Jubilee Campaign Press Release For immediate release February 20th 2003 ANY EXCUSE TO CLOSE CHURCHES Jubilee Campaign has recently received reports of increasing discrimination and persecution against Christians in Uzbekistan. Despite being properly registered the Generation of Faith Assembly of God Church in Chircik was ordered to close on February 4th 2003. It was registered in 1993 and then forced to re-register in 1998 because of a new law requiring them to do this. The Department of Justice for the Tashkent region at the Ministry of Justice sent a letter to this church in February 2003, ordering them to stop having meetings and claiming that their registration was incorrect. There has been ongoing pressure by the Uzbek authorities to stop churches preaching and singing in the local Uzbek language, in an attempt to stop the Gospel spreading among the predominantly Muslim population of the country. For example, pressure by the Uzbek authorities has been put on the Generation of Faith Assembly of God Church in Chircik and on the Full Gospel Church in Chilansar, Tashkent, to stop having meetings because they were singing and preaching in Uzbek. One Uzbek official at the Department of Justice for the Tashkent region is even reported to have stated, "we are looking for any excuse to close churches". Asanbayev Kuralbai Jangabayevich and Keulimjayev Rashid Tajibayevich were reading a Bible with 2 others in their home in the city of Muynak on December 16th 2002 when police raided their meeting, beat them and took Asanbayev and Keulimjayev to prison where they were held for 5 days. Jubilee Campaign is lobbying the Uzbek government to stop the repression against Christians. Jubilee's Researcher and Parliamentary Officer, Wilfred Wong, says, " It is appalling that Christians in Uzbekistan can't even have a Bible study without being subjected to a police raid and imprisonment. Uzbekistan has a long history of discrimination and persecution against Christians and although in recent years the Uzbek authorities have tried harder to present a more moderate face to the international community, it is clear that anti-Christian persecution still exists in that country." ********** For further information you can contact Wilfred Wong on +44 (0)20 7219 5129 Jubilee Campaign is an interdenominational Christian human rights organisation which has worked with over 150 British Parliamentarians on human rights issues all over the world.
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