Working to promote freedom of conscience for every person, no matter who they are or where they live.

February 2000

Dear IRLA Board Members:

Y2K has passed and I assume that all of you have survived. I hope that your Year 2000 will be a good and happy year for you!

Let me share with you some information of things that have been happening here.

  1. World Conference in New Delhi November 16-18, 1999, the New Delhi World Conference was held. It was very well organized by the IRLA-India Chapter, supported by IRLA-World Headquarters, and was very successful! The quality of the guest speakers representing the government party, the party of Congress, and several former ministers and religious leaders, contributed to the success of the meeting. More than 300 registered participants attended the meetings-all the religious spectrum of India were represented. The World Conference began Monday, November 15 with an evening prayer at the Mahatmah Gandhi Raj Ghat. Prayers were given by Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, the Baha'i, Parsis, Hindus, Sikhs. The national television produced a 30-minute report to be broadcast in all of India. Congratulations to IRLA-India and its coordinator, Justus Devadas!
  2. Pastor Alexander In December of 1999 and January of 2000, Pastor Anthony Alexander went to court. Arrested in March 1998 for suspicion of terrorism, Alexander has always claimed his innocence. The IRLA sent Deputy Secretary General Richard Fenn and its Legal Counsel Mitchell Tyner to Sri Lanka. The first trial lasted 15 minutes because the main witness was not present. The court noticed the presence of an international delegation. The court met again in January, and Mitchell Tyner worked with Alexander's lawyer. We are expecting a positive outcome when the court meets again February 15, but know that anything can happen.
  3. Churches Destroyed in Turkmenistan In November of 1999, a Seventh-day Adventist church and building were destroyed by authorities of Turkmenistan along with a couple of buildings from another religion. The IRLA and IRLA-Russia Chapter reacted by sending letters to the embassies and government of Turkmenistan. A complete report was sent to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, and the Helsinki Commission issued a release on this case.
  4. Liberty Magazine IRLA President Bert Beach and your secretary general published two articles in the January/February edition of Liberty Magazine. They are titled, "The Nexus of Human Rights," and "The State of Religious Liberty," respectively.
  5. Visit of the Ambassador of India In December, His Excellency Naresh Chandra, Ambassador of India, and the Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Thettalil P. Sreenivasan visited IRLA leaders and received a report on the World Conference in New Delhi. His Excellency underlined the commitment of the government of India to religious freedom.
  6. Visit of Dr. Huilin Yang In December, Dr. Huilin Yang, Director of Christian Studies at the University of Beijing, visited the IRLA world headquarters and gave a report about the situation in China. He was invited for a tour in the United States by the Department of State.
  7. Working Group for the Tri-Continental Conference In February of 2000, a working group began to study the possibility and costs of the Tri-Continental Conference in Bermuda next year. The place and the dates, March 22-25, have to be well examined. A final decision will be taken before April 15.
  8. Participation at the Christian World Communions in Jerusalem The IRLA president and secretary general attended the annual meeting of the Conference of the Secretaries of the Christian World Communions, CSCWC, in Jerusalem the first week of December. This meeting provided an opportunity to promote religious freedom. Our IRLA vice president, Dr. Denton Lotz, Secretary General of the Baptist World Alliance, made a strong statement for religious freedom.
  9. United Nations Special Rapporteur Awarded Recently in Madrid, the United Nations Special Rapporteur and Vice President of the Commission on Human Rights, Professor Abdelfattah Amor, was awarded a plaque of honor, on behalf of the IRLA, for his commitment and work to promote and defend religious freedom. Professor Amor congratulated IRLA for its activities and openness while defending and promoting religious freedom. He also underlined the need to integrate religious freedom into the educational systems around the world.
  10. Second Meeting of Experts in Magalia, Spain On January 27-30, the second Meeting of Experts met with great success. Our purpose was to finalize the Declaration on Proselytism and Religious Freedom. The work was done and done well. Bishop Stålsett chaired the opening meeting. The group of about 15 members was very effective. Among us were the Special Rapporteur for the United Nations Professor Abdelfattah Amor, his assistant Patrice Gillibert, and Doudou Diene from UNESCO. Once more, our hosts accomplished a great task and we worked in a beautiful environment. The group proposed having another meeting to study additional issues. The issue which received the most support was concerning Religious Freedom and Education. The exact title and location of the meeting will be decided later.
  11. Fides et Libertas The second issue of Fides et Libertas will be sent out soon. The editor, Richard Fenn, published articles from our first Meeting of Experts on "Religious Freedom and Proselytism."
  12. Etc. We have a new webpage for IRLA at www.irla.org. We will have a symposium at Andrews University in May on "Religious Freedom After Auschwitz."

Sincerely,

John Graz
Secretary-General