Sixth session of the Forum on Minority Issues of the Human Rights Council

Sixth session of the Forum on Minority Issues of the Human Rights Council

The Sixth session of the Forum on Minority Issues of the Human Rights Council took place in Geneva on the 26th and 27th of November 2013.

Each year, the Forum allows Member States of the Human Rights Council, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental organizations, regional organizations and NGOs to participate to an interactive dialogue on topical minority issues. This year’s subject was "Beyond freedom of religion or belief: Guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities"

The Greek Delegation was headed by Mr George Kalantzis, Secretary General for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and by Ambassador Alexis Alexandris.
The Mufti of Komotini Metzo Tzamali was also part of the Greek delegation and took the floor on behalf of the Muslim minority of Greece.

6th Forum on Minority Issues – Item 1 – Intervention by the Head of the Greek Delegation, Mr George Kalantzis, Secretary General of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (26 November 2013)

Thank you Madame Chairperson,
Religious freedom in Greece is enshrined in Article 13 of the Constitution , as well as in the relevant international conventions signed by the country, and in particular in Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In Article 13, the Constitution protects both freedom of belief and religious freedom.

It should be noted here that article 13 of the Constitution is a founding principle of the State and cannot be subject to revision as it protects and guarantees freedom of worship.

According to the Greek Constitution all religious communities can organize freely in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Code for the unions. In this context, the same legal regime applicable to the Church of Greece has been granted to the Israelite communities. Special legal status also applies to the Mufti of Thrace since Greece is the only country in Europe where the Muftis have legal responsibilities for issues of private personal and family law. Also, to all religious communities in Greece, regardless of their legal personality, apply the same provisions regarding their tax treatment. The Greek Government is in the process of dialogue with various religious communities to introduce new legislation which will institutionalize a new category of legal entities, especially for religious communities.

Greece has voted a special legislation regarding the Mosque in Athens. The cost for the construction and the salary of the competent Imam will be assumed by the Greek State.

With regard to the Muslim minority in Thrace, the Greek State pays the salaries of three Muftis and 240 Islamic religious teachers. Since 2008, a special quota of places has been defined in all competitions of the Supreme Council for the Personnel Selection in the public sector, for candidates of the Muslim minority in Thrace.
School books have been and continue to be revised to reinforce understanding and respect for the different, to enhance interest in other people’s beliefs, religion, way of living and thinking.

In the context of combating intolerance and discrimination, further measures have been taken and are implemented in Greek schools. More specifically:
1.    the Ministry of Education & Religious Affairs does not allow the distribution of any type of leaflets, in particular of those creating a negative image or defame any religion, belief or tradition,
2.    the Greek State has provided by law, and in compliance with its commitments under international law, the functioning of schools for the children of the Muslim minority in Thrace. Also, the possibility is given for the teaching of the subject of Religious Studies to Roman Catholic pupils in the Cyclades by Roman Catholic theologists, who by agreement of local religious communities serve this specific need. In both cases, the said policies are justified by the existence of a considerable number of believers of the above mentioned religious groups.
3.    in the context of the equal treatment of students, and in relation to the official religious holidays, the Greek state has introduced legislation to recognize the religious holidays of the Muslim and the Roman Catholic students, other than the Greek Orthodox ones,
4.    with the aim of protecting personal data, the religious status of students is not be mentioned on the school reports of Primary and Secondary Education
5.    teachers of different religions can be appointed in public schools

Additionally, the Greek State is firmly committed to continue its policy to uphold the right to education for the Muslim minority. The “Education of the Children of the Muslim Minority in Thrace” programme is a policy of the Greek State which started in the 1990’s now running its fourth phase. Its basic aim is to upgrade the education of the children of the minority and to foster their integration into society as equal citizens of Greece and the European Union.

Furthermore, in accordance with the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, Greece guarantees the proper functioning of the existing minority schools, supported and funded by the State. Also, since 2013, the possibility of the children of the Muslim minority in Thrace to study to Holy Quran in public school on request is provided by law.

Since academic year 2006-2007 a 0,5 % quota for the admission to Universities and Higher Technical Educational Institutes of students who are members of the Muslim minority in Thrace has been introduced.

With regard to the education of Jews in Greece, the Ministry of Education allows for the appointment of teaching staff, at public expense, in the schools of the Jews communities in Athens and Thessalonica, in response to their request.

Intervention by Metzo Tzamali Mufti of Komotini (27 November 2013)

In North Eastern Greece, in the area known as Western Thrace, lives a Muslim minority with a population of 120.000 and 3 Muftiates. The Muftis are religious leaders, while in parallel they have judicial powers in matters relative to family and personal law in which the principles of Sharia law are followed. In this way, engagements, weddings, divorces, and other personal matters are adjudicated on the basis of our Islamic faith. The Greek courts on their part are required by law to recognize the decisions of the Mufti. Since the Mufti is an official judge of the Greek State, the latter is obliged to grant him a salary that equals the one of a civil judge. Of course, every Muslim citizen has the right to chose between an Islamic and a civil court.

Greece is the only European country which has a Constitution that protects the right of the members of its Muslim minority to choose between civil and religious law for the settlement of their judicial matters and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Muftiate institution in Greece.

Personally, I learned the Holy Quran by heart when I was twelve, have served my religion for 64 years and 23 as a Mufti. What I can say is that the relations between the Muslim minority and their Christian fellow citizens are brotherly and in my life so far I had the chance to follow closely all the efforts made to promote this equality. In that framework, the State decided to provide for the payment of the salaries of the Islamic teachers (a newly created function that aims to secure the teaching of the Quran in public schools) as it is the case of the Orthodox teachers and of the Jewish ones. And it is thanks to my personal intervention that it was established by law that the members of the committee that appoint the Islamic teachers should necessarily be all Muslims.

The confidence of the Muslim community towards me is what gives me the strength to go on. On the other hand, I firmly believe that Greece recognises its Muslim citizens’ goodwill.

Intervention of Mr Huse Mehmet Huseyin, representative of the Association of Islamic Religious Teachers in Komotini, Greece
(27 November 2013)

My name is Huse Mehmet Huseyin. I am the Imam of the main Mosque of the city of Komotini and represent my association at the Sixth session of the Forum on Minority Issues.

The members of my Association are entrusted with the mission of teaching the Holy Quran in the public schools of Thrace attended by an important number of Muslim children.

This innovative system, unique in Europe, gives the possibility to the Muslim minority to be taught the Holy Quran, in public as well as private schools.

Following the entry into force of Government Law 4115 of 2013, to date, 64 of a total of 132 Muslims who have expressed their will to become “Islamic Religious Teachers” (Ιεροδιδάσκαλοι) have been appointed. After the intervention of our Mufti, it was decided that the Selection Committee would be composed of 5 Muslim theologists.

At the same time, the Greek State facilitated the entry of young Muslims to university through measures of affirmative action. The minority welcomed all these measures which gave the opportunity to thousands Muslim children to attend public school. The need for Muslim teachers was a direct consequence of this increase.

An important fact to keep in mind is that no one obliges anyone to become a Religious Τeacher nor it obliges anyone to follow the teaching of the Holy Quran in public schools. The Law on the 240 Islamic Religious Τeachers simply gives us the choice and the ability to perform that choice. Nonetheless some choose to react negatively.

The hearts of the people are not a place in paradise so that we try to live in them. We do what we consider to be right in accordance with the teachings and laws of our religion.

I thank you very much for your attention.

May the peace, mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you.