Greece faces criticism over new law on religious leaders
(MENAFN) A new law that went into effect on Tuesday regarding the religious leaders of Greece's Muslim Turkish community has drawn harsh criticism.
The minority in Western Thrace has complained that they were not consulted during the legislation's planning stages. This legislation permits the appointment of religious leaders, also known as muftis, by Greek authorities, which the minority there has called "unacceptable" because it disregarded the Turkish minority's treaty-guaranteed right to choose their own mufti.
According to associates of the minority, the legislation falls short of their expectations, especially when it comes to their right to independently choose their own religious leaders in accordance with international law and treaties.
A sizable, long-established Muslim Turkish minority, numbering over 150,000, is present in Greece's Western Thrace area, which lies in the nation’s northeast, close to the Turkish border, particularly in population centers like Xanthi (Iskece).
Greece has been charged with attempting to transform locally elected muftis into Greek state officials through the new laws, in breach of a number of international and bilateral accords, notably the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne that guaranteed the minority's religious autonomy.
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