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Ahmadi community fears for its future
Keston News Service (08.04.03.2002) / HRWF International Secretariat (17.04.2002) C Website http://www.hrwf.net C Email info@hrwf.net - The new religion law due to be adopted in May could cause problems for Kyrgyzstan's Ahmadiyya community, its leader told Keston News Service in Bishkek on 1 April. He cited as evidence the "constant attacks" by representatives of the country's official Muslim leadership, which he said were supported by the chairman of the parliamentary sub-committee for religious affairs, Alisher Sobirov, who drew up the proposed new religion law. Sobirov, however, while maintaining that Ahmadis are not Muslims, denied to Keston that he wishes to see them banned.
Keston News Service:http://www.keston.org
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New religion law to increase state control?
Keston News Service (26.03.2002) / HRWF International Secretariat (28.03.2002) C Website http://www.hrwf.net C Email info@hrwf.net - A new draft religion law could be approved by the Kyrgyz parliament as early as May, the chairman of the committee which prepared the draft told Keston News Service on 20 March.
The government has consulted widely in producing the draft and the chairman believes it conforms to international standards, but the law would considerably enlarge the state's opportunities to control the life of believers, for example banning non-registered missionary activity.
Already there is evidence of the tightening of control over both Muslim and Christian groups.
Keston News Service:http://www.keston.org
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New decree set to tighten religious control.
Keston News Service (08.02.2002)/HRWF International Secretariat (08.02.2002) - Website: www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - As preparations continue for a new religion law whichcould be approved as early as May, the Kyrgyz government has issued a decree tightening controls on publishing which seems set to increase control over religious organisations. The senior Muslim cleric in Jalal- abad region in southern Kyrgyzstan told Keston News Service he feared the "audit" of religious organisations heralded by the decree would impact not only on "religious extremists", the professed target of the decree, but on ordinary believers as well. A human rights activist from Jalal-abad agreed. "I have no doubt that in time we will feel the impact of this decree, and that the controls over believers will tighten," he told Keston.
Keston News Service: http://www.keston.org
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