E/CN.4/1996/95
page 9
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(ix)
(x)
Seventh Day Adventists:
Hare Krishna:
Scientology:
Armenia, Cuba;
Armenia;
Germany;
Church of Universal Life:
Germany;
All religions and religious groups:
Japan;
Algeria,
All religions and religious groups with the
exception of the official religion: Argentina,
Bolivia, Maldives.
43.
Analysing the communications by topic, the Special Rapporteur divided
them into six categories of violations.
44.
The first category concerns violations of the principle of
non-discrimination in religion and belief. It involves, first and foremost,
allegations of discriminatory legislation and regulations in regard to
religion and belief. For example, in Argentina, new, extremely strict
provisions were allegedly introduced with respect to the activities of
non-Roman Catholic religious organizations. Likewise, in Eritrea, a
presidential decree provided for loss of civil rights for Jehovah’s Witnesses
because of their refusal to perform military service. Violations of the
principle of non-discrimination can also be found in the allegations of denial
of official recognition for religious groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses
(Austria), the Salvation Army (Belarus) and the Federation of Evangelical
Churches (Belgium). There are also said to be bureaucratic obstacles to
registering religious groups in the Russian Federation. Finally, the Special
Rapporteur addressed a communication to the authorities of Saudi Arabia
concerning the publication of an article containing discriminatory remarks
against Christians. Violations of the principle of non-discrimination are
also found indirectly in the five other categories of attacks.
45.
The second category pertains to violations of the principle of tolerance
in the field of religion and belief and reflects the Special Rapporteur’s
concern about religious extremism. Such extremism can affect an entire
society (Algeria), certain categories of individuals such as writers, artists,
university professors (Egypt), publishers (Mauritania), lawyers (Yemen), women
(Bangladesh) and certain religious minorities (Bangladesh, Turkey). It is
important to note that religious extremism acts as a cancer in a religious
group of any denomination and that it affects the members of that religious
group just as much as those of other religious groups.
46.
The third category concerns violations of freedom of thought, conscience
and religion or belief. The question of conscientious objection is directly
involved in allegations of court prosecution (Cuba against the Seventh Day
Adventists), loss of civil rights (Eritrea) and imprisonment for refusal to
perform military service (Belgium, Cyprus) and alternative service (Austria,
Poland). Other allegations raise the problem of unavailability of alternative