kazakhstan religion law

In late October, Kayrat Lama Sharif, chairman of the government’s Religious Affairs Agency, announced the outcome of a year-long process set in motion by the adoption of a controversial religion law last fall. Some critics say the religion law can be used as a tool for Astana to exercise control over what should be private choices about faith. The closure of religious groups is a “purge,” he suggested, intended “to abolish religions that are inconvenient to the state.”. The legislation gave religious denominations and faith-based civic associations one year to re-register under stringent new criteria, or face closure. At a Protestant church in Astana in October, pastors were accused of driving a member insane, harboring extremist literature and giving worshippers a red drink containing “hallucinogenic ingredients inducing euphoria.” Worshippers deemed in breach of the law are usually fined. A 2011 law prohibited foreigners from registering religious organizations, required the registration of places of worship, and prohibited the holding of religious services in private homes – a practice common to more secretive religious groups. . Meanwhile, roughly one-third of all faith-based civic organizations face elimination, leaving 3,088 against the previous total of 4,551. The results were stark: President Nursultan Nazarbayev used to proudly proclaim that Kazakhstan welcomed over 40 officially-recognized faiths, but that number has been slashed by about 60 percent, from 46 to 17. Kazakhstan’s chief religious institution is the Muftiate, which works to coordinate religious practice with the state and is charged with training Islamic clergy. And they continue. However, he also shared his concerns about youth radicalization and Afghanistan’s violent ideologies. Mirziyoyev and his government would be wise to accept all the OSCE/Venice Commission recommendations. Local registration requires at least 50 members and … Now the Chinese telecom giant is poised to win the 5G race in the country. “We Christians are treated well,” he said. Meanwhile, roughly one-third of all faith-based civic organizations face elimination, leaving 3,088 against the previous total of 4,551. The closure of religious groups is a “purge,” he suggested, intended “to abolish religions that are inconvenient to the state.”. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee has taken the lead in fighting extremism. Enjoying this article? Missionary activities will be limited to the territory in which the religious group that invited the missionary is registered. Some critics say the religion law can be used as a tool for Astana to exercise control over what should be private choices about faith. In 2018, further amendments to the law restricted minors’ ability to attend religious services, and tightened restrictions on foreign religious education. State media have published letters from religious leaders to Nazarbayev (who hosts regular congresses of clerics from around the world to promote interfaith dialogue and tolerance) hailing the reform and lauding Kazakhstan’s credentials as a haven of religious freedom. In 2018, Bobomurod Abdullaev walked out of jail in Uzbekistan after a surprising conclusion to a case levied against him by the state. So, that law hasn't gone into effect yet.". At the same time, its sister church faces closure. Instead, Kazakhstan’s Muslim and Christians were both exposed to an onslaught of novel, foreign religious influences competing for influence – something government officials viewed with increasing concern. State media have published letters from religious leaders to Nazarbayev (who hosts regular congresses of clerics from around the world to promote interfaith dialogue and tolerance) hailing the reform and lauding Kazakhstan’s credentials as a haven of religious freedom. So, that … A more fruitful approach would be to accept the premises of the Kazakh model, and rather than take an antagonistic approach, work with Kazakh authorities to improve the country’s policies in the religious field. “Formally, under the law, there is freedom [of conscience], but in effect it is hard to exercise it in our realities,” said one young member of a Protestant church in Almaty (which did receive registration), speaking on condition of anonymity. In the view of Western observers, the law violates not only the country's constitution but also international obligations to which Kazakhstan is party. Saidov’s concerns are legitimate. The results were stark: President Nursultan Nazarbayev used to proudly proclaim that Kazakhstan welcomed over 40 officially-recognized faiths, but that number has been slashed by about 60 percent, from 46 to 17. Kazakhstan normally requires all religious groups to register with the state and has, to some extent, respected the freedom of registered communities. Uzbekistan is undertaking a significant reform effort with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s leadership. Yet, leaders of religious minority groups endured a nail-biting few months as they waited to hear if their respective groups would survive the re-registration process. Also, Kazakhstan’s Muslims were largely nomadic, and historically embraced a form of Islam with stronger mystical and syncretistic aspects. In late October, Kayrat Lama Sharif, chairman of the government’s Religious Affairs Agency, announced the outcome of a year-long process set in motion by the adoption of a controversial religion law last fall. Click here to subscribe for full access. Even without the new law, official pressure on evangelical churches and other religious groups has been increasing. While the clerical establishment rests firmly on Hanafi Sunni Islam, Kazakhstan developed … And please continue to lift up our brothers and sisters in Kazakhstan who face daily pressure for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.". The closure of religious groups is a “purge,” he suggested, intended “to abolish religions that are inconvenient to the state.”. Among other provisions, the bill calls for explicitly banning unregistered religious activity and would ban anyone from sharing his or her beliefs without both the written backing of a registered religious association as well as personal state registration as a missionary. But to ensure an end to abuses, Uzbekistan’s legal system should reorient away from a Soviet approach toward a Western, rights-based framework. In recognition of these steps, in 2018, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Religious life in Kazakhstan features a glaring dichotomy these days. There is justified criticism that the state’s policies have erred on the side of excessive restrictions. The views expressed are his own. But Kazakhstan’s authorities operate on the basis of a fundamentally different principle: that it is the duty of the state to regulate religious affairs to ensure the revival of traditional religious communities, and to ensure stability and harmony in society. But will moderation last? ecoi.net is run by the Austrian Red Cross (department ACCORD) in cooperation with Informationsverbund Asyl & Migration. By Joanna Lillis. But Soviet rule was not just the attempted destruction of religion: Soviet leaders also purposefully encouraged alien Salafi-inclined religious ideas as competition to traditional religious beliefs. Officials in Astana tout the country as a bastion of toleration, yet they are making it harder for those practicing what are deemed non-traditional faiths to worship openly. Moving forward, the law gives officials a powerful tool to enforce a state-designed religious orthodoxy. Today we have some good news concerning a similar bill in Kazakhstan. He also insisted that Kazakhstan -- where about 70 percent of the population identifies itself as Muslim, and another 25 percent as Orthodox Christian -- “is for the entire world an example of interfaith harmony.”. Having struggled to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the country has put all its chips on securing access to an effective vaccine. Aung San Suu Kyi’s dangerous gamble to push ahead with a controversial election as a second wave of COVID-19 hits Myanmar hard.

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