Ján Figeľ

Tag: freedom

  • ¿Llegará al mundo el impactante mensaje de Asia Bibi?

    Un mensaje desde lo más profundo del corazón que contrasta con la superficialidad con que vivimos en otras partes del mundo. La pakistaní, ya plenamente libre y reunida con su familia, vive en Canadá como refugiada

    Hace unos meses pudimos narrar con verdadera alegría el fin del cautiverio de Asia Bibi, la mujer pakistaní de religión católica, que ha pasado casi diez años en la cárcel luchando contra la sentencia de pena de muerte, por una supuesta blasfemia.

    Asia Bibi no será invitada a ningún gran foro de mujeres, nadie le preguntará de dónde sacó fuerzas para sobrevivir a diez años de encarcelamiento siendo inocente, ni qué ha sentido como madre al volver a ver a sus hijos y a su marido, ni se le pedirá consejo. Al fin y al cabo, Asia Bibi es una pobre mujer pakistaní cuya historia importa a unos pocos, y cuyo mensaje, que sí cambiaría el mundo, deja indiferente a la inmensa mayoría.

    Hace dos días ha difundido un vídeo desde Canadá, donde vive con su familia. En el vídeo no se ve su rostro, tan solo un suelo de piedras y se escucha claramente su voz en su lengua madre. El motivo no es otro que por seguridad, pues todavía recibe presiones y amenazas por pakistaníes que viven en Canadá.

    El mensaje es tan sencillo como profundo, con partes reiteradas, lo que señala dos cosas, una persona con una educación muy básica, y una mujer agradecida y valiente que comprende que su calvario ha de servir para mejorar la vida de muchas otras personas, injustamente tratadas, como pasó con ella.

    Un testimonio de fe impresionante, y un llamamiento a la humanidad lleno de esperanza y al mismo tiempo alertando para que la libertad religiosa sea un derecho real en todo el mundo, no solo en algunos países.

    Transcribimos íntegro el mensaje de Asia Bibi:

    Yo, Asia Bibi, hija de Salamat Masih, creo en Jesús. Y hoy, quiero declarar una cosa al mundo: que no he hecho nada malo para merecer lo que sufrí durante 10 años.Fui prisionero del corredor de la muerte, fui acusado de blasfemia, así que me concedieron mi libertad a través de Jesús y nunca dejé que mi creencia se debilitara. Mi creencia es lo suficientemente fuerte como para pedirle a todas sus religiones que no se alejen de sus creencias.Y para todo el mundo, mi mensaje es el mismo para todo el mundo, por favor manténganse fieles a sus creencias. Incluso si tiene que enfrentarse a la espada, manténganse firmes en su fe. Incluso si tienes que sacrificar todo. Quiero aclarar esto, que no he hecho nada malo, pero le pido a todo el mundo que sin pensarlo no tome ninguna decisión incorrecta. Primero escúchelo y luego tome su decisión. Y las personas que están en el corredor de la muerte por cargos de blasfemia, por favor piensen positivamente sobre ellas, y sean positivas para ellas, y vayan a visitarlas y escucharlas. Primero escuche, luego, si desea castigar a alguien, no lo haga sin escucharlo. Y todas las personas que están en prisión por blasfemia, ¡haga algo por ellos! Soy paquistaní y mi país es Pakistán. Nací en Pakistán y crecí en Pakistán, pero con las bendiciones de Jesús, estoy con mis hijos. Y estoy agradecido a Jesús. Jesús me dio libertad a través de mi fe. Y quiero pedirle al mundo que, por favor, por favor, vuelva a decir que nunca acusó a nadie injustamente y que nunca encuentre a nadie culpable si es inocente. Visítenlos en prisión, escúchenlos y discuta con ellos y donde sea. Me mantuvieron, me apoyaron, me alentaron, me trataron muy bien y se cubrieron todas mis necesidades. Y lo más importante, después de mi audiencia, una persona, como un ángel, que me ayudó desde la prisión hasta ahora, esa persona es de la Unión Europea.Esta persona es Jan Figel de la Unión Europea. Estoy realmente agradecido y agradecido con él, y deseo que Dios pueda proporcionar a más personas como él en el mundo. Y las personas como él pueden escuchar a más personas y comprender a las personas (que tienen problemas). Porque las personas como él pueden ser útiles con quienes tienen problemas. Y ahora algunas personas están obteniendo beneficios erróneamente en mi nombre, y quiero decirle al mundo, por favor no contacten a esas personas. Ahora soy una mujer libre, y estoy con mis hijos, digo gracias al mundo, que Dios bendiga a todas esas personas y les dé larga vida. Que Dios les dé más capacidad para continuar su buen trabajo para otras personas. Y así continúa el mensaje dando gracias a Dios, hablando de Jesús y deseando que todas las personas creyentes del mundo, de cualquier religión puedan entenderse y vivir en paz.

    I, Asia Bibi, daughter of Salamat Masih, believe in Jesus. And today, I want to declare one thing to the world: that I had not done anything wrong to deserve what I suffer for 10 years. I was a prisoner of death row, I was accused of blasphemy, so I was granted my freedom through Jesus and I never let my belief weaken. My belief is strong enough that I want to request to all your religions do not stray far from your beliefs. And to all the world my message is the same to all the world, please stay true to your beliefs. Even if you have to face the sword, please hold firm to your faith. Even if you have to sacrifice everything. I want to clear this thing, that I have not done anything wrong, but I request to all the world that without thinking do not give any wrong decision. First listen to him or her, and then make your decision. And the people who are on death row on blasphemy charges, please think positively about them, and be positive for them, and go and visit them and listen to them. I am a pakistan and my country is Pakistan. I was born in Pakistan and grew up in Pakistan, but with Jesus blessings, I am with my children. And I am thankful to Jesus. Jesus got me freedom through my faith. And I want to request the world that please, please, please I say it again that never accused anyone wrongly, and never find anyone guilty if is innocent. First listen, then if you want to punish someone, do not punish without listening to him or her. And all the people who are in prison on blasphemy, do something for them! Visit them in prison, listen to them and discuss with them and wherever. I have been kept, I was supported, I was encouraged, I was treated very well and all my needs were met. And most importantly, after my hearing, one person, like an angel, who helped me from imprisonment until now, that person is from the European Union. This person is Jan Figel from the European Union. I am really grateful and thankful to him, and I wish that God may provide more people like him in the world. And the people like him can listen to more people and understand the people (who are having problems). Because people like him, can be helpful with those having problems. And now some people are wrongly getting benefits in my name, and I want to tell the world, please do not contact those people. Now I am a free woman, and I am with my children, I say thanks to the world, may God bless all those people and give them long life. May God give them more capacity to continue their good work for other people.

    https://www.womanessentia.com/mensaje-asia-bibi

  • European envoy on freedom of religion or belief: Sudanese partners open to dialogue on religious diversity

    Jan Figel, Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the European Union, visited Sudan from the March 14 to 17, 2017

    KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 20, 2017/APO/ —

    Jan Figel, Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the European Union, visited Sudan from the March 14 to 17, 2017. The visit is to support cooperation in intercultural and interreligious dialogue, and to promote freedom of religion or belief and peaceful coexistence of different communities.

    The Envoy called for the pardoning of the two Sudanese pastors, sentenced along with the released Czech Missionary Peter Jašek

    The European Envoy met with members of the National Assembly and the Government including the ministers for Foreign Affairs and  Endowments and Guidance. Figel also met representatives of religious, political and civil society organisations. He gave a lecture at the Ahfad University for Women. He visited the National Human Rights Commission and Council of Islamic Fiqh, Nour Mosque, a Coptic Church and the Sufi ceremony in Omdurman.

    Figel said that the exchanges demonstrated readiness of Sudanese partners to engage in continuous and constructive dialogue on religious diversity in Sudan, Horn of Africa and globally. The Envoy discussed the constitutional amendments and their compliance with international human rights law, highlighting the importance that the legislative framework also reflects these standards. “A fair state must be organized around equal citizenship for all. Diversity enriches while uniformity weakens societies,” said Jan Figel. More…

  • EU envoy on religious freedom: ‘Indifference, ignorance and fear’ are terror’s greatest allies

    EU envoy on religious freedom: ‘Indifference, ignorance and fear’ are terror’s greatest allies

    To mark his first anniversary in the role as the EU’s inaugural Special Envoy for the Freedom of Religion or Belief Outside the EU, EURACTIV.com interviewed Ján Figeľ about the headscarf ban, Islamist terrorism and growing up Catholic in a communist state.

    Ján Figeľ will also be speaking at EURACTIV’s Freedom of religion and belief beyond the EU borders event later this month.

    The video is available here: http://www.euractiv.com/section/freedom-of-thought/video/tuesday-lunchtime-eu-envoy-on-religious-freedom-mixed-feelings-about-ecj-headscarf-ban/

  • Ján Figeľ about freedom of religion for A9TV

  • What US President-elect D. Trump can do for Syria and Aleppo

    (CNN) The US President-elect walks onto the world stage facing a question: Will this century of genocides end or continue?

    Donald Trump comes to power amid what has been called „the complete meltdown of humanity“ in Syria, with US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power demanding of UN member states Syria, Iran, and Russia: „Are you truly incapable of shame?“

    Power’s speech at a UN Security Council Emergency Briefing on Syria also invoked history’s scenes of horror: „Aleppo will join the ranks of those events in world history that define modern evil, that stain our conscience decades later. Halabja, Rwanda, Srebrenica, and now, Aleppo.“

    Her words, while an accurate indictment of the current situation in Syria, are also a prescient reminder that generations of American leaders have been confronted with the savagery of genocide and have failed to take appropriate action.

    If the scenes emerging from Aleppo show us anything, it is that the Trump administration must now grapple with this legacy and simply put, do better. The United States, through its executive branch, must call upon the United Nations to take action.

    The people of the world, especially those in the darkest of places, are looking to America, the European Union, and the international community of democracies with their hopes, and their very lives, at stake. We should not abandon our basic duties, and these people, yet again.

    Trump is coming to power at a dark time in the world. Last March, Secretary of State John Kerry declared that the ethnic cleansing of Christian, Yazidi, and Shia Muslim communities by ISIS forces amounts to nothing less than genocide. That same week, Congress voted unanimously in favor of classifying the atrocities as genocidal.

    And yet even after acknowledging that entire communities are being systematically murdered en masse, no one has been able to stop the massacres.

    This is not the first time a US president-elect has confronted such stakes. In 2008, a NY Times editorial urged then President-elect Obama to take practical steps to prevent new instances of genocide. Unfortunately, we failed then — and we are failing now.

    The current systematic murdering, torture, enslavement, kidnapping, raping and persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in territories dominated by the Islamic State constitutes the very same type of evil that we like to comfortably pretend is confined to only history books. Each time a power-crazed fanatic group is finally beaten down, we view the remains and repeat the promise of „Never Again“ articulated at the Nuremberg Tribunal of 1946.

    And each time, we break that promise anew by waiting too long and not working hard enough at our commitment to prevent genocide or crimes against humanity.

    Labeling is far from enough, but it is an important first step. Because once we recognize something as genocide, America and other leading nations are then obligated to act.

    The US has ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article I of which establishes a duty for contracting states to „prevent and to punish“ genocide, and Article 8 of which states that such countries „may call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to take such action“ as „appropriate for the prevention and suppression of acts of genocide.“

    If soon-to-be-President Trump wants, as he has previously stated, to prosecute criminals, then let him hold these genocidal war criminals responsible for their actions. If, as he claims, he wants to take a firm stand against Islamic terrorism, let him take action in a realm where every day matters, where every hour can mean the difference between life and death for innocent men, women, and children.

    If his incoming administration is frustrated with the international community’s status quo, let them break out of the cycle of weak resolutions and empty statements and take seriously the US stake in the „responsibility to protect,“ a political commitment unanimously adopted by all members of the United Nations General Assembly at the 2005 World Summit.

    It says that, „If a State is manifestly failing to protect its populations, the international community must be prepared to take collective action to protect populations, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.“

    Fundamentally, this is not about politics; it is about making a commitment to save people’s lives. In 2016, the American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian-based organization that advocates for constitutional and human rights, published a 7-point plan to stop the ISIS genocide against Christians which can be applied in any instance in which the US recognizes that a genocide is taking place.

    These practical steps for governmental intervention include calling upon the various UN organs to formally recognize the genocides taking place, to prosecute war criminals and to establish in-region safe zones for genocide victims, which would also eliminate the need for mass refugee relocation.

    We urge President-elect Trump to seriously consider these and other practical suggestions.

    After a bitter election season, the American people are understandably having a hard time trying to get past their domestic differences. But to paraphrase Saint-Exupéry, national unity will not come from always seeing eye to eye, but from looking outward together in the same direction.

    Stopping genocide around the world could and should serve as a unifying call to action, and a request for every American, including both the President-elect and his opponents, to turn their powerful gazes outwards. Regardless of party affiliation, we must all look back at our failures over the last hundred years and look ahead with a unified vision for a more humane century.

    Our collective political energy could best be spent saving lives, and the incoming leader of the free world must immediately commit to doing his part.

  • For EU’s religious freedom envoy, Middle East is key arena

    For EU’s religious freedom envoy, Middle East is key arena

    Brussels, Belgium, Oct 27, 2016 / 12:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The genocide of Yazidis and Christians in the Middle East and the refugee crisis should be a priority for Europe, the EU special envoy for religious freedom has said.

    Jan Figel told CNA that even though “there many other places where religious freedom is liquidated, discriminated and oppressed,” the Middle East is an unavoidable focus.

    “It is evident that what it is going on the Middle East affects the rest of the world,” he said at a media symposium organized by Alliance Defending Freedom International in Brussels.

    Figel, a Slovak who served as EU Commissioner for Education from 2004 to 2009, was chosen to be the union’s special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union. The position is an observer role and has a one-year term.

    “I deem that the religious persecutions against Yazidis and Christians can be labeled as genocide, and this is the reason why the Middle East is a priority: there is a crime committed in the geopolitical center of the world, where three continents meet and the most important religions live together,” he explained.

    The hands of a Syrian woman living as a refugee in Jordan. Credit: Kevin Jones/CNA.

    Figel stressed the need to aid countries at the frontlines of conflicts that involve religious persecution and mass refugee displacement. “Europe should provide more cooperation and assistance, as there are countries, like Jordan, that cannot sustain the flow of refugees that is coming to their lands,” Figel said. “Jordan did not close its borders, it is open to refugees from Syria and Iraq, and needs and deserves more EU support and comprehensive cooperation.”

    Figel has focused on the plight of Christians in the Middle East in his own work. For his first official overseas trip, he visited Jordan Oct. 18-19, meeting with representatives of government and religious and civil society leaders. The EU envoy praised Jordanian Muslim leaders’ work against extremism.

    Authorities in Jordan “are very much committed in dialogue and action against radicalization, violence and extremism,” Figel said.

    This is despite “an increasing climate of tensions” following the assassination of Nahed Attam, a Christian writer killed Sept. 25 because he shared a cartoon on Islam deemed offensive. Figel praised the Jordanian commitment to fighting the Islamic State, known locally as Daesh.

    “Jordan is a member of anti-Daesh coalition,” he said.

    The country’s work is also cultural. It puts into action “significant initiatives to show that Islam is a moderate religion beyond any extremist interpretations.” The EU envoy praised Jordanian initiatives for dialogue like the Amman Message, which King Abdullah II of Jordan issued in 2004 as a call for tolerance and unity in the Muslim world.

    The message recognized eight legal schools across various branches of Islam, rebuked sectarian attitudes like declaring other Muslims apostate, and set conditions to counter illegitimate edicts issued in the name of Islam; it drew support from 200 Islamic scholars from more than 50 countries.

    Jordan also backed the 2009 letter “A Common Word Between Us and You,” a response to the controversy following Benedict XVI’s 2005 Regensburg speech that discussed Islam, religion and reason.

    With Benedict XVI’s initiative, the letter grew into a forum that meets every three years. The endeavor aims to find common ground of dialogue between Catholicism and Islam. The initiative’s facilitator is Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan, the king’s first cousin.

    King Abdullah and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad also launched the World Interfaith Harmony Week, marked in the first week of February.

    The article can be found here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/for-eus-religious-freedom-envoy-middle-east-is-key-arena-56109/

  • EU and Freedom of Religion or Belief: A new Momentum

    Ladies and Gentlemen, In the midst of current multilayer crisis – we see compounded migration crisis, security crisis with crisis of our values, the dialogue is the space where we can find an answer. It requires not uniformity, but a unity that can harmonise even divergent views. We should recall that the roots of the term religion are in latin religare, which means „to unite together“. It would then be a great error, even contradiction, to use the freedom of dialogue to create disunity; it would be a great mistake to use religion itself for a division of our people.

    But freedom is more than a concept of liberty. It is also rooted in moral values and human rights. This is what Locke meant when he contrasted liberty, the freedom to do what we ought, with licence, the freedom to do what we want. I believe that the moral obligation to do what is right is the starting point for both reflection and action in the field of freedom of religion or belief.

    Within this light, the Wir schaffen dass, was a moral statement meaming that we would stand firm behind our principles and values. Within international law, the UN principle of responsibility to protect marks a global political commitment endorsed by all United Nations member states to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The EU, Germany and other actors also endorsed this principle. So, in a nutshell, this is my conceptual definition of what I wish to do as a first Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union. I wish actively promote dialogue, enhance our responsibility and capacity to face adequately critical internal and external situation influenced notably by the Middle East crisis.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, In terms of my personal experience, you must remember that I come from the other side of the Iron Curtain. I know what it is to have no freedom of religion at all and I know what detrimental this can be, not only for individuals; lives, but also for society as a whole. After 1989 for me as a Christian Democrat religious freedom was at heart of my work. As Slovakia;s Deputy Prime Minister and EU Commissioner responsible for Education and Youth, I have worked for years to promote intercultural dialogue and to help those in need, including political prisoners in Iran, Belarus and Cuba – one of these became my „adoptive“ son – and we met after his release from prison.

    So there are some heart-warming human stories of hope, but let’s make it clear; today, we face a critical situation in many countries, mainly in the Middle East. In February, this was stressed in the European Parliament resolution on the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by the so-called ‘ISIS/Daesh’ in which Parliament called for the creation of the post of a permanent Special Representative for religious freedom outside the EU, a post of which I am honored to be the first holder.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right that is part of the foundations of the European Union. As I said earlier, freedom is understood as the liberty to do what is right, within its moral scope and dimension. When we speak about dimensions of freedom, as you suggest – freedom of speech, freedom of thought, of conscience and opinion – all of these are attributes of the same essential liberty to do what is our moral obligation. Clearly, freedom stops when it leaves the path of moral and ethical obligation and transgresses into an arbitrary ideology. Sometimes the concept slips into ideology; this misinterpretation can then lead to the greatest crimes against humanity. This is why the moral dimension of freedom is crucial.

    We should clarify what is good and evil, and our current situation, the suffering and resistance of people in the Middle East – called genocide by not only the EU representatives but also our American partners – can be much better understood if we compare them with our past experience of genocides perpetrated in so many countries. German Parliament had courage to stressed this unfortunate history in conjunction with Armenian genocide and I believe, that responsible politicians will reflect the current situation as well. We cannot blind our eyes, we have a responsibility to give a proper name on mass murdering perpetrated against innocents.

    We all are aware of the resistance to the Nazi German regime that created both an ideological set-up as well as the military capabilities to carry out the genocide of the Jewish people. We must not forget that notable figures of resistance, such as General de Gaulle and Winston Churchill, were, at the very beginning, hen they started to implement their ideas, in a political minority. But appeasement or populism only increases the appetite of those perpetrating crimes against humanity and against freedom.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, What exactly is the task of the Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union? My task as a Special Envoy was defined by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, when he stressed on 6 May, the day of my nomination, that it would sharpen our focus on this important issue and ensure its visibility. My work will clearly entail both internal and external aspects. The European Parliament recognised that the ongoing persecution of religious and ethnic groups in the Middle East is also a factor that contributes to mass migration and internal displacement. Therefore, together with the European Commissioner Neven Mimica, who is responsible for International Cooperation and Development, my priority will be to promote practical protection mechanisms for anyone that is persecuted and humanitarian aid for those in need in the most badly-affected areas.

    We will work harder, together with the European Parliament, the European Commission, the EEAS, the Council and our international partners to engage in a permanent dialogue on how the EU can best contribute to the promotion of FoRB in the world. There are already several programmes and instruments to promote human rights in general and of FoRB in particular, such as the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). I will also present a report as part of the ongoing dialogue between the European Commission and churches and religious associations or communities, which is led by the First Vice-President of the Commission Frans Timmermans.

    We are concerned at the rise of violence and threats in particular in Syria, Iraq, the Central African Republic, Iran, Pakistan, India and other countries. We are determined to defend religious freedom as a right to be exercised everywhere and by everyone. In multilateral fora, the EU is focused on consolidating the content of FoRB resolutions, both in the HRC and in the United Nations General Assembly. We also have to work closely with our bilateral partners such as the United States and Canada.

    What is clearly needed is humanitarian aid and work in the field of education and the prevention of radicalisation, in particular among young people. In Irak, in the worst-affected areas, such as the Kurdistan Region, we have to do everything we can to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered to all civilians and offer equal protection to all ethnic and religious communities. The ongoing battle to liberate Mosul could, according to UN estimates, create up to 1.5 million refugees. We should be prepared for this situation, which could turn into a major humanitarian crisis. Lastly, we have to work on peaceful conflict resolution and interfaith dialogue.

    The European Union adopted its EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy in June 2015 stressing the importance of „ensuring that freedom of religion or belief remains high on the agenda with third countries as well as in multilateral fora“. I hope that you will support our task. I am happy to be here today, and I am confident that we will make it. Despite multiple obstacles and difficulties, we will do what is our moral and ethical duty, because without our concrete action and practical solidarity we would deny our roots and identity. Let me finish then with only one phrase – Wir schaffen das.

    Thank you for your attention.

    Ján Figeľ: Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU

    The article is available here: http://www.euzeitung.de/2016/10/03/eu-and-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-a-new-momentum/

  • A Welcome Surprise: The First EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief Outside the EU

    On Friday 6 May, whilst Brussels was enjoying a bank holiday, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker announced the appointment of ex-Commissioner Jan Figel as the first EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) outside the EU.

    Why has this appointment been made?

    This appointment followed a little noticed paragraph in the European Parliament (EP) resolution on the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by the so-called ‘ISIS/Daesh’, which had called in paragraph 10 for such a posting. Calls made in EP resolutions are notoriously under-implemented; even the European External Action Service (EEAS) staff seemed to be taken by surprise by the announcement, which as it concerns FoRB outside the EU, falls under their remit.

    The appointment, thus, has left many in Brussels wondering what it will actually mean in practice. During his speech to the Vatican, President Juncker said that “Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right which is part of the foundation of the European Union.” This is consistent with a growing importance being given to FoRB over the past couple of years; the EU Guidelines on this topic emerged in June 2013. In 2015, the European Parliament established an EP Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance and the commission appointed coordinators on anti-Semitism and anti-Islamophobia within the EU.

    What is clear is that Jan Figel will act as a special advisor to Neven Mimicia, the European Commissioner for International Development. Whereas other advisors to commissioners have clearly defined mandates on the EC website, the fact that Jan Figel only has a title indicates that he will have some flexibility to shape his work.

    Why is it important?

    The will to mainstream freedom of religion or belief into the EU’s wider external agenda is a very welcome sign. Given the increasing number of FoRB violations taking place both inside and outside of Europe, there needs to be a push for an increased awareness of the need for FoRB and the way that it benefits communities. Pew’s most recent study on religious hostility worldwide found that 5.5 billion people worldwide live in countries with high or very high overall restrictions on religion. Several of these countries are recipients of EU development aid.

    “The will to mainstream freedom of religion or belief into the EU’s wider external agenda is a very welcome sign.”

    That said, given that the majority of those people are citizens of China and India, the world’s largest emerging economies, it may have been useful for Jan Figel to have also been made a special advisor to Cecilia Malmström, the European Commissioner for Trade. According to research by Dr Brian Grim, FoRB is good for business and countries with fewer restrictions on religion experience more investment and growth – so perhaps it’s an argument that can still be made.

    How much influence will the EU Special Envoy on FoRB outside the EU actually have?

    It remains to be seen what the relationship will be between the Special Envoy and Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU’s Special Representative for Human Rights and the EEAS. Given that the EEAS is responsible for arranging the EU’s human rights dialogues (bi-lateral talks that take place between the EU and third countries) it would be in the interests of coherence for Mr Figel to establish close contact with this institution.

    If Jan Figel uses the EU’s FoRB guidelines as a basis for his work, then he could play an instrumental role in pushing for their wider dissemination and implementation at the dialogues. He could also work to mainstream religious concerns more broadly in the EU’s peacekeeping initiatives. Mr Figel should strive to form a working group incorporating all of those concerned with different aspects of FoRB so as to ensure the coherence and consistency of EU action on the matter.

    “As the world becomes more polarised and people become more wary of one another, the promotion of FoRB provides for pluralism and peaceful co-existence.”

    With atheist bloggers being killed in Bangladesh, Yazidis and other religious minorities being massacred by Daesh (Islamic State), and religious leaders throughout the world being intimidated and arrested, FoRB is more important than ever. As the world becomes more polarised and people become more wary of one another, the promotion of FoRB provides for pluralism and peaceful co-existence. Mr Figel has the opportunity to bring together all of the elements of FoRB protection and promotion in the EU and move them forward to create a safer world for people of all faiths and none. Let’s hope he uses it.

    By Dr Susan Kerr and Claire Gilder, CSW’s Europe Office

    The article: https://forbinfull.org/2016/06/07/a-welcome-surprise-the-first-eu-special-envoy-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-outside-the-eu/#more-654