released 30 January 1997
Here are the sections of the country reports dealing specifically with the subject of religious freedoms.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, in practice the law imposes restrictions on religious freedom.
The 1991 Law on Religious Organizations establishes the separation of church and state, but grants the Armenian Apostolic Church (the Armenian Orthodox Church) special status. A variety of religious organizations, including Protestants, Mormons, and others hold services. The Armenian Orthodox clergy resent the inroads made by nonapostolic religions in recent years.
The law forbids proselytizing and requires all nonapostolic religious denominations and organizations to register with the Ministry of Justice. Petitioning organizations must "be free from materialism and of a purely spiritual nature," and must subscribe to a doctrine based on "historically recognized holy Scriptures." A presidential decree issued in 1993 supplemented the 1991 law and strengthened the position of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The decree enjoins the Council on Religious Affairs to investigate the activities of the representatives of registered religious organizations and to ban missionaries who engage in activities contrary to their status. No action was taken against missionaries in 1996.
A religious organization refused registration cannot publish a newspaper or magazine, rent a meeting place, have its own program on television or radio, or officially sponsor the visas of visitors. One nonapostolic religious organization was denied registration by the Ministry of Justice during the year on the grounds that it does not permit military service. Three religious organizations were registered, bringing the total of churches and religious organizations registered to 43.
Despite the Government's pledge to apprehend those who staged a series of attacks against a dozen nonapostolic religious groups in 1995, the authorities have made no arrests. No attacks were reported in 1996.
In June the Catholicos of all Armenians, Karekin I, who heads the Armenian Apostolic Church, received a large delegation of the Armenian Evangelical Church (AEC), which is the second largest Armenian religious body. The two set in motion a new ecumenical spirit that had been lacking since the AEC was established 150 years ago. This process is expanding to include Orthodox-Protestant cooperation in religious education.
Although minority religious groups, especially new religious movements, are not widely accepted in society, there was no violence against minority religious groups.
The Constitution provides for no state religion and allows people of all faiths to practice their religion without restrictions. The Government respects this provision in practice for Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, Russian Orthodox Christians, and Jews. However, a new law on foreigners and stateless persons contains language which prohibits religious proselytizing by foreigners. In July Parliament passed an amendment to the law on religion that subordinated all Islamic religious organizations to the Azerbaijan-based Directorate of Caucasus Muslims. This law permits the production, importation, and dissemination of religious literature only with the agreement of local government authorities. The Ministry of Justice denied registration to a foreign Christian group, but has allowed it to continue to function. Two non-Orthodox Christian groups were evicted from facilities in which they held religious services and prevented from renting other facilities, but both groups had found facilities and continued to operate by year's end. Non-Orthodox Christian groups have complained of official harassment. Numerous articles in Government and progovernment newspapers crudely depicted various religious groups including some non-Orthodox Christian groups as a threat to national identity, traditions, and morals. Some opposition newspapers also attacked Christian missionary activity. Because of anti-Armenian sentiment and the forced departure of most of the Armenian population, Armenian churches remained closed. Azerbaijan's Jewish community has freedom to worship and conduct educational activities.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. However, a July 1995 Cabinet of Ministers directive sharply limits the activity of foreign religious workers. Citizens are not prohibited from proselytizing, but foreign missionaries may not engage in religious activities outside the institutions that invited them. Only religious organizations already registered in Belarus may invite foreign clergy. This new directive hampered foreign religious workers' efforts to proselytize; it seeks to limit them to providing humanitarian aid only.
The Cabinet of Ministers regulation is seen as a means of enhancing the position of the Orthodox Church with respect to the faster-growing Roman Catholic and Protestant churches and also as a means of preventing religious movements outside the mainstream from spreading. The President granted special tax and other financial advantages to the Orthodox Church, which other denominations do not enjoy, and has declared the preservation and development of Orthodox Christianity a "moral necessity." In 1995, 50 Polish Roman Catholic priests were reportedly denied registration as foreign religious workers. There were no reports of such denial of registration in 1996. Bishops must receive permission from the State Committee on Religious Affairs before transferring a foreign priest to another parish. The head of the Orthodox Church, who is closely associated with the President, frequently speaks critically of missionaries.
Some difficulties still exist in transferring church property from state control back to the former owners. There has been very limited and inconsistent progress on the repatriation of former Jewish property. . . .
Societal anti-Semitism exists, but it is not usually manifested openly. Instances of anti-Semitism included the desecration of Jewish cemeteries and monuments in Gomel, Borisov, Minsk, and other cities. In addition state-owned newspapers have published anti-Semitic articles, and anti-Semitic incidents did not evoke a government reaction.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government respects this right in practice.
The 1993 Law on Churches and Religious Organizations requires all religious organizations to have at least 12 members and to be registered with the Interior Ministry and the Board of Religion. Leaders of religious organizations must be citizens with at least 5 years' residence in Estonia.
The majority of Estonians are nominally Lutheran, but following deep-seated tradition there is wide tolerance of other denominations and religions. People of varying ethnic backgrounds profess Orthodoxy, including communities of Russian Old Believers who found refuge in Estonia in the 17th century. The Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAOC), independent since 1919, subordinate to Constantinople since 1923, and exiled under the Soviet occupation, reregistered under its 1935 statute in August 1993. Since then, a group of ethnic Estonian and Russian parishes preferring to remain under the authority of the Russian Orthodox Church structure imposed during the Soviet occupation has insisted that it should have claim to the EAOC name. This group has refused to register under any other name, although its refusal to register violates the law. During 1996 representatives of the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates formed a joint commission to resolve the question. The dispute, which centers on property issues, is the subject of ongoing discussions. The Government has taken a hands off approach to the issue but has assured parishes aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church that they may continue to worship unimpeded. Free worship has occurred in practice.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government respects this right in practice. Georgia has a tradition of religious tolerance. In two separate instances, however, foreign Christian missionaries were questioned by police for engaging in "anti-Christian activities." In one of those instances, Orthodox priests urged police to call in the missionaries for questioning. This action reflects a growing mistrust on the part of the Georgian Orthodox Church of the activities of missionaries of other denominations, especially evangelicals (see Section 5). The Georgian Orthodox Church stated publicly that foreign Christian missionaries should confine their activities to non-Christian areas.
. . . The Georgian Orthodox Church, wary of proselytism, has sought to hinder evangelical missionaries and the Salvation Army. In one instance, the Orthodox Church urged the police to question foreign Christian missionaries (see Section 2.c.). The Catholic Church also complains of continuing delays in the return of churches closed during the Soviet period and later given to the Georgian Orthodox Church. A prominent Armenian church in Tbilisi remains closed.
Organizations promoting the rights of Jews and Jewish emigration continue to report that the Government provides good cooperation and support. Jewish leaders in the country attribute isolated acts of anti-Semitism in previous years to general instability and disorder. The Government has been outspoken in denouncing anti-Semitism. A virulently anti-Semitic article that appeared in the independent newspaper Noi during the summer prompted a public rebuke from the President. The Prosecutor's Office filed charges against the editor for inciting interethnic hatred.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the various denominations worship without government interference. However, the Constitution also requires that the appointment by foreign religious centers of the heads of religious associations must be carried out "in coordination with the Government," as must the activities of foreign religious associations. In practice the Government does not interfere with the appointment of religious leaders. Foreign missionaries, unwelcome to some Orthodox and Muslim Kazakstanis, have complained of occasional harassment by low-level government officials. In June the government-controlled television station complained that more than 2,000 Kazakstanis had been converted to other religions and proposed stopping foreign missionaries who were preaching "Christianity and Krishna ideas on our own soil." However, no action has been taken against foreign missionaries working in the country.
The Islamic mufti and the Russian Orthodox archbishop have appeared together to promote religious and ethnic harmony.
The Constitution and the law provide for freedom of religion and the right of all citizens to choose and practice their own religion; however, the Government does not fully protect these rights. The Government does not support any religion and expressly forbids the teaching of religion (or atheism) in public schools.
In March the Government created a new State Commission on Religious Affairs, officially in order to promote religious tolerance, protect freedom of conscience, and oversee laws on religion. In its early months, the commission was not active and the Government appeared to resist calls by some Orthodox and Muslim leaders to limit the activities of "sects" and "nontraditional religions." By fall, however, the commission became more active. The President signed a decree requiring all religious organizations to register with the commission and announced that a new law on religion would be presented to Parliament. Under the new regulations, each congregation must register separately. As previously, if the group wishes to own property, it must also register with the Ministry of Justice as a legal entity.
Muslim leaders complain that the commission has begun to make decisions about religious events without consulting them. The main Baptist organization reported that a congregation of Baptists in Naryn oblast was denied registration both by the Ministry of Justice and by the Commission for Religious Affairs.
The church filed lawsuits and appeals, but the courts upheld the denial of registration. The Baptists report that in October police broke into their services and threatened worshipers. The Chairman of the Commission acknowledged that he was aware of the problems of the Naryn Baptists, and said that he had informed the authorities that they were to allow the Baptists to worship in peace, but was noncommittal on whether they would be allowed to register.
Religious leaders note with concern that the commission frequently uses the term "national security" in its statements. They also worry that references to "preserving interconfessional accord" could be used by traditional religious to prevent smaller churches from registering. Both Christians and Muslims have expressed concern about the State's apparent intention to take a more intrusive role in religion. Ethnic Kyrgyz Christian congregations appear to face special barriers, as do some Muslim congregations with foreign support.
The Constitutional Law provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. Although the Government does not require the registration of religious groups, the 1995 Law on Religious Organizations specifies that religious organizations can enjoy certain rights and privileges only if they register. Under this law the Justice Ministry has registered over 800 religious congregations, including Mormons, whose previous lack of official registration had created difficulties in obtaining visas and residence status. The only group denied registration was the Jehovah's Witnesses, whose appeal to the courts was still under review at year's end.
Foreign evangelists and missionaries are permitted to hold meetings and proselytize, but the law stipulates that only religious organizations in Latvia may invite them to carry out such activities. After the widely reported death of a Jehovah's Witness, whose religious beliefs affected her choice of medical treatment, the President sent a letter to Parliament asking lawmakers to specify the rights and responsibilities of unregistered religious organizations. He also suggested that the Saeima supplement the Criminal Code "with norms about inflicting physical or psychological damage on a person and about threatening a person's legal rights as a result of activities by a religious organization." The Saeima Human Rights and Legal Committees subsequently began considering a draft amendment to the Administrative Code which would have prescribed fines for undefined "activities" by unregistered religious organizations. The NHRO and Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the provisions would violate international obligations in the field of religious freedom. The Saeima took no final action on this matter.
In July the Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Religious Organizations, 1 of which reduced the number of persons necessary to seek registration of a religious group from a minimum of 25 citizens to 10 persons residing permanently in Latvia. Another amendment stipulated that religious education may be provided to students in public schools on a voluntary basis only by representatives of Evangelical Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Old Believer, Baptist, and Orthodox religious organizations. Students at state-supported national minority schools may also receive education in the religion "characteristic of the national minority." Other denominations may provide religious education, but may not do so in state-funded schools.
. . . There was no progress reported in apprehending the perpetrators of the 1995 bombing of a Riga synagogue.
The Constitution provides for religious freedom, and the Government usually respects this provision in practice. The Law on Religious Communities and Associations was passed in October 1995. It grants religious communities, associations, and centers property rights to prayer houses, homes, and other buildings and permits construction necessary for their activities. Article 5 of this law mentions nine religious communities that have been declared "traditional" by the law and therefore are eligible for governmental assistance: Latin Rite Catholics, Greek Rite Catholics, Evangelical Lutherans, Evangelical Reformers, Orthodox, Old Believers, Jews, Sunni Muslims, and Karaites. There are no restrictions on the activities of other religious communities.
Relations between the Government and the officially registered Jewish community are good. However, the Hasidic Chabad Lubavich community is having difficulties registering as a traditional Jewish religion. The Ministry of Justice argues that the Chabad Lubavich is not a part of Lithuania's historical, spiritual, or social heritage and therefore cannot be registered as traditional (Article 5 of the Law on Religious Communities and Associations). The Ministry states that the Chabad Lubavich does not have a continuity of traditions and is a separate branch of Judaism than that followed by the traditional Lithuanian Jewish religious community. Furthermore, they state that the Hasidic movement only began in Lithuania in the 18th century and has been suspended twice. The Chabad Lubavich counter that the suspension of their activity during the war years and after was imposed by Nazi and Soviet occupiers. They also have protested the disassociation of the Hasidic movement from Judaism. The Chabad Lubavich continue to press for recognition as a traditional religion. They have been allowed to operate a kindergarten.
. . . A small Jewish community exists, largely in main cities. Jewish leaders called on officials to provide better police protection for Jewish cemeteries in Kaunas, Vilnius, and Klaipeda, which have been subject to some sporadic vandalism and pilferage.
The Government generally permits free practice of religion. A 1992 law on religion codifies religious freedoms, although it contained restrictions that could inhibit the activities of some religious groups. The law provides for freedom of religious practice, including each person's right to profess his religion in any form. It also provides for alternative military service for conscientious objectors, protects the confidentiality of the confessional, allows denominations to establish associations and foundations, and states that the Government may not interfere in the religious activities of denominations. The law, however, requires that religious groups register with the Government in order to hire noncitizens. The law also prohibits proselytizing.
Some Protestant denominations are concerned that the prohibition on proselytizing could inhibit their activities, although many denominations hold revival meetings apparently without official interference. To date the authorities have taken no legal action against individuals for proselytizing. The Salvation Army, however, was unable to register as a religious denomination because it did not meet the requirement of having a Moldovan citizen as the organization's legal head.
Although Eastern Orthodoxy is not designated the official religion, it continues to be a strong religious force and exert significant influence. In 1992 a number of priests broke away from the Moldovan Orthodox Church, which is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate, in order to form the Bessarabian Orthodox Church. The Bessarabian Orthodox Church, which sees itself as the legal and canonical successor to the pre-World War II Romanian Orthodox Church in Bessarabia (the part of Moldova between the Dniester and Prut rivers), subordinated itself to the Bucharest patriarchate of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Government has consistently refused to register the Bessarabian Church, citing unresolved property claims as the principal reason.
The Jewish community, although small, is very active. Jewish leaders reported that their relations with the Government and local authorities were good.
. . . The Bessarabian Church has been harassed by unknown persons, including a grenade attack in September on the Metropolitan's (the presiding Bishop's) house, which caused no deaths or injuries and only small material damage.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government respects this right in practice. The Constitution also provides for the equality of all religions before the law and the separation of church and state. In December 1990, the Soviet Government adopted a law on religious freedom designed to put all religions on an equal basis. It forbade government interference in religion and established simple registration procedures for religious groups.
The Government does not require that religious groups be registered. However, by being registered, religious groups are able to establish official places of worship. Religious groups have not reported problems obtaining registration, although some evangelical and other religious groups have not applied. Religious publishing is flourishing, and religious books from abroad are widely available. The Government does not designate religion on passports or national identity documents.
Despite official toleration for various religions, however, many public authorities make increasingly less effort to avoid the appearance that the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and in some regions, the Muslim religion, have privileged positions, particularly in the return of church properties and in the allocation of public funds for restoration and construction of church properties.
The sharp increase in the activities of well-financed foreign missionaries has disturbed many sectors of Russian society, particularly nationalists and those in the Russian Orthodox Church, some of whom advocate limiting the activities of foreign religious groups. Some government officials have endorsed this idea. In June Lebed said that he viewed the activities of a number of religious groups as a "direct threat to Russia's security." Citing Aum Shinrikyo and the Mormons as examples, Lebed described foreign religious sects as "mold and scum" that "corrupt the people and ravage the State" and he argued that they should be banned. While Lebed later apologized for criticizing the Mormons, he reiterated his opposition to foreign sects in Russia.
About one-fourth of Russia's 89 regional governments have passed restrictive laws and decrees that violate the provisions of the 1990 Law on Religion by limiting or restricting the activities of religious groups or by requiring registration. Enforcement is uneven, but there are reports of local governments preventing religious groups from using venues, such as cinemas, suitable for large gatherings. As a result, denominations that do not have their own property are denied the opportunity to practice their faith in large groups or to hold prayer meetings. In 1996 the Constitutional Court refused to consider a challenge to the constitutionality of one such law on procedural grounds.
Although religious activity was generally not restricted, some religious groups encountered problems. In St. Petersburg in March, police raided a private apartment, disturbing a meeting of the Unification Church that was attended by six Russian students and one American. After searching the apartment without presenting a search warrant, the police took the American and three Russians to the police station for questioning and forced them to sign statements without the presence of legal counsel. There were reports that Jehovah's Witnesses were harassed in Tyumen. There was substantial negative Russian media coverage of so-called "totalitarian" or "nontraditional" groups, including such groups as Jehovah's Witnesses, the Unification Church, the Church of Scientology, the Church of Christ, Hari Krishna, and charismatic-fundamentalist Russian Christian groups.
Since 1993 governmental discrimination against people from the Caucasus and Central Asia, many of whom are Muslims, increased concurrently with new measures at both the federal and local levels to combat crime. For example on October 2, a group of 40 OMON (MVD Special Forces) troops disrupted evening prayers at a mosque in central Moscow in order to check registration documents of the worshipers. Several Duma deputies demanded a thorough investigation of the incident and apologies from the appropriate authorities. The Government has not yet investigated the incident.
Although Jews and Muslims continue to encounter prejudice and societal discrimination, they have not been inhibited by the Government in the free practice of their religion. In some areas of the country, other religions, including Buddhism, various minority Christian faiths, and Shamanism are practiced in accord with local traditions.
For the most part, synagogues, churches, and mosques have been returned to communities to be used for religious services, but there have been problems. For example some Roman Catholic churches have not yet been returned, and the Moscow Anglican church did not regain full possession of its St. Andrew's Church. In addition some religious buildings have been "privatized," and local authorities often refuse to get involved in property disputes, which they contend are between private organizations. Even where state or municipal authorities still have undisputed control of properties, a number of religious communities continue to meet with significant obstacles when they request the return of religious buildings, or when they seek to acquire land and necessary building permits for new religious structures. Reports from Baptist ministers suggested that the Russian Orthodox Church influences the Government regarding land allocated for churches of minority sects. . . .
Muslims, who comprise approximately 10 percent of Russia's population, continue to encounter societal discrimination and antagonism.
There are between 600,000 and 700,000 Jews in Russia. Jews continue to encounter societal discrimination, and government authorities have been criticized for insufficient action to counter it. There were a number of anti-Semitic incidents reported in 1996, including the desecration of 60 gravestones in St. Petersburg's only Jewish cemetery; the disruption of a meeting in Orel by representatives of the paramilitary group Russian National Unity; the bombing of a Yaroslavl synagogue that damaged the library and offices; the robbery and spray painting of anti-Semitic graffiti in a Jewish center in Smolensk; vandalism of 40 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery in Kursk; and a bomb attack on Moscow's Marina Roshcha Chassidic Synagogue, which damaged masonry and shattered windows. With the exception of the Yaroslavl attack, no suspects have been identified in these crimes.
In addition anti-Semitic themes continued to figure prominently in hundreds of extremist publications, and some Russian politicians--including some who ran for president--made anti-Semitic remarks. Members of Russian National Unity, an anti-Semitic organization that uses a modified swastika as its symbol, patrolled two Moscow parks, reportedly at the request of local officials. A prominent foreign visitor was denied a visa to attend a conference in Russia on Jews in the former Soviet Union in July.
There were, however, a few important judicial developments in combating intolerant speech. In a notable decision, in March a Yaroslavl court sentenced Igor Pirozhok, leader of the neo-Nazi group Werewolf Legion, and another Werewolf Legion member to 5- and 9-year prison terms for murder and inciting ethnic hatred. Pirozhok had admitted to Izvestiya that his group commits terrorist acts against "Jews, Communists, and democrats." In February a St. Petersburg court found Yuriy Belyayev, head of the St. Petersburg branch of the National Republican Party of Russia, guilty of inciting ethnic hatred under the Criminal Code based on an interview he gave Izvestiya. However, although Belyayev was sentenced to 1 year in prison, he was immediately amnestied under President Yeltsin's 1995 general amnesty in connection with the 50th anniversary of World War II.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion. Religion and State are separate, and neither the law nor the Government places restrictions on religious worship. However, according to the Law on Freedom of Faith, the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers registers religious communities and monitors the activities of the various religious establishments. While the official reason given is to ensure that they are acting in accordance with the law, the practical purpose is to ensure that they do not become overtly political.
. . . The Baha'i community in Dushanbe suffered an arson attack in the spring. A newspaper that had published articles provided by the Baha'i community was pressured by the Government to stop publishing them, possibly at the instigation of the Iranian embassy.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and does not establish a State religion. The State generally respects religious freedom. Citizens are overwhelmingly Muslim, but Islam does not play a dominant role in society, in part due to the 70 years of Soviet rule.
A modest revival of Islam has occurred since independence. The Government has incorporated some aspects of Muslim tradition into its efforts to define a Turkmen identity, and it gives some financial and other support to the Council on Religious Affairs, which plays an intermediary role between the government bureaucracy and religious organizations.
Religious congregations are required to register with the Government, but there were no reports that the Government has denied registration to any religious groups.
There is no law specifically addressing religious proselytizing. The Government, however, must grant permission for any mass meetings or demonstrations for this purpose. The Government does not restrict the travel of clergy or members of religious groups to Turkmenistan. Islamic religious literature is distributed through the mosques. Orthodox churches offer a variety of Christian religious literature.
The new Constitution and the 1991 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religion provide for separation of church and state and permit religious organizations to establish places of worship and to train clergy. The Government respects these rights in practice. However, the law restricts the activities of nonnative religious organizations. There is no official state religion. Religious organizations are required to register with local authorities and with the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs, a process that generally takes about 1 month.
The Government initiated an attempt to mediate the ongoing dispute among competing churches claiming to be "the Ukrainian Orthodox Church." The Government proposed establishing a committee, the National Council of Churches, for interconfessional consultations to be headed by a deputy Prime Minister, which would hold an interreligious forum in 1997. This initiative is now under discussion by the churches. The Government moved to reduce church utility fees and rental payments, to exempt churches from the land tax, and to expedite the return of religious buildings to their former owners. However, implementation of a 1992 decree on restitution of religious community property seized during the Soviet era remains stalled. Jewish congregations in 33 towns and cities have negotiated successfully with local authorities for worship space. A Kiev arbitration court in September decided in favor of transferring title of the former Kiev Central Synagogue, which in Soviet times was used as a puppet theater, to a Chabad Hasidic congregation. While the theater directorship plans to appeal, the decision sets an important precedent for the judiciary's role in religious property restitution. The Government expanded already significant efforts to ensure that pilgrims of the Bratslav Hasidic sect were able to visit the tomb of their founding rabbi in the city of Uman on the occasion of the Jewish New Year. A breakthrough agreement was signed between representatives of the sect, a local Jewish community organization, and the local government to build a religious center and museum at the site.
A 1993 amendment to the 1991 law restricts the activities of nonnative religious organizations. It requires that members of the clergy, preachers, teachers, and other foreign citizen representatives of foreign organizations preach, administer religious ordinances, or practice other canonical activities "only in those religious organizations which invited them to Ukraine and with official approval of the governmental body that registered the statutes and the articles of the pertinent religious organization."
In addition local officials have occasionally impeded the activities of foreign religious workers. All regional administrations have departments responsible for registration of various denominations and religious groups, and for supervision of compliance with the Law on the Freedom of Conscience and Religion. Neither the State Committee on Religious Affairs, nor its regional departments have the authority to deregister religious groups; they can be deregistered only by court decision.
On February 12 a Kiev court sentenced three leaders of the "White Brotherhood" religious cult to jail terms ranging from 4 to 7 years (on charges of staging mass disorder and resisting authorities) for their involvement in the 1993 seizure of St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev, which resulted in a violent clash with police. A leader of the cult was granted early release under a mass amnesty, but the Supreme Court moved to prevent her release pending further consideration, apparently alarmed by her claims to be a living goddess. . . .
Jews, the second largest religious minority in the country, have expanded opportunities to pursue their religious and cultural activities, but anti-Semitic incidents continue to occur. The Government has protected the rights of the Jewish community and speaks out against anti-Semitism. There are freely operating Jewish cultural centers and educational institutions, including several colleges. However, some ultranationalist Ukrainian groups, like UNA-UNSO and DSU ("National Independence of Ukraine"), circulate anti-Semitic tracts. Anti-Semitic articles continue to appear in a few local newspapers, especially in western Ukraine and Kiev. The Lviv newspaper "For a Free Ukraine" and the Kiev-based "Evening Kiev" regularly publish anti-Semitic diatribes, but have not been prosecuted under the law forbidding the sowing of interethnic hatred. The National Conference on Soviet Jewry and Union of Councils reported that anti-Semitic incidents continued in some regions. Union of Councils monitors have reported that death threats were made against Jews in Kharkiv.
Some Jewish cemeteries have been vandalized. On the eve of Hitler's birthday, the grave of a famous rabbi from Berdichev was desecrated. The problem of post-1940 demolition of or construction on Jewish cemeteries, both by Nazi occupiers and by the Soviet government, manifested itself during the year. In many instances Ukrainian officials inherited cases of Jewish cemetery land having been appropriated for other uses in the intervening years, as Soviet law permitted reuse of cemetery land 25 years after the final burial in the cemetery. The most problematic case, that of the historic Jewish cemetery in Lviv, saw its last burial in the 19th century, total ruin by Nazi forces in 1942, and construction of a market on the land by Soviet authorities in 1947-1964. Similarly, in Berdichev private garages had been constructed atop burial grounds; and in Mliniv a hotel and parking lot encroach on a cemetery site. Local government officials have responded with varying degrees of concern and immediacy. The Government quickly addressed the issue at the presidential level, issuing an order that all construction or privatization on the land of Jewish cemeteries be immediately frozen. Negotiations began late in the year to reach an ultimate resolution of the problem.
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and for the principle of separation of religion and state. However, despite allowing many groups to worship freely, for example, the Russian Orthodox and several other Christian denominations, the Government suppresses some religious groups that defy the authority of state-appointed religious authorities, particularly Islamic dissidents. In addition, despite the principle of separation of religion and state, the government-controlled Spiritual Directorate for Muslims funds some Islamic religious activities.
After the enforced atheism of the Soviet period, religious communities are experiencing a significant revival. Religious education is becoming more widespread, although it is not included in state schools. While Islam is the religion of the majority, ethnic minorities may also practice their religion in relative freedom.
However, tensions arise when churches attempt to convert across ethnic lines, especially when they attempt to convert members of generally Muslim ethnic groups to Christianity. Although distribution of religious literature is legal in Uzbekistan, missionary activity and proselytizing is not.
Fearing the destabilizing influence of extremist Islamic forces, the Government has sought to control the Islamic hierarchy, the content of imams' sermons, and the extent and substance of published Islamic materials. However, Islamic groups not affiliated with the Government form a "parallel Islam". The Government has detained a number of Fergana Valley Islamic clerics on various charges. Bureaucratic restrictions have also inhibited the free operation of numerous religious schools. Dissident Islamic figures deny that they are extremists and claim that they are being persecuted for their unwillingness to "slavishly" praise the Government's actions.
Muslim leaders have been detained and harassed for acts of perceived insubordination and independence. In early 1996, the government-appointed mufti fired imam Abidkhon Nazarov, head of the Tukhtoboi mosque in Tashkent, and several other independent-minded Islamic clerics. These clerics were fired ostensibly for failing a government-designed "imam test," which included questions about political and economic policy outside the traditional sphere of a religious cleric. The Government also closed the Andijon Friday mosque where missing imam Abduvali Kori Mirzaev formerly preached. The Kokand Friday mosque remains closed since mid-1995.
There is no pattern of official discrimination against Jews. Synagogues function openly; Hebrew education (long banned under the Soviets), Jewish cultural events, and the publication of a community newspaper take place undisturbed. However, the perception of bleak economic prospects; occasional harassment by low-level officials, which some believe is anti-Semitic in origin (other say that such incidents occur in the context of harassment which any resident of Uzbekistan may face); and the belief that militant Islam might become a strong force are motivating many Jews to consider emigration.
. . . No developments were reported in the 1995 disappearance of Abduvali Kori Mirzaev, the imam of an Andijon mosque who along with his assistant allegedly was detained at the Tashkent airport by NSS officers while en route to a conference in Moscow. Similarly, there were no new developments in the 1992 disappearance of Abdullah Utaev, leader of the Uzbekistan chapter of the outlawed Islamic Renaissance Party, who, most observers believe, also was detained by security forces. There is no official admission that either man was arrested or detained and no further information on their whereabouts. However, most independent observers believe that the three missing Islamic activists are either dead or in NSS custody.
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