7 February 2002
Open letter

To the President of Georgia, Mr. Eduard Shevardnadze (translation from Georgian)

Your Excellency,

We the below signing persons, would like to remind you of the meeting of July 10th 2001, when you met with the leaders of the seven main religions of Georgia. At this meeting we presented to you a statement against religious violence that had taken place in our country.

You agreed with the statement and it was obvious for us that you would be very keen to help us.

Unfortunately a lot of violence happened after this meeting but an especially serious event took place on February 3rd.

A representative of the newly created aggressive religious group, "Father" Basil Mkalavishvili with his people broke into the property of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, put several thousands of books outside in the court and burnt them down by the help of petrol. These books have been Bibles and other Christian literature in Georgian, Armenian and Russian and other languages. The total value was about 15.000 Lari. But the moral loss caused by the event is obviously much greater.

History has recorded bitter examples of similar nature. When on May 10th, 1933 books were burnt down by the NS-groups, Kurt Tucholsky noted "where books are burning very soon human-beings will also be burnt down". As we all know it did happen in Germany a little bit later.

Who is responsible for law and order in Georgia, when one group and its self-proclaimed religious leader can do whatever they want? Who has granted them the right to violate rights of others? Does not the event of September 11th teach us what is coming out of the misuse of the name of God.

We are glad that the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate has already condemned the raid of February 3rd in its statement of February 4th. We are sure that every true Orthodox will wholeheartedly share the spirit of the statements made both by the Patriarchate and us.

We expect, Mr. President, that you will do your utmost to stop any action that contradicts the tolerant tradition of Georgia and its present laws.

On behalf of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia: Archbishop G. Seraidarian

On behalf of Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Georgia: Bishop, Professor G. Hummel

On behalf of the Catholic Church in Georgia: Bishop G. Pazotto

On behalf of the Jewish Community in Georgia: Acting Chief Rabbi A.A. Rozenblatt

On behalf of Muslim Community in Georgia: Gazi Ali Aliev

On behalf of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia: Presiding-Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili

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