There was a time when Nepal’s communist government was the biggest threat to the country’s Christian minority. Today the main source of pressure is the religious nationalism of Nepal’s Hindu majority. The country’s new Constitution declares Nepal to be a secular state; at the same time, it also forbids anyone to change their religion, and bans proselytism. Nepal’s Christian population, currently at 4 per cent, is one of the fastest-growing in the world, and that has prompted a backlash from nationalists, who themselves are taking encouragement from the nationalist urgings of the Hindu government in neighbouring India. In 2017 two parliamentarians warned that religious freedom in the country was “teetering on the edge”.
Nepal: amending conversion law ‘not enough’
In Nepal, a campaign to reduce official penalties for religious conversion doesn’t go far enough, . Father Silas Bogati, vicar general of the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, criticised a campaign that last week delivered 40,000 letters from the public asking Parliament to reduce penalties for converting someone from another religion. […]
Three arrested after Nepal church bombings
Three people have been arrested in connection with the recent bombing of two churches in Nepal’s easternmost Jhapa district. The bombings took place on 14 September, hours after Nepal’s Constituent Assembly had rejected calls to revert the country to a Hindu state. Both churches suffered structural damage, but nobody was […]
Churches bombed as Nepal stays secular
Nepal’s Constituent Assembly rejected calls to revert the country to a Hindu state on Monday (14 Sep.), sparking violent protests, reports AP. Bombs went off at two churches in Nepal’s easternmost Jhapa district late on 14 Sep. The churches suffered structural damage, but nobody was hurt, according to The Kathmandu […]
Nepal on verge of curbing religious freedom
The final draft of a new constitution was tabled in Nepal’s Constituent Assembly on 22 August amid protests by Hindu nationalists on the streets. They oppose the idea of secularism, which in the South Asian context simply means pluralism and equal treatment of all religions. It now needs approval by […]
Proposed Nepal constitution silent on secularism
Attempts to enshrine secularism in Nepal’s new constitution have stalled. Vishal Arora, who has covered Nepal for World Watch Monitor, reports that the four largest political parties “could not come to any conclusion on secularism” in the draft document, which is under consideration by the Constituent Assembly and expected to […]
Nepali constitution could render Christianity illegal
In Nepal, 80 per cent of the population is Hindu; Christians comprise between 1.5 and 3 per cent.Courtesy Open Doors International Nepali Christians fear that proposed amendments to Nepal’s new constitution, likely to come into effect on Monday (10 August) after seven years of parliamentary discussions, could eventually render all […]
Nepal earthquake revives burial debate
With nearly 8,000 dead from Nepal’s worst earthquake since 1934 the relief effort has turned to recovery and finding the 400 missing people. The quake struck on Saturday morning, the time when many Christian church services were taking place. Many of the estimated 150 Christians killed died when the buildings […]
Nepal’s long-delayed transition to democracy worries its Christians
As Nepal struggles to respond to the massive earthquake and aftershocks during the weekend that left thousands dead, the world has offered aid to a country which is still one of the poorest and most isolated in Asia, despite its attractive image for mountaineers and Western backpackers. It’s still overcoming […]
Nepal PM promises religious freedom
Nepal Prime Minster Sushil Koirala says religious freedom will be guaranteed in the country’s new constitution, which the national political parties have promised to complete in January 2015. Koirala made his pledge Oct. 6 to an audience of Muslims, who make up about 4 percent of Nepal’s 26 million people. […]
Nepali pastor leaves prison after 2 years for killing a cow
We will no longer sit and watch as cows are slaughtered in our sacred land’: Shrinevasacharya. John Hill / Creative Commons A Nepali pastor sentenced to 12 years in prison for slaughtering a cow has been released early after a court declared him not guilty on 17 July. Reverand […]