Press Release on Religious Intolerance

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 20:14:34 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Press Release on Religious Intolerance

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Aaron Rhodes <[email protected]>

Press Release on Religious Intolerance



Embargo for 16 March

Intolerance Toward "Non-Traditional Religions" in both New and
Established Democracies

Vienna, 16 March 1999. In its new report "Religious Discrimination and
Related Violations of Helsinki Commitments", the International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) documents that numerous
European democracies and former Soviet republics violate their
international commitments regarding the freedom of religion or
religious tolerance.

"Many OSCE countries are taking legal measures to suppress religious
activity and to interfere in the internal affairs of religious
communities, violating not only the Helsinki commitments but also the
European Convention on Human Rights," according to Aaron Rhodes, IHF
Executive Director. "Unfair treatment of religious minorities
expresses and increases the latent tendencies toward chauvinism and
intolerance, which threaten pluralism and political stability in the
region."

Several countries, e.g., Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Macedonia,
Russia, and Uzbekistan, have recently adopted restrictive domestic
laws on religious associations. Others have taken steps to restrict
the spread of "new religions" which they deem to be dangerous, for
example Belgium, France, and Germany. Anti-Semitism remains a problem,
a recent example being anti-Semitic statements by leading Russian
politicians and the failure of the State Duma to denounce them
clearly.
 
In new democracies, the goal of restrictive laws often appears to be
to strengthen the position of the majority religious communities,
which are regarded as part of national identity, as in the case of the
Russian Orthodox Church in Russia.  On the other hand, such laws
sometimes express the values of atheistic pro or former-communist
circles, which still reflexively attack religion as such. In Central
Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) the main target seems to be Islamic
fundamentalism (or "Wahhabism"), but under this cover, the authorities
have taken measures that restrict the rights of most minority
religions; in Western Europe, hundreds of unpopular minority religions
are targeted as dangerous and harmful 'sects'.

Most European states require that religious groups have to be
registered, just like all other associations. Restrictive laws include
various categories of state recognition, providing privileges to
majority religious communities, and discriminating against minority
communities. The most privileged religious organizations are granted
the right, for example, to enjoy significant tax reductions; to give
religious instruction in state-run schools and religious counseling in
public institutions such as hospitals; to establish their own schools;
to publish or import religious literature; or to be represented in
various state administrative bodies. Because of the introduction of
new restrictive laws in Russia and Austria, minority religions will
have to wait for 15 years and 20 years respectively before being
allowed to introduce an application for the status of the most
privileged religions. Moreover, the provisions typically include a
minimum number of members to be registered at all; restrictions on
activities outside sites of worship; limitations on publication,
distribution and importation of religious literature; prohibitions on
the activities of foreign teachers or preachers; and imposition of
heavier taxes than those on majority religious organizations.

While Western governments and human rights groups have typically
focused their attention on increasing restrictions in formerly
communist countries, less attention has been paid to similar
developments in the established democracies of Western Europe. In
addition to restrictive national legislative and other measures, the
European Parliament unsuccessfully tried to draft a report on "cults";
it was rejected on two occasions by the plenary session. The Council
of Europe also prepared a report on "cults," but, in September 1998,
it was rejected and sent back to the Committee on Legal affairs and
Human Rights for further examination. In several West European
countries enquiry commissions on sects have been established to
observe minority religions. On 19 June 1998, the German Inquiry
Commission issued its report. It recommended that the so-called Church
of Scientology be kept under observation, but stated that "cults and
psycho groups" do not represent any danger to the democratic state.
And recent Swedish and Swiss reports take a relatively positive
approach to minority religions.

In Russia, the Jehovah's Witnesses are facing a trial that might
create a precedent for a ban on their activities - and those of other
minorities. Small Protestant churches have reported harassment
equivalent to persecution during the Soviet era.
 
In Austria, new religious groups have to wait for 10 years before
being allowed to ask for the most privileged status, which does not
mean they will be granted it. The French government has recently set
up an Inter-Ministerial Mission for Fight against Sects and has
appointed its head Alain Vivien, chairman of an anti-cult movement.
Also, the government has for the first time applied the new tax
legislation revised in 1992 on a number of the 172 minority religions
blacklisted as "dangerous or harmful sects". In Greece, the Greek
Orthodox Church can legally regulate the rights of the minority
religions, including the right to build sites of worship.

In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Islamic
"Fundamentalism" is the main target. In practice, however, most
religious minorities suffered under regulations supposedly meant to
target the so-called "Wahhabism". In Uzbekistan, authorities carried
out arbitrary mass arrests, tortured persons in custody and practiced
religious discrimination in the name of the fight against Islamic
Fundamentalism.

For copies of the report and more information:

Aaron Rhodes, IHF, Tel: +43 1 402 73 87.
Fax: +43 1 408 74 44
E-mail: [email protected]
Willy Fautr, Human Rights Without Frontiers:
Tel: +32 2 219 88 80, Fax: +32 2 219 02 85
E-mail: [email protected]
___
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
http://www.ihf-hr.org/

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