الهند: حظر تغيير الدين دون إذن السلطات ومعاقبة المخالف بالسجن

خبر من مصادر إنجليزية.

صدرت مذكرة القانونية بولاية "ماديا براديش" الهندية، تشير إلى منع تغيير الدين إلا بإذن السلطات، ومعاقبة المخالفين بالسجن في حالة تغيير الملة دون الحصول على إذن قبل شهر من تغيير الدين.

وقد لقيت تلك المذكرة انتقادات واسعة بين صفوف المسلمين والنصارى والمجموعات المدنية؛ حيث اعتُبرت إرضاءً للهندوس الذين يشكّلون أغلبية ذات تأثير قوي على الحكم والمجتمع.

وقد أكدت الجمعيات الإسلامية أن المذكرة القانونية مخالفة للدستور وحرية العقيدة؛ حيث تأتي المذكرة كتعديل لقانون "مكافحة اعتناق الأديان"، الذي تم التقدم به عام 1968 وتمت الموافقة عليه مؤخرًا؛ حيث تشدد السلطات على إبلاغها وقيام رجال الدين بإبلاغها أيضًا في حالات اعتناق الأفراد للأديان المختلفة، وذلك تحت وطأة الجماعات الهندوسية. المصدر: شبكة الألوكة.

يرجى الإشارة إلى المصدر عند نقل الخبر – شبكة الألوكة.

الخبر من مصدره الأصلي:

Muslims and Christians in India’s Madhya Pradesh state have widely condemned a new legislation that would send those who convert and their religious leaders to prison for failing to obtain permission from authorities at least one month prior to conversion.

“It is a total violation of an individual’s human rights. One is free to accept any religion,” Ausaf Shahmiri Khurram, president of All India Muslim Festival Committee, told OnIslam.net.

“How can a government or the administration stop someone from accepting the religion of their choice.

“This is totally against the Indian constitution.”

Introduced as an amendment to Madhya Pradesh’s existing “anti-conversion” law of 1968, the law was approved by the state’s Legislative Assembly a few days ago.

Ironically called “Freedom of Religion Acts,” it forbids forcible or fraudulent conversions, but Hindu nationalists have used them to arrest and harass religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians with false accusations.

The new bill in Madhya Pradesh requires those who convert to notify government officials after conversion. Moreover, it obligates religious leaders to report the conversions

A conversion application, giving details of the venue and date of conversion ceremonies, has to be submitted at the district magistrate’s office a month before conversion.

If the prospective converts are minors, women or members of Scheduled Castes, the legislation stipulates a jail term of up to four years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 rupees (US$1,680).

“This amendment was necessary to stop conversions taking place by force and allurement. There are people who were converting poor people by offering them money,” said Umashankar Gupta, home minister of Madhya Pradesh state.

“This is going to stop such a practice.”

Muslims and Christians constitute less than 7% of the total population in Madhya Pradesh.

According to Minority Rights Group International, followers of both faiths have been the target of attacks and discrimination in Madhya Pradesh.

Christian missionaries have also been accused of converting tribal people and low caste Hindus with force and allurement.

This year alone, there have been 9 reported attacks against Christians.

The new law was also condemned by Christian groups who have fallen victims recently to repeated attacks from Hindu hardliners.

“Hindu hard line groups are going to use this amendment to the law for their own purposes. Without conversion, they have already registered 36 cases against us in the past five years,” Anand Muttungal, Christian Federation coordinator Anand Muttungal, told OnIslam.net.

“Two of them have already been rejected by the court. This shows that we are constantly under threat.”

The law amendment was also criticized by civil society organizations.