Articles

Blatant abuses in Romanian Supreme Court. Founder of largest yoga movement in Romania sentenced to 6 years in prison.

Yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru

Gregorian Bivolaru, famous political dissident of the Ceausescu regime and founder of the largest yoga movement in Romania, was sentenced on 14 June 2013 by the Romanian Supreme Court to 6 years in prison. He was convicted for sexual relation with a minor. The charge was formulated in result of an unprecedented police attack on 18 March 2004 when 300 masked and heavily armed policemen raided 16 private homes of yoga practitioners. The said minor was unlawfully retained by police, tortured and forced to testify against the defendant. She returned the very next morning to the prosecutors office together with her lawyer, withdrew the testimony which she was forced to give and filed a complaint against prosecutors. Her request was denied and she was dragged through courts for 9 years, serving as a victim in the process against Bivolaru, with whom she continuously denied having sexual relations. Several years ago she urged international human rights organization to help her, since all attempts to respect her rights failed in Romania and her life became an ordeal because of Romanian prosecutors, judges and media.

In the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights one speaks strongly about the dignity and equal and inalienable human rights as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Ignorance and violation of human rights, says the preamble, often resulted in revolting barbarous acts. Moreover, here is proclaimed the image of a world where man is free to think and talk about his beliefs, free from terror and misery, as an expression of one of the highest aspirations of humanity. Also, it is specified that this statement was intended to be a common ideal of humanity to which all peoples and nations should and must converge constantly and – by the teaching and education that they will understand to give their peoples, each based on its specific and by bearing in mind that this ideal sprang from the deeply humanistic spirit of the Declaration – strive very hard and use all the means to develop a great respect and justification for these rights and freedoms.

Presentation of the “Freedom of Religion and Belief” (FORB) world report

The topic of freedom of religion or belief has again been discussed in the European Parliament. Human Rights without Frontiers, a renown NGO actively advocating in the field of freedom of religion and belief has presented on 23 April 2013 it’s report on the subject, in a conference presided by the Vice President of European Parliament, Mr. Laszlo Surjan.

Soteria International has attended the event, which impressed by the quality of the presented report and also by the number and variety of the audience. The report did steer some controversy, inevitable, as we have noticed, when the issue of religion is touched upon in the context of human rights. The alarming number of incidents, especially among representatives of various religions, strengthens evermore the message of Soteria International: the need for a strong emphasis on spiritual stratum of religions, which will set a unifying ground for dialogue and solutions to peaceful co-existence. Institutionalization of religions and use of the religious discourse for political purpose, will only conduct to more flaming contradictions.

"Thank you Soteria for highlingting questions at the core of our existence, as individuals and as a society. Soteria's aims look very noble, innocent and prizeworthy. But in this innocence Soteria asks very penetrating questions and try to shake the status quo"
- Bashy Quaraishy, General Secretary, EMISCO

Friday evening the seminar was preluded by a special screening of the documentary "Free the mind".

The discussion following gave an unorthdox angle on the seminar; is "spirituality" in any way a "problem" to be "solved" by "society". Is the understanding of society as sharing responsability for individual progress actually a trap hindering real spiritual progress?

The seminar itself presented a wide range of perspectives on if and how the state should, or should not engage itself in the progression of spirituality in society.

During 2012-2013 Soteria International hosts four visionary seminar with hands-on practitioners on the relation between state and spiritual practice. The first was "What is Spirituality's Role i Modern Society?" followed 20th April by "What is the State's Role in IndividualSPiritual Progress?". Next conferencess will be in the end of September 2013 and beginning of December 2013.

Current report comprises findings of the observation work started by Soteria International in 2007, in response to the international appeal launched by Romanian Yoga movement M.I.S.A. (Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute) to tackle the situation of fundamental liberties in Romania concerning spiritual practitioners. The appeal came in result of a massive assaultoperation carried out on 18 March 2004 by anti-terrorist squad of Romanian police against peaceful yoga practitioners. The operation echoed in the following years with numerous human rights violations, which were mostly ignored or covered up by Romanian authorities, creating a volatile environment for practitioners of spiritual disciplines and marginalizing a substantial segment of Romanian population.    

In conducting observations for the current report, Soteria International has met with representatives of M.I.S.A. management board, conducted surveys and interviews among practitioners in M.I.S.A. yoga schools, observed yoga classes and yoga camps, surveyed media campaigns around the case, conducted trial monitoring missions in the Supreme Court of Romania, met Romanian officials in national and EU parliaments, collaborated with Romanian and international human rights organizations and researchers. 

What is the State´s Role in Individual Spiritual Progress?

One-day seminar in Copenhagen, 20th April 2013

Concordia Venue, Nordre Fasanvej 230

The progress of physical health has shifted from being only a private matter to being a concern of state’s support, for a better society. Should a similar shift come regarding spiritual progress? What could be the state's role to ensure a proper spiritual climate without crossing teh natural limits required for personal development?

Soteria International cordially invites to discussion on the following topics:

• Should state support spiritual progress? How much?

• Can progress of spiritual health be measured as results of practice?

• Could spirituality be externally supported without becoming dogmatic?

• Is freedom of conscience and belief already sufficiently secured in Europe today?

The seminar follows up on the pioneering 2012 seminar “What is the Role of Spirituality in Modern Society”. The 2012-2013 seminars series invites hands-on spiritual practitioners, politicians and scholars to discuss and envision new perspectives on the harmonious integration of spirituality in European society.

The Journal for the Study of Beliefs and Worldviews of Dresden University has published a report on the undemocratic practices of anti-sect movements, criticising the position such organistions are given in several European countries. The report is captivating in its direct approach to this challenge to the freedom of conscience and belief in Europe today.

Freedom of Religion or Belief - Anti-Sect Movements and State Neutrality - A Case Study: FECRIS is available online at http://www.hrwf.org/images/reports/2012/2012fecrisbook.pdf

The report is edited by Gerhard Besier and Hubert Seiwert in cooperation with James A. Beckford, Massimo Introvigne, James T. Richardson, Richard Singelenberg, Hermann Weber.

Willy Fautré

We bring here the reports introduction by Willy Fautré, Human Rights Without Frontiers:

” In the last few years, religious issues have again been prominent in the news and on top of political agendas. The EU institutions which were so indifferent, if not reluctant to initiating any debate on religious topics until the end of the first decade of the 21st Century, are now interested in religious freedom issues outside the European Union.

Live at Radio Freedom 10^th March, 4-5pm.

Soteria International invites Bashy Quaraishy from EMISCO and Linda Hertzberg from The Jewish Community in Denmark for a discussion on the political hijacking of religions. Radio Freedom and Birthe Heldt hosts the live radio show 10^th March, 4-5pm.

The last weeks Denmark has seen a heated debate on “anti-Semitism” in Noerrebro, a borough of Copenhagen with people belonging to a Muslim community. Media and politicians have spoken about a new “holocaust”, and Islam as being inherent anti-Semitic.

Soteria International invites both sides to share perspectives on the situation, where politics move from ideology to identity and religious practice is taken hostage by political agenda.

http://www.radiofrihed.dk/?powerpress_pinw=1417-podcast

Last week the Soteria International team participated to events in the European parliament where the main subject was the respecting of the human rights.

As this year is “the citizen year – 2013” the concern of the parliamentarians is oriented towards people, towards making the life of the citizens better, and to protect the human rights.

During the “2’nd OMBUDSMAN SUMMIT OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP AND EUROPEAN UNION” the topic was “The role of National Human Rights Institutions in implementation on United National Guiding Principles on business and human rights”.

Last week Soteria International took part in the general assembly of the Danish platform for European Network Against Europe – ENAR. The assembly gathers every third year and the statutes were reformulated to adapt to new structure of ENAR internationally and the increased awareness on discrimination of all forms in Europe.

Soteria International embraces participation in ENAR’s work against all forms of discrimination and the special attention that is brought on persecution and discrimination based on spiritual practice.

Soteria’s representative was elected member of the board for the coming period until 2016.

The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) is an EU-wide network of vibrant NGOs in all EU Member States, as well as in Croatia and Iceland. ENAR combats racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and promotes equality of treatment between European Union citizens and third country nationals.

http://www.enar-eu.org/

This week World Interfaith Harmony Week was celebrated. It is an annual event to be observed during the first week of February starting in 2011.

World Interfaith Harmony Week was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in resolution A/RES/65/5 adopted on 20 October 2010. In the resolution, the General Assembly, points out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace and establishes World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.

In Copenhagen Universal Peace Federation invited representatives of various religions to talk about Inter-faith coexistence and its value to peace on Saturday 2nd February.

Soteria International were guests at Radio Freedom 20^th January 2013.

The live radio show discusses the undemocratic aspects of anti-sect movements in Europe based on the new case study on FECRIS conducted by experts under Human Rights Without Frontiers and published by Dresden university.

The direct undemocratic influence of FECRIS is illustrated by two cases followed by Soteria; the French anti-sect police force CAIMADES attack on Terre du Ciel in 2012 and Italian SAS’s raid on the Tripura Sundari Yoga School in Bologna, Florence, Genoa and Rome in 2012.

The show further inform about the European discussions on re-introducing “plagio” laws and the perspectives this may have on the freedom of thought, conscience and belief.

Soteria reports from the EMISCO colloquium in the European Parliament on islamophobia. The need to address growing xenophobia in matters of faith and conscience was univocally expressed by the many experts from Human Rights, Universities and European institutions. Article here.

Soteria International were guests at Radio Freedom in a live show 18^th December.

Hear about the formation of Soteria International and what Spiritual Human Rights are. The live radio show also gives a briefing on the seminar on “The Role of Spirituality in Modern Society”, hosted by Soteria 8th December 2012. Article here.

Sunday 20th January 14.00 - 15.00 Soteria guests a live radio-show for a discussion on the perspectives on spiritual freedom in Europe today, on background of Dresden University’s recently published Journal for the study of Beliefs and Worldviews “Freedom of Religion or Belief – Anti-Sect Movements and State Neutrality”.

EMISCO’s International Colloquium “A New Challenge for Social Cohesion: Protecting and Promoting Fundamental Rights for Muslim Communities” gave a diverse and still univocal image of the need for another paradigm in understanding coexistence today.

Hosted by British Member of Parliament Sajjad Karim in the European Parliament 9th January, the colloquium gathered as speakers and participants many of the most important parties in the freedom of thought, consciousness and belief. Soteria International was invited as participant by EMISCOs representative and raised the question on media’s role in breaching of fundamental rights, as observed in several of our cases.

Bucharest, 18 December 2012

Another court session in the case against Gregorian Bivolaru, founder of M.I.S.A. yoga school in Romania, took place on 18 December 2012 in the High Court of Cassation and Justice (HCCJ) of Romania. The session is part of the retrial which was decided in April 2012 by HCCJ, when it cancelled previous verdicts by the Trial Court and Court of Appeals of Romania, ruled in favor of the defendant.

The decision of the HCCJ’s panel, presided by judge Ionut Matei, to cancel previous verdict and to retrial the case, was accompanied by many procedural irregularities and judicial abuses, raising concerns on impartiality of the judiciary and respect for fundamental liberties in Romania. Following the international concern about the case, Soteria International decided to monitor the trial sessions and the events related to it.

On 8 December 2012, marking the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, Soteria International held in Copenhagen the 5^th edition of the Spiritual Human Rights conference. SHR-2012 was organized as a public seminar on the topic of “The Role of Spirituality in Modern Society” and gathered distinguished speakers from various religious institutions and spiritual movements in Denmark, social activists and human rights defenders.

Live stream from the Seminar 8 December 2012

To follow up on the big international concern, Soteria has made a petition under Article 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, for public signatures to stop the persecutions, discriminative treatment and abuses against Yoga practitioners in Romania. The petition is a right for which any citizens resident in Europe, may present an individual or collective request, a complaint or observation concerning the application of EU law or an appeal to the European Parliament to adopt a position on a specific matter. Such petitions give the European Parliament the opportunity of calling attention to any infringement of a European citizen's rights by a Member State or local authorities or other institution.

Take action! Download the document in attachment and write for more information: roberta.rendina@soteriainternational.org

Download petition text

  Report on

The Impact of Apostates’ Activities

on the Suppression Associations of Conscience or Belief.

In many cases apostates play a complex and crucial role when an association of conscience or belief is subjected to social and financial suppression in society, which may lead to social marginalization and financial or judicial problems for its members. In the frame of this report the term ”apostate” refers to individuals who leave and turn against an association of conscience or belief, making efforts to actively hinder the future development of the association. The term “association of conscience or belief” here refers only to associations who are not normative in the surrounding society.