Bulgarian Atheists Rally on International Tolerance Day

"I do not have a religious belief. Is that a problem," read one of the protesting atheits' posters. Photo by Sofia News Agency

Bulgarian atheists from all around the country gathered Saturday in front of the National Statistical Institute in order to protest for the right to be properly indicated in the population census.

They insist on the Statistical Institute including the "atheist" option as an answer to the religious beliefs question in the census papers.

Some 1.5 million Bulgarians are atheists, the protesters stated.

The question about religious beliefs itself has been included for the first time in a Bulgarian population census.

The atheists' rally was deliberately staged to coincide with the International Day of Tolerance, November 16, as the protesters feel they have been discriminated against.

" Among all possible beliefs listed there is no choice which "no faith". The "I have not decided yet" option is simply not the case with us. We want the society to know how many Bulgarians are not religious," representatives of the protesters commented.

The upcoming census taking of the Bulgarian population is scheduled to be performed in January 2011.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!