Ján Figeľ

Tag: Religious freedom

  • IRF Summit 2022: Religious Freedom for Everybody, Everywhere, All the Time

    IRF Summit 2022: Religious Freedom for Everybody, Everywhere, All the Time

    Former Ambassador Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett hosted the event in Washington, D.C. “We’ve got a simple model: it’s religious freedom for everybody, everywhere, all the time.”

    by Marco Respinti

    Marco Respinti (left) with Ján Figeľ, former European Commission special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion outside the EU, at the IRF Summit 2022.

    The concept of freedom of religion, belief, or creed (now often known under the acronym FORB) suffers from a misunderstanding. It is unpleasant, because it misrepresents religious liberty; and it is dangerous, because it unleashes the wrong battles for the wrong reasons. The misconception consists in thinking that religious freedom means that all religions are equal. They are not. From a theological, historical, and sociological point of view, this is obvious. Each group of believers regards its faith as unique and is proud of it. There is a serious danger that proclaiming that all religions are equal would fuel relativism.

    In fact, advocacy for religious freedom also means denouncing the violations of it perpetrated by a religious group against others. This implies detecting the perversion of theological concepts, the twisting of genuine religious beliefs, and the ideological use of religion to distort the message of one faith to perpetrate acts of violence against other religions or secular targets. Advocacy for religious liberty can never means that religious freedom should be only for one religious group at the expense of (all) others.

    What is FORB

    The International Religious Freedom Summit 2022, held at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., June 28 to 30, 2022, swept away all these misconstructions and theoretical errors with assertive elegance.

    The Summit was co-hosted and co-chaired by two well-known defenders of religious freedom. They are Samuel Brownback, former 46th Republican Governor of Kansas and Ambassador-at-Large of the United States for International Religious Freedom 2018–2022, now active in the same field through The Brownback Group, and Katrina Lantos Swett, president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, which was founded in 2008 to continue the legacy of his late husband, Democratic Representative Thomas Peter Lantos (1928–2008). Born in Budapest as Tamás Péter Lantos, this future staunch defender of human dignity and fundamental rights survived the Holocaust thanks to heroic Swedish businessman and diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (1912–1945), who helped thousands of Jews escape Nazi persecution. Wallenberg ended up in the hands of the Soviet Army with a false charge of espionage, and disappeared in the Gulag.

    IRF Summit Co-Chairs Katrina Lantos Swett and Sam Brownback.

    Ambassador Brownback stated plainly the logic of the Summit: “We’ve got a simple model: it’s religious freedom for everybody, everywhere, all the time.” Lantos Swett constantly strengthened the benefit that religious liberty produces for everyone in the world, not only a specific group.

    FORB is in fact the decisive and fundamental political right of each human person. It is decisive, because it concerns the ultimate meaning of things (for believers, of course, but also for atheists, who freely conclude that God does not exist). It is fundamental, because it generates all other basic rights (freedom of speech, press, assembly, education, etc.), giving them substance and meaning. Being a non-negotiable principle, it orients all negotiable values.

    The Summit’s plenary sessions and the monographic breakout sessions were animated by a prestigious lot of panelists and hosts, as well as enlivened by the unvaluable contributions of testimonies and testimonials. Speakers included Rashad Hussain, Advisor to the US President on Religious Freedom Conditions and Policy; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives; former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; US Senator Marco Rubio; Fiona Bruce, UK FORB Envoy; Professor Mary Ann Glendon; former Finnish minister of Interior Päivi Räsänen; Greg Mitchell, of the International Religious Freedom Roundtables; basketball celebrity Enes Kanter Freedom; Baron David Alton of Liverpool; Tom Farr, president of the Religious Freedom Institute; Azra Jafari, first (now former) female Mayor in Afghanistan; Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF); actor Justin Baldoni; Farahnaz Ispahani, former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; Michael Farris, president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom; Tibetan Buddhist leader Arjia Rinpoche; Ján Figeľ, former European Commission special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion outside the EU; Mariam Ibraheem, director of Global Mobilization for Tahrir Alnisa Foundation; Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress; Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian Ambassador to the US; Ethan Gutmann, co-founder of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China; human rights lawyer David Matas; Sharifah Shakirah, founder and director of Rohingya Women Development Network; Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla, president of Guatemala; Nury Turkel, Chair of the USCIRF; and Nguyễn Dinh Thang, executive director of Boat People SOS.

    The sworn enemies of FORB

    The IRF Summit 2022 made quite clear that three are the sworn enemies of religious freedom today. First, terrorism in the crippled name of God, as for example in the case of ultra-fundamentalist “Islamism,” to be always carefully distinguished from Islam to avoid any claim of “Islamophobia”. From Middle East to Pakistan, from North Africa to India, Islamist terrorism hit harshly and seriously. Its victims are members of other religions, especially Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists, but also several devotees of other Muslim communities that ultra-fundamentalist religious-turned-political ideology labels as “infidels,” pretending to have the monopoly of the word “Islamic.” This is notably the case of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan and Algeria, and the Hazara Shiites in Afghanistan and Pakistan, alongside other non-Muslim communities whose only sin is to live in regions where Islamist fury rules, including Baháʼís in Iran and Yazidis in Iraq and elsewhere.

    Ahmadi booth at the Summit.

    Second, totalitarian ideocracies such as communism, which is by no means dead in several countries, above all in China. Before widening its scope to other parts of the world on December 1, 2020, Bitter Winter was launched on May 2, 2018, specifically to inform and alert on the crimes of the Communist hell on earth that the People’s Republic of China is, and more than half of its effort is still on that target.

    The religious persecution waged on by the Chinese Communist Party was discussed at length in several panels at the IRF Summit 2022, frequently documenting and debating the fate of the Uyghurs and other Muslim communities in Mainland China, as well as Tibetans and Christians, or presenting evidence of organ harvesting—a rich and astonishing industry in the country whose victims are prisoners of conscience from Falun Gong and other groups.

    Marco Respinti with Ambassador Brownback.

    Third, some states practice dirigiste policies, at least in this field, and thus pay only lip services to real religious freedom. It happens when governments and institutions promote intrusion in the lives of spiritual groups, limiting FORB in the name of some vague, or alleged, administrative, fiscal, or social policies.

    A version of this, which may count for an additional fourth enemy of religious freedom, is typical of Western democracies. It is relativism. This is a cultural attitude, both philosophical and popular, of basically considering everything as having the same value, which immediately turns into giving value to nothing, thus eroding FORB. Its arms are political correctness, conformism, and the so-called “cancel culture”, as former Finnish Minister Päivi Räsänen, still on trial for having quoted the Bible, testified at the Summit.

    Marco Respinti with Päivi Räsänen.

    An important piece of news emerged several times in discussions and panels through the Summit. Christians, in term of numbers, are still the most persecuted religious group in the world, a persecution some governments, international institutions and NGOs do not seem to take seriously.

    “Cults,” and all that

    Several groups and communities maintained booths at the Renaissance Hotel, distributing literature and informative material. One such piece of literature prompted a reflection from yours truly. It advocated FORB for “traditional religions.” I was told the definition meant no discrimination for the other religions, but nonetheless wondered, What is a “traditional” religion? An old religion? How old, and who decides it? The number of its devotees? Numbers are all relative, when considered in relation to place, context, and time. Or are “traditional” faiths those claiming to have a “tradition”? Well, all have. As a matter of fact, human time in history being relative, depending on several different measurements, criteria, and understandings, it is quite easy to consider all religions “traditional,” or for them to actually be.

    Recently established groups, and yet each displaying a recognizable “tradition,” like Scientology or Tai Ji Men participated in the Summit (and this writer was also a speaker in a panel organized by the latter).

    Two statements aptly sum up the meaning and value of the IRF Summit 2022. The first was uttered by Holly Folk, a scholar of religions at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, precisely during a seminar hosted by Tai Ji Men as an appendix to the major event. Folk urged to stop using the term “cult” for any religious or spiritual group. “Cult” is in fact a vague expression with no scientific ground, weaponized against unwelcome groups by those who have the power to do it.

    Nadine Maenza at the Summit, with the Tai Ji Men Bell of World Peace and Love.

    The second point was made clear by Nadine Maenza, saying that “religious freedom is for everybody, or is for nobody.” This seems to be the next task for Greg Mitchell and his associates. In fact Mitchell announced a major structural coordination among groups advocating for religious freedom and persecuted communities with the help of the prestigious Templeton Foundation. To some extent, the IRF Summit in Washington was the trailer of this future film.

    About the author:

    Marco Respinti

    Marco Respinti is the Editor-in-Chief of International Family News. He is an Italian professional journalist, member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), essayist, translator, and lecturer. He has contributed and contributes to several journals and magazines both in print and online, both in Italy and abroad. Author of books, he has translated and/or edited works by, among others, Edmund Burke, Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, Russell Kirk, J.R.R. Tolkien, Régine Pernoud and Gustave Thibon. A Senior fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, a non-partisan, non-profit U.S. educational organization based in Mecosta, Michigan, he is also a founding member as well as Board member of the Center for European Renewal, a non-profit, non-partisan pan-European educational organization based in The Hague, The Netherlands, and a member of the Advisory Council of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief. He serves as Director-in-Charge of the academic publication The Journal of CESNUR and Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights.

    https://bitterwinter.org/the-international-religious-freedom-summit-2022

  • Ján Figeľ: ‘It’s a pity there is no EU religious freedom envoy anymore’

    Ján Figeľ: ‘It’s a pity there is no EU religious freedom envoy anymore’

    Ján Figeľ, special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion outside the EU from 2016 to 2019, meets Pope Francis in 2018./ Vatican Media/Ján Figeľ personal archive.

    Bratislava, Slovakia, Sep 10, 2021 / 04:15 am

    On the eve of Pope Francis’ visit to Slovakia, the country appointed Anna Záborská, a former member of the European Parliament, as its plenipotentiary for religious freedom.

    The decision was approved after Christos Stylianides, the European Union’s religious freedom envoy, stood down just five months after taking up the role to lead Greece’s new climate crisis ministry.

    The first person to hold the post of special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU (also known as the EU Special Envoy on FoRB) was the Slovakian politician Ján Figel’.

    He told CNA that his appointment to the role in 2016 inspired other countries to take the promotion of religious freedom abroad more seriously.

    He said: “My unprecedented, pioneering EU role on FoRB inspired since 2016 several countries to nominate their special envoys or ambassadors: Hungary, the UK, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and now finally Slovakia.”

    “But the EU position on freedom of religion and belief is again vacant. For the current Commission [the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch], it does not seem to be a priority, regrettably.”

    Figel’, 61, has extensive political experience. He was the EU commissioner for education and culture, and the deputy prime minister of Slovakia, a central European nation with a population of 5.5 million bordered by Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

    As the EU Special Envoy on FoRB, Figel’ played a critical role in helping Asia Bibi, a Catholic woman unjustly sentenced to death for blasphemy, to leave Pakistan after her acquittal.

    In 2018, he oversaw the creation of the Punta del Este Declaration on Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere, which now has hundreds of signatories.

    At his suggestion, St. John Paul II was nominated as an honorary citizen of the Slovakian cities of Prešov and Bratislava.

    Talking about his experience as the EU’s special envoy, Figel’ focused on the role of the Church in Slovakia during communism as well as his own personal experience. The Church, he said, was one of the major opponents of the communist regime. “The state power severely persecuted it … All religious communities have been dismissed, many bishops imprisoned. The Greek Catholic Church was liquidated as a whole,” he recalled.

    Figel’ said that his own uncle disappeared in 1953.

    He noted that the chain of events that led to the collapse of communism in Czechoslovakia began in Bratislava, the present-day capital of Slovakia, on March 25, 1988.

    On that day, a large crowd assembled for what later became known as the “candle demonstration,” led by Catholic groups. It was the first mass demonstration in defiance of the communist regime since 1969.

    “Brutal police force was used against 10,000 protesters praying the rosary and singing state and papal anthems,” Figel’ said. “Yet in November 1989, one and a half years later, half a million citizens prayed the Pater Noster in Prague.”

    “The movement towards freedom was unstoppable. It was an annus mirabilis [miraculous year] – a dramatic but peaceful, spiritual revolution, encouraged by the Polish Pope John Paul II.”

    “The nation was united in the quest for religious freedom and civil liberties and was successful. This is a historical lesson.”

    Ján Figeľ talks to Cardinal Parolin at a 2018 meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network in Frascati, Italy. Ján Figeľ personal archive.

    Speaking about the pope’s Sept. 12-15 trip to Slovakia, Figel’ said he hoped that “Pope Francis will awaken this memory and legacy of Slovakia and the whole of Central Europe.”

    He observed that on the very day of the pope’s arrival in Slovakia, “a great Pole will be beatified: the late Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński.”

    The pope will travel to Slovakia after a brief visit to Hungary to celebrate the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.

    “The Eucharistic Congress in Budapest should remind us that faith in Jesus is a reason for persecution and even martyrdom in many countries,” Figel’ commented.

    For this reason, the establishment in Slovakia of an office for the promotion of international religious freedom is “a great achievement,” Figel’ said, considering that “already three Visegrád neighbors [Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic] have active governmental structures and policies in this respect.”

    Figel’ suggested that there were “multiple ways” to help foster awareness of religious freedom, including “prayer, humanitarian aid to the persecuted, constructive official development policies, cooperation with churches and pro-religious freedom NGOs like the Caritas, Aid to the Church in Need, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Open Doors.”

    “As EU envoy,” he said, “I was working with them. They provide excellent work for the needy and the persecuted. It is a pity that there is no EU envoy for religious freedom and belief anymore.”

    Reflecting on the situation in his homeland, Figel’ said: “Christianity is a religion of love and dignity. Slovakia has deep Christian roots and culture. The spiritual heritage of the two co-patrons of Europe, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, is quoted in the preamble of our state constitution.”

    He added: “Slovakia is the bridge, the connection, between the two lungs of Europe and the Church: the Western and Eastern ones.”

    “Therefore, with its history, culture, and relations, Slovakia can strongly contribute to bringing more unity to Christian churches and communities in general, Catholics and Orthodox in particular. But, unfortunately, the current pandemic has brought a lot of death, fear, and polarization.”

    Figel’ argued that the coronavirus crisis had revealed the 21st-century world’s vulnerabilities, despite its technological prowess.

    “We fought for independence. Now we see how interdependent people and nations are. Europe and the West have growing problems. It is time for moral renewal and the culture of human dignity for all,” he said.

    “I hope that the 21st century will be a more humane era, not ‘business as usual.’ We all have a role in making this vision a reality.”

    He concluded: “We must close the past century of genocides, from Armenia to Iraq. Evil was powerful in that century because it had many cheap and efficient allies, namely indifference, ignorance, and fear. The three are siblings.”

    “I like that the pope promotes different, constructive siblings: civic engagement, education, and courage. And he leads by example. I believe his messages in Slovakia will be not only local and national, but international and universal as well.”

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248939/slovakian-politician-jan-figel-its-a-pity-there-is-no-eu-religious-freedom-envoy-anymore

  • Advancing Religious Freedom in Different Political Regimes

    Why is religious freedom important? Because it is a measure, principle, and instrument of humanization and civilizational process. It makes every society and time more humane, more respectful, and just.

    It is important because freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is an expression of human dignity belonging to each person and community, society, nation. The primary role of any power and authority is to provide peace to its people. Peace is the fruit of justice, and justice today is centered around human rights for all.

    Human dignity is a foundational principle of all human rights. We have rights and duties because we are endowed with the dignity of the person.

    FoRB is a very central and expansive right. Centrality is proven by placement and content. FoRB is represented by Art. 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the center of the list of 30 articles. It is an expansive right and a very influential issue. Because it tackles rights implemented individually or collectively, in private or in public, by teaching, practice, worship, and observance.

    FoRB represents freedom of thought, conscience, and religion—the deepest expression of one’s personal freedom. If this is not respected by a political regime or public authorities, then other rights are disrespected as well—freedom of opinion, of expression, of media, association, assembly, etc. Therefore, we can say FoRB is a litmus test for all human rights! It is not above other rights but it is critical for a just and respectful (tolerant) society. It reveals the character of a political regime.

    By its definition FoRB is crucial for believers and non-believers, citizens holding faith or none. FoRB is important for people from A to Z—from atheists to Zoroastrians.

    Why is advancing religious freedom important? Because the worldwide situation is worrying and worsening. We see a trend of double negativity. The 2020 Pew Research Center survey found that 79% of the population live in countries with high or very high obstacles to their freedom of religion or belief. And numbers are growing! Only a minority of the global population enjoys religious freedom as a guaranteed civil right.

    Nowadays there are various political regimes: authoritarian, totalitarian, and democratic. Other distinctions speak to states’ secular (majority) standing or their religious/antireligious (ideological) postures. Levels of problems can be gathered into four categories: intolerance, discrimination, persecution, and genocide (crimes against humanity, war crimes). All these forms exist in current practice. For example, persecution of Christians, as it is observed in the 2019 FCO Truro’s Report, represents the most shocking abusesof human rights in the modern era.

    Forms of FoRB advancement are manifold. But advocacy and defense remain the most acute and practical aid. In recent decades there is growing institutional and policy support for FoRB promotion and protection in international relations (the 1998 U.S. International Religious Freedom Act 1998, the Magnitsky Act, the 2013 EU Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief, the establishment of the EU Special Envoy in 2016—followed by similar institutions in Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Estonia). There were vocal and successful ministerial FoRB Advancement Summits in 2018 and 2019 in Washington, D.C., and in Poland in 2020. The International Religious Freedom and Belief Alliance was established in February 2020 with 32 current member governments. They exchange information, share best practices, and organize joint diplomatic actions. There are different working groups (on places of worship protection, humanitarian crises, gender issues, development). Hundreds of parliamentarians are connected and acting within the International Parliamentary Platform for FoRB since 2014.

    On the level of civil society, there is a plethora of NGOs like International Religious Freedom Roundtables, SEAFoRB, SAFoRB, foundations, training and learning platforms, etc. There are also academic efforts—the European Academy of Religion in Bologna, BYU Law School’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies in Provo, Utah, Institute for Global Engagement, Religious Freedom Institute, G20 Interfaith Forum. A commendable result of this effort is the 2018 Punta del Este Declaration on Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere.

    We also observe the actions of religious actors in the spirit of social responsibility—the Amman Declaration, the Beirut Declaration of Faith for Rights, the Marrakesh Declaration, the Abu Dhabi Declaration on Human Fraternity and World Peace, etc.

    We may say there is a need for the emerging Global FoRB Movement. This would be the best answer to the two above-mentioned negative trends. This broad movement represents the core of “FoRB climate change” which is needed in our times. The COVID-19 pandemic made this situation even more critical, polarized, and action-urgent.

    Therefore, we need to engage in active citizenship, responsible structures in society, and educate for living together in diversity and in ethics of responsibility. These courageous commitments and positions are the best antidotes against the vast phenomena of indifference, ignorance, and fear.

    The “FoRB climate change” that I am calling for and the enlarging FoRB global movement may substantially contribute to human dignity for all, strengthen the inspirational impact of equal, dignified citizenship, and promote constitutional or covenantal pluralism.

    Advancing Religious Freedom in Different Political Regimes

  • Current Challenges to Religious Freedom Panel at NET@WORK conference on 25 November 2020

    NET@WORK online conference of Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies.

    Speakers: Heiner Bielefeldt, Ján Figeľ, Rebecca Shah

    Moderator: Miriam Lexmann

    25 November 2020

    The Martens Centre held its 2020 edition of NET@WORK, on the theme ‘Geopolitical Europe – Adapting, Reshaping, Engaging’. Held in a digital format, this conference presented eight panels of expert speakers over two days. The event also brought together the Martens Centre’s impressive network of member foundations.

  • We need a ‘climate change’ in matters of religious freedom

    Interview with Ján Figel’, the former EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU

    For the second time since its establishment by the United Nations in 2019, the “International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief” was observed on 22 August. The findings of a review of the situation of people suffering from religious persecution worldwide were far from positive. The international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) talked about this with Ján Figel’, a Slovak politician whose mandate as Special Envoy of the European Union for the promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU recently ended.

    What are your thoughts on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief?

    The international day commemorating the victims of religious persecution is a very important event in the calendar of international days of commemoration because there are so many victims of religious persecution; it is estimated that they number in the hundreds of millions. Religious persecution is on the rise worldwide; this has led many more millions to suffer from discrimination. The very painful reality is that victims of veritable genocide still exist in the world today. In the past, international treaties often ignored, omitted and seldom recognised religious freedom, but today freedom of religion and belief has become the litmus test for the state of human rights.

    What would be the best way to observe this day?

    Of vital importance is the witness of survivors of religious persecution. Demonstrations, conferences, online meetings, seminars and webinars were held. The primary purpose of these events is to increase our awareness of the importance of religious freedom for all people and to commemorate the victims of religious persecution. After all, if you lose your memories, you lose your identity and orientation. Secondly, a further crucial element is educating people on how to live together in diversity, because living together is a great deal more than merely existing alongside one another. Thirdly, states and national authorities have to promote justice for all, because peace is the fruit of justice. As an example, equality in civil rights is a wonderful expression of equality for all, both for the majorities of society and for the minorities.

    What were your experiences as a young person living in a Communist country under the Soviet regime of the former Czechoslovakia?

    For half of my life, I lived without freedom. It was truly an inhumane situation and a very difficult time. My name is Ján Figel’, just like my uncle, the brother of my father, who was murdered in the 1950s by the secret service of what was at that time the Stalinist state of Czechoslovakia. Freedom is an expression of human dignity, and human dignity is the foundation for all human rights. Denying humans their freedom is therefore equivalent to denying humans their dignity.

    Why is it important to protect religious freedom?

    Freedom of religion and belief is the highest expression of freedom. It is defined as the freedom of religion, faith and conscience. Therefore, it is of equal importance for both believers and non-believers. It is a central human right and a far-reaching right because it is inextricably linked with the freedoms of expression, opinion, assembly and of association. When the freedom of religion is prohibited, it leads to the suppression of other rights and freedoms. That is why it is so important to ensure that the freedom of religion is protected, not only because it affects other rights, but also because it is the litmus test for all other human rights.

    How can we defend the freedom of religion and those who are being persecuted because of their faith?

    It is our duty to protect the victims of persecution. It is our responsibility as humans, but it is also of fundamental interest to us all. We have to become more aware of the significance of freedom of religion. The media should focus a lot more on these situations and topics. It is our responsibility to give those a voice who have no voice and who cannot defend themselves. I would like to appeal to the international community: the world today is in need of a “climate change” in matters of religious freedom, because the situation is very negative and distressing. Millions of people all over the world are suffering religious persecution and the trend is alarming. These two terrible facts should awaken a greater awareness among the international community about the need to uphold religious freedom and to defend the dignity of people all over the world.

    Interview with Ján Figel’, 31.08.2020 / International Day of Victims by Josué Villalón

  • Europe and the challenge of religious freedom

    The European Union’s Special Envoy for promoting the Freedom of Religions and Belief outside of Europe will soon be appointed. Maragaritis Schinas, vice-president of the European Commission, announced the Office’s re-establishment in a tweet on July 8.

    The announcement brought to a close what had been at times a very lively debate.

    The president of the European Commission originally decided not to appoint somebody in the role of advisor to her in the capacity of special envoy “at this time”.

    Then, after protests from many organizations, the Commission reversed itself. The position is still vacant, so everything is still up in the air and anything could happen: Why, then, is it so important to have a special envoy for religious freedom in Europe?

    The special envoy’s Office was established in 2016, right after Pope Francis had been awarded the Charlemagne Prize. Jan Figel became the Special Envoy. During his mandate, Jan Figel traveled worldwide, opened bridges of dialogue, and had a crucial role in the liberation of Asia Bibi, the Pakistani woman who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy and then acquitted.

    Many backed the re-establishment of the position. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg and president of the Committee of the Bishops of the European Union (COMECE), noted that “in some countries, the religious oppression reached the level of a genocide” and for this reason “the European Union must continue to campaign for religious freedom, with a special envoy.”

    This semester, Germany is president of the Council of the European Union. So 135 German members of Parliament asked the government to use the position to press the EU to restore the Office.

    Austrian members of Parliament signed a joint resolution with the same goal, and Jewish, Orthodox, and Muslim labels protested against the cancellation of the position.

    It was then expected that the new European Commission was going to renew the mandate. It did not happen at first. In June, the Commission sent a letter to the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, a convenor of NGOs and individuals from any faith that works for religious freedom.

    In the letter, the Commission confirmed that they would advance religious liberty according to the 2013 EU guidelines, which recognize the human right to freedom of religion and belief and understand that right under European law to mean that everyone is free to believe, not to believe, change their beliefs, publicly witness their beliefs and share their beliefs with others.

    In the letter, the Commission also said that violations were going to be monitored by the EU delegation. The delegation and Eamon Gilmore, special representative for human rights, were supposed to report on the violations.

    After that, and all the protests, the Commission changed its mind and announced that the Special Envoy position for religious freedom was going to stay. Everything, by the way, is still suspended. We yet do not know who will be the next special envoy, and under which mandate.

    There is another issue. The special envoy takes care of religious freedom outside of the EU, but religious liberty is at risk within the EU borders. There are many pieces of evidence that religious freedom is subtly dwindling in Europe.

    Religious freedom inside the EU border is guaranteed under the EU charter of fundamental rights which is policed by the EU fundamental rights agency in Vienna. In addition, all the member states of the EU are constrained by fundamental democratic principles for which the commission can hold them to account if their laws don’t correspond.

    And yet, there are cases that show that show that religious freedom is at stake.

    The most recent cases came from Finland and Sweden.

    Päivi Räsänen, a member of Finnish Parliament and former minister, faces four investigations after tweeting a Bible passage questioning that the Evangelical Church in Finland sponsored the Pride 2019.

    Ellinor Grimmark and Linda Steen, two Swedish midwives, appealed to the European Court for Human Rights because they found unemployed and could not apply for any job since they refused to help to perform abortions. The appeal was, however, declared inadmissible.

    These are not the only cases, and it is not a new situation. It is worth remembering that the Holy See personally took the floor in 2013. Following the discussion of two cases at the European Court for Human Rights, the Holy See sent a note and widely explained why the religions are not “lawless areas” but instead “spaces of freedom.”

    The two cases that brought about the Holy See’s note are Sindicatul’ Pastoral cel bun’ versus Romania and Fernandez Martinez versus Spain. Both of them provide food for thought even today.

    The first case was about a labor union formed in 2008 by the clergy in an Orthodox Church diocese to defend their “professional, economic, social, and cultural interests” in their dealings with the church.

    When the Romanian government registered the new union, the church sued, pointing out that her canons do not allow for unions and arguing that registration violated the principle of church autonomy.

    A Romanian court agreed with the Church, and the union challenged the court’s judgment in the European Court for Human Rights. The union argued that the decision not to register violated Article 11 of the European Convention, which grants a right to freedom of association.

    In 2012, the chamber reasoned that, under Article 11, a state might limit freedom of association only if it shows “a pressing social need,” defined in terms of a “threat to a democratic society,” This did not happen in Romania. So the chamber faulted the Romanian court, and Romania appealed to the Grand Chamber – the final EU judicial appeal venue.

    The second case regarded Fernandez Martinez, a Spanish instructor of religion. In Spain, public schools offer classes in Catholicism, taught by instructors approved by the local bishop. Fernandez Martinez did not get his bishop’s approval. A laicized priest, Fernandez Martinez, took a public stand against mandatory priestly celibacy. When the school dismissed the instructor, he brought suit under the European Convention. His dismissal – he argued – violated his right to privacy, family life, and expression.

    A section of the European Court ruled against him, because in withdrawing approval – the section stated – the bishop had acted “in accordance with the principle of religious autonomy”; the instructor had been dismissed for purely religious reasons, and it would be inappropriate for a secular court to intrude.

    These two cases – the “Vatican foreign minister”, then-Archbishop Dominique Mamberti noted – “call into question the Church’s freedom to function according to her own rules and not be subject to civil rules other than those necessary to ensure that the common good and just public order are respected.”

    One should say that this is a vexata quaestio (an already widely discussed issue), with significance far beyond Europe.

    Europe, however, is living in a particularly worrisome situation. The Observatoire de la Christianophobie in France and the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christian in Europe report an increasing number of cases that are food for thought.

    Religions became even more vulnerable after the coronavirus outbreak. Many provisions of various governments to counter the spread of the infection also jeopardized freedom of worship. It was an emergency, and everybody understands that, but at the same time, it is always essential to re-establish a principle, in order not to set a precedent.

    While watching over the religious freedom in other countries, it would be good that Europe had some more proper monitoring of the situation within its borders.

    As the Holy See keeps saying, religious freedom is “the freedom of all the freedoms,” a litmus test for the state of liberty in each country. The appointment of an EU special envoy for religious freedom will be a welcome thing, therefore. It is yet to be seen, however, what will be the precise mandate and the powers of the Office. It would be good to expand its scope to address the violations of religious freedom within the EU, as well.

    * Catholic News Agency columns are opinion and do not necessarily express the perspective of the agency.

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column/europe-and-the-challenge-of-religious-freedom-4200

  • EU politicians and religious leaders demand reinstatement of religious envoy

    The previous religious envoy was influential in securing the release of the Pakistani Christian, Asia Bibi, from a death sentence in 2019.

    Calls are growing for the European Union to reinstate its Special Envoy on Religious Freedom, after the post was abolished by the new Brussels Commission under Ursula Von Der Leyen.

    “In some countries, religious oppression has now reached the level of genocide,” said Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, president of COMECE, which represents the EU’s Catholic Bishops Conferences. “Vulnerable religious minorities and groups are at risk, and the EU must continue campaigning for religious freedom, with its own representative included.”

    The cardinal made the comments to German’s Deutsche Welle agency on Sunday, as 135 German parliamentarians from various parties urged their country to use its new tenure of the EU’s rotating presidency to press for restoration of the post, and as conservative members of the European Parliament tabled similar demands in a letter to Von Der Leyen.

    Austrian MPs also called on their government in a joint resolution last week to ensure the EU Commission’s decision was reversed. Meanwhile, the EU move was also criticised by Orthodox and Muslim leaders, as well as by the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt, who told Deutsche Welle it had “sent the wrong signal” when religious minorities were being “increasingly targeted by extremists and the free exercise of religion is being undermined”.

    The Slovak Jan Figel was appointed Special Envoy under a 2016 European Parliament resolution to work alongside the EU’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, and was believed influential in the subsequent opening of religious rights offices by governments in Britain, Denmark and Germany, as well as in securing release of the Pakistani Christian, Asia Bibi, from a death sentence for alleged blasphemy in 2019. However, supporters complained he had been denied office space and funds in Brussels, and that his one-year renewable mandate had been too brief to formulate any long-term plan.

    In an early June letter to the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, the EU Commission said it was committed under 2013 guidelines to advancing religious freedom, but added that violations would now be “monitored and raised regularly by EU delegations”, as well as by Eamon Gilmore, Special Representative for Human Rights.

    However, in their appeal, the German parliamentarians said they “greatly regretted” Figel’s dismissal and called on their country to use its EU presidency from 1 July to ensure his “previously successful work” continued. “As a pioneer of universal human rights, to which the EU is committed globally, the Commission must not look away”, the Bundestag members said. “At a time when persecution of religious minorities of all faiths is increasing, we need a strong European voice.”

    The chairman of the German bishops’ World Church Commission, Archbishop Ludwig Schick of Bamberg, said he would also write to the EU Commission, demanding the Special Envoy’s reappointment, as well as to MEPs urging them to campaign accordingly.

    In a letter last week to Catholic bishops in Nigeria, Cardinal Hollerich said COMECE would demand “intensified EU assistance and cooperation” with authorities and institutions in the African country, including its churches, to stop violence and persecution against local Christians.

    https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/13129/eu-politicians-and-religious-leaders-demand-reinstatement-of-religious-envoy-

  • COVID-19 Crisis, Human Dignity and Freedom of Religion or Belief

    COVID-19 Crisis, Human Dignity and Freedom of Religion or Belief

    The theme I wish to explore briefly is the relation between human dignity, religious freedom and current corona virus pandemic. Evidently, medical situation in the world is critical in many countries. It will take time and make serious impact on economies, on social situation and on human, interpersonal and international relations. Our world will change.

    Each crisis in history left repetitive lesson: We can get out of crisis to the new perspective or fall even more deeply into problems, conflicts and tragedy. Second lesson is that (only) two fundamental components and inputs are decisive to get out of any crisis: Common sense (sound reason) and living conscience (ethics of responsibility).

    Why do we need to emphasize the dignity? Because we need to defend principles of justice against religious fundamentalism, ideological and totalitarian oppression, or ethical relativism. We witness opposition to universality of fundamental HRs, divisions among countries and nations on human rights, refusal or questioning of these rights in time of migration crisis. Dignity of each human person is the foundational principle of all HRs. Dignity is a privileged way to address issues of freedom and equality in society correctly.

    For me, this is critical since the notion of human dignity is the pivot of freedom of religion and belief, as well as of all universal human rights. If there is a point of convergence and of consent between religious humanists and secular humanists, it is HD as a base of each person’s undeniable and inalienable rights.

    All three Abrahamic traditions consider that religious freedom is rooted in the dignity of the human person. It is their common denominator, from the past and for the future.

    Human dignity can be articulated in three dimensions which are critical for a positive change in the human rights climate: Me – Thee – We. They need to be brought together.

    Human dignity concerns me, personally, my-self. My specificity is my uniqueness. In common with each and every person, past, present and future, with billions, I am unique. And from this uniqueness, I draw my dignity and project my specificity. This is something original that nobody can ever replicate or replace. It is a specific and unique contribution to my fellow human beings. If this originality, authenticity and uniqueness is not “revealed”, is not “fulfilled”, it will be lost. My own dignity causes me to interpret the world, make choices, and interact with others, according to my own conscience, my reason and my convictions. To do so I need to exercise all my freedoms: freedom of thought, of expression, of action.

    Human dignity is not limited to my own freedom. It includes the freedom of the other. It invites me to exercise tolerance and to define my limits, in order to respect the other. There is of course also an imperative of equity and equality and therefore of justice.

    Human dignity is a responsibility that must be shouldered. If dignity gives rise to rights, it also implies duties and responsibilities. These responsibilities are not fixed or static, but must be developed and exercised, and maintained through time.

    In addition, human dignity is not only an individual responsibility. Since I am part of community, the dignity has also a collective, a social or societal dimension. The ‘religious social responsibility’ in particular is that of seeking the ‘common good’: for their part religious actors need to contribute to the strengthening of social cohesion and justice in society.

    Freedom of religion or belief is very central and expansive human right. It is in the middle of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), it has private and public dimension, it concerns individuals and communities as well. I see it as the deepest expression of personal freedom because it comprise freedom of thought, conscience and religion or conviction. Therefore FoRB is linked to the dignity of every person. It is important for believers and non-believers as well. Looking onto the international scene we can say, that FoRB is a litmus test of all human rights. Because if FoRB is respected then other freedoms and rights may follow the same principal respect. But if FoRB is neglected or oppressed, freedom of opinion, freedom of association or assembly are refused or not observed as well.

    When we study economic and social level of living standards in various countries or compare HDI (Human Development Index), we can clearly say that there is direct correlation between respect of FoRB and socio-economic strength of society. Freedom of conscience and religion is very important precondition for successful and sustainable development of each country. Why? Because it is important source of pluralism, openness and tolerance in society. Moreover, peaceful and free society is harvesting fruits of justice, when this freedom is respected. Because – again – it is litmus test of all other human rights. And respect of human rights of all citizens is in the center of fair and just society.

    CORONA-19 virus puts all these fundamental principles at stake, because we see how strong this invisible enemy is – the both, locally and globally. Superpowers and technologically advanced states show their limits, powerlessness and painful vulnerability. Due to necessary constraints, restrictive measures and socio-economic impact there are tendencies in some countries to limit FoRB, to oppress religious or belief minorities. This must be refused, as members of minority communities suffer even higher level of intolerance or discrimination. In the shadow of corona crisis free thinkers and democratic personalities in Hong Kong suffer oppression. We see how proponents of hatred, militant ideology and terrorism from ISIS are advancing in Burkina, Nigeria and Mozambique. It is not about “land grabbing”, but about possession of territory, Mosul-type invasions and killings. In several regions “under cover of COVID” the attacks on religious minorities have intensified, militants using top class weapons. State militaries remain weak in defense of the defenseless.

    The corona virus is taking a tragic toll on all countries around the world, andgovernments everywhere should take the opportunity to release all religious prisoners. This is not only a responsible act in light of our current crisis, it is a humanitarian gesture and the right thing to do. Therefore I support appeal of the US Ambassador-at-Large Sam Brownback and the USCIRF on religious prisoners. People imprisoned on account of faith are among the vulnerable, religious minority communities affected by COVID-19, with limited access to basic necessities, including food and health care. In many cases, detention facility or prison conditions are dangerously overcrowded and unsanitary. We should remember and also to remind respective authorities, that prisoners of conscience have been wrongly imprisoned for exercising their faith. There are many religious prisoners in North Korea, China, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Russia, Tajikistan and in other countries.

    Human dignity must be respected in all phases of human life. The most vulnerable group at risk are the elderly. Therefore governments should adopt specific assistance and measures for the older generation. Our grandfathers and grandmothers deserve advanced care, timely support and responsible solidarity.

    International community must show its ability to learn from its weaknesses and to cooperate on common interests. Defeat of corona crisis is the key objective of our times, but we should not neglect FoRB as very timely objective and criterion of new, sustainable development. Let us serve human dignity and dignity will serve us. Crisis shows again our significant and growing interdependence. Therefore we cannot stay ignorant or indifferent, commenting the situation or lamenting over the worrying trends.

    Dignity for everyone and everywhere needs our courage, active engagement and education. The Punta del Este Declaration on Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere is important and timely appeal, invitation and re-commitment (www.dignityforeveryone.org). When we signed this document in December 2018 there was no global or major international crisis. In 2020 this document is even more urging for correct understanding of human dignity, to respect dignity of all and for actions to defend and promote dignity for all. Declaration is still open for additional signatories.

    We need to learn how to live in diversity, not only to exist in diversity. In dignity we are all equal, whether one comes from a royal family or from homeless one. And in identity we are all different. This is not the problem, but defining principle of creativity and of the creation. Consequently, we need to rediscover the old notion of the “common good”, coined in the 13th century, in the middle ages, by Thomas Aquinas. It is basis of win-win policy. Bonum communae was decisive objective for Schuman, Adenauer, de Gasperi, when they launched unparalleled project of European integration. However, it seems again the most relevant ethical and political vision to face the most burning issues we need to address today in the world.

    As a conclusion I wish to stress: This pandemic crisis, challenging the whole world, should not be missed as it represents a very special and very expensive opportunity for better times, for more humane 21st century. This noble objective is important. We may achieve this goal only if humanity, solidarity and ethics of shared responsibility prevail. And this is personal, non-transferable invitation for everyone everywhere.

    Ján Figeľ was nominated in May 2016 by the European Commission as the first Special Envoy for promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) outside the European Union. He was European Commissioner for Education, Training & Culture and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was the Chief Negotiator for Slovakia’s accession into the EU.

    COVID-19 Crisis, Human Dignity and Freedom of Religion or Belief 

  • ¿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

  • EU told to strengthen mandate of religious freedom envoy

    EU told to strengthen mandate of religious freedom envoy

    The European Union needs to develop an overarching religious freedom policy strategy, and strengthening the mandate of the Special Envoy is an important step towards this, writes CSW’s Amy Shepherd for Brussels-based news site The European Post.

    The position of the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) outside the EU was created in May 2016. Since then the Slovak politician Ján Figeľ has not only used his role to represent the EU in its engagement with religious freedom as a human right, he has also “valuably affirmed and encouraged people worldwide working to protect and defend FoRB in challenging country contexts”, says Shepherd, CSW’s EU Advocacy Manager.

    She says Figeľ has set a standard for EU Member States to follow, despite limited resources and little guidance.

    Since the beginning of this year both Denmark and the UK have created positions within their governments dedicated to FoRB.

    At the start of Figeľ’s one-year tenure, in September 2016, Volker Kauder, parliamentary group leader for Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union of Germany Party, bemoaned the fact that the Special Envoy could give only two days a month to the role and had only one assistant. As World Watch Monitor reported, Kauder promised he would try to change this.

    Two years later the draft resolution currently under consideration by the EU Committee on Foreign Affairs calls for a strengthening of Figeľ’s mandate and capacity “by earmarking funding and human resources adequate to the Envoy’s duties, developing a systemic institutionalisation of working networks established by the Special Envoy within all relevant EU institutions or establishing the position of the EU Special Representative for FoRB”.

    It also suggests the setting up of a “regular advisory working group of Member States’ FoRB institutions and European Parliament representatives together with experts, scholars, and representatives of civil society, including churches and other faith-based organisations”.

    “To be fully effective, the Special Envoy role needs to be more holistically integrated into EU human rights policy structures,” says Shepherd.

    Shepherd’s article echoes the views of the Members of the European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief, who said two weeks ago that the Special Envoy’s position should be strengthened and that he should play a more visible and central role in the EU’s external relations.

    Reproduced from World Watch Monitor: https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/coe/eu-told-to-strengthen-mandate-of-religious-freedom-envoy/