Keston News Service Summary: Belarus, Lithuania, Tajikistan & Russia
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Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 13:16:05 +0300 (EEST)
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Subject: Keston News Service Summary: Belarus, Lithuania, Tajikistan & Russia
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Keston Institute <[email protected]>
Keston News Service Summary: Belarus, Lithuania, Tajikistan &
Russia
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
______________________________________
KESTON NEWS SERVICE SUMMARY 15-19 October 2001
Summaries of recent reporting on violations of religious liberty and
on religion in communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
BELARUS: PASTOR'S JOY AT COURT RULING (16 Oct).
Veniamin Brukh, pastor of the Church of Christ Full Gospel Pentecostal
church in Minsk, told Keston News Service of his 'joy' at his church's
court victory last month overturning a ban on renting a House of
Culture to hold services. 'The 12 September court ruling is a
precedent for the whole country,' he declared. 'People now understand
we can insist on our rights, which no-one can take away from us.'
However, the church's request to the local executive committee to be
able to rent the House of Culture again remains unanswered and Alla
Ryabitseva, the religious affairs official at the city executive
committee, told Keston that the church will not be allowed to use a
House of Culture. 'Let them find other premises,' she declared.
LITHUANIA: CATHOLIC CANDIDATE IS NEW RELIGIOUS ADVISER (16 Oct).
Julius Ratkus, a school teacher and a Catholic, has been chosen as the
Lithuanian government's new religious affairs adviser, Linas Vangalis,
head of the department of education, science and culture in the
central government apparatus, told Keston News Service from Vilnius.
Although the Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius had told Keston that
Ratkus was his Church's candidate, Vangalis denied this. 'He took part
in the competition as an individual and was not recommended by any
specific denomination. He was certainly not chosen because he is a
Catholic.' Vangalis pledged that as religious affairs adviser Ratkus
would work on behalf of all religious denominations. 'He is above all
an official who has the duty to treat all denominations equally. His
own faith must not play a role.'
TAJIKISTAN: MUSLIM MAYOR REFUSES TO REGISTER PROTESTANT CHURCH (17
Oct).
The mayor of Kurgan-Tyube, Salijon Valiyev, has categorically refused
to register an Evangelical Christian church in the city. A Protestant
from Tajikistan told Keston News Service that the official reason for
refusing registration is that the church statute is practically
identical to that of another Evangelical Baptist church that has
already been registered in the city. However, the Protestant reported,
Valiyev informed the church's founders in a private conversation that
he had been on the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the Haj, and that he
did not intend to defile himself by registering a Christian church.
'Yes, I am a Haji,' the mayor told Keston, 'but at work I am first and
foremost mayor of Kurgan-Tyube.' The church has taken the city
authorities to court. (see full article below)
RUSSIA: DRACONIAN LOCAL MISSIONARY LAW TO BE REPEALED? (18 Oct).
An attempt to strike down parts of the local law on missionary
activity in Belgorod region has resulted in the removal of just one
clause. After reviewing the law at the request of the regional public
prosecutor, Judge Vera Motlokhova of Belgorod regional court ruled on
21 August that three other restrictive clauses in the law do not
contradict federal law. The pastor of Belgorod's New Life Pentecostal
Church, Vladimir Rybant, told Keston News Service on 12 October that
the case has recently been referred to the Supreme Court of the
Russian Federation as the campaign by local Protestant churches to
repeal other provisions that violate federal law continues.
17 October 2001
TAJIKISTAN: MUSLIM MAYOR REFUSES TO REGISTER PROTESTANT CHURCH
by Igor Rotar, Keston News Service
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For the full text, see http://www.keston.org/knsframe.htm
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