Austria : Peace Activist Denied Entry

Who does the Austrian Interior Minister Mrs. Prokop fear more: Big Brother Germany or a Korean Grandmother?

APA-OTS: Vienna, 30.06.06 (OTS) - The wife of Rev Moon, Dr Hak Ja Han begins a tour of Europe on July 1st and would like to speak in Vienna on July 6th at the invitation of the Federation for World Peace and the Austrian Women's Federation for World Peace at a "Festival for Peace". As the mother of 14 children and grandmother of 40 she is still denied entry to Austria.

Germany prohibited the entry of Rev. Dr Moon and his wife in 1995 and continuously extended the entry ban. Austria considers itself obliged to follow suit in terms of the Schengen Agreement. Reasoning among others: that Mrs Dr Moon's presence would disturb the public peace and disrupt law and order.

Protest: In Berlin there is a permanent solemn vigil of protest against the entry denial in front of the Ministry of the Interior. In Paris and Vienna the displeasure is spreading about the Schengen ban. Yesterday this case landed in front of the French High Court. Austrian representatives of the Peace Initiatives founded by Dr Moon deplore the months of denial of communication on the part of the Interior Minister: "They just won't talk to us!"

Own goal: Dr Kwak, President of the Peace Cup says that Germany shoots its own opposition goal through this entry ban. Dr Moon founded the most successful Soccer Club in the history of Korea: the Il Hwa Soccer Team is already five fold Korean Champion. The Peace Cup Project founded by him is a project which sets soccer in the service of Peace.

International Appeal: 28 internatioanl leading personalities signed an open letter to German Chancellor Mrs Annemarie Merkel at a top-class Peace Conference in Seoul, where they appeal for an immediate lifting of the entry prohibition for the Moon couple.

Iceland also does not dance to the drum of the Germans, when it comes to Human Rights: despite opposition from Germany Rev and Mrs Moon received a 90 day entry visa right at the beginning of the week.

Denmark defies the ban applied by Germany for the second time. In a letter of protest Rev Hans Kristian Neerskov, renowned Human Rights activist and President of the International Sakharov Committee, warned Merkel and Barosso against the abuse of the Schengen Information System (SIS), and against the building of a new wall which directs itself against the rights of people and groups to freedom of religion and world view in post communist Europe.

Service: Background information to download (in German) at: http://www.weltfriede.at and http://www.iifwf.de/einreise, English: http://www.peace-tour.org

For questions:

FOREF Europe, Peter Zoehrer
Tel.: +43-664/5238794
E-Mail: webmaster@religionsfreiheit.at
Website: http://www.religionsfreiheit.at

Translated from German by Lilly Gundacker June 30, 2006.

Original Story at APA-OTS.