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Waar komen al die nieuwe christenen vandaan?

In de krant 'My Republica' las ik een redactioneel commentaar n.a.v. de beschuldiging dat bekering tot het christelijk geloof onder dwang zou plaatsvinden. Vooral onder Hindoe fundamentalisten wordt dit geluid gehoord. Met name de Rastriya Parajantra Party en soortgelijke groeperingen komen hiermee.

Dit is op zich geen nieuw geluid, maar dit vuurtje wordt waarschijnlijk bewust aangewakkerd om dit ook in de nieuwe grondwet op te nemen (zie ook dit artikel, met name de paragraaf over artikel 31). Veel christenen maken zich daar toch wel enigszins ongerust over. Hoe zal dat er allemaal in de nieuwe grondwet gaan uitzien?

De beschuldigingen zijn vooral gebaseerd op de grote toename van het aantal christenen en kerken in het Dang-district. Het aantal christenen zou in 10 jaar tijd meer dan vertienvoudigd zijn! Ook wordt beweerd dat kinderen onder de tien jaar gedwongen worden christen te worden. Direct bewijs voor deze beschuldigingen voeren ze niet aan. Lees hier het hele artikel (Engelstalig).

Interessant in dit geheel is ook dit artikel van het Religious Forum Nepal gepubliceerd bij www.nepalchurch.com:

 

4 August 2015 PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Religious Forum Nepal has been doing series of serious consultation with religious leaders, civil society’s leaders, human rights activists regarding provision of freedom of religion and belief in upcoming constitution. It urges all the concern stakeholders to publish this press release to make sure that it draws attention of all CA members in Nepal.

There are antagonist and unexpected incidents caused by handful individual and groups trying to fulfil their own stakes rather than goodness of nation and people has brought into our attention. New constitution should lead nation into prosperity, opening door for all kind of possibilities. It should guarantee feeling, thoughts, rights and responsibilities by accepting existence of people from all backgrounds equally. New upcoming constitution should be able to address all people of Nepal.

Concerning Nepal being one of the member organizations of United Nations, state should fulfil its commitment towards international conventions that Nepal is party to. It is a first most privilege of every person to have rights to freedom of religion or belief. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) article 18 allows a person to change his/her religion or belief (conversion). International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) article 18 and its clauses has further supported such freedom.

We are worried about debates on secularism and religious freedom brought unnecessarily. Despite of fact that secularism being a typical political agenda, it has been made needlessly popular issues to discuss about. A very simple meaning of secularism is state just to be neutral towards all kinds of religion and its cultures. A person can or cannot have faith on a religion or belief, person may like or not to follow a religious agendas but state is not an individual person, it is an institutionalized legal guardian to all people from diverse cultures living under its jurisdictions and territory. Therefore, state cannot follow a particular religious belief as an individual. State is an institution that meet the need of people by using its political power. Hence, state should be understood as it cannot be privileged towards any particular religious communities.

There are high possibility of rights of religious freedom being incomplete when state is being relative to a particular religion of belief. In secular state, there will be full guarantee of “freedom of religion or belief” for people from all belief to enjoy their rights. Hereafter, we different religious communities, for the sake of all Nepalese people; lover of peace and justice, appeal to political parties, Constitution Assembly (CA), government of Nepal and concern stakeholders to come in solidarity for making sure full rights of religious freedom in new constitution of Nepal towards the national glory, prosperity, respecting people and nation appropriately.

Dharmik Chautari Nepal (Religious Forum Nepal)

A common platform of people from all religious communities in Nepal

 

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