A/52/477
English
Page 7
27. The urgent appeal addressed to the United Arab Emirates was likewise a
reminder, concerning the case of Mr. Elie Dib Ghalib, a Christian who was
arrested and allegedly subjected to ill-treatment because he had married a
Muslim. On 29 October 1996 a court declared his marriage null and void and
sentenced Mr. Ghalib to 39 lashes and a year's imprisonment for immoral marital
relations. The United Arab Emirates replied that the trial had been conducted
in accordance with the provisions of the Shariah and the law and stated that
"all are equal before the Shariah, the Constitution and the law" and that there
had been no discrimination on the grounds of belief or nationality.
28. Based on the analysis of the communications, the following is a very
general classification of the communities which have allegedly been the victims
of violations of religious freedom:
(a) Christianity: Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iraq, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal,
Qatar, Pakistan, Romania, the Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the United
Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan;
(b) Islam: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Iraq,
Qatar and Uzbekistan;
(c)
Buddhism:
(d)
Other religions, religious groups and religious communities:
(i)
Ahmadis:
Pakistan;
(ii)
Baha'is:
Iran;
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
China and Viet Nam;
Jehovah's Witnesses: Armenia, Bulgaria, Gabon, Georgia, Latvia,
Romania, Singapore and Slovakia;
Hare Krishna:
Armenia;
All religions, all religious groups and religious communities except
the official or State religion or the predominant religion: Brunei
Darussalam, the Comoros, Israel, Kuwait, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Oman,
the Russian Federation, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen;
All religions, all religious groups and religious communities:
Nigeria.
29. On the basis of an analysis by topic, the communications can be divided
into six categories.
30. The first category concerns violations of the principles of nondiscrimination in matters of religion and belief:
(a) It involves allegations concerning discriminatory policies and/or
legislation in regard to religion and belief:
/...