Tbilisi/30.0813/Turan-BS PRESS: Influential Georgian NGOs say that actions of the Customs Department of the Revenue Service of Georgian Finance Ministry, connected with dismantling of the minaret in Chela village of Adigeni district (Samtskhe-Javakheti region, Eastern Georgia) were illegal.
The minaret was dismantled on August 26 despite the local population's protest. As the Revenue Service of the Georgian Ministry of Finance explained, the minaret had been dismantled in Chela village with the aim of checking a weight of the construction and the product code. The department promised to restore the minaret. These actions caused indignation of the population of Georgia, worshiping Islam. The protest rallies were held.
"The measures of the Customs Department of the Revenue Service were illegal and ungrounded. Taking into account the fact that the state has not bored any financial loses, scales and volume of the operation, violation of law-established terms and procedures and abuse of power by the state, grounds for suspicion are appear that the aim of this measure was not to assess possible loss and return it to the budget", is said in a statement of 11 NGOs, disseminated on Thursday, August 29.
As NGOs note, dismantling of the minaret and "physical insults of the Muslim population by law enforces" was rude violation of Muslims' rights.
"No one fact of hooliganism, persecution, interference into religious rituals and threats of last time regarding Muslims (in villages Nigvziani, Tsintskaro, Samtatskaro) have been investigated and the state's discriminating actions became a reason of periodical character of Muslim's religious rights infringement", the statement reads.
It is stressed in the statement that "irresponsible statements of state officials and politicians" contributed into development of processes, dangerous for the state and nationals.
"The incident in Chela has become a the most vivid case of illegal restriction of Muslims' religious freedom and frequent cases of discrimination. Official version of aims of the measure, disseminated by the state, is outside any logics. We have a legal analysis, according to which it is clear that the state has not bored any financial loss during customs clearance of the minaret of the Muslim mosque, the state had no power to dismantle it", the statement emphasizes. "We consider that the Customs Department actions on August 26 have signs of crimes and it should be investigated by the Chief Prosecutor's Office", the statement reads.
While commenting the events, following dismantling of the minaret in Chela village, the Patriarchy of Georgia calls on the nationals of the country, worshiping Islam and Christianity, to abstain from holding protest rallies and be calm.
On Thursday, August 29, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II met with counsilors, representatives of the Muslims Department of Georgia.
As it was told earlier, the Revenue Service of the Georgian Ministry of Finance explained, the minaret had been dismantled in Chela village on August 26 with the aim of checking a weight of the construction and the product code. The department promised to restore the minaret. These actions caused indignation of the population of Georgia, worshiping Islam. The protest rallies were held. It was reported on Thursday that the minaret would be restored and it caused indignation of the residents of the region, worshiping Orthodoxy.
"The Patriarchy agrees with the just protest of the Orthodox congregation of Georgia, but at the same time, it shares the Muslim population's sentiments. We call on the Christian and Muslim congregation to mutual respect, to abstain from rallies, be calm", is said in the Patriarchy's statement, disseminated on Thursday.
The Georgian Patriarchy recommends to place the minaret in the neutral place, seal it and take under the state's protection.
"We ask not to erect it (the minaret) until the legislative basis is regulated and the Patriarchy and the Georgian Muslim Department hold a meeting. We also ask the government to establish at the legislative level expediency of religious objects construction to avoid unrests and confrontation on the religious grounds", the statement reads. -0-
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