Monday, February 05, 2007

Forum 18: Kazakhstan - President too busy with "important affairs" to meet with Baptists

30 January 2007
KAZAKHSTAN: PRESIDENT TOO BUSY WITH "IMPORTANT AFFAIRS" TO MEET BAPTISTS
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=904

Amanbek Mukhashev, head of Kazakhstan's Religious Affairs Committee, has petulantly complained to Forum 18 News Service about a request from a group of Baptist churches to meet President Nursultan Nazarbayev to discuss state harassment of their congregations. "Instead of tearing the President away from important affairs the Baptists would do better to register their churches and not violate the law," he told Forum 18. The Council ofChurches Baptists, who have over 100 congregations in Kazakhstan, estimate that more than 40 of their members have been fined for their role in worship services since legal restrictions on religious freedom were made harsher in July 2005. "It is perfectly natural that the President will not meet the Baptists," a Presidential Administration official stated. PastorYaroslav Senyushkevich commented to Forum 18 that "we regret that officials have such an attitude towards us."

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