An event organized by Soteria International, Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR),  European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB) and Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) on MISA, or the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute,. With Camelia Marin – Massimo Introvigne – Willy Fautré –Gordon Melton - Alessandro Amicarelli – Rosita Sorite - Konrad Swenninger – Mihai Stoian (Advaitananda) – Eileen Barker

The webinar is introducing a recently released book of Prof Massimo Introvigne – “Sacred Eroticism in MISA”. And also is raising the concern on the human rights violations, institutional discrimination, social and media marginalization on MISA yoga students and the yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru.

If we take individually such case of a spiritual community accused of criminal intent, we can remain passive in front of the dark side presented in media, or in the doubtable evidences presented by prosecutors. Just because seems to be a particular situation.

But when we look to a larger perspective, observing the similarities from such cases, worldwide, noticing the same pattern of accusation on fraud, or human trafficking or sexual abuse, then we feel to take a stand and wish to find the truth and to support the spiritual communities in need.

This is why we are here today, and thank you again to all our distinguished guests for their research and efforts done.

During time we studied cases from different countries in Europe, as for example Ananda Assisi and Arkeon – Italy, OKC – Belgium, Poetrie Esoteric Institute – Czech Republic, MISA – Romania ... and others.

What happened and why MISA yoga school and Gregorian Bivolaru were under unprecedented attack from authorities in Romania and how that Mr Bivolaru case became a precedent of non-respecting Geneva Convention in EU?

Our guests offer their expertise in the field – see the video.

In our work, this webinar is a very good opportunity to underline the importance of the dialogue, the common voice, and efforts to help and support the respect of human rights when it comes to spiritual communities.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights.

Still, we can say that there is a great need for a holistic and integrated approach regarding the human rights, and addressing the fundamental and core parts of the problem at hand, that is people’s mind-sets, attitudes, orientations and relationships towards one another.

Public fear and ignorance regarding unfamiliar religious traditions, discrimination, and hate speech increasingly target religious minorities or New Religious Movements.

This reaction on unfamiliar thoughts and religions started at the end of the last millennium, with France and Belgium’s arbitrary sect lists.

Instead of discussing ideas and insights the public debate turned to speculations on criminal intent, subversive plans and mind manipulation. Under this suspecting perspective volunteer work was investigated as human trafficking, and consensual love affair was scrutinized as potential sexual abuse, etc.

We have reached a time where certain behaviours, initiations and rituals, or actions related to a spiritual path can be considered as material elements of criminal case, simply because they do not fall within the norms known and accepted by the society.

If we take individually such case of a spiritual community accused of criminal intent, we can remain passive in front of the dark side presented in media, or in the doubtable evidences presented by prosecutors. Just because seems to be a particular situation.

But when we look to a larger perspective, observing the similarities from such cases, worldwide, noticing the same pattern of accusation on fraud, or human trafficking or sexual abuse, then we feel to take a stand and wish to find the truth and to support the spiritual communities in need.

This is why we are here today, and thank you again to all our distinguished guests for their research and efforts done.

During time we studied cases from different countries in Europe, as for example Ananda Assisi and Arkeon – Italy, OKC – Belgium, Poetrie Esoteric Institute – Czech Republic, MISA – Romania ... and others.

Our webinar today brings together distinguished guests to analyse and synthetize MISA yoga school case and the complex case of the yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru.

M.I.S.A. - Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute, is a non-profit association

founded in Romania, in January 1990, shortly after the Romanian anti-communist “revolution” of 1989. It has a socio-professional, philosophical, and educative character, aiming to raise the spiritual level of people by spreading the yoga knowledge and practices.

For understanding the context of M.I.S.A. setting up and the development of M.I.S.A. Yoga School we have to point out that the practice of yoga has been forbidden in Romania between 1982 and 1989.

Yoga was illegal in Romania until December 1989, the moment of Romanian “revolution”.  For this reason, Gregorian Bivolaru was permanently under observation by the Romanian “Security Services“,  because he was practicing and teaching yoga, and because he exchanged letters with Mircea Eliade, a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. 

After the Romanian “revolution” in 1989, Gregorian Bivolaru become officially free to practice and teach yoga and, together with a group of yogi friends, founded M.I.S.A. Their yoga conferences and courses had a tremendous success, and then tens of thousands of people registered to the yoga classes organized by MISA in Romania and abroad.

To remind briefly the case that we discuss today: on 18 March 2004 Romanian conducted an unprecedented, massive attack on the spiritual community of MISA yoga school, using brutal force and weapons against its peaceful inhabitants. The attack was broadcasted nationwide, marking the beginning of one of the most devastating and sinister defamation and marginalization campaign in Romanian media directed against the movement MISA and its followers. The yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru left Romania and obtained refugee status in Sweden, on the ground of persecution based on hid beliefs.

During time, Romania refused to at least look at the human rights violations in this case, and continued with the discrimination of MISA participants.

In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, in different decisions, European Court for Human Rights has ruled in favour of MISA participants and yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru who were affected by the attack in 2004. ECHR unequivocally states that Romanian authorities have majorly violated human rights when handling the case of MISA and yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru!

The situation escalated at international and EU level in 2016, when the yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru, having refugee status in Sweden was arrested in France and extradited to Romania.

By taking this decision, France ignored the refugee status of Mr. Bivolaru granted by Sweden authorities based on the Geneva Convention and decided to send him to Romania, without even not considering the proposal of the lawyers to ask the help of the European Court of Justice for the case.

France took a decision not respecting the mutual recognition towards Sweden and the binding obligations born by being a Signatory State of the Geneva Convention. The position of Sweden regarding the status of political refugee for Mr. Gregorian Bivolaru remained unaltered by the change of political status of Romania when entering EU. By the answers given in May 2016, Sweden leaves no room for interpretation: Sweden considers that the status of political refugee of Mr. Gregorian Bivolaru remains justified.

We addressed during webinar the question - what happened and why MISA yoga school and Gregorian Bivolaru were under unprecedented attack from authorities in Romania and how that Mr Bivolaru case became a precedent of non-respecting Geneva Convention in EU?