UN Official Surveys Religious Freedom In Macedonia

United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, has concluded a 5-day visit to Macedonia, according to a report yesterday by UN News Centre. Her statement (full text) issued in a press release at the end of the visit says in part:

The Constitution provides that religious communities and groups are separate from the state and equal before the law. The Government therefore has a delicate role to play.... It ... has to stay even-handed in granting official status to all communities and yet protect the rights of all individuals, whether they are theistic, atheistic or non-theistic believers. A number of my interlocutors pointed to the perception that the two biggest registered religious communities in the country wield considerable political influence and are able to make inroads to the Constitutional concept of separation of state and religion.

I was encouraged by the reforms made in the 2007 Law on Religious Communities and Religious Groups. It is in line with international human rights standards; however, the implementation of the law has so far not been streamlined, for example with regard to registration issues....

Ms. Jahangir expressed astonishment at Macedonians' reaction to a recent court decision striking down teaching of religion in the school classroom. She also expressed concern about reports of incitement to racial or religious hatred.