Adventist World Affairs

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	Adventist World Affairs	July 2002
(News and Analysis from the Department of Public Affairs of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church)

In this issue:
· Azerbaijan: Terrorism Cited for Adventist Pastor's Expulsion
· US: Turning up State Sunday Laws and Working to Promote Religious Freedom
· Belarus: Adventists Protest Belarus Law
· US: UN Report Links Lack of Basic Freedoms and Social Underdevelopment
· US: Leaders Renew Workplace Religious Freedom Efforts
· Manila: International Association of Adventists in Public Affairs

AZERBAIJAN: "Terrorism Cited for Adventist Pastor's Expulsion

Baku, Azerbaijan… Possible "terrorist acts" that the Seventh-day Adventist Church might carry out were cited as the reason for the expulsion of an Adventist pastor and his family from the town of Nakichevan in Azerbaijan.

On June 9, police arrived at the pastor's home and ordered their immediate deportation, saying that "the president of the country is arriving tomorrow so you have to leave; we are afraid your church would perform a terrorist act," reports Victor Krushenitsky, external affairs director for the Adventist Church's regional office in Moscow.

The police are also reported to have said that they "will not allow to exist one more Christian church in Nakichevan," says Krushenitsky.

"This incident demonstrates the danger of using fear of terrorism as an excuse for unjustified infringement of an individual's rights," comments John Graz, public affairs and religious liberty director for the Adventist Church. "It is all too easy for authorities to use this as a veil for another, unrelated agenda. But vague allusions to terrorist threats are simply not acceptable. Pastor Nagiev and his family, and all those in Azerbaijan who suffer for their faith, need the prayers of the worldwide Christian community."

On July 16, John Graz received a response to a letter sent to Dr. Rafik Aliyev, chairman of the state committee of Azerbaijan's religious affairs, assuring us that the religious community will be protected and this issue will be settled. "This response is a positive sign that recent dialogues with Dr. Aliyev held in Baku and Washington, D.C., will help our church during this time of difficulty," said John Graz, director for the department of public affairs and religious liberty for the Adventist church. [J Gallagher]

US: Turning up State Sunday Laws and Working to Promote Religious Freedom

Silver Spring, MD… The Office of Legislative Affairs of the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty at the General Conference is proud to announce an inaugural team of interns who've come aboard this summer. Teaming together are Miriam Cho, a law student from the University of Virginia, and Hannah White, a pre-law student from Columbia Union College.

"Both Miriam and Hannah are proving to be exceptionally helpful," said James Standish, director of legislative affairs. "I hope their experience with our office will deepen their interest in religious liberty work and prepare them to be Adventists who are active in defending human rights."

One of Cho's assignments is researching state Sunday laws. "Although we are aware that there are many Sunday laws still on the books at state level, our department, has not, until this time, had an up-to-date picture of the scope and jurisdiction covered by the laws," said Standish.

Cho's legal research has uncovered some interesting state statutes, which is an invaluable resource for the department. "As my research progresses, I am beginning to see frequent patterns among the states, and that pattern is that in many states, Sunday laws are alive and well," Cho commended. "There are even state Sunday laws that explicitly state that they are designed to enforce "the Sabbath." Despite their reach, these state Sunday laws are likely constitutional in light of the Supreme Court's decisions in 1961 upholding the constitutionality of Sunday laws."

The other intern, Hannah White is providing support in our push to pass the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, and other events and meetings that the office is involved in. "I've learned a lot from attending meetings on Capitol Hill and seeing how a legislative campaign is run," notes White. "This internship has confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in the law, focusing on human rights." [AWA]

BELARUS: Adventists Protest Belarus Religion Law

Minsk, Belarus… In an on-again off-again situation, Belarus Parliament has delayed approval of a controversial law on religion that would severely restrict worship and religious practices of minority faiths. Despite having announced on June 26 that the draft law would not be reconsidered until the Fall, the lower house of parliament the next day voted to approve the bill and sent it on immediately to the upper house. However, the upper house has said it will not have time to examine the text of the new law before the summer recess.

The proposed law is one of the most repressive of the former Soviet territories, and bans home meetings, demands official approval of all religious literature, while charitable activities, education and publishing can only be conducted by faiths that had ten registered communities in 1982. Additionally, no foreign nationals can lead religious groups in Belarus.

Press reports indicate general support from Orthodox and Catholic leaders; however Protestants and other minorities have criticized the proposed provisions in the draft law. At a press conference on June 28, Seventh-day Adventist leader Moses Ostrovsky and three other protestant church leaders outlined their objections. A subsequent letter sent by the four churches to the nation's president is reported to have said that "The impression is being created that someone wants to adopt this law - which would lead to conflicts and disputes - without serious and balanced discussion and without taking into account the reality of the religious situation in our country."

"Such actions give great cause for concern," comments Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations liaison director for the Adventist Church. "What seems to be happening is a direct targeting of minority faiths, and if this new law does come into force then many religious activities will become illegal. This is in direct contravention of the United Nations declaration of human rights and is an offence to the fundamental principles of religious freedom." Gallagher also adds that the Adventist Church intends to bring this situation to the attention of the UN Commission on Human Rights. [AWA]

US: Leaders Renew Workplace Religious Freedom Efforts

Washington, D.C… The need for greater on-the-job religious accommodation for workers was one of the challenges discussed by representatives of the business, labor, legal, and religious communities on May 21, for a conference on "Reconciling Obligations: Accommodating Religious Practice on the Job."

Each year the Adventist Church receives over 1,000 requests for help from believers in the US who have been fired or disciplined because of their faith-usually because they cannot work on their Sabbath or Saturday, explains James Standish, director for legislative affairs for the Adventist Church. "Despite these efforts sometimes we are not successful because the law doesn't provide adequate protection. Therefore we are working to change the law."

Mitchell Tyner, associate legal counsel for the Adventist World Church, was a panelist and says the symposium was important for raising awareness of the problem, and for bringing together groups that have a "natural affinity to the issues of religious freedom."

On June 26, a press conference to promote the WRFA was held in the U.S. Capitol. Senator Kerry (D-MA) began the press conference by thanking the Adventist Church and the American Jewish Committee for their leadership in promoting the Act. Senators Kerry and Santorum (R-PA) both explained their reasons for providing support for the Act.

The WRFA is gaining support with 14 sponsors, which include Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton, Senator Lieberman, Senator Brownback and Senator Gordon Smith. The Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA) has been introduced and rejected by the United States Senate twice in the past, but we must not give up. "Our church's foremost priority this legislative session is pushing for support toward this bill," Standish said. "As society continues to move to a seven-day work week, Adventists need to ensure that faithful Sabbath keepers are not treated unfairly. WFRA is our best hope to achieve this goal."

Adventists across the country are encouraged to write, call or visit their elected representatives to let them know how important religious freedom is to us. For more information, visit http://ola.adventist.org. [AWA]

US: UN Report Links Lack of Basic Freedoms and Social Underdevelopment

New York, NY… A United Nations report released July 2 on human development in Arab countries says the lack of fundamental freedoms causes underdevelopment.

The report on the Arab League's 22 member nations and unveiled at the League's Cairo headquarters indicates that Arab countries are the least free in individual liberties, civil participation and press freedom. It also points out that more than half of Arab women are illiterate and female participation in government is the lowest in the world.

The report, prepared by some 50 Arab scholars under the direction of the UN Development Program clearly demonstrates the correlation between the restriction of fundamental human freedoms and continued underdevelopment. Out of seven regions of the world, Arab countries had the lowest freedom score in the late 1990s. The attitudes of Arab public authorities range from opposition to manipulation to "freedom under surveillance," according to the report. It also says the media is best partly free. Labor productivity has been low and is declining, and Arab countries have not developed as quickly as other comparable regions. As a result, the state of human development in the Arab world is a major concern.

"This independent report by Arab scholars is a clear indictment of actions that limit freedom," comments Jonathan Gallagher, UN liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "As an organization committed to freedom, particularly religious liberty as a fundamental human right, the Adventist Church urges all nations to fulfill their obligations to their own people in these areas of basic human freedoms. Only then will societies flourish and develop so that individuals and communities can achieve their full potential." [Viola Hughes]

MANILA: International Association of Adventists in Public Affairs

Manila, Philippines… Recognizing the importance for Adventists in civil leadership to network and share information that can impact the Adventist Church in the area of human rights and legislature, the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty launched the International Association of Adventists in Public Affairs (IAAPA) on June 13 at the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel in Manila, the Philippines. The first meeting took place on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on May 15 where thirthy Adventists from various legislative and congressional offices attended.

"Our vision in establishing such an association is to create a network of Adventists who are involved in public affairs so that we can support them in their work and develop an awareness that what they do is important," says John Graz, director for the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Adventist Church. "Adventists in public affairs are ambassadors of God; they play an important role in international relations in favor of peace and justice."

Elected as inaugural secretary of the IAAPA was attorney James Standish, director of legislative affairs for the Adventist Church. "We have more people in public affairs than we've ever had before, and we want to hear from them," says Standish.

Participants also agreed to invite Dr. Dlamini, health minister of Swaziland, to serve as inaugural president. Invited to serve as vice presidents are Dr. Ongeri, health minister for Kenya, and His Excellency Bienvenido Tejano, Ambassador of the Philippines to Papua New Guinea.

Membership will be extended to those whose work bring them into public policy issues, which includes elected officials, appointees of elected officials, and their staff members. It will also include those in the private sector, such as lobbyists for interest groups, Adventists who work in public interest law, and Adventist business people with ties to government officials. [Viola Hughes]

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