Religious freedom a stuttering pulse in Central Asia

(Cover photo courtesy of Stefan Krasowski/Flickr.
 Story photo courtesy of SGA.)

Central Asia (MNN) ― There are 12 nations either in Central Asia or sometimes included in listings of Central Asia. Of those 12 countries, 10 of them are on the World Watch List for worst persecution of Christians.

That means Central Asia makes up 20% of the World Watch List.

Countries on the World Watch List located completely or partially in Central Asian include Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and China.

Islam is the prominent religion in Central Asia, and restrictions on Christians make ministry difficult.

Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) is currently holding children’s summer camps to share the Gospel in Russia and the surrounding Central Asian countries with heavy Muslim presence. Last weekend, SGA President Bob Provost received a disturbing e-mail from one camp’s church leaders.

15 agents including law enforcement and alleged medical personnel swept into an SGA-sponsored children’s camp. The authorities took several photographs, arrested the camp leaders, and heavily fined them. Some of the frightened kids were even interrogated. When parents heard about the incident, they were alarmed.

Joel Griffith with SGA says, “The specific wording of the charge was ‘holding an unsanctioned religious gathering,’ and even that can be very difficult. I mean the church is trying to follow the law there, and the law says that they have to register their churches; so they do everything they can possibly do to follow the law, and then the authorities throw obstacles in their way to make it impossible for them to register their churches.”

They’re seeing a step-up in persecution of Christians in Central Asia. Even for security concerns, SGA was unable to share the specific nation and needed to protect the identities of the church leaders.

“We know of situations in this same country where there are churches that have to meet discreetly, even going out in the woods sometimes,” says Griffith. “They circulate the word of the services by word of mouth and try not to communicate it electronically or by telephone because they’re watched carefully. That’s basically the reality of how Christians in this particular country have to operate.”

Even the requirement that churches register in Muslim-dominated countries is difficult. Griffith states, “These laws that these countries are passing can be very arbitrary. Sometimes the provisions in these laws can be very contradictory. I know that some of them at times have been appealed to places like the International Court of Human Rights. I know that a lot of religious rights and human freedom watchdog organizations keep an eye on this sort of thing to see when new legislation comes out that could potentially impact the freedom of the churches.”

Now the church leaders from the SGA children’s camp could face property confiscation if they can’t pay the fines in a short amount of time.

“These church members and church leaders do not have a whole lot of resources. The fines, if I were to give them in American dollars, would not sound necessarily like a whole lot of money,” says Griffith. “But to these people who are largely very poverty stricken, these fines are sometimes insurmountable. It is a serious situation.”

Despite the oppression, believers in the Central Asian country are pressing on, says Griffith. “They lived under the communist system, and they know what it’s like to have to operate under these restrictions--and even worse. They’re certainly going to keep proclaiming the Gospel as they always have.”

Griffith goes on to share, “The purpose of our ministry at SGA is basically to come alongside them and serve them however they need us. First we help by getting the word out for intercessory prayer, and then we do our best to help sponsor in terms of some of the financial resources they need for the children’s Bibles, materials, supplies.... Yet, as I say, we have to do it very discreetly because of the issues that get raised.”

When SGA was founded around 80 years ago, founder Peter Deyneka's motto was, “Much prayer; much power.” Please pray for the church leaders to be able to pay the fines and to continue in ministry somehow. Pray for the kids and their families, and for religious freedom in Central Asia.

If you’d like to support SGA’s ongoing ministry with churches and children’s summer camps, click here.

Released Christian finds kids missing

Kids of wrongfully imprisoned
 Christian father are missing. (Photo
 courtesy of Colleen Taugher)

Ethiopia (MNN) ― Tamirat Woldegorgis, a Christian in southern Ethiopia falsely accused of desecrating a Qur’an, has just been released after serving two of his three sentenced years in prison.

However, Tamirat has lost more than just two years of his life in prison. Due to cramped and harsh conditions, one of his legs is now paralyzed.

Furthermore, when he returned home, Tamirat discovered that his two children, ages 6 and 15, are missing.

"I have been trying to locate my children, but all in vain," says Tamirat. "My life is ruined--I have lost my house, my children, my health. I am now homeless, and I am limping."

According to Voice of the Martyrs, Canada’s source Compass Direct News, Tamirat is staying with a friend in an undisclosed town. Tamirat believes Muslims from his area may have taken his kids to restrict his influence.

Tamirat used to work in a cloth-making business before his arrest. When Tamirat was arrested back in August 2010, it was because his co-worker found that Tamirat had written “Jesus is Lord” on a piece of cloth.

Tamirat’s co-worker further accused him of writing “Jesus is Lord” in the cover of a Qur’an, but with no evidence. But Tamirat was still sentenced to three years in prison on November 18, 2010 for desecration of a Qur’an, a serious offense according to Muslim Shariah law.

Ethiopia is nearly 35% Muslim. Jijiga, the town where Tamirat was imprisoned, is the capitol of Ethiopia’s Somali Region Zone Five, which follows Shariah principles.

Persecution of Christians in Ethiopia is only getting worse. Ethiopia moved up to #38 on the World Watch List of countries with the worst Christian persecution, where last year it was #43.

Pray for the safety and salvation of Tamirat’s children, and for reunion with their father. Pray for courage among persecuted Ethiopian Christians and for the spread of the Gospel there.

Restrictive child religion law to be enacted after Ramadan

Tajikistan (MNN) ― A controversial law which bans most children under 18 from participating in religious activities is set to go into effect in Tajikistan once Ramadan ends.

The Law on Parental Responsibility for Education and Upbringing of Children was passed by parliament on July 21. On August 2, President Emomali Rahmon gave the law his stamp of approval as well.

"It looks like indeed this controversial Law of Parental Responsibility has actually entered the force," confirms Joel Griffith with Slavic Gospel Association. "The president did sign it. It does appear also that this particular law was the personal initiative of the president."

F18 News service notes that "religious communities of all faiths are struggling to find out how the law's almost complete ban on children's participation in religious activity will be enforced." But based on the testimonies of men like Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda of the Islamic Renaissance Party, it seems certain that the laws enforcement, to whatever degree, will begin at the end of August.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends August 31. Griffith speculates that the Tajik government won't enact the law during Ramadan due to the possibility of uproar in the mostly-Muslim nation during an Islamic holy month.

When the law does go into effect, though, no one is certain what precisely it will mean. On August 16 when Forum 18 attempted to ask the Religious Affairs Committee in Dushanbe about the law, no one was prepared to explain what religious activity by children is now permitted.

"It's a little bit too soon to see just how this law will be enforced," agrees Griffith.

The Parental Responsibility Law, in practice, would place a ban on most children under 18 from participating in religious activities. The Office of Human Rights in Tajikistan told Forum 18 that the law is needed especially for parents who lose control of their children to extremist religious groups.

Whatever the intentions of the law, however, it will certainly affect ALL children of ALL religions. "That not only affects parents and their right to raise children in the faith as they choose, but also children being able to attend worship services and children being able to participate in church-led functions like summer camp ministries," explains Griffith. "It really is a serious concern for exactly what the ramifications of this law are and will be in the future."

It's hard to say what it will mean, but if the laws are enacted and put into practice, state religious affairs officials told Forum 18 that they have specialists who would be in place at religious services to be sure the laws are being followed. If they find kids or teens in religious activities, higher structures will be appealed to.

The Parental Responsibility Law even calls for parents to restrict certain types of jewelry, tattoos, and even names they can choose for their kids.

The law has been met with criticism from various religious and human rights groups, but so far, it seems to be moving full-speed ahead. Christians are bracing themselves for the September enactment of the law, but will not cease teaching their children about Christ.

"This seems to be heading back to the Soviet days where they're just going to have to do things discretely and clandestinely," notes Griffith. "So it just continues to be a matter of prayer."

Pray for protection for believers and their families, who may be targets in regard to this law in coming weeks. Continue to pray that this law might be turned around, and that the Lord would change the heart of the Tajik president so freedom to preach the Truth would reign.

SGA has several missionary contacts in Tajikistan. To track the progress of the laws as SGA hears from their missionaries, visitsga.org.

Praying for A Miracle on Children's Religious Rights

Children's rights to attend
 worship services and functions
 in Tajikistan are under attack
 with new laws waiting to be passed.
 (Photo courtesy of Grace Episcopal Church)

Tajikistan (MNN) ―Parliament in Tajikistan adopted two new laws Thursday July 21 which would ban most children under the age of 18 from religious activities.

As reported by Forum 18, these documents are to be forwarded to President Emomali Rahmon for his approval. If President Rahmon signs these legal documents, it could spell out increased suppression of parent and child religious rights in the country.

Joel Griffith with Slavic Gospel Association says, "Apparently the Presidential administration was sort of behind [the effort] to put this kind of a law through to begin with, so the initiative came from there. So if it's not signed, it would certainly be a miracle."

Specifically, the two measures adopted are the Parental Responsibility Law and the Criminal Code amendments. These would affect many religious organizations, including churches in Tajikistan supported by Slavic Gospel Association.

The Parental Responsibility Law, in practice, would place a ban on most children under 18 from participating in religious activities. The Office of Human Rights in Tajikistan told Forum 18 that the law is needed especially for parents who lose control of their children to extremist religious groups.

"I'm sure the government would say that it's aimed basically at extremism," says Griffith. "It's really difficult to know what their real motivation is for passing such a thing, because it goes beyond targeting just what everybody would agree maybe would be extremist elements and ends up impacting mainstream as well.... As the law is worded, it would seem to impact everybody."

On top of that, the Parental Responsibility Law also calls for parents to restrict certain types of jewelry, tattoos, and even names they can choose for their kids.

This, paired with the amendments to the Criminal Code, demonstrates the type of penalty given to violators. A maximum of two years' imprisonment would be sentenced to organizers and participants in things such as unapproved gatherings, meetings, and demonstrations.

Griffith states, "You've got local churches themselves that would be impacted by this; there's question whether children would even be allowed to go to a worship service until they're 18 years old.... It's a matter of deep concern to the churches."

If the laws are enacted and put into practice, state religious affairs officials told Forum 18 that they have specialists who would be in place at religious services to be sure the laws are being followed. If they find kids or teens in religious activities, higher structures will be appealed to.

Griffith assures, "Evangelical churches are going to continue to proclaim the Gospel no matter what, and I'm sure that they are going to continue to teach their children the things of the Lord. But obviously as they proceed to do that, it would put churches and their families at great risk if this [proposed law] is enforced aggressively."

Please pray that these laws would not be signed by Tajikistan's President. If the laws are passed, pray that they truly are limited to extremist groups and would not endanger the evangelical church in the country and that the Lord would protect them.

Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will." (ESV)