News November 2002 | International Religious Liberty Association

Delegation from Poland Visits IRLA Headquarters

Silver Spring, MD, USA [IRLA News] A six-member delegation from Poland visited the headquarters of the International Religious Liberty Association as part of the program sponsored by the US State Department.

During the visit on November 21 the visitors who included representatives from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office were able to discuss in detail the work of the IRLA and its ongoing contributions in the field of religious freedom and human rights.

"The visit provided a great opportunity for dialogue, and for the development of mutual understanding," commented IRLA secretary general John Graz. "Our visitors were particularly interested in the situation for religious freedom in Nigeria and the Sudan, as well as continuing challenges in Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan." [Jonathan Gallagher]

Religious Freedom Experts Confront Issues of Security, Terrorism
11/18/02

Washington, D.C., USA… [IRLA News] Top experts in religious freedom confronted the issues raised by national security concerns and terrorism and issued a preliminary statement emphasizing how respect for religious freedom was essential for security and a stable society.

Meeting in Washington. D.C. on November 15-17, the Board of Experts of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) examined the terrorist situation and the response of the national security community. In reacting to terrorist threats, sometimes states have infringed on freedom of religion and conscience that caused counter-productive results, the experts concluded.

“Respecting freedom of religion is often a more effective tool in winning loyalty of citizens and in achieving peace than weapons and coercive measure,” the statement affirms. “Responses to terrorism and security threats must take these dimensions of religions seriously,” since “failure to grasp the role that religious beliefs are playing in motivating terrorist activities will result in reduced security.”

The document sets out a list of seventeen principles that deal with terrorist activities, the duties of the state, and the responsibilities of religious believers and communities. These include statements that “religion should never serve as a justification for hatred, disrespect of others, or criminal violence; indiscriminate violence, threats and other acts of terrorism cannot be justified under international law; security should not become the ultimate value of a society, even under the threat of terrorism. Those regimes established under the auspices of ‘national security’ have proven to be repressive and incompatible with the culture of human rights.”

Dr. John Graz, IRLA secretary general and also director for the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, commented that the preliminary statement was “a first statement on what are vital concerns in today’s world. As freedoms (particularly religious freedoms) are reduced under the justification of national security, all of us need to be aware that we may be causing the very problems we are trying to prevent. Religious liberty is an essential component of security for any nation, and the repression of free expression of religious beliefs causes great destabilization.” [Jonathan Gallagher]

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