A/59/366
or make complaints about their treatment to the courts or human rights
organizations.
Indonesia
41. On 16 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent to the Government of
Indonesia information alleging that, under a draft bill drawn up by the Religious
Affairs Ministry, inter-religious marriage and inter-religious adoptions would be
banned; people would be prohibited from attending religious ceremonies of a faith
other than their own; religious teaching that “deviate[d] from the main teachings of
that religion” would be banned; and places of worship could be established only
with the permission of the Government. The proposed bill reportedly only
recognizes five official religions in Indonesia.
42. The Special Rapporteur also referred to a series of attacks on mostly Christian
villages in the Poso area of Central Sulawesi that have reportedly raised fears of a
return to the sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians that afflicted
Sulawesi and the neighbouring Maluku islands between 1999 and 2001. It was
reported that the situation began to deteriorate in Poso following the killing of at
least 10 people there and in neighbouring Morowali on 12 October 2003.
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
43. On 16 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent information to the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran alleging that, in the last week of
January 2004, individuals in the city of Babul began destroying the resting place of
Mulla Muhammad-‘Ali Barfurushi, known as Quddus (the most holy), a site of great
religious significance to the Bahá’ís community worldwide.
44. On 10 June 2004, the Special Rapporteur reported to the Government that the
building over the grave of Quddus had reportedly been completely levelled. Despite
attempts to protect this site, the demolition of the structure had continued gradually
and quietly, in a manner designed not to attract attention. Subsequently, the Bahá’ís
were allegedly prevented from retrieving the remains of Quddus.
45. In another letter, dated 14 June 2004, the Special Rapporteur reported that on
23 May 2004, the police arrested Khosroo Yusefi, a Protestant Christian pastor, in
northern Iran, jailing him along with his wife and two teenage children. Reportedly
dozens of believers from two of Mr. Yusefi’s church groups were also jailed in the
first week of May and later released.
Israel
46. On 10 June 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent to the Government of Israel
information stating that the renewal of clergy visas (A3) is being obstructed by
Israel authorities. The result was that many Christians remained in Israel illegally,
affecting their ability to move around and do their work. It was feared that those
who remained in Israel without a visa faced arrest and deportation and that those
who left would not be allowed to return.
Kyrgyzstan
47. On 16 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent to the Government of
Kyrgyzstan information according to which the demolition of six of the nine
10