Press

Forum 18 News Service

"This has nothing to do with religion" religious affairs official screams

Kazakhstan routinely denies that its attacks on and demolition of a Hare Krishna commune are religious freedom issues. Yet this is contradicted by the presence of a state religious affairs official, Ryskul Zhunisbayeva, at the latest court hearing, Forum 18 News Service notes.

REUTERS (Almaty)

OSCE criticises Kazakhstan over Krishna incident

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe criticised Kazakhstan on Monday for destroying part of a village housing Hare Krishna followers, calling the incident a form of religious intolerance.

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

OSCE Expresses 'Deep Concern' At Kazakh Hare Krishna Move

Experts advising the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on religion issues say they are "deeply concerned" by reports that Kazakh authorities are destroying the only Hare Krishna commune in the former Soviet Union.

DailyIndia.com

ISKCON protests against demolition of temples in Kazakhstan

Kolkata: Scores of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) members held a protest rally here today against demolition of temples in Kazakhstan and called for an immediate halt of alleged harassment of Hindus in that country.

Forum18 (F18News)

KAZAKHSTAN: Will rest of Hare Krishna commune now be destroyed?

With almost a quarter of the Hare Krishna-owned homes in their Sri Vrindavan Dham commune on the outskirts of Almaty already destroyed, community members are afraid that the rest of the 66 homes – including their temple – could be next. "The community is in shock, but they are determined to defend their homes and place of worship," community member Govinda Swami told Forum 18 News Service. He says destruction of the temple would be "devastating". Neighbouring houses owned by non-Krishna devotees have not been touched and sources have told Forum 18 that President Nursultan Nazarbayev's brother has designs on the property. Local administration chief Bagdad Akhmetayev refused to say why the homes were being destroyed when the court merely ordered the devotees' eviction, telling Forum 18 "I simply came to watch the demolition and I am not prepared to make any comment. Please ask the court bailiffs directly." The bailiffs refused to talk to Forum 18. Police prevented OSCE officials from reaching the village during the 21 November destruction.

iwpr (Institute for war & peace reporting)

Demolition of Hare Krishna Commune Seen as Discriminatory

A decision to demolish homes owned by the Hare Krishna movement in Kazakstan looks very much like a case of discrimination on faith grounds, local commentators say

WikiNews: BreakingNews

An ongoing struggle in Kazakhstan between the authorities and a local Hindu village has turned serious.

It was snowing. Residents’ household stuff such as mattresses, blankets, utensils cookware, and furniture were laying outside on the lawns by their houses. People in construction outfits (labor people) got inside the houses and started crushing windows and doors, destroying walls. The bulldozer was demolishing the buildings and the big stone fencing with cast iron openwork lattice which separated the houses from the driving area.

Bartholomew's notes on religion