<<previous | index | next>>
VI.
Recommendations
- Immediately rescind the ban on Ahmadiyya publications.
- Investigate thoroughly and impartially attacks on the
Ahmadiyya community, as well as other religious minorities, and prosecute
the perpetrators and sponsors of such attacks to the fullest extent of the
law.
- Investigate fully the role of Islamist political parties
and organizations in these attacks, and prosecute as appropriate the
leaders and members of such organizations who may have incited, took part
in, or were complicit in the planning or execution of attacks.
- Promptly respond to and investigate all threats against
Ahmadis and Ahmadiyya mosques, and provide police protection as needed to
the threatened mosques of the Ahmadiyya community.
- Ensure that minorities shall not be denied the right, in
community with other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture
and to profess and practice their own religion.
- Take prompt and appropriate administrative or legal action
against any government official, including elected representatives and
members of the state or local administration, who endorse, encourage, or
otherwise promote discrimination against Ahmadis or any other group.
- Allow unfettered access to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Religion in order that she may visit Bangladesh on terms
consistent with her mandate with specific reference to the persecution of
the Ahmadiyya community. Immediately provide the Rapporteur with specific
dates when she may undertake the visit.
- Combat religious discrimination and intolerance in public
schools and madrassas.
- Oppose blasphemy legislation. Adopt and implement measures
to ensure the security of human rights defenders, journalists, and NGOs
working in Bangladesh to promote human rights and non-discrimination.
- Urge the government of Bangladesh to rescind the ban on
Ahmadiyya publications and discourage it from resorting to bans on
religious publications.
- Urge the Bangladesh government to prosecute all those
responsible for planning or executing attacks against the Ahmadiyya and
other religious minorities.
- Urge the Bangladesh government to immediately provide the
U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion firm dates to visit Bangladesh on terms consistent with her mandate with specific reference to the persecution
of the Ahmadiyya community.
- Support the adoption of preventative measures to ensure
that violence against and intimidation and harassment of minorities is
prevented. These measures may include monitoring of curricula in madrassas
and mosques of all Muslim sects and the introduction of community
education and awareness programs.
- Ensure that anti-discrimination measures built into World
Bank and Asian Development Bank-funded projects are thoroughly implemented
in areas where there is any likelihood of religious discrimination. As
part of their commitment to good governance, the World Bank and other
international lending institutions should establish ongoing dialogue with
NGOs at all stages of the decision-making process, including before a loan
is released, while the project is being implemented, and in the course of
any post-project evaluation.
- Ensure that all social impact assessments prior to
approval of projects investigate the effect of proposed policies and
programs on political violence and religious discrimination. In
consultation with NGOs, explore ways in which programs could help address
these problems.
- Support the adoption of preventative measures addressing
violence against and intimidation and harassment of minorities. These
measures may include the monitoring of curricula in madrassas and mosques
of all Muslim sects to ward against hate speech and the introduction of
community education and awareness programs.
|