A/55/280 31. Christian institutions and individuals have reportedly been the targets of violent acts of intolerance. In March 2000, a Capuchin institute is said to have been attacked in the city of Ghaziabad. In Surya Nagar, acts of vandalism were reportedly perpetrated against a technical training institute run by the Capuchin Fathers. In April 2000, in Haryanan, three nuns were reportedly assaulted while they were on their way to the Rewari Catholic church to celebrate Easter. In that same month, in Mathura, the assistant priest of Saint Dominic’s Church and the principal of Saint Dominic’s School were reportedly attacked. Again in April, in Kosaikoan, a priest and two nuns were reportedly injured in an attack against the Sacred Heart school and convent. Lastly, on 16 April 2000, a convent in Bijnor was reportedly attacked. Indonesia 32. On 17 January 2000, in Mataram on the island of Lombok, 12 churches and a number of Christian-owned properties were reportedly destroyed, and the Christian population had to flee to Bali. After the army had intervened and order had been restored, signs of provocation reportedly reappeared, such as the presence of hog carcasses in mosques. On 6 May 2000, in the village of Akidri, in the district of Halmahera Island, North Maluku, rioting reportedly resulted in the destruction of a church and the houses of 10 Christian families. Similar attacks reportedly occurred on the island of Buru. These attacks were reportedly organized by an extremist Muslim group known as Lashkar Jihad Sunnah Wal Jamaah, which is said to have threatened to carry jihad into the Molucca Islands. 33. In February 2000, radio station PTPN Rasitania, in Surakarta, broadcast an interview with a priest who stated that there were many similarities between the Qur’an and the Bible, and that the Prophet had been a Christian before becoming a Muslim. Following protests and accusations of blasphemy from the Surakarta Islamic Youth Front, the station was reportedly compelled to refrain from broadcasting for a week and made to apologize. The Alliance of Independent Journalists reportedly went to the police and presented a statement of protest against these measures. The police, for their part, are said to have arrested the priest who gave the interview, for contravening the criminal code’s provisions on religious contempt. Iran (Islamic Republic of) 34. The urgent appeal to the Islamic Republic of Iran referred to further information relating to allegations that three Baha’is, Sirus Dhabihi-Muqaddam, HidayatKashifi Najafabadi and Ata’ullah Hamid Nasirizadih, had been sentenced to death. This matter had been the subject of a previous urgent appeal, which, together with the reply from the Islamic Republic of Iran, may be found in document E/CN.4/1999/58. On 3 February 2000, Mr. Dhabihi-Muqaddam and Mr. Najafabadi were reportedly informed orally that the verdict in their case, namely the death sentence, had been confirmed. The same court reportedly sentenced Manuchehr Khulusi to death as well. This person was reportedly arrested in Birjand eight months ago and transferred to the Mashhad prison because of his Baha’i activities. 35. The Islamic Republic of Iran has provided the following reply: I would like to inform you that the spokesman of the judiciary denied any confirmation of death sentence against Sirus Dhabihi-Muqaddam, Hidayat-Kashifi Najafabadi and Manuchehr Khulusi. He stated that the cases of the above-mentioned persons are still under consideration by the Supreme Court. Israel 36. In recent years, Jewish prayer sites are reported to have been established, without official authorization, on Muslim graves, resulting in serious damage to religious antiquities. However, no legal proceedings have been instituted against those responsible. For example, at a location near the town of Modi’in, persons of the Jewish faith are alleged to have committed acts of vandalism against a Muslim burial ground and to have declared the place to be the burial site of Matityahu Ben-Yohanan. Near Holon, a synagogue has reportedly been built on the tomb of a sheikh in a Muslim cemetery after a Jewish religious group declared it to be the site of the tomb of Shimon Ben-Ya’akov. Also, young persons of the Jewish faith are said to have established a prayer site for the prophet Reuven on a Muslim site near Palmahim beach south of Tel Aviv. Jordan 37. On 23 March 2000, Muslim extremists reportedly accused the writer Musa Hawamdeh of apostasy 9