IRFN (May 20-28): Ugandan University Refuses to Allow Religious Exceptions to Dress Code
May 28, 2008
1. Uganda: University Refuses to Allow Religious Exceptions to Dress Code
2. Uzbekistan: Religious Minorities Maligned in State-Run Media
3. Somalia: Union of Islamic Courts Plans for Sharia in Newly-Captured Districts
4. Pakistan: Mosque Construction Sparks Debate Over Old Building Law
5. Azerbaijan: Muslim Imprisoned on Dubious Charges
Features: This week, BBC's Reporting Religion discusses what life is like for Iran's Bahá'ís. The program includes an interview with a woman whose cousin has been imprisoned in Iran due to her faith. (Reporting Religion is updated weekly; the piece on Bahá'ís will be removed this Sunday when the latest edition of the program is broadcast)
Catholics in Santa Ana, Cuba, have been given permission to build the first new church Cuba has had in fifty years, according to the Times of Malta.
Amnesty International released their annual report (.pdf) on the state of human rights worldwide, including the state of religious freedom in several countries.
Update: The six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Tehran on May 14th continue to be held without access to their lawyers or contact with family members, according an update from the Bahá'í community. Despite previous reports that they were being held at Tehran's Evin prison, their current whereabouts are unknown. In a statement on May 20th, the government maintained that they were arrested for "security reasons" which had nothing to do with their faith.
1. Uganda: University Refuses to Allow Religious Exceptions to Dress Code
KAMPALA - At Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, a recent ban on "unnecessary" articles of clothing failed to include exceptions for female students who wear the Islamic headscarf, reports New Vision on May 20. University officials have thus far been unresponsive to student appeals, saying that they were not trying to target Muslim students, but rather to prevent "exam malpractices" by forbidding certain items of clothing. Some female students complained of having their headscarves forcibly removed by their teachers before they were allowed to sit for an exam; some male students were asked to remove caps which are traditionally worn during prayers.
2. Uzbekistan: Religious Minorities Maligned in State-Run Media
UZBEKISTAN - Religious minorities in Uzbekistan are worried that continual negative propaganda will encourage persecution, reports Forum 18 on May 23. Uzbekistan's state-run "First TV" has recently aired several programs which malign Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, Presbyterians and Methodists, describing them as involved in "illegal missionary activities", which, according to the government, constitute "a global problem, along with religious dogmatism, fundamentalism, terrorism and drug addiction". At least one program has included footage filmed during a police raid on a Protestant service.
3. Somalia: Union of Islamic Courts Plans for Sharia in Newly-Captured Districts
MOGADISHU - Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) fighters announced their intention to establish an administration based on Islamic Sharia in the southern districts of Kamsuma, Jilib and Jamaame, which were captured by the UIC in the past week, reports The Shabelle Media Network on May 26. UIC fighters have nearly finalized an agreement with elders in the Middle and Lower Jubba regions, where the UIC hopes to persuade them to reject the current Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. Traditional leaders in the captured areas are said to be open to the proposed change.
4. Pakistan: Mosque Construction Sparks Debate Over Old Building Law
LAHORE - The construction of a mosque a mere 25 feet from a Sikh gurdwara in Lahore has caused officials to consult a set of rules on religious buildings which has not been previously applied, according to The Daily Times on May 27. Auqaf Department rules state that buildings belonging to different religious communities should be at least 200 feet away from each other, in order to "avoid interfaith clashes". Those wishing to embark on new construction projects must first obtain express permission or a "No Objection" certificate from local authorities. Authorities previously attempted to discourage such cases, saying that they could increase interfaith disharmony.
5. Azerbaijan: Muslim Imprisoned on Dubious Charges
BAKU - Family and friends of Said Dadashbeyli, a Muslim sentenced to 14 years in prison in Azerbaijan, continue to protest that he is innocent, saying that the accusations against him are baseless and that the procedures at his trial were deeply flawed, reports Forum 18 on May 28. Dadashbeyli founded an Islamic charitable organization, Nima, in 2005, and two years later was arrested by secret police and charged with a variety of crimes, including violent seizure of power, organizing a criminal group, attempted robbery, manufacture or sale of forged money, illegal storage of firearms and ammunition, and illegal storage of drugs. Dadashbeyli's lawyer theorizes that the government wished to but a stop to his religious activities, without making it obvious that they were targeting religious groups.