Chair of Ecumenical Council of Churches statement on Krupka protests (Czech Republic)

Joel Ruml, a synod elder of the Evangelical Church of the Czech Brethren (Českobratrská církev evangelická) and chair of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in the Czech Republic (Ekumenická rada církví v ČR) has issued a statement about the march on Saturday organized by the Worker’s Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS) with the support of the militant neo-Nazi initiatives Autonomous Nationalists and National Resistance, as well as on the police dispersal of worshipers assembled to protest the march. News server Romea.cz publishes his statement in full below.

Statement of Mr Joel Ruml on the events in Krupka:

On Saturday a march was held in Krupka by the extremist DSSS. The town had sought not to permit the march, but a court decision overturning the municipality’s ban made it possible. There were many police officers present who eventually intervened against a prayer assembly and injured a clergyman just so a neo-Nazi march could take place on its pre-approved route. This is just a brief summary of what happened and more details can be found in news reports.

I was not at the assembly in Krupka, but brothers and sisters from several churches belonging to the Czech Ecumenical Council were. I consider it legitimate that they organized a prayer assembly for the protection of minority rights and peaceful coexistence in our country.

I was surprised that the Police of the Czech Republic intervened against this assembly and I support everyone who is demanding an evaluation of that intervention. It should be evaluated not only from the legal point of view, but also as to the propriety of any intervention against a peaceful religious assembly.

Extremism and neo-Nazism are ominously influencing the life of this society through the principles they use to shape our relationships toward disabled people, immigrants, and minorities. There is only room for these dangerous, evil trends because a significant portion of society remains indifferent to them. This passivity, this failure to resist evil, is a good way for the malignant influence of these trends to propagate itself.

If we want this society to be a good home for everyone, not just for a chosen few, then the events in Krupka must prompt each of us not to tolerate trends that have no place in this society. Our society will never become a good home for all if its foundations rest on hatred and mendacious ideas.

I am aware that the coexistence of people from different cultures and different views of life is not easy, but to build that coexistence we need ground from which something new can arise. The discrediting, humiliation, and wronging of others is not now and never can become the basis for that coexistence.

I call on the public administration and state bodies not to abandon their obligations. They have accepted and bear responsibility for the moments when they must fulfill the elementary principles of their mission: Protecting all who serve the good and obstructing all who serve evil.

The Evangelical Church of the Czech Brethren, just like a large part of the Christians in the Ecumenical Council of Churches, helps to build good coexistence among people in various way. The church has not avoided the search for what might aid good coexistence with Roma people and protect the lives of minorities. Education in fortitude and personal responsibility is an integral component of church services, especially at those times when we must protect the good in other people that the Lord has given us all.

I hope the regrettable events in Krupka last week will challenge all judicious, prudent people not to allow this society to be built on the basis of humiliation and social exclusion. On the contrary, we must more intensively develop our sharing with others for our social benefit and enjoyment.

I ask everyone who has been horrified by the growth of extremism in this country and who has been disturbed by the police intervention in Krupka not to consider themselves powerless – and not to consider revenge. There are other paths for changing people’s hearts and minds. Prayer is one of them.

I am glad that those who stood in the extremists’ way drew attention to the role and significance of prayer on Saturday. Unfortunately, the state powers rejected them.