FORB.PRESS publishes the Quotes and Photos book of the Faith and Freedom Summit II

books, FoRB, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, religious freedom



Get your own copy on the Quotes and photbook now FOR FREE – Limited Offer

The European Parliament in Brussels welcomed the Faith and Freedom Summit II on 2nd of April 2019. Read the main quotes, articles and see the photos as well as the proposals.

For the second year in a row the Faith & Freedom Summit met on April 2nd in the European Parliament, forging the way forward with concerned European politicians, administrators, NGOs and individuals to ensure that the key fundamental human right of freedom of religion or belief is not left behind and reduced to a second-class right.

A New Direction for the European Union
Religion or Belief
The EU Faith & Freedom Summit

For the second year in a row the Faith & Freedom Summit met on April 2 in the European Parliament, to forge the way forward with concerned European politicians, administrators, NGOs and individuals to ensure that the key fundamental human right of freedom of religion or belief is not left behind and reduced to a second-tier right. The well-attended Summit pointed out that right now this right given little importance within the European Union compared to other rights. The principle at stake is whether or not European countries and institutions will live up to their human rights commitments in the area of religion or belief in the same way it is insisting that countries outside the EU do.

“The credibility of the EU and Europe is at stake”

One of the keynote speakers was the EU’s Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU, Jan Figel. He told the conference, “The credibility of the EU and Europe is at stake,”and that the EU needed to “face up” to the numerous cases of discrimination that occur against religious minorities within its own borders. He also supported the need for extending existing European instruments, such as his own office and that of the Parliament’s Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU to having a role within the EU itself. He also supported another proposal of the organisers to use the upcoming European elections in May as a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the threat to freedom of religion or belief.

The Faith and Freedom Summit is a coalition of 20 NGOs which have come together to promote religious tolerance, particularly within the European Union. It is a non-partisan body with no political affiliation though it has been supported by the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) who have recognised the importance of this principle, as well as by MEPs from all over the political spectrum.

Also attending and speaking in support of the initiative were Kishan Manocha, Senior Advisor on Freedom of Religion and Belief, OSCE and Archbishop Thomas Schirrmacher, President of the International Society for Human Rights.

Bashy Quraichy, Secretary General of the European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion, told the conference that they are a “powerful movement against religious discrimination”and they appeal to the EU, especially the European Parliament, “to be more proactive in order to warn those countries who commit acts of oppression against religious minorities.” He added that he believes Europe needs to act in an “inclusive fashion” and not be “selective as to who to put pressure on and who not” whilst pointing out that populists and others were “spreading hatred” against Muslim communities, and noted that the number of hate crime incidents directed at Muslims had “jumped many fold…This, in turn, is breeding violence, murders and property damages.”

“Government interference in religion or belief can be blatant or subtle. It can come in many forms from covert administrative blocks, delays and denials to overt legislative and policy statements that implement undue restrictions on religious expression or practice”

Martin Weightman, Director of the All Faiths Network, told participants that, “Government interference in religion or belief can be blatant or subtle. It can come in many forms from covert administrative blocks, delays and denials to overt legislative and policy statements that implement undue restrictions on religious expression or practice. Raising these issues within the EU institutions will not be easy but without any communication between all the relevant players – EU officials and politicians, belief groups and the wider public – then we go nowhere – or rather we go down.” 

The President of the Netherlands-based NGO the Gerard Noot Foundation, Hans Noot, told reporters that the aim of the EU’s policy should be to include minority groups, saying, “This applies not just to faith groups but all minorities, including refugees and the lesbian and gay community. We should be striving for a more inclusive society but, at present, minorities like asylum seekers and refugees are demonised and portrayed as the “bad boys” if anything goes wrong.”

Mr. Eric Roux, Vice-President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights outlined the list of initiatives that the Summit have called for implemention: 

·       MEPs to sign a pledge supporting freedom of religion or belief

·       Extend the remit of the EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religious Belief or belief outside the EU, to within the EU.

·       Parliamentary Intergroup to investigate and raise instances of discrimination based on religion or belief within the EU, at European Parliament.

·       FRA (Fundamental Rights Agency) task force to tackle the topic of discrimination.

·       Academics EU resources should finance a full research project carried out by academics already known and experienced in the area of discrimination based on religion or belief in the EU. 

·       Create an open platform gathering members of the FRA, members of the EU Parliament, civil society partners, members of the EU Commission, religious stakeholders, that will be in charge of monitoring discrimination based on religion or belief issues in EU Member states. 

·       Article 17 TFUE (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to dialogue with religions and philosophical organisations) adequately manned task force in the EU Commission to implement article 17 TFUE

·       Create EU guidelines to protect EU citizens against discrimination based on religion or belief that will be approved and adopted by the Council.

·       A Faith and Freedom Award to award MEPs and other worthy individuals that are active in promoting various aspects of freedom of religion or belief within the EU.

Other key speakers at the Summit were:

  • Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz (President – Oxford Society of Law and Religion and Commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom)
  • Willy Fautre (Director – Human Rights Without Frontiers International) 
  • Massimo Introvigne (scholar and President of CESNUR) 
  • Ms. Ines Mazarrasa (Directora Fundacion Pluralismo y Convivencia – Foundation Pluralism and Coexistence)
  • Laurentiu Rebega MEP 
  • Alfiaz Vaiya (Coordinator – European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup)
  • Marco Ventura (Professor of Law, University of Siena)
  • Jan Zahradil MEP (President of ACRE)
  • The meeting ended with attendees agreeing to work on all the above initiatives and meet on a regular basis to implement them.

Faith & Freedom Summit II

Our latest publication gathers quotes and photos on FoRB by top scholars and politicians expert on this field, that were given at the European Parliament. It includes articles and 9 proposals to improve FoRB also inside the European Union.

Faith and Freedom summit took place in Europe

books, FoRB, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, religious freedom, , ,

BRUSSELS—On June 28 at the Solvay Library, situated just behind the European Parliament in the Parc Leopold, a large group of faith and government representatives met in what has been termed the launch of the Faith and Freedom Summit.

Official photo of the Vatican with Bishop Schirrmacher and Pope Francis © L’Osservatore Romano

So much hope was placed upon this conference to address and resolve the divisions caused by intolerance that Archbishop Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher from the World Evangelical Alliance attended just after meeting with Pope Francis in Rome to receive the personal blessings of the Pontiff and his wishes for the Summit’s success.

The 80 participants—religious leaders and scholars, human rights advocates, members of the European Parliament, and other leaders from throughout Europe—included representatives from the United States and from as far away as Indonesia.

Richard Milsom, Chief Executive of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe, introduced the conference and the importance to act now with reference to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), especially in light of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December.

His speech was followed by a video address from Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, who spoke on the importance of European external and internal policies in regard to the freedom of religion or belief. He asked every Member of the European Parliament to sign the pledge of the Faith and Freedom Summit campaign that reads:

“I pledge that I will uphold and defend the freedom of conscience and religion of all individuals by rejecting and speaking out against bigotry, discrimination, harassment and violence; and so build a more equitable society for all.”

Panel discussions focused on the need for implementation of bold policies committed to freedom of religion or belief. These panels discussed what could and should be done to strengthen application of these policies to ensure these benefits carry through to every individual in the European Union.

During his keynote speech, Jan Figel, EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union, declared:

“For the sake of our external credibility we need to show coherence in external and internal policy”

Figel also exposed the different types of religiofobias that can be found, despite of all efforts so far, Europe, and how looking into the internal issues will help to protect FoRB in the rest of world.

 

According to Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights: “Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others”, and in this regards, the statements of the different keynote speakers could not be more relevant.

In the beginning of afternoon, it was the turn of Salvatore Martinez, Rep of the Italian presidency at OSCE for Freedom of Religion, to say in a moving keynote speech:

“The denial of freedom of religion put at risks the most basic rights of everyone, and when this denial concerns a whole religious community, it endangers peace and security between states themselves. Freedom of religion must also be respected in its collective dimension.”

 

The impressive list of speakers and panellists made it maybe the most important event on Freedom of Religion that happened in Brussels since decades. The list included:

Amjad Bashir MEP, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, European Parliament; Sam Brownback, U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom; Congressman Bob McEwen, Former Member, American Delegation to the European Parliament; Bashy Quraishy, Secretary General of EMISCO (European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion); Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros, Director of International Affairs for VOX (Spanish political party); Dr. Eli Nacht, Official Representative of International Committee of Human Rights in Israel; Patricia Duval, Human Rights Attorney; Willy Fautre, Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers International; Dr Aaron Rhodes, President of the Forum for Religious Freedom-Europe; Professor Marco Ventura, Professor of Law & Religion at University of Siena; Hans Noot, Director of the Gerard Noodt Foundation; Ivan Arjona, President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights; Greg Mitchell, Co-Chair, International Religious Freedom Roundtable; Vincent Berger, Former Jurisconsult of European Court of Human Rights; Archibishop Thomas Schirrmacher, President of the International Society for Human Rights; Dr. Juan Ferreiro Galguera, Professor of Law and Religion, University of A Coruña; Rosita Soryte, Lithuanian diplomat, President of the International Observatory of Religious Liberty of Refugees; Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz, USCIRF Commissioner and Vice-Chairwoman of the Commission; Dr. Alessandro (Alex) Amicarelli, Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB); Martin Weightman, Director of the All Faiths Network in the UK; Adina Portaru, Legal Counsel for ADF International in Belgium

In a final keynote speech, Eric Roux, Vice President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, delivered the following message:

“Freedom of religion or belief has no religion. It has no political side. What people believe is their most ultimate freedom. Their link to God, or to the ultimate sense of life, and the expression of these inner beliefs are the most profound richness of a human being. That is why freedom of religion or belief must be fought for all, always, with no consideration of whatever faith one chooses.”

The faith and Freedom Summit will continue as a global campaign. The pledge of the Summit will be soon open for signatures for all, and especially for candidates to the 2019 European Parliament elections. Follow-up at www.faithandfreedomsummit.eu.

The event organized by ACRE was co-sponsored by the Church of Scientology, the Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society, the Coordiantion of Associations and People for Freedom of Conscience, and the UK based All Faiths Network..

Faith and Freedom Summit Launch (EU) e-Photobook