Freedom of Religion: Only for Muslims
My email subscription to UNHRC documents turned up an interesting letter from the representative of Cyprus. I keep telling you hat freedom of religion is a one way street, few pay any attention.
Turkey is interfering with Greek Orthodox services in occupied Cyprus. As I keep telling you, if you ain't Muslim, you have no rights. Perhaps this will give you a clue. Turkey is violating the rights of Christians in occupied Cyprus, interfering with church services, arbitrarily and with outrageous regulations.Upon instructions from my Government, I would like to bring to your attention a
grave human rights violation that occurred on 25 December 2010 in the Orthodox church of
Saint Synesios, in the town of Rizokarpaso located in the part of Cyprus under the military
occupation of Turkey. This issue is directly related to the mandate in accordance with
which the yearly reports on the question of human rights in Cyprus are prepared, as
provided for in Commission on Human Rights resolution 4 (XXXI) and General Assembly
resolution 3450 (XXX).
As confirmed by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), on
25 December 2010, security forces of the subordinate local administration of Turkey
interrupted an ongoing religious service, forced the priest to remove his liturgical vestments
and to terminate the liturgy, ordered the churchgoers, mainly Greek Cypriot enclaved
persons, to evacuate, then sealed the church on the pretext that no “permission for the
conduct of mass” had been obtained. At the same time, the occupation regime did not allow
for a Christmas mass to be held in the Church of the Holy Trinity (Ayia Triada) in the
nearby town of Yialoussa. Subsequently, the occupation regime informed UNFICYP that a
new “procedure” had been established, whereby prior authorization should be sought 30
days in advance for all scheduled religious services, except those celebrated on Sundays.
These acts contravene the third Vienna agreement of 2 August 1975, which, inter
alia, explicitly provides that the Greek Cypriots who remained enclaved behind the military
lines in their villages in the north-eastern Karpass peninsula in the aftermath of the Turkish
invasion would be “free to stay” and that they would “be given every help to lead a normal
life, including facilities for education and for the practice of their religion, as well as
medical care by their own doctors and freedom of movement”. Even more serious, these
acts constitute a clear violation of international and European human rights law, including
article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 3 and 9 of the
European Convention on Human Rights.
grave human rights violation that occurred on 25 December 2010 in the Orthodox church of
Saint Synesios, in the town of Rizokarpaso located in the part of Cyprus under the military
occupation of Turkey. This issue is directly related to the mandate in accordance with
which the yearly reports on the question of human rights in Cyprus are prepared, as
provided for in Commission on Human Rights resolution 4 (XXXI) and General Assembly
resolution 3450 (XXX).
As confirmed by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), on
25 December 2010, security forces of the subordinate local administration of Turkey
interrupted an ongoing religious service, forced the priest to remove his liturgical vestments
and to terminate the liturgy, ordered the churchgoers, mainly Greek Cypriot enclaved
persons, to evacuate, then sealed the church on the pretext that no “permission for the
conduct of mass” had been obtained. At the same time, the occupation regime did not allow
for a Christmas mass to be held in the Church of the Holy Trinity (Ayia Triada) in the
nearby town of Yialoussa. Subsequently, the occupation regime informed UNFICYP that a
new “procedure” had been established, whereby prior authorization should be sought 30
days in advance for all scheduled religious services, except those celebrated on Sundays.
These acts contravene the third Vienna agreement of 2 August 1975, which, inter
alia, explicitly provides that the Greek Cypriots who remained enclaved behind the military
lines in their villages in the north-eastern Karpass peninsula in the aftermath of the Turkish
invasion would be “free to stay” and that they would “be given every help to lead a normal
life, including facilities for education and for the practice of their religion, as well as
medical care by their own doctors and freedom of movement”. Even more serious, these
acts constitute a clear violation of international and European human rights law, including
article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 3 and 9 of the
European Convention on Human Rights.
Lets review the fatal facts:
- Muslims are commanded to wage war against us.
- Our blood is not sacred to Muslims.
- Our property is not sacred to Muslims.
- We have no rights until we become Muslims.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Number 387:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally and their reckoning will be with Allah." Narrated Maimun ibn Siyah that he asked Anas bin Malik, "O Abu Hamza! What makes the life and property of a person sacred?" He replied, "Whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah', faces our Qibla during the prayers, prays like us and eats our slaughtered animal, then he is a Muslim, and has got the same rights and obligations as other Muslims have."
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally and their reckoning will be with Allah." Narrated Maimun ibn Siyah that he asked Anas bin Malik, "O Abu Hamza! What makes the life and property of a person sacred?" He replied, "Whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah', faces our Qibla during the prayers, prays like us and eats our slaughtered animal, then he is a Muslim, and has got the same rights and obligations as other Muslims have."
We know blessed well that the Human Rights Council will not do anything to remedy this situation, which will continue to be ignored. They are occupied with more important matters such as condemning Israel for defending itself.
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