Dharma is protected by government in Mexico

[Guest guest]

Dear All

PAMHO AGTSP

 

After seen dandavats.com post about UP plan to control Hindu Temples [

www.dandavats.com/?p=233 ] I want to expose Mexican experience in the

same regard.

 

First a little bit of history:

In 1859 was proclamed on mexican constitution the separation between the

church and government and the confiscation of all churches possessions

by Benito Juárez. This law was proclamed due big interferences by

catholic church on politics at that time. After some years this law was

sobreseed by impractical, priests retook ministeries, and all people

continued with his religious observances.

 

But the law was not been removed, this caused an empty space on mexican

laws, officially religion didn't exists, but the reality was that

relligion continued and grew and diversified in all these years. ISKCON

first temple (Mexico City) was opened in 1970 by Citsukhananda das

(ACBSP), and Guadalajara Temple in 1975

 

Due official unexistence of religion at these times, religions needed to

use different legal registration ways or not registration at all. In

Mexico registration need to be following his purpose, ie: SA for

commercial societies, SC for non big profitable societies, AC for non

profit societies, and IAP for charitable societies. Each type has

different rights and obligations with government (taxes, etc).

 

Since 1859 all buildings used by religion was property of Mexican

Government, but all new temples was registered as particular property

due non-official existence or religions. This official non-existence

caused really big problems with property successions, and originate

common abuses from non-scruple people (from inside or outside

congregations) who ambitioning the richness into these buildings, not

only the buildings, also the pharapernalia, statues, paintings etc.

 

Finally Mexican Government saw the need to regulate the proliferation of

different religions and to protect actual religious buildings and

richness from abuse and steal. In 1992 launched Law for Religious

Associations and Public Worship.

 

The logic of Mexican Government is as follows: In mexican constitution

is granted the right of all citizens to select his desired religion, so

Mexican Government need to grant the right of citizens to choose between

all options without any impediment, thus Mexican Government need to

grant the existence of all the different religions, is not equitable to

support only one religion and others not, thus Mexican Government has

the obligation to give support and protection to all religions legally

registered in Mexico. *Like in vedic style, the ksatriya (government)

protects the dharma (religion).

 

*Basically Mexican Religious Association and Public Worship Law and his

office has the following purposes:

 

To protect the laicity of Mexican Government

To protect the right to profess the religion each people decide.

To support the growing of all religions in the country.

To regulate religious afairs with Mexican Government.

To regulate public worship.

To protect and regulate buildings used for religious associations.

To protect religious paraphernalia, icons and statues (the Deities) used

for public worship.

 

What this means?

Laic state in Mexico means no official religion, this is still different

to atheistic state. Laic state allow all people to choose his own religion.

Since 1992 all religions can be registered as AR (Religious Association).

All buildings used at time of law launching (1992) *are Federal Property

since 1992 and lent forever to the same religion association* have in

use for public worship.

All pharapernalia, icons and statues used for public worship at time of

law launching (1992) are in same way protected and need to be registered

also in INAH (History and Antropology National Institute). This means

also Deities are federal property.

*Mexican government grants to provide buildings each religion need to

his worship affairs.

 

*What means last listed point? Simple, this means Mexican Government

offer periodically some federal properties to be used by non-profit and

religions for his ministerial purposes. This means BBT, FFL, Preaching

centers, etc, can have his own buildings while they continue doing his

preaching activities without the need to pay any rent for.

 

These laws has been caused that in 2003 are more than 80,000 federal

property buildings registered in use of almost all officially registered

religions in Mexico, and is growing. How much for ISKCON Mexico, none,

only the two original temples are on file, but not yet officialized, not

more.

 

This means also that is legally impossible that in Mexico can happen

same issues like New Vrindavan (Prabhupada's Palace of Gold) separation

(in 80's) or like Bangalore Temple few years ago.

 

Is very common that some devotees spend a lot of years as bramacaris in

Temples, and when they want to be married goes out without any support.

Is possible that ISKCON Mexico authorities offer to them, in good

standard devotees, a department or so to live with the only one

requisite to do public worship into. The same for the devotees that give

full-time service on Temple or other programs.

 

How to do that?, simple also. 1. Ask for current list of disponible

properties to CABIN (**National Assets Valuation Commission - Federal

Building Assets General Direction**), 2. Do a search there. 3. Ask

ISKCON Mexico autority to apply to CABIN for these property and expose

preaching plans for.

 

Now the big question is why ISKCON Mexico autorities and the local GBC

has not been done this previously?

 

Usefull links:

Legal abstracts - http://www.istagosthi.com/es/messages/333/235717.html

SEGOB (Interior Ministry) - www.segob.gob.mx

**Population Migration and Religious Affairs Sub-ministry - **

www.asociacionesreligiosas.gob.mx

**National Assets Valuation Commission - Federal Building Assets General

Direction - **www.cabin.gob.mx

History and Antropology National Institute - www.inah.gob.mx

 

ys

Narendra dasa