbishop Joachim N’Dayen lives, was seriously damaged. In the Democratic Republic of Congo 2001 began with an event that for the umpteenth time in the last few years threw into disorder the country’s political institutional balance. On January 16th Laurent Désiré Kabila was murdered, probably the victim of a conspiracy that has never been totally clarified. His son Joseph assumed the role of president. The year 2001 began also with yet another arrest of a religious, Monsignor Cyprien Mbuka, Auxiliary Bishop of Boma, in Bas-Congo, 300 km south of the capital Kinshasa. Imprisoned on December 28th, he was then released on January 10th 2002. He was accused of "owning a satellite phone without a licence and of having subversive intentions with regards to the government". Cardinal Frédéric Etsou, Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of the Bishops’ Conference, denounced the arbitrary arrests that concerned first Monsignor Mbuka, and then other bishops, men and women religious, missionaries and Church personnel. On April 1st the government of Rwanda promulgated a law that obliges all non-profit organizations, including Churches and religious organizations to be registered with the Ministry for Justice so as to guarantee for themselves the status of "legal bodies". Furthermore small fines and imprisonment for up to six months is envisaged for those who in any manner disturb religious functions or the ministers while they exercise their profession. Although the Constitution guarantees religious freedom which is generally respected by the government, during 2001 a number of restrictions have been imposed. After the 1994 genocide the tensions and controversies within Rwandan society were difficult to calm. The trial held in Belgium against two nuns accused of genocide and condemned respectively to 12 and 15 years imprisonment contributed to inflame matters further especially with regard to the Catholic Church. The arrest of Father Athanase Seromba, a Rwandan priest, extradited on February 6th to Arusha, siège of the International Criminal Court for Rwanda, after spending many years in the Italian Diocese of Florence, reopened the debate also in Italy concerning the role played by the Church during the genocide. The Catholic Church for a long period has been at the centre of a denigrating campaign for having, according to its detractors, encouraged the genocide. It is still under pressure today although the government appears to be more open than in the past to move forwards on the path to dialogue and confrontation. In Senegal the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, which is generally respected. Relations between Moslems, the vast majority, and the Christian minorities are basically good. However, the ongoing conflict in the southern region of Casamance, and the lack of security that reigns there, continues to cause deaths, wounds and tension. A Catholic priest, born in this region, Father Siménon Coly, was murdered on November 7th during an attack on the road that leads from the south to the north of Senegal, passing through Gambia. After the disintegration of the State that took place after the fall of Siad Barre’s regime in 1991, there has not been any central governmental authority in Somalia nor is there a Constitution. As a consequence there is no guarantee for religious freedom or for any other form of freedom or citizen’s rights. In August 2000 a temporary government was formed that has not however been recognised by the "Warlords" who keep the population in a state of terror and insecurity. It is impossible to state that religious freedom exists in the many ‘states’ that today form Somalia. Islam is officially the religion practised by 100% of the population, everywhere. Apart from the few foreigners present in the country officially there are no citizens who belong to religions that are not Islam. The very rare local Christians practice their faith in secret. This was confirmed by Monsignor Giorgio Bertin, the Apostolic Administrator in Mogadiscio, to "Mondo e Missione" in May 2001, who told the paper about the very rare Christians in Somalia who are obliged to hide and never reveal their faith. While in South Africa religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution, and its respect is ensured, in Sudan religious freedom is envisaged by the Constitution, in force since 1999, at least on paper. The government however seriously limits this right, de facto considering Islam as the state religion and also drawing inspiration from Islam at a juridical, political and institutional level. According to the U.S. State Department the authorities continue to restrict the activities of Christians and of the followers of the traditional religions, but also of the members of certain Islamic groups. Non Moslems are forbidden from any form of proselytism and apostasy is considered a serious crime. The government limits meetings and sometimes also the release of visas for Catholic missionaries. Non Moslems are often treated as second class citizens, and on numerous occasions threatened or arrested by the police. The war that for the past twenty years has continued to oppose the north and the south of the country only makes the situation worse, especially for the Sudanese in the south, many of which are Christian or animists who are continually bombed, assassinated, and suffer violence, arbitrary arrests or die of hunger. In the north the regime continues to imprison and torture all political opponents, to forcibly enlist the young, as well as arresting and converting with force Christians and animists to Islam, as well as persecuting the Christians. In March the Regional Conference of Sudanese Catholic Bishops handed a memorandum to a delegation of the United States Bishops’ Conference who were visiting Sudan. It is a document, as reported by "Fides" on April 27th, in which they request the help of U.S. Christians to stop the bombing, end drilling for oil, put an end to slavery and the famine policies, and ensure religious freedom and self-determination. In Khartoum, the leaders of 10 Christian denominations wrote to the Sudanese Prime Minister in protest against the treatment reserved to a group of Christians during the Easter period and requesting clarifications regards to constitutional guarantees concerning religious freedom. The 2001 report by the U.S. State Department with regards to Religious freedom condemns the violations of freedom to worship in Sudan, considering that – alongside China, Afghanistan, North Korea, Nigeria and Indonesia – among the "Countries which are cause for particular concern". "The government of Sudan – it reads – continues to commit a considerable abuse of human rights, including the bombing of civilians and humanitarian targets, kidnapping and slavery by the troops sponsored by the government, the manipulation of humanitarian aid as a war weapon and severe restrictions of the religious freedom". In Tanzania the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, and the government in general respects this right even though a number of measures considered necessary for guaranteeing public order and safety are envisaged, provisions that in effect somehow limit this right. But most of all serious political and social tension, that has marked life in the country in 2001, especially on the island of Zanzibar, has caused a number of violations of human rights and religious freedom. Violent demonstrations took place at the end of August in the capital city of Dar Es Salaam protesting against the arrest of a radical Muslim leader. Christians, especially those who have converted from Islam, are obliged to profess their faith in secret. According to the "Compass" news agency, "Moslems who become Christians can be disowned by their own families and friends and deprived of all their belongings – at times even of their clothes – and forced to reconvert". According to a leader of the Pentecostal Church in Dar Es Salaam, the Christian Churches have not taken in the due consideration the problem of the evangelisations of Moslems sufficiently seriously, bearing in mind the problems encountered by those who are converted, who constantly live under the treat of violence. In Togo the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, and the government ensures that it is respected, with the exception of a number of episodes motivated by political reasons. A number of problems have been encountered by the Catholic media. In January – according to the issue of "Mondo e Missione" published in February 2001 – the Catholic radio station "Jeunesse Espoir" which broadcasted from the mission in Tabligbo, in the Diocese of Aneho in the south of the country, was closed down. The military, sent by the prefect, sealed the offices, accusing the radio of having broadcast the announcement of a Holy Mass to be held in memory of the former president Sylvanus Olympio. While in Tunisia Islam is the official state religion, the constitution also guarantees religious freedom for other religions on condition that public order is maintained, in Uganda the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, which is generally respected by the government, although with certain restrictions. The high level of tension and violence continues to destabilize the north of the country and is the cause of repercussions regards to the activities of the Catholic Church. In the north of Uganda terror is constant, wrote the Combonian missionary Father Giulio Albenese in the paper "Avvenire" on June 13th, after he returned from a visit to a brother, Father Tarcisio Pazzaglia, in Pajule, in the same parish in which in October 2000 Raffaele Di Bari was assassinated. "Father Tarcisio – wrote father Albanese – now lives alone in this suburb of the world, a sentinel for Jesus of Nazareth among people who have lived in terror for decades". This was all caused by attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) which had more than once plundered the mission; the last of these attacks took place in February. In Zambia the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but during the presidential election campaign in January 2002 the level of tension rose and intimidating action was taken against the Catholic Church and more in general against Christian Churches, critical of president Frederik Chiluba, who had tried in every way to run for a third mandate. Already at the beginning of 2001, reported "Mondo e Missione" in April 2001, the Churches of the Christian Council in Zambia, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Evangelical Alliance had joined forces with the Association of Legal Consultants so as to launch a campaign against this constitutional change, which would have allowed Mr. Chiluba to run once again for the presidency. "We shall take this campaign to each province, to each city and to every village in the country, so that the citizens shall be well-informed of the situation", stated the Secretary for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Father Ignatius Mwebe. The Catholic priests and the Protestant Pastors read to their respective faithful the so-called "Oasis Decalaration" which invited the President to "behave like a statesman. He should not run for the presidential elections in 2001 because, according to the Zambian Constitution, which is not ambiguous, the President has the right to only serve two terms in office lasting five years". After numerous threats and intimidations, on May 27th the seat of the Catholic radio station "Radio Icengelo" in Kitwe, in north-western Zambia, was set on fire, as reported by "Misna" on June 9th. Father Miha Drevensek, the founder and director of this Radio, says that it was very probably arson. Thanks to the fire-fighters’ prompt arrival it was possible to save most of the broadcasting studio, while the offices and all documents were completely destroyed. |
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OCEANIA Episodes involving the subject of religious freedom during 2001 are very few as far as Oceania is concerned. Since 1999 there has been fervid debate in Australia with regards to the law on racial and religious tolerance, which, according to a report from "Human Rights Without Frontiers" on April 19th, if implemented could as a matter of fact limit religious freedom because even the most simple sign of one’s faith, or attempts to publicly spread it could be understood as offensive to those who do not share the same religion or those who profess to be atheist. News has come from Papua New Guinea about the assassination of the Franciscan missionary Father Fabian Thom, who was Australian, shot by unidentified murderers on August 16th at Port Moresby, the country’s capital. No significant institutional changes or particular episodes with regards to religious freedom have been reported in Figi, Kiribati, Marshall, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Salomon, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. |