Events | International Religious Liberty Association

World Congress Adopts "Statement of Concern" on Religious Freedom Violations

June 14, 2002. Manila, Philippines ... [IRLA News] The World Congress on religious freedom concluded today with an insistence that violations of religious rights are unacceptable, and specifically named some of the worst offenders.

"We have heard many speeches and fine words during this World Congress on religious freedom," commented Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, communication director for the organizers, the International Religious Liberty Association. "But in order to be relevant we need to come out and clearly condemn the worst abuses, pointing to those countries where intolerance and persecution are hurting people's lives and work, even to the point of violence and death. Such actions have no place in today's world and should be condemned by all nations, since religious extremism and intolerance is the greatest threat facing humanity."

The documents identifies Sudan, North Korea, and some states in India as "among the most serious violators of religious freedom," and adds that "of great concern, particularly for this Congress held in the Philippines, are the many reports of mistreatment and judicial penalties enforced against guest workers of religious minorities in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States."

Also cited are China, for its persecution of Christian house churches, Tibetan Buddhists, Muslims, and the Falun Gong; Turkmenistan for its systematic intimidation and harassment of religious minorities and the destruction of houses of worship; Belarus for a proposed highly restrictive religion law; the conflict in Indonesia between Christian and Muslim communities; local persecution of protestant Christians in Mexico, and the refusal of conscientious objection status in South Korea.

The document concludes: "the participants in the Congress express their sympathy, compassion, and solidarity with the victims of religious discrimination, intolerance and persecution, and reaffirms the International Religious Liberty Association's commitment to cooperate with the foregoing governments in finding solutions to these lamentable problems."

The full document is available at www.irla.org.

TOP

Philippines: National Leaders Endorse Fight Against Religious Intolerance

June 10, 2002. Manila, Philippines... [IRLA News] Messages of support from Philippine government leaders endorsed the World Congress program of the International Religious Liberty Association's fight against religious intolerance.

The IRLA World Congress, meeting in Manila June 10-13 under the theme "Religious Freedom: A Basis for Peace and Justice," brings together top-level experts, diplomats and leaders from around the world to tackle the issues of religious extremism, intolerance, and persecution.

In her message, Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo commended the IRLA "for its continuing efforts to promote and defend the principles of religious freedom," adding that "mutual respect and understanding should be the common goal of every religious group." She also underlined the importance of religion in defending civil liberties, saying that "starting with religious liberty and tolerance, the various religious groups can be our anchors in preserving our other liberties to make sure that we can live in a community free of bigotry, hatred and conflict."

President of the Philippine Senate Franklin M. Drilon said he was "singularly privileged to be part of the IRLA's quinquennial congress which the Philippines will host for the first time. This gathering offers the most opportune time for the delegates from the country and around the world-representatives of different religious affiliations and foreign heads of states and religious leaders-to reflect on the world's most prevalent issues."

Speaker of the House of Representatives Jose de Venecia commented that "the continuing dialogue and interaction should likewise extend to the dominant religions to reduce communal strife and religious tensions in many areas of the world. I congratulate the IRLA for its success these past 25 years in the staging of this quinquennial assembly. It is my fervent hope that your efforts will finally bring about the harmony and understanding that the whole world aspires to."

A non-denominational organization, the IRLA has advocated religious freedom for 109 years and works in cooperation with governments, the U.N. Commission for Human Rights, and other non-governmental organizations in organizing world conferences and symposiums on matters related to freedom of conscience, religion and belief.

TOP

UN Human Rights Expert Speaks Out Against Religious Intolerance

June 10, 2002. Manila, Philippines... [IRLA News] United Nations special rapporteur to the Commission on Human Rights Prof. Abdelfattah Amor, speaking at the opening session of the world religious freedom Congress organized by the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) today, said that religious extremism and intolerance posed one of the world's greatest threats.

Prof. Amor, also vice-chair of the U.N. Human Rights Committee, spoke on the theme of the Congress, 'Religious Freedom: A Basis for Peace and Justice,' underlining the tragic consequences of inter-religious conflict and the vital importance of respecting freedom of belief. "In various countries religious freedom violations occur because of political reasons," said Amor. "As a result these violations are not dealt with and continue-actions of discrimination and intolerance, while freedom of thought, conscience and belief is attacked."

Amor also mentioned that in some nations the right to change religion is denied, and the death penalty is imposed on those who do change their religion. He also highlighted the negative impact of religious extremism. Speaking on the role given women in some religions, he said that "based on religion women are given a very secondary role, and the impression is given that women are objects and have no intrinsic value in themselves."

One primary tool in dealing with religious discrimination is the use of education to promote tolerance and mutual respect. "The struggle in religious freedom can be dealt with in education on all levels especially in elementary where educations begins," Amor said. "In many schools, negative information is passed on to students."

"As a result of September 11, new attitudes and legal frameworks can endanger religious freedom," Amor concluded. "Those involved in this struggle must not let political events limit their voice-we must continue the fight for liberty and tolerance. If there is not a strong voice against this tide of religious intolerance the global situation will become much worse."

Responding for the IRLA, Dr. Jonathan Gallagher applauded Prof. Amor's commitment to tackling religious intolerance. "Religious extremism breeds terrorism and violence, and is the greatest threat to today's world. The IRLA is determined to continue the fight for religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all."

The World Congress is being held at the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel from June 10-13, and includes other prominent speakers such Ambassador Robert Seiple, president, Institute for Global Engagement; Prof. Alberto de la Hera, Department of Religious Affairs, Spain; and Anatoly Krasikov, Russian Academy of Sciences, University of Moscow, as well as local dignitaries including the senate president and other high-level politicians and ambassadors. Other religious freedom experts from the Philippines, Mexico, Russia, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Trinidad, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Japan, Korea, the U.S. and elsewhere are also participating.

TOP

Religious Freedom a Vital Security Benefit Says Former US Ambassador-at-Large

June 11, 2002. Manila, Philippines ... [IRLA News] Religious freedom is the missing dimension of security, according to Dr. Robert Seiple, the first US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.

Speaking at the International Religious Liberty Association's (IRLA) world congress in Manila on June 11, Seiple highlighted the importance of freedom of religion as a great security benefit, saying that without such respect for freedom of conscience there would always be the threat of conflict and violence.

"Religious freedom, tolerance, respect for human rights and the dignity of all people are just as much a security force as a tank, a rifle, or a soldier," he said, emphasizing that support for religious freedom aided fundamental security concerns.

Speaking of the terrorist attacks on the US, Seiple pointed to the perverted aspects of religion involved. "Osama bin Laden does not understand his faith at its deepest and richest best, and just as clearly, he has absolutely no respect for the faith of others. On September 11th, we saw the ultimate perversion of religion. A misunderstood faith, and inappropriately applied faith, a truncated or redacted faith--in the hands of a zealot--is very scary indeed. Our global security is put at risk."

Such aspects made emphasizing the importance of religious liberty, Seiple added. "Now we know for sure that there are people who are willing to die for their faith and, unfortunately, there are people who are willing to kill for their religion. We neglect this issue of religious freedom in the context of national and global security at our considerable peril."

"We would be enormously wise to use a portion of our time here this week to lay a foundation, to begin a structure, to develop a strategy that would wrap the arms of international religious freedom around the security concerns of our world," Seiple concluded. 'Driving a wedge between religious freedom and security is absurdly counter-productive. We are capable of so much more!"

Seiple headed the aid and development agency World Vision for over ten years before his assignment as US Ambassador-at-Large. Currently he is the president of the Institute for Global Engagement.

The 5th IRLA world congress brings together international leaders, diplomats, and religious freedom experts to support, defend and promote all issues relative to religious freedom, particularly examining ways to combat intolerance and discrimination. A non-denominational organization, the IRLA has advocated religious freedom for 109 years and works in cooperation with governments, the U.N. Commission for Human Rights, and other non-governmental organizations in organizing world conferences and symposiums on matters related to freedom of conscience, religion and belief. [Jonathan Gallagher]

TOP

World Congress on Religious Freedom to Convene in Manila

Silver Spring, MD, USA ... [IRLA News] The world congress on religious freedom will convene in Manila, the Philippines from June 10 to 13, reports Dr. John Graz, secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association.

"The world congress is held every five years, so this is our premier event," comments Graz, who adds that "more than ever religious freedom and the need to develop tolerance are the key issues in today's society. We believe that religious freedom is the best answer to religious fanaticism and anti-religious ideologies."

The congress will bring together diplomats, experts, and religious leaders to examine "Religious Freedom: A Basis for Peace and Justice." Speakers include president of the Philippines Dr. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, United Nations Undersecretary General Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance Professor Abdelfattah Amor, along with many other high-level representatives, government officials, and scholars from more than 50 countries. The last world congress was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1997.

"In today's global community, religious freedom is under great threat," comments Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, communication director for the IRLA. "Religious-inspired violence is on the increase, with extremism and intolerance becoming the norm. We believe this vital world congress will provide the opportunity for people of many faiths to interact, and to work together on solutions to the various religious freedom and human rights issues that trouble so many peoples around our world."

Chartered in 1893, the IRLA has promoted and defended religious freedom for 109 years. Various religious traditions are represented on the Board of Directors, while the presidency rotates annually among a panel of vice presidents. The current president is Dr. Denton Lotz, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance. The IRLA has no paid staff and officers and directors serve voluntarily. Funding for IRLA operations comes from organizations supportive of the association's purpose. The IRLA was originally organized by leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; however its purpose is universal and non-sectarian, seeking to address religious freedom concerns from all faith communities.

The event will take place at the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel. More information on the upcoming congress can be found at www.irla.org or by calling the IRLA Media Information Office at 301-680-6683.

November 2002: The next IRLA Board of Experts meeting is provisionally scheduled for November 2002 in Washington, DC.

Jonathan Gallagher
Deputy Secretary General
International Religious Liberty Association

2/20/02

TOP

IRLA is Headline News in the Philippines

News Conference in progress

Manila, Philippines… [IRLA News] The International Religious Liberty Association and its upcoming World Congress on Religious Freedom made headline news today (February 21) in Manila. Two of the top-selling daily newspapers ran reports on their front pages, while a third included a photo report.

The Today newspaper ran an extensive report entitled "Alliance warns against rising religious intolerance," and linked the issue of religious freedom to the current world concerns over religious extremism and the terrorist attacks in the US. The report cited IRLA deputy secretary general Dr. Jonathan Gallagher at length, including a quote that "Religion can be easily exploited by some people for political gains… In the 21st century, what will be a great point of separation would be issues of our religion. You do not have to look far away in your neighborhood here. In the past one could have a relatively stable tolerant situation and suddenly you descended into mutual violence… The lack of religious freedom and the lack of religious tolerance are some of the aspects of that."

The article concludes "This religious intolerance in the modern world will be the main focus of IRLA's Fifth Congress to be held in Manila from June 10 to 13 this year. With the theme 'Religious Freedom: A Basis for Peace and Justice," the IRLA conference hopes to bring in delegates from 50 countries with different major faiths…"

News Conference in progress

The front-page story in the Manila Standard, headed "Future wars to be fought over religion" references the 9/11 attacks and states that "the schism between religions has grown wider, paving the way for widespread religious intolerance all around the globe." Gallagher is quoted as saying that "I see a world in the new millennium where the polarization extremists of religion will play an important role because it's a very convenient label. Those kinds of situations are going to increase as civilizations and communities come into conflict…" As a result of such intolerance, such antagonism "gives some people the misguided notion that they have the right to kill in the name of religious fervour."

The article ends "The IRLA will hold a conference in Manila to tackle this issue and propose measures to halt the disturbing trend of religious intolerance."

"The coverage by the Manila media is great news, not just for our World Congress in June but more importantly for the cause of global religious freedom and tolerance," comments Gallagher who is in Manila to promote the event. "As the report in the People's Journal Tonight mentions, the World Congress 'aims to change the way people think.' By bringing together world leaders in religious freedom issues, we hope and pray that we will do just that, and make a practical difference in a world that is being torn apart by religious intolerance and mutual mistrust."

Local media promotion of the event is directed by IRLA representatives Dr. Hiskia Missah, Bautista and Jun Bautista, "who have coordinated meetings with the press very effectively and provided professional direction to ensure our message gets across," says Gallagher.

TOP

UN Ambassador to Visit Manila for Religious Freedom World Congress

Ambassador Reed (right) with Dr. Gallagher

Silver Spring, Maryland, USA … [IRLA News] United Nations Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed will visit Manila June 10-13 to participate in the world religious freedom Congress organized by the International Religious Liberty Association.

Ambassador Reed is the Under-Secretary-General of the UN, a post he has held for the past four years, and is the president of the Staff-Management Coordination Committee, the highest internal body of the UN.

"We are both delighted and privileged that Ambassador Reed will be participating in this vital Congress on religious freedom," comments Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison director for IRLA. "Ambassador Reed serves as the chief organizer of the day-to-day affairs of the UN, and we appreciate his commitment in taking time to be with us. He will be speaking on the role of the United Nations in relation to the Congress theme, 'Religious Freedom: A Basis for Peace and Justice,' and we know that this will be of great interest both those living in the Philippines and the wider world public."

The World Congress will be held at the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel, and will also include other prominent speakers such as Prof. Abdelfattah Amor, vice-president of the UN Committee of Human Rights; Dr. Doudou Diene, UNESCO Director of Intercultural Dialogue; Ambassador Robert Seiple, president, Institute for Global Engagement; Prof. Yang Hui-Lin, Renmin University of China; Dr. Rosa Maria Martinez de Codes, Department of Religious Affairs, Spain; and Anatoly Krasikov, Russian Academy of Sciences, University of Moscow. Other religious freedom experts from the Philippines, the US and elsewhere will also participate.

"This working Congress which is held every five years will tackle the high-profile issues of discrimination and intolerance in the modern world," comments Gallagher, "and will seek answers through the support and promotion of religious freedom concepts as the most fundamental of human rights."

For more information contact Dr. Jonathan Gallagher or Viola Hughes at (301) 680-6682/6683 or at the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel from June 5 onwards.

TOP

Faith Communities Pledge Support for World Congress on Religious Freedom

IRLA delegates meet with Bishop Tendero, national director of the Evangelical Church of the Philippines (2nd left)

February 21, 2002. Manila, Philippines [IRLA News]… Representatives from many faith communities pledged their support for the upcoming World Congress on Religious Freedom at an evening meeting February 21.

The International Religious Liberty Association's World Congress is scheduled for June 10-13 in Manila, and will bring together a unique group of international experts and national leaders in the area of religious freedom, comments Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, IRLA's deputy secretary general who chaired the meeting.

IRLA representatives discuss the world congress with leaders of the Iglesia ni Christo

"I am delighted at the response to our invitation, which came at very short notice," says Gallagher. "We had representation from many different faith communities, demonstrating broad-based support for the importance of religious liberty here in the Philippines. Our message is that religious intolerance must be combated, and this can only be done by making sure that we are sitting at the same table and giving each other mutual respect and understanding."

Commenting on the current world situation, Gallagher said that recent events made it clearer than ever that religious extremism posed a great threat. "In the words of the Congress theme, 'Religious Liberty: a Basis for Peace and Justice,' we need to develop practical methods to make sure religious intolerance does not lead to the violence and war that so many fear."

Dr. Gallagher, IRLA deputy secretary general, speaks to the 50 guests representing a wide variety of faiths

The 50 guests included those from a number of Islamic organizations, and churches including Catholic, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Orthodox, Evangelical, Episcopal, Unification; as well as Hindu and Hare Krishna representatives. Also attending was a member of Congress, human rights activists, and a representative of the indigenous peoples.

The congress will bring together diplomats, experts, and religious leaders. Invited speakers include president of the Philippines Dr. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, United Nations Undersecretary General Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance Professor Abdelfattah Amor, along with many other high-level representatives, government officials, and scholars from more than 50 countries. The last world congress was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1997. For more information on the upcoming Congress, visit the Association's website at www.irla.org.

TOP