International Religious Freedom News

From glasses off:

1. Indonesia: Sunday School Teachers Freed From Jail (Jun. 8 )

West Java, Indonesia
Open Doors UK reports that three women have been released from prison in Indonesia, after serving two years of a three year prison sentence for conducting a children’s program in their homes, which included Bible study and Christian songs and games. In 2005, a local court sentenced Dr. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti, and Ratna Bangun after it was discovered that thirty of the forty children attending their program were not Christian. Despite the fact that the Muslim children taking part in the program did so with the consent of their parents, Zakaria, Pangesti and Bangun were found to have violated Indonesia’s Children Protection Law.

2. Complaint on Behalf of French Sikh Filed at ECHR (Jun. 11)
3. Uzbekistan: Jehovah’s Witness Condemned to Labor Camp (Jun. 13)
4. Tibet: Chinese Authorities Demolish Buddhist Statue (Jun. 14)
5. Kazakhstan: 12 Hare Krishna Homes Demolished (Jun. 15)

Forum 18 reports that twelve more properties belonging to Kazakhstan’s only Hare Krishna community have been destroyed. Police oversaw the June 15 demolitions, which claimed homes belonging to members of the community. Though the Hare Krishna temple remains untouched, there are fears that it will be the next target, as authorities have already ordered community members to destroy the temple themselves. Local officials have characterized the community as “non-traditional” and expressed bewilderment as to why they would want to live in Kazakhstan.

6. Italy: The Da Vinci Code Investigated for “Obscenity” (Jun. 18)
7. Pakistan: Magazine Condemned as Blasphemous, Editor Threatened (Jun. 19)

Feature:
Australia debates the acceptability of the Sikh kirpan in schools, from World Sikh News. For an explanation of the significance of the kirpan, as well as the turban please visit United Sikhs.

Update:
Radio Free Europe reports that the students at Iran’s Amir Kabir University, who were arrested in conjunction with “impious” publications have allegedly been tortured while imprisoned in Tehran (ninth item).

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