Post by Daniel on Aug 25, 2015 9:07:34 GMT -5
Criminalize Witnessing Your Faith?
By Tiffany Barrans 3 days ago
All eyes are on Kathmandu, Nepal today.
The nation’s brand new constitution is likely to criminalize the basic act of sharing one’s faith – a move abundantly detrimental to the nation’s already beleaguered Christian community.
At the ACLJ, it’s an important issue in which we’ve been closely monitoring and engaging. Though there are some positive aspects of Nepal’s fledgling constitutional movement, the “anti-conversion” provision could have a devastating effect.
After more than eight years of deliberations, the Constituent Assembly of Nepal is scheduled to finalize a new Constitution for Nepal. On August 17th, the Constituent Assembly extended the deadline by four more days for the Constitution Drafting Committee but a vote on the draft is imminent.
At the ACLJ, we have been keeping a close eye on the constitutional drafting process to ensure that Christians in Nepal will have the ability to freely practice their faith. This week we signed a joint letter addressed to the Members of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal, urging members to reject a provision in the new draft Constitution of Nepal that would inhibit religious liberty.
The letter addresses section 31(3) of the constitutional draft, which contains an “anti-conversion” provision. The first two sections of the Article offer positive affirmations of religious freedom. Section 1 upholds the individual freedom of religion and belief as fundamental, and section 2 guarantees that all religious communities have the right “to establish, run and preserve their religious trust according the law,” which should be a welcome change for Christians who have lacked legal recognition in years past.
Section 3, however, criminalizes “any act to convert another person from one religion to another.” This “anti-conversion” language contravenes international standards for religious freedom and will likely provide a continued legal basis for discrimination and persecution of religious minorities in Nepal.
continue reading
aclj.org/persecuted-church/nepal-poised-to-criminalize-witnessing-your-faith
By Tiffany Barrans 3 days ago
All eyes are on Kathmandu, Nepal today.
The nation’s brand new constitution is likely to criminalize the basic act of sharing one’s faith – a move abundantly detrimental to the nation’s already beleaguered Christian community.
At the ACLJ, it’s an important issue in which we’ve been closely monitoring and engaging. Though there are some positive aspects of Nepal’s fledgling constitutional movement, the “anti-conversion” provision could have a devastating effect.
After more than eight years of deliberations, the Constituent Assembly of Nepal is scheduled to finalize a new Constitution for Nepal. On August 17th, the Constituent Assembly extended the deadline by four more days for the Constitution Drafting Committee but a vote on the draft is imminent.
At the ACLJ, we have been keeping a close eye on the constitutional drafting process to ensure that Christians in Nepal will have the ability to freely practice their faith. This week we signed a joint letter addressed to the Members of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal, urging members to reject a provision in the new draft Constitution of Nepal that would inhibit religious liberty.
The letter addresses section 31(3) of the constitutional draft, which contains an “anti-conversion” provision. The first two sections of the Article offer positive affirmations of religious freedom. Section 1 upholds the individual freedom of religion and belief as fundamental, and section 2 guarantees that all religious communities have the right “to establish, run and preserve their religious trust according the law,” which should be a welcome change for Christians who have lacked legal recognition in years past.
Section 3, however, criminalizes “any act to convert another person from one religion to another.” This “anti-conversion” language contravenes international standards for religious freedom and will likely provide a continued legal basis for discrimination and persecution of religious minorities in Nepal.
continue reading
aclj.org/persecuted-church/nepal-poised-to-criminalize-witnessing-your-faith
!!
