06.09.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Paktia province: the head of a religious school, a Muslim cleric, allegedly responsible for an attack that left 9 dead ("Did English Lessons Inspire Bomb Blast?") [#25378],  [ID 1117]

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31.08.2004 - Source: Standard

Paktia Province: Ten killed in school attack ("Zehn Tote bei Anschlag auf Schule") [#25325],  [ID 1118]

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04.01.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Petition for changing the country's name to "Republic of Afghanistan" endangers its sponsors ("Delegates, Journalists Report Threats, Intimidation") [#18556],  [ID 1119]

"[...] Amnesty referred to the case of the petition which was circulated calling for the official name of the country to be changed from the “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” to the “Republic of Afghanistan”. The petition gained over 151 signatures, but Sibghatullah Mujaddidi, the chairman of the Loya Jirga, refused to allow a vote on the issue and publicly called those who had sponsored the idea as “infidels”. Amnesty said it was concerned that such statements could place the sponsors of the petition in serious danger.

However, the English-language government newspaper, the Kabul Times, quoted the head of the Loya Jirga drafting commission secretariat, Dr. Farouq Wardak, as saying that Mujaddidi and those in charge of the Loya Jirga had themselves been threatened with death by “a number of adventurists who always disrupt proceedings”. Wardak said this had been brought to the attention of the interior ministry, but officials at the ministry told IWPR they had no information about such threats.

Siamak Herawi, editor-in-chief, of the Dari-language government daily, Anis, told IWPR that he had been threatened by 12 people on the telephone. “I knew two or three of them”, he said.

Herawi said the threats were from people who said they most disliked an article in Anis about pressure from jihadi groups on the process of the constitution's approval.

“During the Loya Jirga the gunmen and jihadi leaders didn’t like the reports we were publishing”, Herawi said. “They threatened me saying, ‘If you do not stop the way you are carrying on with Anis, it will cost you your life’”.

Malalai Joya, a young woman delegate from Farah Province who early on in the proceedings caused a major stir by making an outspoken address in which she referred to mujahedin leaders as “criminals”, also said she was threatened. Joya said she didn't fear the threats, but was given an armed guard just in case.

Waqif Hakimi, the editor of the Mujahed newspaper and a member of Jamiat-e-Islami who is a delegate from Kabul, said he too had been threatened. Complaining about pressure from government ministers, Hakimi said, “If delegates wanted to abstain from voting on an article, ministers directly interfered. We as delegates did not have the right to voice our ideas.”

Hakimi also said, “The minister of Haj and Awqaf [Pilgrimage and Pious Foundations] did not let me speak. He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, showing that the government visibly interfered to make people silent.”

Mohammad Hanif Atmar, the minister of Rehabilitation and Rural Development, denied accusations against the government. “I do not know what delegates complaining about interference by the government are referring to”, said Atmar.[...]"

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09.05.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Journalist receives death threats after publication of columns, one of them defending secularism ("Reporters Face Death Threats") [#12668],  [ID 1121]

"In Kabul, Sayed Mir Hussain Mehdavi, the chief editor of Aftab weekly, received death threats following the publication of three columns in March and April. Mehdavi, who is politically independent, finances the paper himself.

At the end of March, he criticised the use of "Islamic" in the official title of the country, the Islamic Transitional Government of Afghanistan, calling it unnecessary because the legal foundation of the country is not religious. "The use of the word Islamic has no other meaning but to save the government and the authorities from the criticism and objections of the people," he wrote.

In the same column, he said that although the Rabbani government (1993-96) was an Islamic one, many innocent people were killed and the intellectual and material wealth of the country was destroyed.

In early April, Mehdavi published another column defending secularism, saying that it "is not fighting with religion or escaping from religion. [It] brings a balance between the religions. Whether we like it or not secularism is the only way of saving our society".

A third column, in mid-April, said that the government is in the hands of the Panjsheris - a Tajik tribe based in the Panjsheri valley northeast of Kabul, the stronghold of slain leader Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Northern Alliance. "The government should be extended to other parts of the country by allowing participation of everyone so that it is called Afghan and national government," he wrote.

Mehdavi said the death threats, made in telephone calls, came from supporters of Jamiat-e-Islami, the Islamic party from which Northern Alliance evolved."

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05.2003 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

Apostasy and atheism for Muslims punishable by death; jurists intimate that death penalty would be avoided ("Report on Afghanistan") [#13728],  [ID 1120]

"Afghan jurists have stated that apostasy from Islam would be considered a capital offence, but have intimated that ways would be found to avoid the death penalty. Atheism, which would be considered apostasy for a Muslim, is also apparently punishable by death."

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07.03.2003 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

DIS: Non-Islamic/secular conduct is not acceptable in Afghanistan today ("The Political, Security and Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan: Report on fact-finding mission to Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and Islamabad, Pakistan; 22 September - 5 October 2002") [#11326],  [ID 1122]

"4.7.1 Secularisation of the Afghan society The EU's special representative found that it is the Islamic attitude in general which is dictating the guidelines for acceptable conduct in the Afghan society today, and that there is an intolerant attitude to secularisation.
The coordinator of UNAMA's Civil Affairs Branch believed that Muslims behaving in a secular manner are in latent danger of reprisals. Non-Islamic/secular conduct is not acceptable in Afghanistan today. Depending on the political development, non-Islamic conduct may cause repercussions in the future, first and foremost in Kabul. According to the source, there is no doubt that the intelligence service (Amniat) is keeping an eye on which restaurants are selling alcohol - of which there are a few in Kabul - and which shops are selling controversial videos. There is a chance that raids may take place in the future. The source did not know of any such cases, but believed that there was a latent possibility of this happening.
The senior human rights advisor for UNAMA believed that there is presently opposition in the government against secularisation of the Afghan society. According to the Bonn Agreement, this is the aim, but the source said that it does not happen in practice.
UNHCR-Kabul found that compared to the Taliban period, there has been some secularisation. Currently, there is room for religious minorities such as Shias, Hindus and Sikhs. The UNHCR also pointed out that Afghanistan is an Islamic state, and a special department has been set up within the Ministry for Islamic Affairs for the promotion of virtue and combat of vices. (cf. also section 4.8). The source also mentioned the recent prohibition against showing singing and dancing (in Indian movies) on TV. In this connection, action has been taken to close a series of video shops.
According to CCA, no steps have been taken towards the secularisation of the Afghan society at this stage. It is a Muslim society, and Islamic groups are in power, but religious tolerance towards Shias, Ismaelis as well as Hindus and Sikhs is greater than in the past. Alcohol is still prohibited. There is also prohibition against videos showing dancing and a prohibition against female singers on TV and radio. According to the source, such videos are still being sold on the market despite the ban on showing them. Harassment may occur in this context, as the prohibition includes the sale of videos, but according to the source, this will depend on the situation of the person. The source did not know of any such cases. The source believed that it would not be a problem simply to possess such video tapes, but that threats might take place in this context. As regards the people selling such videos, the source assumed that the reaction by authorities would be limited to confiscating the illegal movies.
The coordinator of ACBAR believed that Islam is pervading all areas of the Afghan society today and that the religion is being used as a political tool. In this connection the source said that it has always been a strong element in Afghan culture to declare holy war (Jihad) against certain groups. The source also referred to the ban that has now been made on showing female singers and dancing on TV and to the recently established department for "virtue and vices" at ministerial level."

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