14 MAR WHO CARES ABOUT MARRIAGE AND PARENTING? – ATTACK ON HKLD FOR ORGANIZING A FORUM CONTEMPORARY ASPECTS OF MARRIAGE AND PARENTING

During the holding of the Forum Contemporary Aspects of Marriage and Parenthood on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in the Margarita Peraica Hall at the headquarters of the Croatian Catholic Medical Society (HKLD) in Zagreb, unknown perpetrators damaged the entrance to the building where the HKLD office is located, and put messages of inappropriate content on the door and façade of the building.

It is an unprecedented attack on an association of citizens that brings together well-meaning doctors and other health professionals who devote their entire working life and life to caring for everyone, especially the sick and the most needy members of society, often members of marginal groups who are at greatest risk of health threat. According to the content of the messages of the attackers (such as “let’s not let religion write laws”, “fascist doctors out of health care”, “let’s break up the marriage between science and religion”, “let’s break up the marriage between medicine and religion”, “a future without marriage”, “your children will be like us, your children will all be queer”), the reason for this attack should be sought in the content of the forum held by members of the HKLD, and perhaps in the name of the organizer of the forum or the phrase “study of the relationship between science and religion”. Namely, recognizing the roots of some health problems, especially young people, but also adults, in the dysfunctionality of marriage and parenting, the Board of Directors of the Croatian Cultural Association decided in cooperation with the Center for the Study of The Relationship between Science and Religion (CePOZiR) of the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Sciences of the University of Zagreb to organize this forum in order to talk about the causes of problems related to marriage and parenting. and find ways to eliminate these causes and help those who can be helped to overcome these ailments. The panel pointed to numerous problems in our society that contribute to endangering marriage as a fundamental social institution established to protect the family and humanity.

Who cares about marriage? Who cares about healthy parenting? These are topics that can and should be discussed, especially in academia where ways of communication and argumentation of attitudes are known. This is also what forums are usually invited by distinguished experts who present certain professional and scientific data, and the public is invited to engage in a discussion from which constructive ideas and proposals can emerge. That was the case in this tribune. It was attended by distinguished professors of the Faculty of Law and Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Sciences of the University of Zagreb. Interesting was one observation during the forum that today marriage is being fought by those who advocate it, but in a different form (e.g. same-sex) which makes their demands contradictory. If they are against marriage and think that it should be destroyed – why do they advocate (the other) marriage!?

And who are the persons who do not want to present their arguments (do they have them?) in a democratic and civilized way, but their views or disagreement with the views of others are expressed by attacking public and private property (the building in which the HKLD headquarters is located is co-owned by the City of Zagreb, the Republic of Croatia and private individuals) and by pasting posters with messages of inappropriate, unfounded and vulgar content? How could this have happened in the middle of the city of Zagreb (the event took place in Marić’s passage somewhere between 6 and 8 p.m. while the stands were lasting) in the street where citizens constantly pass by (has anyone reacted?), and it should be under some kind of supervision of public order and peace services?

According to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia, these unknown perpetrators commit several criminal offenses: hate crime, criminal offense against human rights and fundamental freedoms (violation of equality, violation of freedom of thought and expression of thought, violation of the right of assembly, violation of the right to association, violation of freedom of religion), criminal offense against personal freedom (threat, intrusive behavior), criminal offense against privacy (violation of inviolability of home and business premises), a criminal offense against honor and reputation, a criminal offense against sexual freedom (sexual harassment), a criminal offense against general security, a crime against property (damage to someone else’s property), a crime against public order (assault on an official person, coercion against a person performing tasks of public interest), public incitement to violence and hatred… Is this enough to provoke an appropriate reaction of Croatian society towards these and such persons who disturb the public peace in Croatian society and continuously want to bring unrest and bad blood among citizens who deserve more than what they want and impose on us?

Fortunately, the positive atmosphere and encouraging messages of this forum on marriage and parenting were not able to overshadow the unknown perpetrators who left their inappropriate, unscientific and undemocratic messages filled with insults and hate speech on the front door and on the walls of the HKLD office lobby. But the question is whether an appropriate reaction of Croatian society will follow to this incident and the perpetrators of this criminal offense who are trying to collapse the foundations of civilization and modern society.

Rok Čivljak
President of HKLD