Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) berichtet in einem Artikel vom Juni 2011 über geplante Beschränkungen der Religionsfreiheit in Nepal. Es würden Bedenken hinsichtlich des neuen Verfassungsentwurfs bestehen. Es sei ein Regierungskomitee errichtet worden, um das nepalesische Strafgesetz, das religiöse Verbreitung („religious propagation“) unterbinden würde, zu begutachten („review“). Artikel 160 des Gesetzesentwurfs sei einem der beiden Verfassungsentwürfe ähnlich und würde weiter gehen als die „Anti-Konvertierungsgesetze“ in fünf Staaten in Indien, insofern als für Erfüllung des Tatbestands der religiösen Verbreitung weder die Voraussetzung „Zwang“, „Täuschung“ oder „Verführung“ bestehen müsste. In einem Bericht von CSW (siehe angeführte Berichte am Ende der Anfragebeantwortung) werde vermerkt, dass der gegenwärtige Verfassungsentwurf Religionsfreiheit nicht ausreichend schütze und gegen geltendes Völkerrecht verstoße:

“Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is today urging the Government of Nepal to ‘stop going down a road which will see significant restrictions on religious freedom’.

In addition to existing concerns over proposals for the new constitution, a committee established by the government to review the penal code of Nepal has submitted a proposal that would ban all religious propagation. Article 160 of the new proposed code is similar to one of the two constitutional proposals, and goes further than the anti-conversion legislation in five states in India by not including the conditions of ‘force’, ‘fraud’ or ‘allurement’ under which religious propagation is illegal. […] CSW’s briefing contends that ‘as Nepal formalises the transition from Hindu monarchy to secular republic, the right to freedom of religion and belief must be protected if the transition is to be a successful one’. It notes that ‘the current interim constitution fails to protect religious freedom in a manner consistent with international law’, and warns that current constitutional proposals are akin to anti-conversion legislation in five states in India. Dr K.B. Rokaya, one of Nepal’s National Human Rights Commissioners, has expressed his ‘serious concern’ about the proposals both for the penal code and the constitution. He said, ‘Religious freedom is the most fundamental human right for all the people of Nepal, especially for those belonging to ethnic minority groups, Dalits, women, children, and minority religious group. I would like to see explicit mention of freedom to change one’s religion in the new Constitution’.” (CSW, 17. Juni 2011)

Ein Artikel des Guardian vom April 2011 beschäftigt sich ebenfalls mit dem Einfluss des Verfassungsentwurfs auf die Religionsfreiheit in Nepal. Die verfassungsgebende Versammlung habe Nepal zu einem säkularen Staat erklärt, es werde jedoch zunehmend Widerstand gegen Nepals „neue Identität“ geübt. Ein beliebter Geistlicher („holy-man“) habe erst kürzlich damit gedroht, sich selbst zu verbrennen, wenn Nepal nicht wieder zu einem hinduistischen Staat erklärt werde. Der neue Verfassungsentwurf enthalte die Bestimmung, dass Niemand das Recht habe, „eine andere Person von einer Konvertierung zu überzeugen“:

“Freedom of religion is not often an issue at the very heart of a constitutional debate, but things have shaped up differently in the new republic of Nepal. Notwithstanding rising political turmoil, the deadline is looming for a new constitution, which will complete and formalise Nepal's transition from Hindu monarchy to secular republic. The constituent assembly has declared Nepal a secular state, but there is an increasing resistance to the nation's new identity, seemingly fuelled by Hindu nationalists in India. In the most dramatic gesture so far, a popular Nepali holy-man, Kali Baba, recently threatened to burn himself alive in protest unless Nepal is once again established as a Hindu nation. It remains to be seen whether this will become a make-or-break issue for the constitution, which is due to be finalised by an increasingly unlikely deadline of 28 May. However, what is abundantly clear is that the debate centring on religious hegemony and pluralism is not a mere tussle over a constitutional detail, but a disagreement about the very identity of Nepal. If Nepal is to see through its transition to pluralist democracy, the right to freedom of religion and belief will need to be protected carefully in the new constitution. However, the current interim constitution, and proposals for a new constitution, suggest there is a long way to go before this happens. One major problem area is religious conversion. The interim constitution says that nobody shall be entitled ‘to convert another person from one religion to another’ and one of the two constitutional proposals is almost identical to this.

Religious conversion arouses strong passions across south Asia, an area with a uniquely complex and chequered history of religious transactions among Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and others, and where religions bear a heavy historical baggage of conquest, colonialism and territorialism and provoke questions of loyalty to community and nation. Yet south Asia also enjoys a rich history of harmony, peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among members of different religions. However, religious sensitivities are not best handled by banning conversions, as the interim constitution has done and a new constitutional proposal seeks to do.” (The Guardian, 27. April 2011)

Die christliche Organisation Barnabas Fund (BF) bezieht sich in einem Artikel vom Juni 2011 ebenfalls auf die geplanten Änderungen des nepalesischen Strafgesetzes. Artikel 158 und 159 leg. cit. würden „die religiösen Gefühle untergraben“ und „Hindernisse für religiöse Riten“ erzeugen. Es werde befürchtet, dass dadurch religiöse Freiräume („free expression“) sowie Kontrolle oderKritik diskriminierender Praktiken unterdrückt werden könnten:

“Nepalese Christians are also concerned about clauses 158 and 159, which would respectively ban ‘undermining any religious feeling’ and ‘putting an obstacle in the way of religious rituals which have been in existence since time immemorial’. They fear the former could be used to stifle the free expression of religion as well as the scrutiny or criticism of discriminatory practices, such as the caste system or inequitable treatment of women, that are embedded in religious belief. There is concern that the latter clause could be used to protect the traditional religions of Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism, with ‘newer’ religions to the country, including Christianity, being perceived as a threat.” (BF, 29. Juni 2011)

Die christliche Zeitung Christian Post (CP) erwähnt in einem Artikel vom August 2011, dass, nachdem der nepalesische Premierminister im Zuge des Ringens um eine neue Verfassung zurückgetreten sei, sich die nepalesischen ChristInnen für Religionsfreiheit vereinen würden. Nepalesische ChristInnen und andere religiöse Minderheiten, darunter MuslimInnen und BuddhistInnen, hätten Befürchtungen hinsichtlich der Religionsfreiheit geäußert, die insbesondere durch die neue Verfassung oder eine neue Regierung beeinträchtigt werden könne. ChristInnen, MuslimInnen und BuddhistInnen hätten das „Inter-Religious Secularism Projection Movement“ (IRSPM) gegründet, um für Kirchen, Moscheen und Klöster einzutreten und um „nicht-Hindu“-Einrichtungen als religiöse Körperschaften zu registrieren. Gegenwärtig würden diese Einrichtungen von der nepalesischen Regierung als Privateigentum betrachtet und seien – im Gegensatz zu hinduistisch-religiösen Einrichtungen - nicht von Steuern befreit:

“Whilst the Nepali government has lost its prime minister during the struggle in drafting a new constitution, the country's Christians and other religions minorities are rallying to ensure that they will be ensured of their religious freedom. Nepal’s Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal, resigned on Sunday after serving only six-months as the country's political leader. Kahanal stated a deadlock in negotiations with the Maoist political party over how many Maoist former combatants should serve as allied security forces as the main reason for his resignation. […] Meanwhile, Nepali Christians and other religious minorities, Muslims and Buddhists have expressed fear for their religious freedom, which could be hindered even more so under a new constitution or a new government regime. Christians, Muslims and Buddhists in the mostly Hindu country have established the Inter-Religious Secularism Projection Movement to advocate for churches, mosques and monasteries and other non-Hindu institutions to be registered as religious bodies. They are currently looked at by the Nepali government as personal property and are not exempt of taxes, as are Hindu religious institutions.” (CP, 15. August 2011)

Auch die anglikanische Internetplattform AnglicanJournal.com berichtet im August 2011 von der Bildung des „Inter-Religious Secularism Protection Movement“ (IRSPM):

“With less than a month left until the adoption of a new constitution, Nepal's religious minorities – Christians, Muslims and Buddhists – have started a campaign against religious discrimination. The Inter-Religious Secularism Protection Movement (IRSPM) is asking the communist-led coalition government to allow churches, mosques, monasteries and other non-Hindu institutions to be registered as religious bodies and waive the taxes they have to pay as they are still regarded as personal properties.” (AJ, 11. August 2011)

Die Zeitung BosNewsLife (BNL) berichtet im August 2011, dass ChristInnen den neuen nepalesischen Premierminister aufgefordert hätten, sie bei der Gewährleistung der Religionsfreiheit in der neuen Verfassung zu unterstützen. Die Aufforderung sei einen Tag, nachdem eine Kirche durch einen Bombenanschlag beinahe zerstört worden sei, erfolgt. Es sei eine Bombe bei den Toren der Aradhana Kirche, einer pfingstkirchlichen Kongregation in dem weit westlich gelegenen Dorf Khairapur, entdeckt worden:

“Christian rights activists have urged Nepal's new prime minister to help guarantee freedom of religion in a new constitution, just days after a bomb nearly destroyed a church. Advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said Wednesday, August 31, ‘There is an air of expectancy in Nepal that the newly-elected Prime Minister, Baburam Bhattarai, will be able to oversee the completion of the constitution-drafting process.’ […] In one of the latest threats against Christians, a bomb was discovered at the gate of Aradhana Church, an Assembly of God congregation in the far western village of Khairapur, Christians said. ‘I saw a strange object at the door of the church around 6 p.m.,’ local time on Sunday, August 28, said Indra Bishwakarma, who leads the 15-year-old church.” (BNL, 31. August 2011)

Im Jahresbericht von Freedom House (FH) vom April 2011 wird ausgeführt, dass 80% der NepalesInnen Hindus seien. Der Rest der Bevölkerung würde dem Buddhismus, dem Islam, dem Christentum oder Volksreligionen („indigenous religion“) angehören. Im Großen und Ganzen würden die Behörden religiösen Minderheiten die Ausübung ihrer Religion erlauben. Der Staat würde selten in religiöse Ernennungen („religious appointments“) oder in die internen Aktivitäten religiöser Organisationen eingreifen. Beschränkungen, darunter Beschränkungen der ausschließlich religiösen Aktivitäten, gegenüber tibetanischen BuddhistInnen hätten jedoch zugenommen. Im ländlichen Bereich hätten sich Diskriminierungen aufgrund religiöser Bräuche, rigider Trennlinien zwischen den Kasten und verbreitete Kinderheirat vermehrt:

“Hindus constitute approximately 80 percent of Nepalese, with the remainder of the population practicing Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, or indigenous religions. For the most part, authorities allow religious minorities to practice their faith freely. The state rarely interferes in religious appointments or the internal activities of religious organizations. However, restrictions on Tibetan Buddhists, including activities of a purely religious nature, have increased recently, a move widely interpreted as an effort to curry favor with the Chinese government. […] In rural areas, discrimination is further heightened by religious customs, rigid caste divisions, and the common practice of child marriage.” (FH, 6. April 2011)

 

Zur Religionsfreiheit in Nepal finden sich ausführliche Information in folgenden Berichten:

 

·      CSW – Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Briefing – Nepal: Protecting religious freedom for a new Nepal, August 2011

·      CSW – Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Briefing – Nepal: Religious freedom and the new constitution, June 2011

 

·      CSW – Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Briefing - Nepal: Religious freedom and the new constitution, September 2010

 

·      USDOS - US Department of State: International Religious Freedom Report 2010, 17. November 2010 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

·      AJ – AnglicanJournal.com: Religious groups in Nepal start campaign for equal rights, 11. August 2011

·      BF - Barnabas Fund: Draft law threatens freedom of religion and expression in Nepal, 29. Juni 2011

·      BNL – BosNewsLife: Nepal Urged To Improve Religious Rights After Church Attack, 31. August 2011

·      CP – Christian Post: Nepal Christians Fear Religious Discrimination as Prime Minister Resigns, 15. August 2011

·      CSW – Christian Solidarity Worldwide: CSW urges Nepal not to pass proposals restricting religious freedom, 17. Juni 2011

http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=1188&search=

·      CSW – Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Briefing – Nepal: Protecting religious freedom for a new Nepal, August 2011

·      CSW – Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Briefing – Nepal: Religious freedom and the new constitution, June 2011

·      CSW – Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Briefing - Nepal: Religious freedom and the new constitution, September 2010

·      FH - Freedom House: Countries at the Crossroads 2010 – Nepal, 6. April 2011

·      The Guardian: Religious freedom in Nepal, 27. April 2011

·      USDOS - US Department of State: International Religious Freedom Report 2010, 17. November 2010 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)