In another invasion into Christian freedom of religion, a Kazakh regional religious affairs department has demanded the personal data of everyone under 18 who attends Christian meetings for worship. It was not sent to Muslims. The department instructed locally-registered Christian communities to submit by 10 April full names, ages, place of study and personal state-assigned numbers of anyone under the age of 18 who met for Christian worship. The information was needed for ‘monitoring’. Darkhan Kalatayev is the new religion and civil society minister. Under him religious leaders risk prosecution if people under 18 attend worship against the wishes a parent or guardian. Prosecutions have been brought even in cases where neither parent has told a religious leader of their objections to such a person attending a meeting.
Kazakhstan: state demands personal data
Written by David Fletcher 19 Apr 2018Additional Info
- Pray: for Kazakh authorities, under international pressure, to end illegal rulings. (Proverbs 14:5,6)
- More: www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2368