Documents | Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
WORLD REPORT
2000

August, 2000

THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM


Organized on May 20, 1863, in Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.A., the Seventh-day Adventist Church has more than 11 million members and represents a community of 25 million who are active in over 200 nations of the world. The Annual Statistical Report for 1998 showed that the church employed 165,213 persons who staffed 6,329 hospitals and medical centers, media centers, orphanages, elementary and secondary schools, universities, and other institutions.

Since its beginning, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has defended religious freedom for all. Under its patronage several religious liberty associations have been established, among which, in 1893, the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA). The IRLA became a non-sectarian association in 1946. Its president for 2000 is Dr. Bert Beach, general secretary of the Council on Interchurch Relations of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

This report focuses on the current experience of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but does not neglect a broader outlook. Its content was supplied by officials of the church's Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty stationed in various parts of the world. Additionally, we received information from other recognized non-governmental organizations and from reliable private correspondents. We are particularly grateful for the volume of material supplied by Adventist News Network (ANN), Adventist Press Service (APD),Compass Direct, Keston Institute, and Religion Today.

You may contact the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904-6600, U.S.A. Our phone number is (301) 680-6680, or you can reach us by fax at (301) 680-6695.

John Graz, Ph.D., Director (74532.240@CompuServe.com)
Richard Lee Fenn, Associate Director (104474.2451@CompuServe.com)
Jonathan Gallagher, Ph.D., Associate Director for United Nations and International Affairs
(JonGallagher@CompuServe.com)
Bert B. Beach, Ph.D., General Secretary, Council on Interchurch Relations (74617.2745@Compuserve.com)


A DIVIDED WORLD
What is new? Our Religious Freedom World Report 1999 underlined the reality of increasing persecution around the world. This report for 2000 further documents the fact that we live in a world of religious persecution. Some examples: In some states of India, tensions between Hindu extremists and the Christian minority remain high. On certain islands of Indonesia civil war broke out between Muslims and Christians. Seventh-day Adventists were not spared. Members lost their lives; churches were destroyed. Adventists are still in difficulty in southern Mexico's Chiapas state. In various parts of the former Soviet Union the principle of religious freedom challenges the new political authorities and the leaders of the dominant religions. The situation in Turkmenistan illustrates the problem. With the specific permission of President Niyazov, in 1992 Seventh-day Adventists began constructing a new church building in Ashkhabad. But in 1994, a new and more restrictive law was passed requiring all churches to apply for registration. Adventists provided the required papers, but the government refused to grant recognition. According to Keston News Service, Adventists endured months of harassment and threats leading up to Saturday, November 13, 1999, when, during the congregation's evening service, security agents and other workers commenced demolishing the new church building.

Traditional democracies are not beneath the politics of religious intolerance. France led a group of countries which published official lists of sects, thus subjecting religious minorities to government-sponsored persecution. While the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not identified as a sect on the French list, adult members and their children nevertheless now encounter more problems than before as they seek Sabbath accommodation in public schools and universities. The Inter-Ministerial Commission's report on the "The Struggle Against Sects" referred indirectly to Adventist teachers who asked to have Saturdays off because of their religious convictions. Opposition to accommodation is rising in France's overseas territories where the Adventist population is significant. A request for a religious day of rest gets no more consideration than a request for a day off for a sporting event or other leisure activity. Heretofore there prevailed a climate of positive understanding and good relations, but that has deteriorated markedly. Religious liberty is just not seen as a fundamental freedom, but rather as an unacceptable exigency.
But note the happy resolution of the Cape Verde case. Adventists arrested, tortured, and jailed in July of 1998 for allegedly desecrating Catholic churches were found not guilty and released. The judge wryly declared that their only "wrong" was being Adventist. And in Sri Lanka, we are pleased to report, Pastor Anthony Alexander was finally found innocent of all charges of anti-government activity. The presiding judge ordered his immediate release from prison.

A report such as this tends to emphasize the bad-the violations of religious liberty. But we must not ignore the nations which have good records in upholding religious freedom and protecting the rights of religious minorities. Even if perfection is not to be found in this world, we would applaud several countries which have maintained and even reinforced the principle of religious freedom. Italy and Spain lead in Southern Europe. In Northern Europe, Norway and Sweden have avoided discrimination against minority religions. The United States is to be commended for its active defense of religious freedom on a global basis. Many of the Latin American nations extend great tolerance of and support for religious diversity. In Mexico, for example, the Chiapas conflict mentioned above, should not be confused with the government's general openness to religious minorities. Consider also Colombia. The good news there is that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is recognized and legislation is in force providing for Adventists to be accommodated for Sabbath observance. In a world divided, Colombia is taking the side of religious liberty.

Indeed, too many countries assert "no exceptions" and block efforts to establish religious freedom. They have not learned history's lesson: Religious intolerance and persecution do not lead to justice and peace. We are thankful then for the nations that open the door to dialog and accommodation. We are thankful also for the excellent work of United Nations Special Rapporteur for Religious Intolerance Abdelfattah Amor and the role of the UN Commission for Human Rights in Geneva. In the end, religious freedom, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments, is an effective factor for global peace, harmony, and stability.

CLASSIFICATIONS
The Religious Freedom World Report 2000 places the nations of the world, as well as certain territorial entities, in one of five categories, from most tolerant to least tolerant:

Category 1: Government and legislation provide religious freedom for all. No problems exist for Seventh-day Adventists.
Category 2: In spite of favorable legislation, Adventists have some problems in public schools and in the workplace.
Category 3: Legislation is not against religious freedom, but religious extremists, authorities, and/or the media create difficulties for Adventists.
Category 4: The government has voted restrictive legislation. Seventh-day Adventists encounter problems practicing their faith and fulfilling their evangelistic mission.
Category 5: There is no religious freedom. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is banned.

The difference between Category 1 and Category 2 is subject to interpretation. In most cases, we have accepted the classifications applied by our correspondents. This year we again note that an American or Canadian or Brazilian Adventist, for example, is likely to be more critical of his or her nation with its pro-religious liberty climate, than an Adventist living in a country with many restrictions to religious freedom. In other words, where religious freedom is a real human right, minor restrictions, such as school and workplace accommodations for Sabbath observance, are more readily identified as problems. Where religious freedom is only an elusive concept, such restrictions are simply accepted as the price to pay.

The difference between Category 3 and Category 4 is more significant when it comes to the violation of religious freedom.
Category 5 represents extreme violation of religious freedom. For the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Syria remains the rare country where the church was expelled after being there for decades. Opposition rising from the nation's traditional Christian church seems to be more decisive than the will of the government. Ordinarily, Syria would be listed in Category 3 or 4, but for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Category 5 is more accurate.

AFRICA


CATEGORY 1
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cote d'Ivoire
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
Madagascar
Mali
Mauritius
Rwanda
Seychelles


CATEGORY 2
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Democratic Republic
of Congo
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gambia
Kenya
Malawi
Mozambique
Senegal
Somalia
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

CATEGORY 3
Comoros
Djibouti
Niger
Nigeria
Sudan

CATEGORY 5
Mauritania

CATEGORY 1

Cameroon The country offers religious freedom and relations with the government are good. The only problem is Saturday examinations public schools. Adventist students may lose a year when they decline to take examinations scheduled on Saturdays. Studies are being conducted to determine the number of students effected. Meanwhile, solutions are not always easy.

Cape Verde Cape Verde is a Portuguese-speaking country of ten small islands south of Senegal, off the west coast of Africa. About 90% of the nation's approximately 400,000 citizens are Roman Catholic. Seventh-day Adventists number just over 3,000. Since 1992, there have been incidences of persons breaking into Catholic churches and destroying icons or images. The government has consistently blamed members of the "opposition." While some arrests have been made, no case has yet been proven.

In July of 1998 Jose Maria Monteiro Rodriguez and Jorge Adalberto Ramos Tavares were arrested and jailed on charges of desecrating Catholic churches and property on the island of Boavista. A third man, Benvindo de Cruz Ramos, was accused of being an accomplice, but was not held. Monteiro Rodriguez and Ramos Tavares spent a year in jail during their protracted trial. Pastor Joao Felix Monteiro, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Cape Verde Mission, reported that while incarcerated, the men were subjected to ongoing torture, including beatings to the head and stomach, starvation, and electric shock, all in an attempt to force them to confess to crimes they did not commit.

The trial was unique in its length and the public interest it engendered. Pastor Monteiro stated that the press considered it "the longest and the most polemical case ever handled by the judiciary in Cape Verde." Not one of the more than 40 prosecution witnesses contributed to a conviction. Perhaps the most telling aspect of this case was the three defendants' demeanor. As Judge Helena Barreto emphatically noted in her verdict of acquittal: "The only 'crime' which the three Adventists committed, if that constitutes a crime, was to be Seventh-day Adventists." The ordeal of the three Cape Verdians ended July 26, 1999.
Cote d'Ivoire Religious freedom is respected. To illustrate: On October 10, 1998, two Seventh-day Adventists were chased out of Elokate because they declined to attend a village meeting on Saturday. The local chief declared the Seventh-day Adventist religion "closed down and no longer authorized." Church members sought refuge in neighboring villages. But by May 26, 1999, the matter was resolved through the intervention of Adventist church leaders and local government authorities.

CATEGORY 2

Democratic Republic of Congo There are Sabbath accommodation conflicts in both public and private schools. At the University of Kinshasa, where examinations are conducted on Saturdays, a meeting was held with university administrators and faculty along with the government's minister of human rights.

Eritrea Predominantly Christian with a small Muslim population.

Kenya There is a small Muslim population, but Kenya is mainly Christian.

Mozambique Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders are holding discussions with the Ministry of Education concerning classes and examinations conducted on the Sabbath.

Tanzania Almost half the population is Muslim and half Christian. Tanzania does not grant Sabbath accommodation in its public schools. There are other intolerant restrictions against religious freedom.

Uganda Mostly Christian with a small Muslim population.

CATEGORY 3

Nigeria Christians became the targets of violence when the government of Kaduna state proposed the introduction of Islamic law (Shari'a). Two Seventh-day Adventists were killed during two days of religious conflict that began February 21 though they were not involved in the protest marches against Shari'a. Adventist News Network reported on February 29 that "the first victim, Jonathan Yohanna, was a teacher at the local Adventist nursery school. The second, Zacharia Idi Yaugo, was killed in front of his wife and children."

Stated an Adventist pastor who was on the scene: "It all began when a Christian organization mobilized its members to protest introduction of Shari'a law in Kaduna state. The peaceful procession lasted barely an hour when some pro-Shari'a Muslim groups intervened to disrupt the march. There was a clash. Missiles were thrown. There were violent fist fights. Guns, machetes, and bows and arrows suddenly emerged. Cans containing petrol were produced, cigarette lighters were employed, and then the bubble burst. Many Christians were killed outright. Others who were able to reach their homes did not live long enough to relate their experiences. A number escaped to army barracks and police stations. Many big shops in major streets went up in flames. The raging fire spread to virtually all parts of Kaduna metropolis."

In the Muslim dominated Zamfara state, Shari'a went into effect at the beginning of the year. Two other largely Muslim states have also moved to adopt Shari'a as the basic civil code. ANN reported that Nigerian Christians oppose the introduction of religious law as an infringement of their constitutional right to freely practice their own faith.

Established in Nigeria in 1923, the Seventh-day Adventist Church lists nearly 200,000 members.

Sudan Although an Islamic government is in power, Christians in Khartoum, including Seventh-day Adventists, have a fair degree of freedom. According to our correspondent, Adventists conduct their mission without too many difficulties. They build chapels, hold worship services in a rather public way, and even baptize converts in the Nile. Dr. Bertil Wiklander, president of the Adventist church's Trans-European Division, and other leaders have established helpful relationships with Sudan's social planning and foreign relations ministers. ADRA International, the church's global development and relief agency, is especially welcomed in Sudan.

EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC


CATEGORY 1
American Samoa
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
Kiribati
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu


CATEGORY 2
Cambodia
French Polynesia
Japan
Korea
New Caledonia
Niue
Vanuatu
Western Samoa


CATEGORY 3
China
Mongolia

CATEGORY 4
Indonesia
Nauru
Vietnam

CATEGORY 1
American Samoa No problems. Citizens are protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Australia Complete freedom though there is but little legislation to protect religious freedom. There are occasional instances of religious discrimination resulting from problems which occur with Saturday-work expectations.

Cook Islands The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of four officially recognized denominations, but the government is increasingly pressured by the dominant churches to legislate Sunday observance.

Fiji The constitution provides for the separation of church and state and religious freedom for all. But in mid 2000 a coup followed by a military counter-coup brought into question Fiji's commitment to democracy in a pluralistic society.

Kiribati Seventh-day Adventists are well respected. There are no real problems.

New Zealand Full freedom. No problems save for occasional cases concerning Saturday-work expectations.

Papua New Guinea The constitution protects religious freedom. There are some tensions rising from inter-church activity.

Pitcairn No problems. This famous island remains under British control.

Solomon Islands There is constitutional protection. Usually there are no problems, but civil tension has created difficulties.

Tonga Seventh-day Adventists are well respected. No problems.

Tuvalu Adventists are well respected in spite of the dominant state church of Tuvalu.

CATEGORY 2

Cambodia When the current government of this traditionally Buddhist nation took power in 1993, the new constitution granted religious freedom. Every citizen is guaranteed the liberty to choose his or her religion. But Cambodia's southern province of Kamput has experienced conflicts between certain religious groups. Governor Ly Sou and Vong Samet, head of the province's religious affairs department, requested Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Ung Chan Tha to organize a conference to include the leaders of all religions in the region. In turn, Pastor Ung appealed to Pastor M. Daniel Walter, the International Religious Liberty Association representative for Southeast Asia.

Conference invitations were sent to the Buddhists' chief monk and to all other leaders of religions in the province. The governor and the religious affairs director contacted the national government which then sent Senator Sales Sen, a member of the National Assembly, and Ismail Osmon, undersecretary in the Ministry of Cults and Religions.

The conference was held on July 26, 1999, with 35 in attendance. In the dialog following the speeches, one of the religious leaders expressed the view of those present: "This has been a good experience for us to come and see each other's faces. Now we can understand and respect each other and fulfill our responsibility to build a better Cambodia."

This was the first meeting of this nature ever to be held in the country of Cambodia. It was videotaped for airing on national television. Government leaders were so pleased with the conference and its results that they now desire to have a similar one on the national level.

French Polynesia Good relationships with other churches and the government. The church's education and youth programs receive solid support. But difficulties with Saturday schooling increase. Mainland France's anti-sect policy is applicable here and echoes in the public school system.

Japan During World War II, Seventh-day Adventists in Japan experienced great problems with religious freedom. The doctrines of Adventism-one divine and eternal God expressed in three persons, the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the establishing of a never-ending dominion of the redeemed-irritated the government. At the time, religion and the state were one and the same: The emperor was considered a living god, worthy of worship, and the nation itself, the people believed, would be forever prosperous on this planet. On September 20, 1943, the government arrested Seventh-day Adventist Church workers and jailed 42 pastors and lay leaders, some of whom died for their faith.

But today, generally speaking, Japan has religious freedom, although Adventists face special issues. A significant concern is the conflict Japan's educational system presents to observers of the seventh-day Sabbath. The country maintains a six-day school week. If students expect to graduate, they must attend classes every day. In terms of accommodation, progress is painfully slow. About two years ago, public elementary schools stopped having classes on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. In the future-perhaps two or three years, public elementary schools will cease all Saturday classes. Not so for secondary level students where the six-day school week prevails. For Seventh-day Adventists and other Sabbatarians, the conflict continues.

A problem confronting Seventh-day Adventists in medicine is the government's fairly rigid policy of scheduling the required annual two-day national board examination on a Saturday and Sunday. It is difficult, of course, for Adventist physicians to take the Saturday half of the test. And the government is reluctant to arrange exceptions to the rule given the recent rise of anti-social activity. Such discrimination is a major reason for Japan's chronic shortage of Adventist medical doctors. Is regular accommodation possible? Yes. In the past 20 years or so, the government has occasionally made special arrangements. This year, for example, the government acted favorably following the appeals of a member of the Japanese Diet who is personally acquainted with the president of Tokyo Adventist Hospital, members of the U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Embassy. The International Religious Liberty Association also intervened. The result: Candidates were able to take the national board examination after sunset Saturday until midnight and then continue on Sunday. Will religious accommodation continue? With changes in the type and length of the examination expected in a year or two, there is no guarantee.

Meanwhile, many Christian organizations are openly opposing government moves to legalize the national flag and anthem. According to polls, more than one in three citizens view official recognition of the flag and anthem as symbols of Japanese remilitarization. School teachers and administrators question the government's pledge not to make homage to the flag and anthem compulsory. Students and teachers in some schools now boycott graduation ceremonies at which the flag is hoisted and the anthem sung. And Japan's Asian neighbors consider legalizing the flag and anthem evidence of intent to remilitarize. The National Christian Council in Japan has told the prime minister that legalizing the flag and anthem is to destroy freedom of thought and belief.

Korea We refer here to the Republic of Korea, often termed South Korea. Because the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or North Korea) remains essentially closed, we are unable to evaluate in any credible detail the status of religious freedom there. On balance, it appears bleak at best and probably non-existent.

In South Korea, however, religious liberty is constitutionally guaranteed. But it is not easy to put full benefits into practice. The government is open on Saturdays, closed on Sundays. Government employees work on Saturdays, then have Sundays off. Thus no Seventh-day Adventist who faithfully observes the seventh-day Sabbath is able to work in any government institution.

The military draft system in South Korea creates problems for young Adventists. By law every young man is conscripted for more than two years of duty. The army does not allow for observance of the Sabbath. As a result, many Adventist soldiers who struggle to keep the Sabbath according to conscience are thrown into jail. More than 1,000 Seventh-day Adventist young people are presently in the army, but only 200 or so are able to attend Sabbath services in churches or worship privately within their barracks.

Seventh-day Adventists face religious problems in education. They begin when students enter non-compulsory but strictly regulated middle school. Sabbatarian students are regularly absent on Saturdays. Teachers do not appreciate such regular absentees because regular student absenteeism makes the teachers look bad. Because of a lack of understanding and even a form of religious hatred and fear of other potential problems, teachers choose to drive Adventist students out of school rather than keep them in their classrooms.

At the university level, Adventist students face serious conflicts. Entrance examinations of some national universities are held on the Sabbath. Many medical students are confronted by conflicting class or exam schedules almost every week. If and when Adventists do graduate they have problems taking tests for some licenses. Medical board and bar examinations are often scheduled on Saturdays. Adventist church appeals to the appropriate ministries have not elicited any positive responses.

Adventist workers in companies or factories face similar problems in keeping the Sabbath. Opportunities for employment and certainly for advancement are thus greatly restricted.

Having said all this, our correspondent remains optimistic: "Generally, Korea is a country of religious freedom. Seventh-day Adventists can gather together anytime anywhere to worship as they choose."

New Caledonia As in other French territories, there are potential problems with Saturday schooling and increasing misunderstandings from school authorities.

Niue The dominant established religion is able to create some opposition to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Strict Sunday-observance laws prevail.

Vanuatu There is constitutional protection of religious freedom. No problems.

Western Samoa Ethnic traditions and customs lead to persecution of minority religions. Some abuse of human rights has been reported.


CATEGORY 3

China In mainland China, 1999 was not a good year for religious liberty. Overall, government tightened its control. The people, however, continue to hope that 2000 and the years ahead will bring something better and brighter. They know that reform and openness have reached the point of no return. They hold a stronger sense of security, they call for more mature leadership. Having achieved normal trade status with the United States, China will, of business necessity, be subject to outside audit. Human rights in general and religious freedom in particular will not escape scrutiny.

Hong Kong Were China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Area independent, it would rank in Category 1. From its founding as a colony of the British Empire to its transfer to China on January 1, 1997, and right up to the present, Hong Kong has enjoyed full religious freedom. The government provides for and protects religious liberty. The territory is replete with temples-Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Tao-Muslim mosques, and Christian churches. Many of these major religious groups operate schools and hospitals which not only offer general education and comprehensive health care, but also serve to advance the unique beliefs and doctrines of the sponsoring faith communities. Among these is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Besides its schools and hospitals, the Church is active in social welfare, public evangelism, media ministry, and personal contact-all of which is protected by the government.

Taiwan This island community has always respected different religious beliefs. Buddhism, Christianity-Catholic and Protestant, and Islam all fare well. Taiwanese promote their belief systems by carrying out various religious activities with full freedom. The Seventh-day Adventist Church ministers in the fields of evangelism, education, and healthcare. The government does not deny the church its connection to the world organization.

But there are difficulties for working people who want to observe the seventh-day Sabbath. Taiwan still follows a six-day work week. Government offices, schools, companies, and factories grant Saturdays off only every other week.

Two years of military service are required of every young man-a difficult period for non-combatant, Sabbath-keeping Adventist youth. But recently a new law was passed that will allow young men to choose, on religious grounds, a three-year term of community service.

Taiwan not only provides religious liberty, but now fosters openness and liberality in its religious policies. If Taiwan were counted a fully independent nation, it would place in Category 2.

Mongolia While the government has voted restrictive legislation that could negatively effect Seventh-day Adventists and their mission, the new law has, so far, not been enforced. A possible reason: Mongolia has entered into growing relationships with the governments of other nations which are pro-religious freedom.

CATEGORY 4

Indonesia This vast nation of islands is in turmoil. Religious liberty is suffering. For example, on January 30, 2000, an anti-Christian mob of thousands ripped through the streets of Central Java's capital, Yogyakarta, damaging or destroying a dozen Catholic and Protestant church buildings-including the Adventist Gareja Masehi Advent Hari Ketujah.

From our correspondent in Indonesia (January 23, 2000): "A pastor had to evacuate Lombok as the situation was getting too dangerous there. There is one Adventist church in Mataram on the island of Lombok which is in the news. The church was destroyed along with the pastor's house. The church elder's house was also burned, and a member's hotel. Some church members have fled to Bali. Some of the Christian churches in Bali have opened their doors as refuge for those who have fled. Four or five churches in Ambon were destroyed. An Adventist church in [now independent] East Timor has been left empty because all our members fled."

Nauru Here the Seventh-day Adventist Church encounters major problems. The government requires religious organizations to be officially registered, but rejects the Adventist church's application. Presently three registered churches are able to function: Catholic, Congregational, and the Born Again Church. Our correspondent, an Adventist minister and church administrator, writes:

"Although the Seventh-day Adventist Church has had members practicing their faith on the island for over 20 years, the Nauru government has continually refused to allow registration. I was told that the law set no special criteria for registration-simply apply by letter. I was also advised that the policy of the government was to allow no additional churches to register on Nauru, but I could try. I did-and received no reply. In answer to a second written request, I
received a letter denying registration. No reason stated. Non-registration means the church cannot

* Purchase or lease land.
* Meet in a public place.
* Conduct public meetings.
* Use an interdenominational church building.
* Conduct baptisms legally.
* Solemnize marriages among its members.
* Bury its own deceased members.

At present the Adventist group meets in a member's home. So far the government is not interfering with this practice."

Such draconian restrictions have tragic effects. Our pastoral correspondent recounts a sad story:

"A recent experience has caused me to seek redress of religious intolerance. I arrived in Nauru November 9. After some questioning at the airport, I was granted entry. Adventists who met me reported that a church member had died the previous evening. After conversing about the tragic loss-the man, only 37, left a wife and two young children, I inquired about funeral arrangements. I was asked to conduct a private funeral service in the deceased's house-and please do it early, before the minister of the Nauru Congregational Church arrived, or we would be in trouble. Earlier that day, a church member had gone to the office of the Nauru government's first secretary to request that the church be allowed to bury the man. Permission was denied. The member then told the government officer that an Adventist minister and church leader would be arriving, so could he bury the man. That request was also denied. In the end, the Congregational clergyman conducted the service in a most gracious and appropriate manner. About his work we have no complaints. But it is a hurtful experience when the government compels you to turn to a stranger to bury a member of your own church family."

The minister continues:

"Our Nauru members have been threatened with jail if they conduct baptisms. Our members are denied use of the Nauru Phosphate Company Interdenominational Chapel even though most of them are company employees. Adventist ministers have been denied normal transit entry to the country. I myself am never sure whether or not I am going to get in as the government will not grant a visa despite my following the required procedures well in advance. The denomination cannot send a pastor to care for the church."

Vietnam According to Reuters (April 21, 1999), the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which lost its Saigon hospital, still has a mission office that belongs to the church. But its church buildings have been demolished and the properties turned into markets and restaurants. The government has allowed the church to keep open five churches, all south of Saigon. Reports our own on-the-scene correspondent: "The southern area is much more relaxed about Christianity than the central provinces where control is still very tight." States the Vietnam News Agency: "A new decree on religion in Vietnam enshrines religious rights, but warns of punishment for those who use religion to harm the state. Issued by the government, the decree also states that the property and land of religious organizations once handed to the state belongs to the state."

EUROPE, CANADA, UNITED STATES


CATEGORY 1
Czech Republic
Hungary
Iceland
Netherlands
Poland
Switzerland

CATEGORY 2
Belgium
Bermuda
Canada
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Great Britain
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Norway
Portugal
Romania
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Ukraine
United States


CATEGORY 3
Albania
Austria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Cyprus
France
Greece
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Moldova
Russia
Tajikistan
Turkey
Uzbekistan
Yugoslavia



CATEGORY 4
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Georgia

CATEGORY 5
Turkmenistan


CATEGORY 1

Netherlands Complete religious freedom. While economic trends are threatening some members, Adventists, working with other churches, are opposing these trends.

Poland The Seventh-day Adventist Church enjoys full liberty, based on an act of Parliament (June 30, 1995) which granted all basic rights. The issue of "sects" continues to be of some concern because, at times, the media uses the term pejoratively in describing the Adventist Church. The director of Poland's office for new religious movements told Keston News Service (March 27, 2000) that "we have evaluated some registered churches as dangerous sects which threaten civic freedoms. We may now have to withdraw their registration, although we haven't come under any [Catholic] church pressure to do this."

CATEGORY 2

Bermuda Religious freedom is assured to every citizen and to all faith groups. But there are a few problems in connection with Sabbath accommodations for employees in the workplace. There are also issues in the commercial sector relating to Sabbath-keeping persons whose businesses are part of an association or a mall. However, the attitude of officials is one of cooperation and willingness to resolve conflicts.

Canada The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada is well known and respected. There have been some problems with labor union membership and Sabbath accommodation, but these are usually resolved without legal action. Where litigation has been necessary, the courts have often ruled favorably.

Denmark Public schools occasionally require Adventist students to attend school on Saturday. Church leaders have presented this matter to the proper authorities, but the question remains unanswered.

Finland Religious liberty is adequately protected by law. But some other forms of legislation do not harmonize with religious liberty principles. Labor laws recognizing Sunday as a day of rest do not provide for alternatives. This is bad for Sabbatarians. Two examples:

A young man employed in the office of a state-owned transportation company was dismissed because he was unable to work following sunset on a few Fridays each year. Eventually he took his case to the European Commission for Human Rights. He lost.

A young lady's vocational retraining as a dairy worker included a compulsory period of paid duty. The dairy company she was assigned to refused to grant her Sabbath privileges. She was unable to graduate.

The Adventist church's religious liberty director is able to provide input in the development of new legislation providing for religious freedom. He has stressed that all laws, including those applying to labor, need to be in harmony with the principles of religious liberty.

Additionally, because most cemeteries are owned by the Lutheran Church of Finland, non-Lutherans are often required to pay up to ten times the "Lutheran price" to purchase a burial site.

Germany There are a few scattered Sabbath problems for employees in general and for students regarding exams. Children in elementary schools face no problems.

Great Britain Seventh-day Adventists in the workplace face occasional problems in getting Sabbath off, but these can normally be solved by intervention from the church's religious liberty ministry.

Latvia The government is still working on legislation for church-state relationships. Though not proposing to block the presence of Latvia's smaller churches, some of the larger religious bodies strongly suggest that "traditional" churches of a certain age and size be granted more privileges than "new" churches.

Romania The most serious religious liberty issue confronting the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1999 centered on the national capacity examination which was scheduled on a Saturday at the end of the compulsory educational program. Some 650 children were unable to sit for the test. A presentation to the Court of Appeals was rejected, but the Supreme Court ruled otherwise, directing the Ministry of Education to schedule a new examination time for the Adventist children. With few exceptions, the Supreme Court decision was carried out. But Adventist high school students from ethnic Hungarian families faced a conflict in that the Hungarian language and literature test was still set on a Saturday. Somehow they had not been included in the Supreme Court decision.

The Adventist church in Romania also faces problems related to its evangelistic mission. Local congregations often rent auditoriums or theaters for religious programs to which the general public is invited. Following the initial meetings, priests sometimes try to block the series by pressuring the mayors to direct the auditorium or theater managers to cancel their contracts with the church. This happens in the countryside or in small towns where the cultural halls are generally subordinate to municipal authorities.

The Romanian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and conscience. There is no law on religion-yet. The law enforced during the Communist regime is considered inappropriate for the present. While the government had discussed a new draft law on religion for more than seven years, it was prevented from submitting it to Parliament until the autumn of 1999. Although it was supported by the majority church, the government subsequently withdrew the draft in the face of opposition from minority churches and international organizations.

Sweden There are some problems in the education sector at college and university levels. It is becoming more common to schedule tests on Saturdays.

Ukraine The Seventh-day Adventist Church has experienced some difficulties in renting halls for evangelistic programs. While existing national legislation is supposed to prevent violations of religious freedom, the various regions of the do not act in full harmony with the constitution. Local authorities have attempted to stop evangelistic campaigns. Olga Murga conducted a series of meetings in the Crimea. Orthodox opposition made it very difficult to secure a venue. Vladimir Dyman held a campaign in the Chernigov region. Pressured by the Orthodox church, authorities created obstacles. Dyman had to continue elsewhere. Such problems are exacerbated when the media do not present objectively the equality of all religious organizations before the law.

United States The Constitution guarantees religious freedom. Civil rights legislation makes it illegal to discriminate against religious convictions. The church supports current efforts to clarify existing legislation, thus eliminating all confusion about employer obligations to arrange religious accommodation in the workplace.

CATEGORY 3

Albania Problems are encountered by Adventist students wanting permission to be absent from school on Saturdays. Adventists who are drafted into the army may face difficulties in honoring their religious convictions.

Bulgaria Although the Parliamentary agenda did not list it as business, on February 2, 2000, Socialists (i.e., former Communists) proposed the first reading of three different drafts of a new law on religious organizations. The motion carried. Within a half hour all three drafts were moved to the second round. A special commission was set up to merge the three bills into one proposal for the second and final reading. Written by the government, the Socialists, and the VMRO party, the three drafts had been accepted by a Parliamentary legislative committee in November 1999. The committee rejected a fourth draft law, prepared by representatives of various religious minority communities and Bulgaria's Helsinki Committee.

Six days later-on February 8, 2000-representatives of nineteen religious minorities and other organizations in Bulgaria met in Sofia for a national conference concerning the first reading of the draft laws. The conferees issued an eight?point appeal to the president, the prime minister, and the chair of Parliament. Religious communities who signed the appeal included Baptists, members of the Church of God, Congregationalists, Methodists, Mormons, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists, and members of the United Churches. Other organizations which signed: Bulgaria's Helsinki Committee, the Institute for the Principle of Justice, the Association for the Protection of Religious Freedom, the Christian Coalition, and the Tolerance Foundation.

France For several years, the French government has been the European leader against "sects and cults." Thankfully, France's official list did not name the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a sect. But the document has indeed fed prejudice and justified discrimination against all religious minorities.

On December 16, 1999, the Senate started the process of revising a law dating from 1936 by adopting legislation to dissolve groups which "cause trouble to public order." This bill proposes to treat religious minorities the same as private militias and terrorist groups.

Meanwhile, it is becoming more and more difficult for many Adventist students both in France and in its overseas territories to observe the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday). According to Pastor Jean-Paul Barquon, secretary of the church's North France Conference, this is a dramatic change. As early as 1876, Seventh-day Adventists were accorded the various governments' understanding and good will. From 1950 to 1981, the minister of education gave his support. In 1981, a new minister introduced the term "situation à caractère dèrogatoire." A law on compulsory schooling, adopted on December 10, 1998, increased understanding towards Adventist students and teachers.

At present, it is clear from the January 2000 report of the Inter-Ministerial Commission Against Sects that France's list of sects targets all religious minorities. It sets the sectarian population of France's overseas territories at 20-25% of the general population. Former understandings have changed, hostility has become the rule. Strong pressures are put upon parents to force their children to go to school on Saturday. The religious character of Sabbath observance is denied. The usual comment is, "If we give you Saturday off, we will have to provide a day off for those who want to go fishing or play soccer." Sabbath worship is thus compared with secular entertainment.

Seventh-day Adventists comprise between 5% and 10% of the population of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Adventist teachers, parents, and students holding sincere religious convictions are accused of having "excessive requirements." "Some teachers refuse to work on days that their confession claims are holidays." What day? "Especially Saturday." "These unacceptable attitudes" says the report, "should not remain unsanctioned." Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all the other international documents which state that religious freedom is "a fundamental freedom" are simply forgotten.

Comment on France would not be complete without mentioning the position of the Minister of the Interior. In a letter to International Religious Liberty Association President Bert B. Beach (March 13, 2000), he states that the report of the Inter-Ministerial Commission is to be understood as information only and not as a normative document. The minister says that a bill is not a law until it is adopted by the National Assembly. And he underlines his "profond attachement aux principes républicains et démocratiques" and to the free exercise of all religions.

Greece Most difficulties encountered by Seventh-day Adventists seem to be touched off by the Greece's dominant church rather than by the government itself.

Macedonia Over the past few years, the official Seventh-day Adventist Church has had to deal with a small "offshoot" movement that hijacked the name of the church and forcibly seized the central office and the main church in Skopje. Though the courts have repeatedly ruled in favor of the official Seventh-day Adventist Church, the decisions have not been implemented. States Dr. Bertil Wiklander, president of the church's Trans-European Division: "The church in Macedonia is leaving troubles behind and is vigorously moving forward." Leaders of the church in Macedonia reported in March 1999 that "baptisms have been higher than in previous years. Eighty thousand copies of seven different books were published during the last three years." The church officers said they take this as a sign of freedom.

Moldova Notwithstanding favorable legislation, Seventh-day Adventists have workplace and school problems. Government bureaucracies and mass media create difficulties for the church. For example, Adventists in Rybnitsa purchased a house for worship, then had difficulty in registering the congregation. Our documents were prepared and sent to the registry, but they were simply returned-many times. The churches in Bendery and Kamenka encountered the same difficulties.
Russia Kaliningrad: In January 1999, an Adventist pastor secured permission to use the cultural hall in Chernjakhovsk for a series of youth meetings. Once the program began, the Orthodox priest stopped the series, forcing the Adventist pastor to relocate. This time the priest's sons tried to stop the program by beating the pastor's wife severely enough to require medical attention at a local hospital. In Kolomna, Orthodox opposition blocked Olga Murga's family program. Local authorities could do nothing. In Chehov, a pastor who wanted to conduct an evangelistic program became the target of a newspaper article discrediting the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The pastor's request for the article to be refuted was refused.

Narjan-Mar In April 1999, Adventists were prepared to conduct a family and health program. Notwithstanding conference documentation authorizing the program, authorities closed it after the initial meeting because the congregation itself was not registered.

Novgorod Pastor Eduard Siminyuk received an army draft notice. His conference officers appealed first to the military office and then to the city court, both in Valdai. Siminyuk's request for a clergy deferment was rejected-a denial of a constitutional provision. During the autumn months of 1999, Siminyuk asked the draft commission to allow him alternative service in accordance with Russia's Constitution, but the commission ignored his argument that military service contradicts his beliefs. On January 26, 2000, the Novgorod Regional Court of Cassation overturned the decision of lower court and ruled that the military office's draft notice was illegal. This is one of the few decisions in Russian judicial practice in favor of a military draftee who is unable to serve on the basis of religious belief. Since Russian courts do not, as a rule, grant appeals on draft commission actions, the decision by the Novgorod Regional Court of Cassation breaks the vicious circle surrounding conscientious objectors. Siminyuk was represented by Moscow's Slavic Center for Law and Justice.

Volga Orthodox representatives in Kamenka tried to stop an evangelistic campaign in February. In Volgograd, the newspaper described Seventh-day Adventists as members of a sect who "inflict violence, slaughter, and exhausting work without necessary food and sleep." In the Saratov region, the church has not been able to register congregations for two years. In Pugachev, the assistant chairman of the local government granted permission for an evangelistic campaign, but after the program began, it was stopped and the director of the hall was fired. There are also several cases of church members having to serve in the army without being given a chance for alternative service.

Volga-Vyatskaya In the regional capital, local authorities prohibited the church from renting public buildings for evangelistic programs. In Alekseyevka, in October 1999, local authorities prohibited a campaign. In Kotelnich, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian National Unity Party tried to stop a crusade. The mayor of Navashino rejected Adventist evangelism because a local Orthodox priest was negative on the plan. In Nizhny Novgorod, the Adventist church has experienced some difficulties in renting halls for worship.

Uzbekistan The religious sphere throughout Uzbekistan is definitely strained. Authorities at all levels are vindictive. Churches can neither support nor satisfy the spiritual needs of their members for they are unable to provide literature, organize small worship groups, or even meet in homes. Although censorship is constitutionally forbidden, churches cannot bring religious literature into the country. Heavy customs and other obstacles function as censors. Moreover, there is no possibility of printing the Bible or Christian literature. The government is required to get expert opinions as to whether a certain book might upset society. Registered churches do not have legal status. All their activities must be performed through the government's Council on Religious Affairs. Those in charge of the council's Christian sector are Muslims. Their actions clearly show that other religions are not welcome. The council refused to register the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bukhara in spite of the fact that the Ministry of Justice authorized the church's right to registration.

CATEGORY 4

Azerbaijan In Gyandja, the Seventh-day Adventist congregation was able to overcome serious obstacles and secure official registration.

Belarus Leaders of the Adventist, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches organized the Belarus Religious Liberty Association in an effort to protect what little freedom they have. There exists an official government declaration of religious liberty, but it is not operative in practical terms.

Georgia In Tbilisi, the Seventh-day Adventist congregation was able to overcome serious obstacles and secure official registration.

CATEGORY 5

Afghanistan The Taliban government has invited Loma Linda University to help rebuild the nation's medical school.

Turkmenistan The government has refused to register the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its pastor and members are regularly subjected to persecution. No longer can they worship in their own sanctuary because, between November 13-27, 1999, the church building in Ashkhabad was demolished. The congregation's efforts to protect legal rights and freedoms were unsuccessful. Many public and legal organizations tried to influence the government with regard to violations of human rights and religious liberty, but they too did not succeed. The following report from Keston News Service (by Felix Corley; January 21, 2000) provides a credible perspective of the situation in Ashkhabad:

"Despite claims that the land was needed to build a new road, visitors to the city report that there is no sign of any new road being constructed. The second reason authorities cited for the destruction of the church building was the poor condition of the church building itself, but visitors to the church before its destruction and those who have viewed videos of the building refute this suggestion. The bulldozing of the Adventist church-which began November 13 and took two weeks to complete-has been widely regarded as the defining moment of Turkmenistan's suppression of its religious minorities.

"During a Helsinki Commission [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] delegation visit to the site where the church had stood, Karen Lord stated, 'It is evident from visiting the site that the authorities have no immediate plans to construct a road. The building remains as a pile of rubble with no indication that work continues on the site. No other buildings have been destroyed save the church and a home behind the church. The Adventist church, a neighboring school, and 17 houses surrounding the site all received notice from city planners but no others have been demolished to date.'

"Lord added that after initially saying the church had to be demolished to make way for a new road, the authorities declared the building had to be condemned because it was structurally unsound. 'From the information obtained by the Helsinki Commission staff, both of these reasons appear to be fallacious. There is a major road a few blocks away which serves as a primary artery for traffic in the city. No new road appears to be needed through a quiet residential area. The building itself was solidly constructed. The time it took to demolish it is testimony to that.'

"Other visitors to the site since the demolition have also confirmed to Keston Institute that the former building remains a pile of rubble and that no construction work on a new road has begun. The architect denied that the church had been singled out for demolition. He claimed the demolition had taken place in accordance with the 'general plan for the city.' The first the church's pastor had learned of the impending demolition had been a letter dated November 11 ordering the Adventists to vacate the building ahead of the imminent demolition. The deputy chairman for religious affairs there declared that the demolition of the Adventist church and two Hare Krishna temples 'was all done in accordance with the law.'

"Pastor Fedotov told the OSCE delegation that while conducting the Saturday evening service on November 13, approximately five workers and 25 security officers arrived to begin the demolition. None would identify themselves and no papers were produced indicating governmental permission. The police blocked all roads, gardens, and walkways out of the area. Ten people were actually in the church as the destruction began. The British and American ambassadors attempted to visit the site but were prevented from entering the area. Representatives from the OSCE's center in Ashkhabad were also notified of the situation and they attempted to visit the area.

"The day the destruction began, Fedotov received a notice from the procurator declaring, 'Your appeal to the procurator has been considered. The questions in your appeal are regulated by the Religion Law of Turkmenistan.'

"According to Karen Lord, when the OSCE representatives interviewed the workers who were engaged in destroying the building, the workers expressed deep concern because they believed they were destroying 'a house of God.' Said Lord: 'Apparently it was well known on the streets that this church had been destroyed and there was some concern that because a holy place had been desecrated, negative things would befall the Turkmen people.' Other sources told Keston that when a crane being used to knock down the building broke unexpectedly, the operator said in fear that he was not prepared to continue with the demolition and left the site. The following day the authorities found a new crane and a new operator to continue the work.

"The demolition came after months of harassment and threats to the unregistered community. In September 1999, Pastor Fedotov and other pastors had been invited to meet officials of the Council for Religious Affairs. The Council suggested to Fedotov that he end all services: 'If you do not stop your services, then there will be reconstruction in the city.' Fedotov indicated that he was gathering documents to apply for re-registration and asked what documents were needed to complete the application. In October, a month later, Fedotov was told that his request had been denied, even before he had applied.

"Also in October, some 15 police officers raided a service at the Adventist church, ordering parishioners to cease the illegal meeting and forcing Fedotov to sign a statement. The pastor was then summoned to the Administrative Court and fined following what he described as a 'sham' trial. Fedotov reportedly saw the document with the final decision for the fine before the hearing had even taken place.

"The Adventist church gathered signatures to petition President Niyazov to stop the destruction of the church, but they were given no reply. They also sent a letter to the mayor requesting another plot of land and compensation for the destroyed building. They have not had an official answer to this request, although Fedotov knows that there is a negative response which the mayor is reluctant to sign. This response, Fedotov maintains, does not discuss any city construction project, but rather states that the building was torn down because the church did not have the proper permits.

"Construction of the Adventist church in Ashkhabad was begun in 1992 with permission from President Niyazov and was completed in 1996."

Meanwhile, despite meeting all legal requirements, registration of a local Bible society has been refused by the government of Turkmenistan. The application was a collaborative effort by members of the Baptist, Greater Grace, Pentecostal, and Seventh-day Adventist churches. Turkmenistan is the only country of the former Soviet Union that does not have an officially recognized Bible society.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

CATEGORY 1
Belize
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Honduras
St. Eustatius


CATEGORY 2
Argentina
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Bolivia
Brazil
Cayman
Chile
Colombia
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
French Guyana
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Martinique
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
St. Kitts-Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Vincent
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
U. S. Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Venezuela


CATEGORY 3
Mexico

CATEGORY 1
St. Eustatius Ideal situation. The Adventist church's relationship with the community is excellent.

CATEGORY 2

Antigua and Barbuda Problems are being reduced. The governor general, a Seventh-day Adventist, has been extremely helpful.

Barbados The private sector is a problem, but there has been excellent intervention. New laws such as the Shoppes Bill have been enacted.

Colombia According to Statutory Law 133 approved by the Colombian Parliament, religious liberty is protected. Article 6 opens the door for Seventh-day Adventists to keep the Sabbath (Saturday) free of regular work, school attendance, or military service by agreement of the parties involved. This law benefits several levels of life. Education: The national test for admission to public and private universities is now available to Adventist students on Saturday night. Universities respect the right of Adventist students not to take tests on the Sabbath. Military: Adventist students are no longer forced to perform military duty on the Sabbath. Adventist chaplains are accepted in public schools, hospitals, and the military. Adventist church weddings: The process is nearly complete to accept an Adventist wedding certificate as legal. Colombia's only difficulty for Adventists: The church's situation in areas controlled by armed guerillas.

Dominica General problems. The majority Roman Catholic Church dominates but inter-church relations are improving.

El Salvador Sabbath problems. Visits have been made to the government leaders and ministries.

Grenada Police service and the private sector have brought some problems, but there is excellent intervention by church representatives.

Guyana University security service presents some problems, but the church is initiating dialog with the new government and has an excellent relationship with tertiary institutions. Adventist pastors are allowed to preach in the prisons.

Jamaica Successful intervention brought to solve a few problems in some public schools.

Nicaragua There are some problems with employment. A national chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association is being organized.

Panama There are some Sabbath problems in public schools.

Puerto Rico There are some problems. Letters sent to the organizations involved. Some cases are taken to court.

St. Kitts-Nevis There have been few complaints, and there has been effective dialogue with authorities in government.

St. Lucia There have been difficulties in the private sector on the matter of Sabbath accommodation. Good relations with the government. According to the census, Adventists may constitute up to 17% of the population. The minister of tourism is a Seventh-day Adventist.

St. Maarten There are some private sector problems, but the church has a high profile and works diligently in response to social issues.

St. Vincent The general Sabbath issue is a problem, particularly in the public service and security areas. The nation's Minister of Health is a Seventh-day Adventist physician.

Trinidad and Tobago Public service, school examinations, and private enterprise are sometimes problematic. The attorney general understands the situation. Parliament will consider an equal opportunities bill which includes a day-of-worship clause.

U.S. Virgin Islands There are some problems in the private sector.

Venezuela A few Sabbath problems in public schools, military service, and employment. A church representative interviewed the president of the Constituent Assembly.

CATEGORY 3

Mexico Problems were reported in North Chiapas where Adventists have been forced to join a paramilitary group in protest marches against the government. They endure religious intolerance in the community. An ANN dispatch on March 5, 2000, reported on anti-Protestant persecution in several Chiapas villages. "Twelve Seventh-day Adventist families were among 72 Protestant families apparently expelled from the village of Fleur de Agala by the community's Roman Catholic majority." ANN quoted Pastor Isaias Espinosa: "Fourteen homes were demolished by the mob as Protestants fled to the hills for refuge." Other attacks against evangelicals were reported during March and April 1999 in several villages. Since 1994, ongoing conflict between different Christian groups in the region of Plan de Ayala has forced at least 20 Adventist families to leave the area. Ten homes were burned. The current dispute results from plans by the five remaining Adventist families to build a new church in the village on land donated by a church member. The General Assembly, a local governing body, has refused to allow the building to be constructed and is threatening to evict the Adventists from the village. In search of solutions, dialogs have been initiated with the government, the paramilitary group, and the community.


NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA


CATEGORY 2
Iraq
Jordan

CATEGORY 3
Egypt
Israel


CATEGORY 4
Bahrain
Kuwait
Lebanon
Morocco
Oman
Pakistan
Qatar
United Arab Emirates

CATEGORY 5
Afghanistan
Iran
Libya
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Tunisia
Yemen

CATEGORY 2

Jordan While Seventh-day Adventists welcomed Jordan's recent move toward a Friday-Saturday weekend, they are sensitive that the new arrangement may present problems for some who worship on Sunday.

CATEGORY 3

Egypt The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of only a handful of Christian faith groups officially recognized by the government which, of course, then keeps a close eye on the church's activities. Adventists are now experiencing problems in the area of marriage because the large and highly influential Coptic Church seeks the imposition of restrictions on non-Copts.

Israel Though opportunities for public evangelism are limited, Adventists have freedom to worship and practice their faith. In the West Bank, some difficulties are encountered concerning Sabbath privileges as Palestinian authorities tend to view observance of the seventh-day Sabbath as Judaic.


CATEGORY 4

Lebanon Although in many ways Lebanon offers more religious liberty than any other country in the region, the government has put restrictions on the number of churches it will recognize. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is recognized only as a unit under the umbrella of an organization for evangelical churches.

Pakistan Major problems are encountered in acquiring visas for expatriate church workers. Christians are probably more restricted in Pakistan than in Sudan. Proselytism among Muslims is dangerous. Shari'a law is sometimes applied. In July of 2000 Pakistan declared itself to be an Islamic state. Meanwhile, the Adventist church continues to exist as a Christian organization. It owns property, builds churches, and applies for and receives some missionary visas. The church operates schools, a seminary, and a major hospital.

CATEGORY 5

Afghanistan One positive note in an otherwise oppressive environment, the Taliban government has invited Loma Linda University to help rebuild the nation's medical school.

Saudi Arabia According to religious liberty activist Gianfranco Rossi (quoted by the Adventist News Network), "Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that formally prohibits on its territory the public practice of any religion except Islam. Among the six million immigrant workers, there are many who are not Muslims. They would like to profess their faith freely. However, if they try to do this they are arrested, imprisoned, and expelled from the country. Saudi authorities prohibit Jews, Christians, and all other non-Muslims from having their own places of worship and even from meeting in private."

SOUTHERN ASIA


CATEGORY 3
India
Sri Lanka

CATEGORY 4
Nepal

CATEGORY 5
Bhutan
Maldives

CATEGORY 3

India India is a democratic, secular republic. The constitution guarantees religious freedom as a fundamental right. Article 25 of the Indian Constitution provides to all people freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practice, and propagate any religion subject to the prescribed limitation of public order, morality, and health. Moreover, the government must not support any one particular religion.

But due to the rise of Hindu fundamentalism, India is facing many difficulties. The present government is dominated by a Hindu religious party. Though the state governments have made public pronouncements in support of secularism, some have nevertheless passed legislation to prevent religious conversions. Additionally, India's six-day work week often creates Sabbath problems in public schools and workplaces. In spite of all the difficulties, we are able to carry on evangelistic work in many parts of the nation.

The government has decided to form a committee to review the constitution. This has raised questions in the minds of many people. However, the government has given assurances that such basic tenets as democracy, republicanism, and secularism will not be touched. Still, secularists have expressed their apprehension about a hidden agenda in the process of constitutional review.

Religious conversions have been prohibited. In January 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death. The man alleged to be behind this crime has been arrested. However, the state of Orissa, where the murders took place, passed an order in November 1999 prohibiting conversions without prior permission from the local police and the district magistrate. This order means that anyone wishing to convert to any other religion must undergo police inquiry to explain his or her reasons. The police report is then drawn up, supplemented by information from family members and neighbors, and then passed on to the district magistrate who is authorized to grant or deny permission. The law obviously targeted Christianity. Little wonder that it has created widespread dismay among India's Christian community. The bad situation is likely to deteriorate further if, as expected, Orissa brings to power a new legislative assembly controlled by a Hindu-influenced political party.

Places of worship have been limited. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous, legislators on January 4 passed a bill restricting the construction and use of places of worship. Christians fear this could lead to denial of permission to hold, legally speaking, any meetings anywhere in the state. However, at the time our correspondent prepared this report, the bill had not been ratified by the governor.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat state government lifted a ban on its employees being members of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. Not only Christian organizations but also secular political parties have objected. However, India's prime minister and home minister have both justified Gujarat's action. The Gujarat assembly is also expected to discuss its new freedom of religion bill this year. It would forbid conversion of a person by use of force, fraud, or enticement. Anyone involved in activity leading to a conversion could be fined and imprisoned for up to three years. This bill, if and when it becomes effective, will haunt Christians working with tribal and marginal people simply because conversion by "enticement" or "allurement" or by "fraudulent means"can be interpreted in many ways. Such circumstances indicate that Christianity in India is going through difficult times. At the same time, there is overwhelming evidence that a lot of people have a great thirst to know about Jesus.

The government of India approved New Delhi as the venue of the International Religious Liberty Association's World Conference on Religious Freedom, conducted November 16-18, 1999. Most religions were represented. The Seventh-day Adventist Church supported it in full. Leaders from the governing coalition and the opposition joined representatives of India's-and the world's-religions in sharing their understanding of religious freedom. Coming just a few days after the visit of Pope Jean Paul II, the IRLA World Conference was understood and perceived as an effort to build bridges between religions and to create a climate of peace.

Sri Lanka The decades-long ethnic struggle between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils continues. The basic issue: Aspirations of some Tamils for an autonomous homeland in the northern section of this beautiful island, once known as Ceylon. But the conflict has clear linguistic and religious overtones. The Sinhala-speaking Sinhalese are Buddhists; the Tamil-speaking Tamils are, in the main, Hindu. English is the bridge language; street signs in Colombo, for example, are tri-lingual. Christians in both groups feel trapped. They want to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and, at the same time, loyal to their ethnic communities. The M. Anthony Alexander story is illustrative.

A Seventh-day Adventist minister and teacher-and a Tamil, Alexander was arrested by the national police in March 1998. The charges: Supporting the anti-government Tamil Tiger movement. Though subjected to exquisite physical torture, he resisted signing a false confession-until the police warned him that they would get his wife and five children if he continued to hold out. Imprisoned without trial-technically legal under Sri Lanka's emergency laws-Alexander did not get a first hearing in court until December 1999. And that came about because the Adventist church focused global attention on his case. The charges having been divided, Alexander was tried in separate courts before different judges, one of whom became so accustomed to seeing people from Bermuda, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United States in his courtroom that when they were not present he was constrained to ask: "Where are all the international people?" As the trials continued through the winter and spring of 2000, the government's case unraveled. The coerced "confession" was ruled inadmissable. Physical evidence was shown to be utterly incredible. Ruling on a defense motion, the presiding judge on May 15 declared Pastor Alexander innocent of all charges and ordered his immediate release from prison.

A footnote: Over the long months behind bars, Alexander's Sinhalese prison wardens and guards came to appreciate the Tamil minister whose only agenda was the peace of God in Sri Lanka and good will among the nation's peoples. In prison, Pastor Alexander daily shared, in word and deed, the love of Christ with other Tamil prisoners-young fellows, most of them, and considered by the government guilty of terrorism simply because they are Tamils. Anthony Alexander's prison ministry was, in fact, so meaningful that the leadership of the revolutionary movement pleaded: "Please stop your preaching. We know that when you have converted all our young men to Christianity, they won't fight with us anymore."

Another footnote-this from The Washington Post (June 8, 2000): "Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 7-A suicide bomb blast near Colombo shattered Sri Lanka's first War Heroes Day, killing a cabinet minister and 20 other people. There was no claim of responsibility for the bombing, but it was similar to previous attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a group that has been fighting the Sri Lankan military for 17 years to create a separate homeland for minority Tamils in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The rebels have a suicide unit, the Black Tigers, that has targeted government officials and politicians. After the bombing, crowds of angry people began attacking the homes of Tamils, a government official said. The government, which has already assumed emergency powers to deal with the Tamil insurgency, imposed a curfew on the Ratmalana neighborhood and two adjacent suburbs and barred journalists from the area. The government information agency issued a statement appealing to the public 'to stay calm at a sensitive time such as this when emotions are running high.' It added that steps had been taken 'to protect all communities from any backlash.'"

CATEGORY 4

Nepal Nepal has declared itself a Hindu kingdom. But the Seventh-day Adventist Church has a presence in this nation high in the Himalayas: a few churches, a school, and an internationally-known hospital. ADRA International, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, is very active. Among the restrictions that inhibit the Church's mission: conversion (a serious offense) and ownership of property. But Nepalese Christians can and do worship.

CATEGORY 5

Bhutan Religious freedom does not exist in Bhutan, a Hindu kingdom ruled by a young monarch. There is a general ban on all Christian churches including the Adventist church. Nonetheless, a few Bhutanese people have recently adopted the Seventh-day Adventist faith, but they cannot build a church anywhere in the nation.

Maldives There is no religious freedom in the Maldives. All churches are banned. Islam is the dominant religion. Those Christians from other nations who have entered the Maldives as expatriate workers must worship in private.

CONCLUSION

The Seventh-day Adventist Church's Religious Freedom World Report 2000 is a modest contribution to the collection of similar documents on religious intolerance currently issued by various governments and non-governmental organizations. The report is to fill a complementary role. The report's focus on the experiences of Seventh-day Adventists need not be seen as a sign of denominational exclusiveness, as the Church is concerned about all violations of religious freedom against all religions and beliefs.

Though this report is severely edited, much work still could be done and improvements made. Informational input from many sources varies in detail and accuracy. It is hoped that this report will serve as a resource document for the United Nations as well as other agencies, institutions, and countries. May it open doors to dialog and better understanding.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is fully committed to the principle that religious freedom is a fundamental freedom. The Church is also committed to the mission to defend, protect, and promote religious liberty for everyone everywhere.

Copyright @ 2004 Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists