Religious marriages forbidden to Muslims of Thrace!

Greek Association For Human Rights

Athens, 24 February 2004

By decision of the Deputy Minister Mr. Lambros Papadimas (F. 97920/201138 / 31.10.2003) the celebration of weddings in the presence of the Mufti of Thrace is deemed to be illegal in the case of the following:

1. A Muslim and non-Muslim
2. A Greek citizen and foreigner
3. Muslims not resident in Thrace

In effect this ruling makes it impossible for Muslims living outside Thrace (or Rhodes) to marry in accordance with the Islamic rites, since there are no serving Muftis in other parts of Greece. The consequence is that a significant percentage of the minority population originating in Thrace but no longer resident there, as well as other Greek Muslims (most of them naturalized citizens) will not be able to wed according to the Islamic rites in Greece. At the same time the confusion concerning the rules governing the marriages of foreign Muslims is rendered even more obscure. This prohibition will thus affect tens of thousands of individuals.

The Greek Association for Human Rights calls on the government to revoke its earlier decision, which introduces unconstitutional curbs on religious freedom in respect of the right to choose a spouse, as well as on the free movement of individuals, given that under the new dispensation a move outside Thrace will entail the loss of the right to celebrate an Islamic wedding. The decision in question is an unprecedented encroachment on the private life and religious freedom of every Muslim. What is more it will lead to major social tensions in an area of exceptional sensitivity, an area which more than any other requires responsible management by the Greek state.

Finally, the Association believes that the imposition of limitations (regarding nationality, place of residence or religion) only on weddings between Muslims, when no such limitations are envisaged in the Civil Code for marriages between Orthodox or Catholic Christians, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses or adherents of other religions or dogmas, is a very poor reflection on the nature of our democracy.

President
Dimitris Christopoulos

General Secretary
Yiannis Ktistakis