Author:
Publication: Zenit.org
Date: November 20, 2003
Superior of Mission Analyzes Proposed
Text
The draft Afghan Constitution establishes
Islam as the state religion and makes no reference to freedom of worship
for other confessions.
This is reflected in Article 2,
which has caused wide public debate. The document, which faces a vote in
Parliament next month, shows that religious freedom in the new Afghanistan
will not be very different from the past.
"It is necessary to see what is
understood by freedom of worship and if the interpretation of that article
will be restrictive or if the authorities will permit, for example, the
construction of a church outside an embassy," Italian Father Giuseppe Moretti,
superior of the mission "sui iuris" (in its own right) in Afghanistan,
told the Vatican agency Fides.
Father Moretti added that "in the
draft Constitution, freedom of worship is conceived in relation to what
the Shariah [Islamic law] establishes; therefore, it does not admit the
possibility to evangelize or to engage in conversations."
Observers and experts who have analyzed
the draft state that it has a markedly Islamic connotation. In fact, the
date on the cover, "year 1382," follows the Islamic calendar, adopted officially
by the state, as Article 18 establishes.
Moreover, the draft highlights the
duty of the state to institute and organize mosques and Islamic religious
centers.
Article 35 stipulates that the social
and political organization, political parties and associations that Afghan
citizens are "free to create," must be constituted in keeping with the
principles of Islam.
These dispositions are in contrast
to other points of the Constitution which affirm that the state has the
duty to respect and protect the freedom and dignity of every human being
(Article 22), and to create "a society based on social justice, the protection
of human rights, the establishment of democracy, and the ensuring of national
unity and the equality of all ethnic groups" (Article 6).
However, there is hope as regards
the construction of the new Afghanistan and relations with Muslim religious
leaders, Father Moretti said.
"Relations have yet to be built,
but some Muslim leaders have already shown sympathy for interreligious
dialogue, in particular, Mullah Fazul Shinwari, head of the Afghan Supreme
Court, appointed Minister of Justice, who attended the inauguration of
the 'sui iuris' mission, and has expressed his desire to meet with the
Holy Father," the priest added.
Nevertheless, Shinwari is known
by international public opinion for his public statements in favor of establishing
the Shariah as the fundamental law of the state.
The mission was established officially
on Aug. 6. It is the first circumscription established by the Catholic
Church in Afghanistan in the post-Taliban era.
Father Moretti, a Barnabite, was
named the mission's superior. The Barnabites have been in the country since
1933.
