Slovak ‘anti-Islam’ law amendment vetoed by President

President Andrej Kiska on Tuesday vetoed an amendment to the law on freedom of religion and the status of Churches and religious societies. According to the amendment, the rules for registering religious entities in Slovakia would become stricter, with officially recognised religions in Slovakia needing at least 50,000 adult members (Slovak citizens with permanent residence in Slovakia). Only 20,000 members are necessary at the moment. The sponsor of the legal amendment, the Slovak National Party (SNS), has made no secret of its intent to target Muslims with the law and to prevent the building of mosques in Slovakia. Kiska claims that the amendment, which was sponsored by the Slovak National Party (SNS) and approved by Parliament in November, "inappropriately affects the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Slovak Constitution". Moreover, the Slovak head of state called on MPs to discuss the amendment in the House again and to reject it as a whole. At present there are between 2,000 and 5,000 Muslims living in Slovakia and no recognised mosques.