FUEN criticizes the “240 Imams Law”

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) released a press release on the adoption by the Greek Parliament of a controversial bill with additional amendments providing that the Muslim preachers appointed by the Greek state will serve in mosques and public schools in Western Thrace, and noted the concerning legislative regulation is contrary to the freedom of conscience and religion. FUEN states in its press release it regrets the adoption of the additional amendments in the concerning bill publicly known as “240 Imams Law” among the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace by the Greek parliament on 16 January 2013 with an overwhelming majority despite the objections of the Turkish deputies in the parliament and strong opposition from members of the Turkish minority.

Current legislative regulation aims at increasing state control over religion

FUEN states that it closely monitors the situation in Greece and the additional amendments in the legislative regulation would allow the Greek government to exercise state control over religion in the region where the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace lives and to expand further its control over religion as they provide for the teaching of the Quran by appointed Muslim preachers in public schools in Western Thrace, in which the Turkish minority students are enrolled.

FUEN utters that the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA), both member organizations of FUEN and represent the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, have expressed their strong opposition to the concerning legislative regulation prepared and adopted without asking the opinion of the Minority itself, adding it regrets that the strong opposition expressed by the Turkish minority deputies in the Greek parliament was disregarded and thus the Turkish minority has been prevented to have a say in decisions which will directly affect its daily life.

FUEN expresses that the Greek parliament adopted in 2007 the Law of 3536/2007 providing appointment of 240 religious preachers i.e. imams to serve in the mosques in Western Thrace under the auspices of official Muftis in Komotini, Xanthi and Didymoticho who are not recognized by the Turkish minority itself on the ground that the Greek government has no right to interfere with religious affairs of the Turkish minority, adding that due to the strong reactions from the Turkish minority granted religious autonomy under the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty, the concerning law could not be implemented till today. The Greek government stated new amendments in the law would remedy the weaknesses the Turkish minority itself has already identified in the previous draft law, but however the Turkish minority was again not consulted by the governmental authorities while preparing the amendments.

FUEN furthermore states it believes that states should not intervene to any matters regarding issues of faith, belief, or the organization of religious groups, adding that as an organization represented with 94 member organisations in more than 30 European countries, it follows with great concern the situation of the Turkish minority in Greece and will continue to keep an eye with the developments on the issue.

In the concluding part of its press release, FUEN notes the members of the Turkish minority shall enjoy the same treatment and security in law and in fact as other Greek nationals in the management and control of its religious institutions and urges the Greek government to act in full compliance with its obligations arising from the Lausanne Treaty and its all international obligations and standards.