Fundamentalisms

Indonesia: Law Banning Blasphemy Is Upheld

Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled 8 to 1 Monday that a controversial 45-year-old law banning religious blasphemy was constitutional. The law allows the attorney general’s office to ban religious groups that “distort” or “misrepresent” official faiths and calls for up to five years in prison for anyone found guilty of heresy. The law also limits the number of officially recognized religions to six: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. [This in spite of the fact that prior to Monday's ruling, plaintiffs were confident that a judicial review to contest the law would be successful*.]

الصومال: حركة الشباب تقمع الجنوب

قالت هيومن رايتس ووتش في تقرير أصدرته اليوم إن الحركة الإسلامية المسلحة المعروفة باسم حركة الشباب تُعرّض سكان جنوب الصومال للقتل والعقوبات القاسية والرقابة الاجتماعية المشددة. وتستمر قوات الحكومة الانتقالية الاتحادية والاتحاد الأفريقي في العاصمة مقديشيو التي مزقتها الحرب، تستمر في شن الهجمات العشوائية، وقتل وإصابة العديد من المدنيين.

Somalie : Le groupe armé islamiste Al-Chabaab impose des mesures répressives dans le sud du pays

Le groupe armé islamiste Al-Chabaab fait subir aux habitants du sud de la Somalie des meurtres, des châtiments cruels ainsi qu'un contrôle répressif de leur vie sociale, a indiqué Human Rights Watch dans un rapport publié aujourd'hui. Dans la capitale déchirée par la guerre, Mogadiscio, les forces d'Al-Chabaab, du Gouvernement fédéral de transition (GFT) et de l'Union africaine (UA) continuent à mener des attaques aveugles, tuant et blessant de nombreux civils.

Somalia: Al-Shabaab Metes Out Repression in the South

The Islamist armed group al-Shabaab is subjecting inhabitants of southern Somalia to killings, cruel punishments, and repressive social control, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Al-Shabaab, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), and African Union (AU) forces in the war-torn capital, Mogadishu, continue to conduct indiscriminate attacks, killing and wounding numerous civilians.

United Kingdom: Sahgal and the dangers of legitimising a violent ideology

Gita Sahgal had to leave Amnesty International last week after questioning its association with a former detainee of Guantanamo Bay. Now, in an exclusive article for DNA, Sahgal asks human rights groups to introspect about the dangers of legitimising a violent ideology in their eagerness to find poster boys for their campaigns.

السنغال: الأطفال في مدارس قرآنية عديدة يعانون من انتهاكات جسيمة

قالت هيومن رايتس ووتش في تقرير أصدرته اليوم إن عشرات الآلاف من الأطفال في المدارس القرآنية الداخلية في السنغال (الكتاتيب) يعانون من أوضاع أشبه بالعبودية ومن انتهاكات جسيمة. ودعت هيومن رايتس ووتش السلطات السنغالية إلى تنظيم أوضاع جميع المدارس القرآنية والتحرك بشكل فوري وفعال من أجل تحميل المعلمين الذين يخرقون القوانين السنغالية ضد التسول الجبري والإساءة للأطفال، المسؤولية.

Senegal: Boys in Many Quranic Schools Suffer Severe Abuse

Tens of thousands of children at residential Quranic schools in Senegal are subjected to slavery-like conditions and severely abused, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch urged the Senegalese authorities to regulate all Quranic schools and take immediate and concerted action to hold accountable teachers who violate Senegalese laws against forced begging and child abuse.

Sénégal : Dans de nombreuses écoles coraniques, les garçons subissent de graves abus

Des dizaines de milliers d'enfants fréquentant des internats coraniques au Sénégal sont soumis à des conditions qui s'apparentent à de l'esclavage et sont victimes de graves abus, a déclaré Human Rights Watch dans un rapport publié aujourd'hui. Human Rights Watch a exhorté les autorités sénégalaises à réglementer toutes les écoles coraniques et à entreprendre une action immédiate et concertée pour traduire en justice les professeurs qui violent les lois sénégalaises contre la mendicité forcée et la maltraitance des enfants.

Somalia: Radio stations bow to Islamist ban on music

A majority of radio stations in southern and central Somalia today stopped playing music and jingles, to comply with a ban by Islamist militants. Hizbul Islam, one of the two main insurgent forces in Somalia, issued the order on 3 April, saying music broadcasts violated Islamic principles. It gave FM radio stations – the main form of news and entertainment in the country – 10 days to comply or be shut down. Islamic groups have previously outlawed music in some areas under their control, along with beards, football, movies, women's beauty salons and bras. The latest ban on all tunes – including those used in commercials – appears to be the most widely applied yet, and indicative of the rebels' ability to instil fear.

UPDATE: United Kingdom: Gita Sahgal leaves Amnesty International

Below follow two statements on the departure of the Head of the Gender Unit from Amnesty International following her making public her concerns regarding Amnesty International’s relationship with Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo detainee, now running an organisation called Cageprisoners which has championed the views of Anwar al Awlaki. Update to United Kingdom: WLUML Statement in Support of Gita Sahgal