HR NGO on religious minorities in Rumania
Date: Fri, 09 May 97 21:16:47 -0500
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: HR NGO on religious minorities in Rumania
MINELRES moderator \[email protected]\
DROITS DE L'HOMME SANS FRONTIERES
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Press Release
ROMANIA
Can Romania be accepted as a member of the European Union? The Romanian
Helsinki Committee and a Brussels-based human rights organization denounce
the rapid deterioration of the religious
situation
In the last few months, the situation of minority religions has rapidly
worsened and the future of some of them is jeopardized by a sudden change in
the religious policy carried out by the new
democratically elected government.
Minority religions discriminated
On March 25, the Minister of Cults sent a circular letter to all mayors in
Romania with a list of 15 recognized religious cults which are authorized to
build places of worship. According to the official
document, construction permits may not be issued to other religions and in
several towns - Satu Mare, Radauti, Avrig, Hunedoara, Petrosani and
Bucharest - they were even cancelled the works had already started.
Buddhism, Hinduism, the Anglican Church, the Lutheran Church, the Methodist
Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army, Baha'is and many other
religious movements registered as religious associations and recognized in
European democracies are not on the list of the approved cults and may
therefore not build a place of worship, which is contrary to Article IX of
the European Convention which guarantees the right to manifest his religion
or belief either alone or in community with others in public or private.
In a letter sent late in April to the Minister of Cults, the Romanian
Helsinki Committee condemned such a measure and was quoted as writing "The
letter of the State Secretariate for Cults as well as the decisions of the
local City Council are an infringement of the provisions and principles of
the Romanian Constitution that can prejudice the rule of law, the internal
situation and the position
of Romania in the international community". On 21 April, the Romanian
Helsinki Committee issued a 2-page report analyzing the new restrictions to
religious freedom and concluded by asking the State
Secretariate for Cults to cancel the 25 March circular letter and to inform
all their addressees about this decision, by urging the City Councils to
change their decisions regarding the cancellation of
construction permits for houses of worship and by pressing the Secretariate
for Cults to start procedures for official recognition of those religions
that request it.
However, even the situation of fully recognized religions has also worsened.
Since the beginning of this year, Human Rights Without Frontiers (Brussels)
has been receiving letters from Romanian Baptists and Greek Catholics in
which they complain about the intolerance of the majority religion, the
Orthodox Church and the lack of protection from the State.
Baptists beaten by an Orthodox mob
In the village of Ruginoasa in the North Eastern part of Romania called
Moldova (not to be confused with the Republic of Moldova), Baptists were
meeting in a room which they had rented from a person
living in the village, a Mr Victor Baciu. Most of them were coming from a
neighbouring town. The meetings had already taken place for about a month.
Although the mayor of the town, Liviu Simbureanu, declared that there had
been no conflict between the Baptists and the villagers, the local Orthodox
priests, Petru Pavel and Novac, together with the Orthodox priest Doroftei
from a neighbouring village Helesteni, started to mention the Baptist danger
in their sermons and created an environment of hate among the inhabitants.
Their action was supported by the headmistress of the local school, Magda
Ungureanu, and by some members of the village council.
On Sunday 30 March, 700 people from the village surrounded the house used by
the Baptist believers for worship. Another 150 persons carrying crosses and
icons came from the neighbouring village.
When the nine Baptists came out from the worship service, the crowd started
to beat and kick them. Among the victims, some women and a 14 year-old girl.
Apparently, it took almost an hour for the men to be able to break through
the mob. The local police did not interfere nor did the Orthodox priests ask
their believers to stop the beating.
The village people who were interviewed by the National TV answered they had
not seen anything but admitted they had heard that there was a fight. The
local police has started an investigation.
Such events are not exceptional in that part of Romania although the scale
of beating is exceptional.
Greek Catholics faithful to Rome targeted by Orthodox fanatics
In the last few months, "Human Rights Without Frontiers" has also received a
number of letters from Greek Catholic priests who complain about repeated
acts of violence and physical aggressions
perpetrated by Orthodox militia led by their priests under the motto "One
Nation - One Religion".
The Orthodox Church pretends on historical grounds that the Greek Catholic
Church which is performing Byzantine rites but is faithful to Rome must
remain under their authority. When the Communist came to power in 1948, the
Greek Catholic Church was banned; all its buildings were confiscated and
attributed to the Orthodox Church. Since the collapse of Communism, a large
number of buildings have not been restituted to them yet and many Greek
Catholics still have to gather in private houses.
Human Rights Without Frontiers and the Romanian Helsinki Committee share the
opinion that Romania cannot be accepted as a member of the European Union as
long as its religious legislation contravenes the European Convention and if
a programme of education to religious tolerance and equality is not quickly
implemented by the authorities.
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