Kazakhstan to Consider Restrictions on Unregistered Religions

The lower house of Kazakhstan's Parliament, the Majlis, tomorrow will likely consider a group of amendments that will impose sweping new restrictions on unregistered religious groups. According to today's report by Forum 18, the proposals ban unregistered religious groups and unapproved "missionary" activity, and call for government approval of religious literature and dress. As prior posts on the situation in Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan illustrate, similar issues are arising in many of the republics of the former Soviet Union.