US REPORT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CRO MOSTLY OBJECTIVE - WEEKLY

ZAGREB, Nov 7 (Hina) - Croatia's Catholic weekly "Glas koncila" wrote in this week's issue that the recent American report on religious freedom in Croatia is mostly objective, although incomplete, totally untrue in some sections, and superficial in others. At the end of October the US State Department issued a report on religious freedoms and rights in the world, including Croatia. In an editorial entitled "Croatian Masochism" issued on November 11, the weekly stressed that the report "besides describing the factual situation, also makes some political assessments founded on the United States' political and general interests, with which one may or may not unconditionally agree". "In the interest of truth and justice, one must expect US Embassy in Zagreb to note that some claims do not correspond with the facts. They will accept these facts, but they will remain adamant in their American political assessments, which is their indisputable right, as it is the right of others not to agree with some of America's political estimates," the weekly wrote. Glas koncila also criticised Croatian editors and reporters for failing to even try to check out whether everything stated in the US report is true and accurate, nor had they tried to find out what was the purpose of the report. "They did not even question whether such a document could be interpreted as an action of a new age inquisition or how much it is appropriate for one country to issue reports on the segments of life of other countries which it had recognised as independent and sovereign". The weekly warned that the media, and some commentators, "presented and used (the report) as a kind of a whip or stick waved against the Catholic Church in Croatia". Some presenters of the report were even overwhelmed by the authority of the one superpower, and in a masochistic manner began admitting Croatia's guilt and expressing remorse or seeking culprits to express remorse, the weekly asserted. (hina) lml