Were there forced marriages in the Bern House of Religions? The conjecture is obvious. One thing is certain: in at least five cases an imam performed religious marriages, which is illegal in itself if a marriage has not previously been performed at the registry office. Research by SRF has also led to a woman who speaks of a forced marriage in her case.
Both the House of Religions and the Muslim Association are shocked and point out that the imam who allegedly performed the forced marriages is unknown to both the house and the association and has never held any position in the mosque. “We will investigate which measures are necessary to prevent abuse of our mosque in the future,” said the association.
House of very open doors
Only: it’s not that simple. Karin Mykytjuk, manager of the House of Religions, points out that the house and thus also the religious spaces are freely accessible. “Even churches are open and have no control over everything that happens there,” she says. “It is not possible that a responsible person is always present.”
But now measures are being looked at for more control and surveillance of the rooms. No decision has yet been made on whether or not to file criminal charges.
Graffenried expects quick measures
For the time being, the incidents have no consequences for the House of Religions. The city of Bern, which annually supports this with 300,000 francs, does not want to stop the subsidies. “The service contract does not include the religious communities living in the house, but services provided in the publicly accessible area,” explains Mayor Alec von Graffenried (60) to Blick. This includes organizing larger events such as the Night of the Religions, panel discussions and exhibitions.
But Von Graffenried does not want to go back to the agenda: “Of course, the city of Bern expects the House of Religions association to ensure that the law is observed.” The rented religious communities should be promptly informed of the legal basis. In addition, the city demands that the results of the investigations and measures are communicated openly and transparently. “A forced marriage is an official crime,” warns the mayor.