Georgian religious leaders protest against religious violence
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 11:16:20 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Georgian religious leaders protest against religious violence
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Felix Corley <[email protected]>
Georgian religious leaders protest against religious violence
7 February 2002
Open letter
To the President of Georgia, Mr. Eduard Shevardnadze
(translation from Georgian)
Your Excellency,
We the below signing persons, would like to remind you of the meeting
of July 10th 2001, when you met with the leaders of the seven main
religions of Georgia. At this meeting we presented to you a statement
against religious violence that had taken place in our country.
You agreed with the statement and it was obvious for us that you would
be very keen to help us.
Unfortunately a lot of violences have happened after this meeting but
especially serious event took place on February 3rd.
A representative of the newly created aggressive religious group,
"Father" Basil Mkalavishvili with his people broke into the property
of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, put several thousands of
books outside in the court and burnt them down by the help of petrol.
These books have been Bibles and other Christian literature in
Georgian, Armenian and Russian and other languages. The total value
was about 15.000 Lari. But the moral loss caused by the event is
obviously much greater.
History has recorded bitter examples of similar nature. When on May
10th, 1933 books were burnt down by the NS-groups, Kurt Tucholsky
noted "where books are burning very soon human-beings will also be
burnt down". As we all know it did happen in Germany a little bit
later.
Who is responsible for law and order in Georgia, when one group and
its self-proclaimed religious leader can do whatever they want? Who
has granted them the right to violate rights of others? Does not the
event of September 11th teach us what is coming out of the misuse of
the name of God.
We are glad that the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate has already
condemned the raid of February 3rd in its statement of February 4th.
We are sure that every true Orthodox will wholeheartedly share the
spirit of the statements made both by the Patriarchate and us.
We expect, Mr. President, that you will do your utmost to stop any
action that contradicts the tolerant tradition of Georgia and its
present laws.
On behalf of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia:
Archbishop G. Seraidarian
On behalf of Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Georgia:
Bishop, Professor G. Hummel
On behalf of the Catholic Church in Georgia:
Bishop G. Pazotto
On behalf of the Jewish Community in Georgia:
Acting Chief Rabbi A.A. Rozenblatt
On behalf of Moslim Community in Georgia:
Gazi Ali Aliev
On behalf of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia:
Presiding-Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili
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