After enduring years of religious persecution, Seventh-day Adventists in the central Asian country of Turkmenistan are looking for the support of Christians around the world to help raise international awareness of their plight.
After enduring years of religious persecution, Seventh-day Adventists in the central Asian country of Turkmenistan are looking for the support of Christians around the world to help raise international awareness of their plight, says Victor Krushenitsky, religious liberty director for the Adventist Church in the Euro-Asia region.
“The members in Turkmenistan meet in small groups in their homes and apartments,” says Krushenitsky, “but they hold on to their beliefs and the conviction that they belong to a world church, and hope that their brothers and sisters around the world will do something for them by their prayers and actions, and by appealing to international organizations and the world community to stop this persecution.”
Since the early 1990s the government of Turkmenistan has increased its hostile action against religious minorities. In 1993, the Adventist Church’s bank account was closed by authorities and the church’s seal, used for validating official documents, was declared invalid. In 1996, the national government also amended its rules for re-registration of religious organizations; so far, only Sunni Muslims and the Russian Orthodox Church have been able to gain official recognition.
On November 13, 1999, a wrecking crew arrived at the Adventist Church building in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, and began demolishing the church as worship services were in progress. As the destruction of the church proceeded, the Ministry of Justice officially notified the Church that they had been “deprived of registration.” Since then, private worship groups have been broken up, members harassed by local government authorities, and an Adventist pastor was arrested and detained for three days.
“We call on [Turkmen] president Niyazov to uphold human rights, restore religious freedom, and to reconstruct our church building,” says Krushenitsky. “There is much at stake here, both for us as a church and for the country of Turkmenistan.”
The public affairs and religious liberty department of the Adventist Church worldwide has developed a sample letter that individuals can adapt and send to the Turkmen ambassador in their own country. The letter appeals for the “protection of the fundamental rights of our believers and other religious minorities.”
