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that some groups and individuals, such as the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), target Muslims they perceive to be practicing Islam in unacceptable ways. Religious Freedom Conditions 2015–2016 General Conditions During USCIRF’s visit to Indonesia, several interlocutors noted that their religious communities experienced challenges in certain parts of the country but otherwise spoke of generally fair conditions for religious freedom. Individuals of many faiths – even beyond the six officially recognized religions – have the flexibility to practice, worship, and teach freely. Some religiously diverse neighborhoods have long traditions of interfaith interaction and cooperation. Komnas HAM has expanded its investigations into religious freedom violations, and has noted the difficulties in preventing local officials from discriminating against religious minorities and reminding them of their responsibility to follow national laws and policies. Forced Closures of and Violence against Religious Properties In some parts of the country, local governments commonly restrict or prevent religious practice pursuant to government policy, specifically the 2006 Joint Regulation on Houses of Worship, which requires permits for houses of worship. Under the 2006 Regulation, obtaining a permit requires: a list of 90 congregation members; signatures from 60 local households of a different faith; recommendations from the local religious affairs office and local Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB); and approval from the sub-district head. The Regulation provides local governments the latitude to deny permits to smaller congregations and the authority to close or tear down houses of worship built prior to 2006. Komnas HAM and local NGOs have raised concerns about the violence and conflict caused by the 2006 Regulation. For example, in October 2015, protestors in Aceh Singkil District in the province of Aceh demanded the local government close 10 churches without permits. Perceiving the government to be acting too slowly, a reported mob of hundreds attacked and set fire to two of the churches; one man was killed. The next day on Twitter, President Jokowi urged an end to the violence, stating that violence harms diversity. Although the government deployed additional police and military troops in the area, thousands of mostly Christian residents fled the province. Due to the lack of permits, the authorities tore down several of the churches. In July, hardliner groups and local Muslim residents also protested several churches in Yogyakarta over alleged permit issues. Similarly, local officials closed the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin in Bogor, West Java after hardliners pressured the local government to suspend the church’s permit in 2008. Despite a 2010 Supreme Court ruling ordering the church be reopened, it remains closed. In 2015, the city revealed plans to relocate the church, which the congregation rejected because they had not been consulted. At Christmas, the GKI Yasmin church joined with fellow West Java church, the Filadelfia Batak Church (HKBP) closed by the Bekasi city government in 2011, in holding outdoor services across from the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Christian churches are not the only houses of worship targeted. In July 2015, a crowd of approximately 200 people threw rocks and set fire to a mosque in Tolikara, Papua when local Muslims gathered to perform Idul Fitri prayers. The fire spread to several nearby shops and forced the evacuation of approximately 200 local residents. . . . a reported mob of hundreds attacked and set fire to two of the churches [in Aceh Singkil District]; one man was killed. Ahmadis The government’s 2008 Joint Ministerial Decree bans Ahmadis from spreading their faith, and the MUI issued a fatwa (religious edict) declaring the Ahmadiyya faith to be deviant and heretical. Over the years, some religious leaders and entire provinces have expanded restrictions on Ahmadis, banning all Ahmadiyya activities; some Ahmadiyya mosques have been closed as a result. While meeting USCIRF, Ahmadis described facing challenges in some parts of the country in building new mosques and obtaining ID cards. They also reported being blocked 168 USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2016
INDONESIA by mobs during Friday prayers and poor responsiveness from local police, including inaction against harassment and attacks. However, Ahmadis expressed optimism in the Jokowi government, citing its openness to speak with members of their community. Beginning in June 2015, protestors in South Jakarta, some belonging to FPI, prevented Ahmadis from performing Friday prayers at the An Nur Mosque on two non-successive Fridays, and on July 8 the mosque was sealed. Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama ordered the mosque reopened, but it remained closed at the end of the reporting period. Basuki’s support is a welcome development, including his decision to allow Ahmadis in the area to worship from home. Meanwhile, Ahmadis in other parts of the country also experience restrictions and abuses. A total of 118 Ahmadis remain internally displaced in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara after sectarian violence forced their eviction more than nine years ago. Shi’a Muslims Like Ahmadis, Shi’a Muslims are viewed as practicing a “deviant” or “heretical” form of Islam. Throughout 2015, conservatives and hardliners within the Sunni majority, including those affiliated with the Anti-Shi’a National Alliance, continued to harass and threaten Shi’a Muslims. Shi’a Muslims who spoke with the USCIRF delegation during its visit reported that members of their community face discrimination in civil service positions and accusations of blasphemy. However, they noted few In October 2015, Bogor Mayor Bima Arya Sugiarto banned the Shi’a Muslim commemoration of Ashura. restrictions establishing mosques, although Shi’a Muslims in Indonesia generally do not seek to build their own mosques. Approximately 300 Shi’a Muslims from East Java have been displaced since 2012 after a mob attacked their village and forced them from their homes. In October 2015, Bogor Mayor Bima Arya Sugiarto banned the Shi’a Muslim commemoration of Ashura. Protestors in Bandung interrupted Ashura celebrations as well. Baha’is Indonesia’s Baha’i community still experiences government discrimination because of their faith. Despite Religious Affairs Minister Lukman’s 2014 statement that the Baha’i faith should be recognized as a religion protected by the constitution, the government has not changed official policy. Baha’i followers are not able to obtain state recognition of civil marriages, have limited educational opportunities, and must state a faith other than their own on their ID cards. Only recently have some Baha’is been allowed to leave blank the religion field on their ID cards. Although some schools now allow Baha’is to provide their own religious education, Baha’i instruction is not part of the official curriculum on religion set by the national standards board, and some Baha’i students instead are forced to study Protestantism or Catholicism. Constitutional Court Fails to Protect Interfaith Marriage In June 2015, the Constitutional Court ruled against a request for judicial review of the 1974 Marriage Act to fully legalize interfaith marriages. Some government officials and religious leaders interpret Article 2(1) of the Act in a way that prevents couples of different faiths from obtaining marriage licenses or having their marriages officially recognized unless one spouse changes religions. Government officials, including Religious Affairs Minister Lukman, lauded the Court’s decision for protecting religion; Lukman said interfaith marriage is not possible. Blasphemy Law Government officials told USCIRF that the laws criminalizing blasphemy and other forms of perceived religious insults are in place to protect citizens from violence. One official admitted the government “limits speech in order to prevent societal chaos.” Interlocutors told USCIRF that blasphemy cases are now typically tried under criminal defamation laws rather than the 1965 Blasphemy Law. Other interlocutors noted that the Blasphemy Law, whether directly in use or not, provides the majority the right to persecute the minority, particularly at the regional and local level where pressure from intolerant, hardline groups can be most severe. USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2016 169
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UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNA
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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE U.S. COMMISSIO
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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....
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INTRODUCTION By any measure, religi
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“Migrants are escorted through fi
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including the United States. To be
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2016 ANNUAL REPORT OVERVIEW Created
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IRFA IMPLEMENTATION IRFA’s Purpos
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names in the Federal Register. Desp
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target. The IRF Reports covering 20
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from the State Department’s CPC l
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and religious tolerance be included
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Service (USCIS), and Immigration an
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freedom concerns in OSCE countries,
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language to express congressional c
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TIER 1 CPCS DESIGNATED BY THE STATE
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BURMA Key Findings In 2015, peacefu
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BURMA carrying at least 5,000 indiv
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BURMA • Engage the government of
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CHINA Key Findings China’s severe
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CHINA indicated increased governmen
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CHINA including the treatment of Ch
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ERITREA Key Findings The Eritrean g
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ERITREA legal counsel, accorded due
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ERITREA property and property inter
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IRAN Key Findings Religious freedom
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IRAN engaging in religious activiti
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IRAN On July 28, 2014, the Secretar
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NORTH KOREA Key Findings North Kore
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NORTH KOREA become unstable. As a d
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USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2016 55
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SAUDI ARABIA Key Findings Despite s
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SAUDI ARABIA November 2015, his sen
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SAUDI ARABIA in the Kingdom during
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SAUDI ARABIA • Press the Saudi go
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SUDAN Key Findings Religious freedo
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SUDAN trials, with no legal represe
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SUDAN • Continue to support dialo
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TURKMENISTAN Key Findings In 2015,
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TURKMENISTAN Punishments for Religi
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TURKMENISTAN • Urge the Turkmen g
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UZBEKISTAN Key Findings The governm
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UZBEKISTAN over the past 15 years a
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UZBEKISTAN Afghanistan’s security
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TIER 1 CPCS RECOMMENDED BY USCIRF -
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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Key Findin
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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC where ther
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USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2016 89
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EGYPT Key Findings Against a backdr
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EGYPT unlicensed mosques from holdi
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EGYPT views on Facebook; he has gon
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disfavored Muslims and non-Muslims,
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IRAQ Key Findings Iraq’s religiou
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IRAQ accounts, ISIL gave Yazidis tw
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IRAQ al-Nujaifi. Moreover, in 2014,
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NIGERIA Key Findings Religious free
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NIGERIA houses of worship and relig
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NIGERIA in denying applications to
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NIGERIA development assistance, cou
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PAKISTAN Key Findings In 2015, the
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PAKISTAN second amendment, which am
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Page 125 and 126: SYRIA Key Findings Syria’s religi
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Page 133 and 134: TAJIKISTAN Key Findings The governm
Page 135 and 136: TAJIKISTAN In February 2015, Tajiki
Page 137 and 138: TAJIKISTAN education, and security.
Page 139 and 140: VIETNAM Key Findings Government res
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Page 143 and 144: VIETNAM Dialogue, which prominently
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Page 147 and 148: AFGHANISTAN Key Findings Afghanista
Page 149 and 150: AFGHANISTAN In 2015, U.S. and inter
Page 151 and 152: AZERBAIJAN Key Findings Despite Aze
Page 153 and 154: AZERBAIJAN August 2014. After being
Page 155 and 156: AZERBAIJAN those seen by officials
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Page 159 and 160: CUBA Key Findings During the report
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Page 165 and 166: INDIA Key Findings In 2015, religio
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Page 169 and 170: INDIA Violations against Sikhs In a
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Page 173: INDONESIA Key Findings Incidents of
Page 177 and 178: INDONESIA the Rohingya Muslims from
Page 179 and 180: KAZAKHSTAN Key Findings Although th
Page 181 and 182: KAZAKHSTAN activity. Court hearings
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Page 185 and 186: LAOS Key Findings Although the Lao
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Page 191 and 192: MALAYSIA Key Findings In 2015, many
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Page 197 and 198: RUSSIA Key Findings Along with othe
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Page 207 and 208: TURKEY Key Findings Turkey’s cons
Page 209 and 210: TURKEY since 2011. The communities
Page 211 and 212: TURKEY U.S. Policy Turkey is an imp
Page 213 and 214: BAHRAIN During the past year, there
Page 215 and 216: BANGLADESH In 2015, violent extremi
Page 217 and 218: BELARUS USCIRF continues to monitor
Page 219 and 220: BELARUS of Catholic Bishops observe
Page 221 and 222: HORN OF AFRICA Religious freedom vi
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KYRGYZSTAN The Kyrgyz government re
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WESTERN EUROPE USCIRF continues to
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WESTERN EUROPE Hate Speech Laws The
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APPENDICES USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2
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APPENDIX 1 BIOGRAPHIES OF USCIRF CO
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Glendon is a member of the American
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and a regional federal agency. Rose
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APPENDIX 2 ERITREAN PRISONER LIST 2
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APPENDIX 3 BOKO HARAM ATTACKS Boko
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DATE PERPETRATOR DESCRIPTION LOCATI
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APPENDIX 4 MUSLIM LEADERS IMPRISONE
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APPENDIX 5 AZERBAIJAN PRISONER LIST
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The Case of the Web site www.azad.x
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The “Freedom for Hijab” Case Th
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The Case of the Muslim Unity Moveme
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APPENDIX 6 KAZAKHSTAN PRISONER LIST
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The Criminal Code of the Republic o
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APPENDIX 7 TAJIKISTAN PRISONER LIST
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NO. NAME BIRTH DATE RESIDENCY RESPO
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NO. NAME BIRTH DATE RESIDENCY RESPO
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The Case of “Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Is
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The Case of “Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Is
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The First Case of “Hizb ut-Tahrir
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The Case of Members of the Banned I
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268 USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2016
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