Statement on behalf of representatives of traditional Churches and religious communities

Welcoming showed partly understanding of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for a necessary perfection of the anti-discrimination Bill and having the understanding for political and constitutional aspects of a legislative procedure, the traditional Churches and religious communities focus their proposals on the major, and still present, defects of the new anti-discrimination Bill.

The traditional Churches and religious communities, though, believe that the Government was misled by the authors of the present Bill and some media regarding validity of the present Bill and also the intention and the content of the proposal of the traditional Churches and religious communities.

Because of this, on the websites of the Serbian Orthodox Church (http://www.spc.rs), the Archdiocese of Belgrade of the Catholic Church (http://www.kc.оrg.rs) and the Islamic community of Serbia (http://www.rijaset.rs) it has been given an insight into a new, concentrated Proposal for an alteration of the new anti-discrimination Bill.

The present Bill, except in terms of the right to express sexual orientation, seriously deviates from the international standards in two ways: it does not contain a provision which would help, in general manner, to resolve conflicts of performing different protected rights and provide objective responsibility for discriminative actions.

Obviously that such a Bill would lead to hard conflicts in society.

Delivers: Bishop Irinej of Backa, m.p.