I am waiting to see the mainstream media erupt with coverage of this officially-snactioned descration of sacred texts. Who doesn't know about the [false] story about a Koran being flushed away last year? It was all over the news. This story is from Forum 18 (based in Oslo), with a summary:
Following a 27 August raid on a Baptist church in the southern town of Karshi, two visiting Baptists were given massive fines on 25 October of 438 US Dollars each for participating in unregistered religious worship, while four local church members were given smaller fines, Protestant sources told Forum 18 News Service. The court ordered Bibles and hymnbooks confiscated during the raid to be burnt, a regular practice with literature confiscated during raids despite official denials. The judge refused to discuss the case with Forum 18. After 30 police officers raided a Pentecostal church in the capital Tashkent on 13 November, one church member has so far been fined. The Karshi Baptists called for Uzbekistan's harsh religion law to be brought into line with the religious freedom guarantees in the country's Constitution and international human rights standards.
I'm sure you will read more about in Time, Newsweek, and your local paper, soon.
Checking CNN right now...
***crickets***
Thankfully, I seem to be recovering from my tendency towards indignation at this sort of thing.
Posted by: Aengus Óg | November 27, 2006 at 11:01 AM
Come, now, this is clearly impossible. The Religion of Peace (tm) would never countenance such a thing. Clearly these Christians burned their own holy books, in an obvious attempt to garner sympathy - unless, of course, it was really Mossad again, acting in disguise.
As for the suggestion that "international human rights standards" were ever meant to imply that CHRISTIANS would have the freedom to practice THEIR religion...well, that's just ludicrous.
Posted by: Joe Long | November 27, 2006 at 11:11 AM
Definitely Mossad. After all things have been too quiet lately. Oh, and the Pope, the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the President of United States Episcopal Communion were all involved.
Of course if we came up with that kind of conspiracy CNN would be all over it.
Posted by: Nick | November 27, 2006 at 01:04 PM
I just got a call from a friend at the NYT and am happy to report that this has triggered an investigative series and lead story in next Sunday's Magazine. He assured me that the Times will not be silent until a full apology is obtained from the Uzbekistan government...I am so thankful that we live in a country with a fair and balanced media!
Posted by: Brian John Schuettler | November 27, 2006 at 03:10 PM
Brian, I may be being naive, but I can't quite tell if you're joking.
Maybe if we all went out and burned some effigies and cars and flags and stuff...I wonder what it would take to make people start taking notice of the "Christian street."
(Note: I don't actually advocate any such thing. I think we're called to be peaceable in all our protestations.)
Posted by: Ethan Cordray | November 27, 2006 at 07:32 PM
Yeah have to admit Brian you have me stumped too. Really?
Posted by: Nick | November 28, 2006 at 12:22 PM
My sarcasm knows no bounds...besides, we are talking about the NYT...that should have been a clue. It is my understanding that some people consider journalism to be a profession. So is prostitution.
Posted by: Brian John Schuettler | December 12, 2006 at 03:51 PM