Posts by myself

If she had been in a true pioneer spirit she could have stood in the post office line with her tracts. But then again someone might have gone postal if she did.

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New Meeting attendance policy??

by noidea in

jw
friends

i couldn't believe it when my daughter came home from a weekend at her cousins.

she had gone to the meeting with them on sunday and had been approached by an elder (an uncle by marriage)..he was of course joking when he said this....he had the nerve to tell her that because i was not attending the meetings (haven't been for 7 months) that they were going to have to come to my home with a shotgun and make me go.

i have heard of shotgun weddings before not shotgun meeting attendance.

myself

I loved her reply to Uncle Elder By Marriage, give her a Big Hug from Aunt Kiki.

33

I need your prayers please

by WildHorses in

jw
friends

i was at the hospital all day with my best friend, mattie.

she had a biopsy on her colon this morning.

they are looking for cancer, seeing they can't seem to find anything else causing her problem.

myself

(((((Lilacs))))) and for (((((Mattie))))

Lilacs you showed Mattie who can truly be counted on for a friend. You are a wonderful person. You are both in my thoughts and prayers.

Myself

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Subject: Jehovah's Witnesses Under Fire Around the

by myself in

i received this in my e-mail today and thought i'd pass it along .

sent: saturday, march 30, 2002 12:15 pm.

eritrea, georgia, greece, kazakhstan, romania, russia, rwanda, singapore,.

myself

I received this in my e-mail today and thought I'd pass it along

Myself

Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 12:15 PM
Subject: Jehovah's Witnesses Under Fire Around the World

Jehovah's Witnesses under fire around the world

Every year, Jehovah's Witnesses publish a summary of the acts of
discrimination, intolerance and persecution they are exposed to in a number
of countries around the world.

This year, they have selected: 13 countries: Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Eritrea, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore,
South Korea and Turkmenistan.

Armenia:

The Armenian government continues to adamantly refuse to register Jehovah's
Witnesses, who comprise one of the largest Christian religions in Armenia.
At the moment, 26 Jehovah's Witnesses are in prison for their conscientious
refusal of military service on religious ground. Armenia does not give them
the possibility to perform an alternative service.

Belgium:

Some defamatory comments have continued to be published, especially in the
media in the Dutch-speaking part of the country. Upon being presented with
evidence, the publishers of these defamatory comments most often have made a
retraction. In some schools, teachers have continued to discredit openly the
beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and children of Jehovah's Witnesses have been
discriminated in some places. About 9,000 children of Jehovah's Witnesses
attend public and Catholic schools in Belgium. As mentioned in the 2001
Annual International Religious Freedom Report, the Brussels Exhibition
Center refused to rent their facilities to Jehovah's Witnesses for a special
meeting in March 2001. The representatives of the
Brussels Exhibition Center based their decision on the fact that the
Parliamentary Commission listed Jehovah's Witnesses as a sect. After that
incident, representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses approached the Belgian
"Information and Advice Center on Dangerous Sectarian Organizations" to know
their position on the legal effects of the Parliamentary Commission list. On
July 31, 2001, the Center sent Jehovah's Witnesses their official reply
stating that the list has no legal effect even on the de facto basis.

Bulgaria:

As mentioned in the 2001 Annual International Religious Freedom Report, two
members of Jehovah's Witnesses had been ordered to pay approximately $250
(500 leva) fines for holding religious meetings without a local congregation
registration. In November 2001, these two Witnesses, Nicolay Arabadjiev and
Kostadin Stavrev, appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to protect
their freedom of assembly, expression, and worship.

The reason for their appeal began on May 4, 1998, when a mob, which included
the mayor of Plovdiv, attacked a house of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses in
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, during a worship service. Nicolay Arabadjiev and Kostadin
Stavrev, as responsible members of the local congregation of Jehovah's
Witnesses in Plovdiv, were fined for holding a religious meeting because
Jehovah's Witnesses were not registered. Since then, there have been
continuous acts of harassment and arrests in connection with the religious
activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in Plovdiv.

Although the Denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses was nationally registered
in Bulgaria on October 7, 1998, the mayor refuses to register Jehovah's
Witnesses in Plovdiv. The refusal is based on a municipal decree enacted by
Plovdiv's City Council. According to this decree "on the territory of the
town of Plovdiv, any religious activity is forbidden prior to a registration
under this decree in Plovdiv." However, according to Article 6 from the Law
of Religions in Bulgaria, local branches of religions are automatically
considered legal persons. Under the Decree for Registration of the Governing
Bodies of the Local Units of the Recognized Denominations by the Council of
Ministers in Republic of Bulgaria, mayors should register within three days
the governing bodies of the local branch of a religion.

Individually, Arabadjiev and Stavrev challenged the local decree, which they
believe is unconstitutional and contrary to national law, through the
Regional, District, and Supreme Administrative Courts. On May 9 and 14,
2001, the Supreme Administrative Court, by means of Decisions No 3136 and
3270, upheld their convictions, sustaining the right of local municipalities
to enact such decrees.

Plovdiv is not unique. Municipal authorities in other towns (e.g., Burgas,
Pernik, and Stamboliyski) continue to refuse to register local congregations
of Jehovah's Witnesses based on local decrees.

Eritrea:

Five Jehovah's Witnesses are being held in military camps. There are 350
families who are Jehovah's Witnesses who have fled Eritrea and sought asylum
outside the country. At least 36 Jehovah's Witnesses lost their employment;
9 families have been expelled from their homes; and 23 Witness children were
expelled from school.

Georgia:

Since October 1999, there have been over 80 documented violent attacks
involving more than 1,000 victims in an outrageous wave of persecution
against Jehovah's Witnesses. Over 600 criminal complaints have been filed
without one conviction. Attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses are going on and
religious extremists continue to publicly threaten violence against them. In
his statement made on February 10 with Rustavi 2 by the bishop of the
Georgian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Atanase said: "We do not want a
peaceful way, we want war...". Priest Mkalavishvili declared: "They should
be shot, we must annihilate them".

Greece:

On June 13, 2001, the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religions,
General Directorate of Religions, issued an official document granting
Jehovah's Witnesses recognition as a "known religion" and recognizing their
central offices in Greece as a "sacred place."

At the moment there are about 10 Jehovah's Witnesses conscientious objectors
who are at risk of going to prison solely due to bureaucratic reasons. In
2001, a new schoolbook in the religious lesson of 1st Lyceum involves a
lesson about Jehovah's Witnesses with negative content. Also, some teachers
speak against Jehovah's Witnesses in the classroom. For example, in October
2001, a woman teacher in Thessaloniki area showed videotape that describes
Jehovah's Witnesses as Satanists. In January 2002, a theologian teacher at a
high school in Thessaloniki distributed leaflets to the students against
Jehovah's Witnesses.

Kazakhstan:

Although 14 communities of Jehovah's Witnesses are presently going through
the registration process, it is being artificially delayed by the regional
Justice Departments. On December 11, 2001, in Atyrau two Jehovah's Witnesses
were detained by police while they were sharing in Bible discussions with
their neighbors, and they were taken to the city police department where
they were verbally and physically abused.

Romania:

The State secretariat of religious affairs refuses to include Jehovah's
Witnesses on the official list of recognized religions in Romania and to
comply with the Supreme Court decision confirming the "religion status" of
the legal entity used by Jehovah's Witnesses in this country.

Russia:

In Moscow as well in other districts, actions to liquidate and ban
congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses were filed by City prosecutors and to
reverse the registration of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Prosecutor in the
Moscow case repeatedly evaded defining what liquidation of the legal entity
of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow meant for individual believers. She finally
admitted that her objectives are (1) to ensure that Jehovah's Witnesses are
legally unable to erect or lease a building in Moscow; and (2) individual
Witnesses are not permitted to distribute their literature in Moscow. She
also stated that she hoped a victory for the prosecution in the Moscow trial
would encourage the Russian Federation to reverse their registration of
Jehovah's Witnesses. The Prosecutor also claimed to be representing the
rights of all Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and that her action was to
protect them from their community.

Conscientious Objection: During the period of November-December 2001, there
were at least nine of Jehovah's Witnesses forcibly taken to military units.
Two from Moscow are being held at present in military detention: Mikhail
Nevskii is being held in Vladivostok and Aleksandr Bobrov in Plesetsk, in
the Arkhangelsk Region.

On December 12, 2001, Aleksandr Bobrov was taken from his home in Moscow by
the militia and sent about 1,000 km to a military unit in the town of
Plesetsk. He refused to put on a military uniform and carry out orders.

Alesksandr filed a complaint in court. A hearing date was set for February
6, 2002. Nevertheless, Aleksandr has still not been released from the
military unit. Similar proceedings are in process regarding Mikhail Nevskii.

Rwanda:

Jehovah's Witnesses do not have any problems with the central government,
but some provincial authorities occasionally cause problems because of the
Witnesses' refusal to bear arms, in particular, their refusal to accompany
armed patrols at night.

Singapore:

The government restricts the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. There are 25
Jehovah's Witnesses convicted and incarcerated for refusal to participate in
military service. There were 15 Witness schoolchildren indefinitely
suspended from public school in 2000 and 2001 for refusing to participate in
patriotic ceremonies; 18 face suspension in one month of 2002.

South Korea:

There are 1,640 Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned in South Korea for
conscientious objection to military service. South Korea has no alternative
civilian service nor does it exempt religious ministers.

Turkmenistan:

During the year 2001, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and other
religious minorities continued in Turkmenistan. There are six Jehovah's
Witnesses currently imprisoned in Turkmenistan for their religious
activities. Although Jehovah's Witnesses have attempted to legally register
their religious activity, their efforts have been thwarted for quite some
time due to opposition from government officials. Therefore, the activity of
Jehovah's Witnesses is considered illegal. Following are a few examples of
the most extreme human right violations against Jehovah's Witnesses.

Religious Prisoners: There are six Jehovah's Witnesses currently imprisoned
in Turkmenistan. Three of them have been arrested solely for their religious
beliefs using fabricated charges:

1. Dzhumanazarova, Oguldzhan Yangibayevna [Mrs] was given 4 years prison
sentence, which started in July 2001. The sentence was based on fabricated
charges about fraud. She used to work for a public attorney's association
and helped other Jehovah's Witnesses in Seydi with their legal problems. As
a result, the authorities tried to confine her to a psychiatric hospital,
which she managed to avoid just by fleeing from the city. Now she is
confined in a state women's colony in the city of Dashhowuz.
2. Khalikov, Ikhtiyar [Mr] was given 31/2 years sentence using fabricated
charges. During a police search a hand-rifle was planted in his car. He is
currently located in the minimum-security correctional labour colony in the
city of Seydi.
3. Annamammedov, Yazmammed [Mr] was taken into custody and sentenced for
4
years in prison after ammunitions were planted in his house during a home
search in November 1999. Prior to that he had been arrested and beaten
several times by the local police. He is now located in the middle-security
corrective labour colony in Turkmenbashi. He has a wife and three minor
children at home.

The other three imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses in Turkmenistan are
conscientious objectors:

4. Zakirov, Kurban Bagdatovich; detained on April 23, 1999; sentenced on
May 25, 1999, to 1 year in minimum-security corrective labour colony (ITKOR)
for conscientious objection to military service. In December 1999 he was
granted a pardon but not released because of refusal to swear the State oath
of loyalty. In spring 2000, when the term was finished, he was not released
but was put into another unit for the same reason (refusal to swear the
oath). Upon his refusal to swear the oath, one officer, in presence of
others, ripped off his shoulder strap and said that it was Zakirov who
attacked on him. A protocol was made, and the court sentenced him for
"attacking the security service;" the sentence: eight years in high-security
corrective labour colony (ITKSR) in the city of Charjew. He was recently
transferred to sheltered regime (the strictest regime, i.e. no right to go
for walks);
5. Yeremeyev, Yurii; detained on December 8, 2000; sentenced on January
19,
2001, for conscientious objection to military service for 11/2 years in
minimum-security corrective labour colony (ITKOR); he is currently located
in the minimum-security corrective labour colony (ITKOR) in the city of
Seydi;
6. Osipov, Il'ya Vladimirovitch; sentenced on July 30, 2001, to one-year
imprisonment for conscientious objection. On September 6, 2001 the higher
court left the sentence without changes. On September 27, 2001, the
supervisory appeal filed by Osipov was dismissed. Later he was granted a
pardon, but because he refused to swear an oath on the Koran and picture of
the President, he remained in prison. Beginning of term-November 21, 2001.

In addition to these who are currently in prison, there are six Jehovah's
Witnesses who had been in prison for refusal of military service but were
recently released after serving at least a part of their sentence. Time
spent in prison varied from one year to two years. They would have been
released earlier had they taken an oath on the Koran as described above.

Denial of Freedom of Religion and Association: On September 24, 2001, the
Turkmenistan Supreme Court upheld the lower court decisions ordering the
eviction of the Segzekov family in a case denying freedom of religion and
association for Jehovah's Witnesses in Ashgabat. The Segzekovs were accused
of using their Stated-owned apartment systematically for religious meetings
and thus causing disturbance for their neighbors. While it is true that the
Segzekov family was given an official warning after the Security Service
learned about the small friendly gatherings they were having with their
fellow believers, all these meetings ceased after the first (and only)
warning. Overlooking these elementary procedural violations, the Supreme
Court supported the standing of the lower courts.

The Segzekov family has exhausted all domestic legal remedies and is subject
to eviction from their home. The OSCE office in Ashgabat has been in
communication with the family. Thus far, the Turkmenistan authorities have
not taken any steps to actually evict the family.

There is a growing number of reported cases of harassment by police and
other authorities. Many Jehovah's Witnesses have been arrested when they
have been discussing religious topics with willingly inclined people.
Private gatherings have been interrupted and all in attendance taken to the
police station. High fines have been administered. Some Witnesses have been
dismissed from their workplaces after the authorities have learned about
their religious inclination. Many have been kept in police custody for
several days.

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