Anti-Proselytizing Provision In Nepal Draft Constitution Creates Controversy

Reuters reports that on June 30, the government of Nepal released a preliminary draft of its first republican constitution. A new constitution was called for in a 2006 peace agreement with Maoist rebels that ended a 10-year civil war, but the process for producing and approving it has remained controversial. Yesterday's Christianity Daily reports that Christians and Muslims in the largely Hindu country are critical of a provision in the proposed new charter that prohibits religious proselytizing.  The draft provides:

No one shall behave, act, or undertake activities that breach public order or break public peace/peace in the community; and no one shall attempt to change or convert someone from one religion to another, or disturb/jeopardise the religion of others, and such acts/activities shall be punishable by law.

The provision responds in part to charges by the pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal that Christians have engaged in mass forced conversions.

Israel's Cabinet Strengthens Ultra-Orthodox Control of Religious Status Matters

Times of Israel reports that Israel's Cabinet on Sunday took two steps that place personal status matters of Israeli Jews more firmly under control of the ultra-Orthodox rabbinate.  First the Cabinet withdrew a measure that made its way through the Knesset's Law Committee last year that would have expanded from four to thirty the number of religious courts that could conduct conversions to Judaism.  The new courts made up of municipal rabbis would have loosened somewhat the tight restrictions on conversion presently in effect.  The second Cabinet vote placed rabbinical courts under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Religious Services instead of the Justice Ministry which oversees Christian and Muslim religious courts.  The change places rabbinical courts-- with their authority over marriage and divorce-- under the authority of Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay who belongs to the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party. These steps resulted from the coalition agreements negotiated between political parties after the most recent Knesset election. (See prior posting.)

USCIRF Criticizes Pending Legislation In Burma

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in a press release yesterday strongly condemned a package of race and religion bills being considered by Burma's Parliament. USCIRF argued that the bills restrict religious freedom and discriminate against non-Buddhists, saying:

The Religious Conversion Bill would force those seeking to convert to give to the newly created Registration Boards an extensive list of personal information, answer intrusive questions, and wait 90 days for approval.

The Interfaith Marriage Bill imposes restrictions on marriages between non-Buddhist men and Buddhist women, including a 14-day waiting period during which time anyone can object to the marriage, and the court reviewing the objections has the power to deny the marriage.  Non-Buddhist men are denied numerous rights in the case of divorce and face criminal penalties if they ask their Buddhist wife to convert.  Under the bill, non-Buddhist men also bear most of the financial and/or criminal penalties, including prison sentences.  

India Considering Anti-Conversion Law

According to a report from AFP on Saturday, in India, Parliament is paralyzed over a proposed law against "forced conversion." The term is used in India to describe not just conversion under threat of violence, but also conversion through inducements such as offers of free food or education.  Hindu nationalists connected to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have become more aggressive in their conversion efforts. The Daily Times reports

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) militant wing, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has started a forced conversion movement called homecoming. The RSS believes that these Muslims and Christian were originally Hindus and the homecoming movement is simply an attempt to bring them back to where they belong.

RSS was accused of converting some 50 poor Muslim families a week ago, promising the converts ration cards and other financial incentives.  A larger planned conversion of Christians and Muslims on Christmas day has been called off.  Amit Shah, leader of BJP, says the party favors a new law.