ROMANIA

Several minority communities are expressing concern over the current draft of a new religious law that may affect their ability to have legal status. Set to replace the religious law established in 1948, the draft law has been rushed to parliament under an Ì¢‰âÒemergency procedure.Ì¢‰âÂå The law will divide religious communities into three categories with differing rights. Only groups with more than 22,000 members will be recognized as Ì¢‰âÒreligious denominations.Ì¢‰âÂå Those with less than 22,000 will be granted Ì¢‰âÒreligious associationÌ¢‰âÂå status, while those with less than 300 members will have no legal status. The draft law is now in the Committee on Human Rights, Religious Denominations and Minorities of the Senate, the upper chamber of parliament. (Assist News Service)