General
Following the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, 86,000 Muslims remained in Thrace. Of those, 39,000 were of Turkish origin, 35,000 were Pomaks, and 12,000 were Roma. Unlike the dwindling Greek minority in Turkey, the Muslim minority in Greece is prospering and numbers well over 100,000 today.
In Thrace, Greece implements consistently the principle of equality before the law and equal protection of the law without any discrimination for all its citizens. This policy is governed by respect for the Lausanne Agreements and the provisions of international law for human and minority rights. The rights of the members of the Muslim minority in Thrace are fully guaranteed and effectively protected in a democratic society, where the rule of law prevails. The Greek legislation includes special measures in favour of the Muslim minority and it is in line with the European Convention of Human Rights, as well as the values of the European Union.
Members of the Muslim minority take part in public life both at national and local level. In the most recent Municipal and Prefectural elections (2006), a significant number of Muslims (approximately 280) were elected to municipal and prefectural councils, as well as mayors and the vice-prefect of Rodopi is a Muslim too. The Muslim minority is always represented at the Hellenic Parliament. Today, the minority has an MP in the ruling party.
The Lausanne Treaty provides for a Muslim minority in Greece. Its members are free to declare their ethnic origin (Turkish, Pomak or Roma), speak their languages, exercise their religion and observe their particular customs and traditions. What is not acceptable to the Greek state is the attempts to establish a single ethnic identity for the entire Muslim minority in Thrace to subsume Pomak and Roma persons under a Turkish identity.
Educational issues
In Thrace, 215 minority primary schools teach in both Greek and Turkish, with more than 400 Muslim teachers. There are also two minority Junior and Senior High Schools and two Theological Schools. Further efforts are being made to help Muslims to improve their Greek language skills through the adoption of educational programmes, such as the supplementary teaching programme and the educational programme for Muslim children, worth 6.5 million in total. Moreover, it is of particular importance that, as of the 2006-2007 school year, optional Turkish Language courses have been made available in public schools. Affirmative action measures have also been taken with a view to facilitating the admission of children of the minority into universities and technical colleges, such as a 0.5% quota on the total number of admissions.This last measure is also coupled with an exemption from the mandatory base grade of 50% in each subject of the university entrance exams.
Religious freedom
The religious rights of the minority are fully respected. In Thrace, there are about 300 mosques. Religious duties within the Muslim minority are undertaken by 3 Muftis and 270 Imams. The government has recently decided to provide for 240 positions of teachers of the Koran (Imams) in Thrace; they will be employed by the State (Ministry of Education and Religion).
The Muftis, as spiritual leaders of the Muslim community, throughout the world, are appointed and not elected. In Turkey, for example, Muftis are appointed.
In Greece, Muftis are appointed by the Administration through a procedure in which prominent members of the Minority are consulted. A further reason for the appointment of Muftis by the administration is that they perform, in accordance with Islamic practice, certain judicial and administrative functions in matters of family and inheritance Law.
There is no judicial harassment whatsoever of the so-called elected Muftis in Xanthi and Komotini.
Last updated: 24 May 2007