IRLA Recent Events

January 2005

Trinidad and Tobago: Prime Minister Speaks Out for Religious Freedom

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad….Prime Minister H.E. Patrick Manning spoke at IRLA regional conference. Over 320 leaders of both society and faith attended from across the Caribbean and beyond.

March 2005

Indonesian Leaders Visit IRLA Headquarters

Silver Spring, Maryland, USA… Robert Nixon, vice president for the IRLA met with Indonesian Leaders.

April 2005

United States: Senator Clinton Promotes Religious Freedom Issues at IRLA Event

Washington, District of Columbia, United States.... United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, made the case for both freedom of religion and the right not to choose one, at a dinner sponsored by the IRLA, "Liberty" magazine and the North American Religious Liberty Association.

May 2005

Muslim Leader Visits IRLA Headquarters

Silver Spring, MD, USA… Mr. Wisoot Binlateh, director for the Department of Academic and Foreign Affairs at the Songkhla Islamic Center in Bangkok, Thailand, met with officials from the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

June 2005

IRLA Secretary General Speaks at Major International Congress

Santiago de Compostela, Spain… Under the auspices of the United Nations and UNESCO, the famous historical city of Santiago de Compostela in the province of Galicia, Spain, hosted the world Conference on Peace, Solidarity and Development from March to May 2005. Dr. John Graz, Secretary General of the IRLA was invited to speak at the special international congress on "Religion, Dialogue, Solidarity and Development" held May 25-27.

July 2005

IRLA Awards Special Commendations

St. Louis, Missouri, USA...meeting…special commendations were given to Robert Nixon Esq., Mitchell Tyner Esq., and Viktor Vitko for their long-standing commitment and contributions to the cause of religious liberty.

August 2005

Indonesian Leader Visits IRLA HQ

Silver Spring, MD, USA… Mr. Muhamman Adnan of the Central Java Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), Semarang, Java Tengah, from Indonesia visited the IRLA office and met with officers to learn about constitutional underpinnings for separation of church and state.

IRLA Hosts Muslim Women Leader

Silver Spring, MD, USA… IRLA hosted Ms. Yasmin Busran Lao, executive director for the Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation, Inc., in Quezon City, the Philippines. As part of a three-week study tour under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership program, Ms. Lao examined the role of faith-based organizations in community life.

September 2005

IRLA Official Visits Peru

Lima, Peru… Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, deputy-secretary general of the IRLA attended a regional meeting on human rights education sponsored by the UN, and gave one of the featured presentations entitled "Human Rights, Religion, and Peace." He also held briefings in Lima on religious liberty concerns, and spoke twice at the Adventist University. Interviewed by local radio stations, he underlined the vital importance of freedom of conscience and the right to believe as fundamental principles in a democratic society.

November 2005

Religious Freedom Experts Confront Bans on Religious Expression

Sigüenza, Spain… The Board of Experts of the IRLA took issue with the ban on wearing or displaying religious symbols in state schools and began developing guidelines on the religious symbols in the public sphere.

December 2005

Moscow, Russia : Religious Freedom Conference

Moscow, Russia…The IRLA-EURO Asia conference of experts met December 21at the Institute of Europe, Moscow. The chosen theme was "Freedom of religion, Morality and Responsibility in Russian Society." Speakers included 28 Head of churches, religious leaders, university professors, government and NGOs representatives. All major religions were represented among the 80 participants.

January 2006

Ecuador: New Religious Liberty Association Proposed

Quito, Ecuador. Religious liberty leaders met with Dr. Gallagher of the IRLA in the capital of Ecuador to discuss the proposed formation of a new religious liberty association, the first for the country.

March 2006

UN Commission on Human Rights Closes Down

Geneva, Switzerland… The United Nations Commission on Human Rights concluded its work on March 27, in a final session that reviewed its sixty year history. IRLA representatives participated in these final meetings, as they have for over 50 years.

April 2006

Leaders from Religious Freedom Congress Visit President of Ghana

Accra, Ghana… Leaders from the International Religious Liberty Association's Congress in Accra visited the president of Ghana at his request. They were visiting the country to assist with the Pan-African Conference on Religious Freedom.

May 2006

United States: Sen. McCain Says America's Leadership Tied To Its Moral Standing

Washington, DC, USA… United States Senator John McCain of Arizona attended the fourth annual religious liberty dinner sponsored by the IRLA, NARLA, and Liberty magazine. A gathering of approx. 300 religious liberty activists represented Islamic, Jewish, Catholic and Protestant faiths.

July 2006

Visits to Pacific Island Nations Highlight Religious Freedom Concerns

Port Vila, Vanuatu… IRLA representatives visited several countries of the Pacific and highlighted concerns for religious freedom. IRLA delegation also met with Sir Frederick Goodwin, Queen’s Representative for the Cook Islands.

September 2006

Religion and Nationalism: Board of Experts Examines Conflicts and Concerns

Aix-en-Provence, France… Experts from the IRLA met September 11 - 13 to tackle the ongoing threat to religious freedom posed by nationalism and to develop guidelines to help prevent the exploitation of religion for political purposes.

December 2006

Russian Affiliate Holds Conference, Elections

Moscow, Russia… The Euro-Asia affiliate of the IRLA (EAC-IRLA), in conjunction with the Institute of Europe, organized a conference entitled “Liberty of conscience and human rights.”

February 27-March 1, 2007

Combating Religious Hatred through Freedom to Believe

Cape Town, South Africa…Under the theme of "Combating Religious Hatred Through Freedom to Believe," the IRLA World Congress will draw United Nations personnel, ambassadors, church leaders and laypersons from many faiths to a special focus on the fundamental human right to choose one's one religious belief. The five days of the congress will highlight instances of religious persecution in many world regions as well as equip participants to effectively advocate for change in their nations and organizations.