International Religious Freedom News

Glasses Off:

1. Canada: Mennonite School, Curriculum Questioned by Authorities (Aug. 22)
2. China: Bishop Arrested for Distributing Pope’s Letter (Aug. 23)
3. Eritrea Demands Control of Church-Run Social Services (Aug. 23)
4. Iranian Students Charged with Insulting Sacred Values (Aug. 24)

Tehran, Iran

Radio Free Europe reports that three of the eight students detained in March of this year, in connection with the publication of “impious” journals at Tehran’s Amir Kabir University, are set to be formally charged with “muqaddasat”, or “insulting sacred values”. The three, Ahmad Qassaban, Ehsan Mansuri, and Majid Tavakkoli, have denied any involvement with the journals, and it is suspected that they were pressured to confess while in detention at Tehran’s Evin prison. Their case will go to the Tehran Revolutionary court within the next few days.

To read a letter from the students’ families detailing their treatment while in prison, please go here.

5. Uzbekistan: Raids on Unregistered Baptist Community (Aug. 24)
6. Iran: More Evidence for Discrimination Against Bahá’ís (Aug. 27)
7. Austrian Politician Proposes Ban on Mosques, Minarets (Aug. 27)

Catinthia, Austria

Reuters reports that Joerg Haider, governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, plans to ask Parliament to alter building laws with the goal of preventing mosques and minarets from being built in the province. Henceforth “religious and cultural tradition” would need to be considered before building plans would be approved, said Haider, who opposed the construction of minarets and mosques as “centers to advertise the power of Islam”. A spokesman for Haider said there would be no plans to eliminate Muslim prayer rooms, however, as “Muslims of course have the right to practice their religion”. As for mosques and minarets, Haider emphasized, “We don’t want a clash of cultures and we don’t want institutions which are alien to our culture being erected in Western Europe”.

8. Kazakhstan: Raids on Grace Presbyterian Churches (Aug. 28)

Features:
Turkmenistan improves on issues of religious freedom, but concerns still remain, from Reuters

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International Religious Freedom Archive