|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New
int'l campaign for Halki School's re-opening |
||
|
A Greek-American organization has unveiled an international campaign to press Turkish authorities for the reopening of the Halki School of Theology, with collected signatures addressed to the leaders of the United States, Turkey, the UN and other EU governments and parliaments. A resolution by the Hellenic Electronic Center (HEC) strongly protests what it calls the illegal closing of the Ecumenical Patriarchate-affiliated academy by Turkish authorities in 1971. The group calls for the Halki school immediate reopening, stressing that it comprises a vital condition for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople's future - itself an invaluable part of the world's international cultural heritage and the Orthodox faith. Echoing three decades of protests by the Patriarchate, the Greek government and various international ecclesiastical circles, HEC reiterated that Halki's closure is a distinct violation of the Treaty of Lausanne's Article 40 as well as the Turkish constitution's Article 24 guaranteeing religious freedom and education. The group maintains that the aforementioned liberties are also eminently protected under the European Treaty's Article IX and Article I of the United Nation's charter. All those interested in viewing the relevant petition should visit the electronic site www.greece.org/themis/halki
|
||
 action@hec.greece.org
|
||
