STATEMENT
It has come to our attention that people passing themselves off as believers of the Karaim religion have established a structure called the Central Spiritual Board for the Russian Qaraim Abroad (CSBRQA). The headquarters of the CSBRQA are in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Its founders are attempting to represent Karaim communities traditionally dwelling in Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia (former Russian Empire) and to take control of the Karaim Religious Association in the Republic of Poland.
We, the undersigned, want to state strongly that neither the CSBRQA nor its creators represent the Polish Karaim community. The Karaim Religious Association in Poland has not given them any authority or power in this regard.
The Karaim Religious Association in the Republic of Poland is the only organization representing and fulfilling the religious needs of Polish Karaims, historically inhabiting the territory of the Republic of Poland.
The creators of the CSBRQA do not represent the Karaim community, nor do they represent any of the dzymats of the former Russian Empire. They are foreign to the Karaim culture and heritage, and they have nothing in common with the Karaims inhabiting Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Russia.
The CSBRQA is trying to impose a structure of religious external authority and to subordinate existing local organizations, which are the only ones legitimately representing Karaims.As well, they are attempting to impose their authority using, in an unauthorized way, the Karaim religion and our national symbols along with elements of our heritage to promote contents foreign to Karaim culture and tradition.
At the same time, we cannot overstate the fact that only persons authorized to teach the
Karaim religion in the territory of Poland are the hazzan and ochuwchu, legally elected by Polish Karaims associated in the Karaim Religious Association. The board of the Karaim Religious Association is the only body able to authorize religious teachings by other persons of appropriate qualifications. Representatives of the CSBRQA have not received such authorization.
The Karaim Religious Association and the Association of Polish Karaims, represent Polish Karaims and religious and cultural affairs of our community, and are opposed to such actions as contradictory to the Act of the State’s Relations toward Karaim Religious Association in the Republic of Poland and the Statute of the Karaim Religious Association in the Republic of Poland.
Mariola Abkowicz
Chairperson
Karaim Association in Poland
| Prof. dr hab. Szymon Pilecki
Chairperson
Karaim Religious Association in the RP
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Excerpt from regulations
The Karaim Religious Assiociation in the Republic of Poland:
- has its own system and its own internal board; is autonomous and independent from any foreign clerical or secular authorities (Act of the State’s Relation Toward Karaim Religious Association in the Republic of Poland of April 21st, 1936, Jour. of Acts of April 24th, 1936, Art. 1),
- is autonomous and independent in its system and the board from any foreign clerical or secular power and is ruling own religious regulations (Statute of the Karaim Religious Association in the Republic of Poland, §1, approved on May 10th, 1974, by the Minister adequate of religious faiths).
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