New religion law in Kazakhstan more restrictive

ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan is planning more restrictions on freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Human rights activists and some religious communities have expressed alarm at a planned religion law penalizing "unapproved" religious activities. The proposals include banning missionary activity by people who do not both represent registered religious communities and have state accreditation and banning small religious communities from maintaining public places of worship or publishing religious literature.

Prime Minister Karim Masimov has backed the latest draft, writing that "perfecting" legislation at the "contemporary phase of state-confessional relations" is "timely and necessary." Aleksandr Ivlev of the Russian Orthodox Church vigorously defended the proposals, saying, "The current law has allowed sectarians to spread in the country." He also said, "The proposed amendments do not at all restrict the rights and freedoms of religious organizations — those that say otherwise are lying." In addition to the draft law, the mass media are being used by officials and parliamentary deputies to promote intolerance of religious communities they dislike.