Moving forward, the law gives officials a powerful tool to enforce a state-designed religious orthodoxy. This is one reason for the Western criticism directed against Kazakhstan. 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. Slavic Gospel Association6151 Commonwealth DriveLoves Park, IL61111, Get the latest news directly to your inbox, The Mission Society celebrates a landmark birthday. 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. ecoi.net is supported by ECRE & UNHCR. According to current law, the Council now has a month to rule on whether the draft law complies with the Kazakh Constitution. Knox Thames served as the U.S. State Department Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in both the Obama and Trump administrations. It is considerably more diverse in ethnic and confessional terms. ecoi.net is run by the Austrian Red Cross (department ACCORD) in cooperation with Informationsverbund Asyl & Migration. Christian missionaries from Europe, North America and South Korea joined the fray, and targeted both the Russian Orthodox community and urbanized ethnic Kazakhs for conversion. The government must consider concerns about religious freedom alongside national security, and it “cannot be kept in isolation from overlapping topics that bring a lot of concern.”. 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. As a result, some smaller or less established groups failed to register. The arrival of the first Chinese tourists in Thailand under the Special Tourist Visa program is a good sign for the Thai economy. Kazakhstan’s chief religious institution is the Muftiate, which works to coordinate religious practice with the state and is charged with training Islamic clergy. In addition, its influence contributes to hostility to Sufi practices, which provides a dilemma for Kazakhstan’s government – which characterizes both Hanafi Islam and the Sufi-influenced “Folk Islam” as traditional, but does not appear to account for the possibility of a conflict between them. The law prohibits religious organizations that use violence, harm people's … SGA has served churches in Russia through pastor and lay leader training, sponsorship of national church planters, and provision of Christian literature. “Non-traditional” religious groups were under pressure well before the adoption of the religion law -- but raids on places of worship are now being stepped up. 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. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018 TAGS: PHUM KIRF PGOV KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN - RELIGION LAW AMENDMENTS HEADED TOWARD SECOND MAZHILIS READING REF: ASTANA 1107 (NOTAL) Classified By: Pol-Econ Chief Steven Fagin, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY ----- ¶1. Religious life in Kazakhstan features a glaring dichotomy these days. Uzbekistan, the linchpin to Central Asia, was central to those efforts. Having struggled to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the country has put all its chips on securing access to an effective vaccine. Political observers and even some religious leaders in Kazakhstan believe that Mr. Nazarbaev has taken this step for political reasons, as Kazakhstan is to assume the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010. Your email address will not be published. Working at a breakneck pace, the Mirziyoyev government ushered in a range of reforms, including on religious freedom. Both the share and the type of loans from China are changing as Sri Lanka wrestles with persistent balance of payment issues. The overall grade was mixed. In the middle of the continuum is the “State Neutrality” model exemplified by the United States; it is followed by what we call the “Skeptical/Insulating” model, as in France, which seeks to regulate and control religious influence on the state and society. Over time, Kazakhstan has adopted increasing restrictions in the religious field, and new measures were passed following terrorist incidents in 2011 and 2016. Us, Write Get Eurasia Review’s insightful news, analysis and opinion delivered directly to your email. In particular, it monitors, infiltrates and prosecutes alleged extremists with considerable zeal. When Kazakhstan experienced a revival of interest in religion at independence, the population could not just return to pre-Communist traditions. 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. Instead, the government took upon itself to regulate religion, thus gravitating toward the Skeptical/Insulating model and drawing on the French and Turkish experience. He said his reservations that the law would “infringe our rights” had not been borne out. New charges could mark a step backward. But if Uzbekistan misses this last reform opportunity and passes a flawed religion law, life will remain difficult for non-threatening religious groups while any security gains will be a mirage. These are very welcomed actions. "Please continue to pray with us that this new law will not be approved by the Constitutional Council or the president. A narrow focus on the style of disinformation used in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign risks overlooking other potential threats. More controversially, it has also infiltrated and prosecuted groups engaged in nonviolent religious practices. 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 recognition of these steps, in 2018, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pastor Franz Tissen, president of the Kazakh Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, called this a crucial moment for the country. This makes the region stand out in the Muslim world, and is a source of pride for regional governments. I recently heard Akmal Saidov, the director of Uzbekistan’s National Human Rights Centre, highlight the country’s reforms at Brigham Young University’s International Law and Religion Symposium. to Tashkent and multiple meetings in Washington, it is clear these reforms are at Mirziyoyev’s behest. Also, Kazakhstan’s Muslims were largely nomadic, and historically embraced a form of Islam with stronger mystical and syncretistic aspects. Social Security, The Election, And Beyond – OpEd, Cybercrime In Nigeria Demands Public-Private Action – Analysis, Iran Sentences Five Bahai Women To Total Five Years Of Prison, What ‘Wrong’ Did President Trump Do To Deserve Defeat? Kazakhstan banned the Islamic head scarf or the hijab in schools in 2016, along with all other clothing that "directly or indirectly propagates religion.". Kazakhstan: Religion Law Restricting Faith in the Name of Tackling Extremism? These are very welcomed actions. Astana divides religions into “traditional” (including Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, and Buddhism) and “non-traditional” -- which includes a broad spectrum of smaller denominations, some with strong missionary elements, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, Hare Krishnas, Ahmadi Muslims and Sufis. Meanwhile, the country’s most recent two muftis were both … The legislation gave religious denominations and faith-based civic associations one year to re-register under stringent new criteria, or face closure. The law has been criticized by religious and human rights groups in and outside Kazakhstan, as well as by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE). He was a regular interlocutor of mine and is deeply involved in the reform efforts. If it was, the country’s leaders would not feel the need to make so many adjustments to it. The law also contains provisions covering the vetting of religious literature and tightens guidelines for the training of clergy. At the same time, its sister church faces closure. Very soon, Uzbekistan will have a unique opportunity to make lasting legal reforms on freedom of religion or belief. This could, over time, help Kazakhstan develop a model of relevance to Muslim-majority societies elsewhere. Read more at eurasianet.org. Overall, the reviewers conclude that the draft law “should be substantially revised in order to ensure its full compliance with international human rights standards and OSCE human dimension commitments.” While the prognosis is unfavorable, there is still time to make amendments.

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