Much fanfare was made when Nepal released its new constitution in September. I was one of the many who celebrated on the streets of Kathmandu, hoping it was part of a prosperous peaceful future for our nation.

But all was not what it appeared to be.

There are controversial elements within the constitution, most notably how it stifles religious freedom by making it illegal for anyone to promote or express their religion in a way that could result in someone changing their faith.

And this part includes hefty punishments.

The contentious bill — yet to be made law — proposes five years of imprisonment and a penalty of fifty thousand rupees for anyone found guilty of converting a person from one religion to another.

Little wonder that the United States expressed its concerns about such provisions last November.

If the bill is passed, it’s feared that it will result in a situation worse than Pakistan's blasphemy law — a type of bill that can be misinterpreted and misused by anyone wanting to make a false accusation against anyone else.

More locally, this bill would mean Nepal would revert to a worse state of affairs than the previous Panchayat System (1960-1990), which resulted in minority religious groups being persecuted by the state.

read more: http://www.ucanews.com/news/anti-conversion-law-will-send-nepal-backwards/75477

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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon