The IRLA Is Promoting Religious Freedom For All

In the shadow of the extermination of religious minorities in Iraq, the IRLA is promoting religious freedom for all and continues to build bridges between religions. It does not attract a large attention or interest of the media but it has been a characteristic of our association since its beginning in 1893. 

It is normal that the public’s attention is on what has happened in Iraq, where the Christian and Yazidi minorities have been threatened with genocide. What has happened there should have been tragic and serious enough to mobilize all Christians and defenders of religious freedom in many countries around the world. Most of the religious leaders have issued statements but what about people.

Why did not we see tens of thousands of people in London, Washington, Paris, Rome … peacefully demonstrating in solidarity with their brothers and sisters who are losing everything they have and with those who have been killed because of their refusal to recant their faith? Such meetings could have been public prayers meetings, just to send a message to the persecuted that they are not alone but that they have millions of brothers and sisters who care about their situation.

The 1st U.K. Festival of Religious Freedom organized by Pastor Ian Sweeney with the participation of the Adventist Church and the IRLA, showed what we can do when we join together. It began with a Symposium on Friday August 15, 2014.  All religious leaders and officials of the Birmingham area were invited. It was followed on Saturday by morning and afternoon meetings focused on religious freedom. The auditorium was full and only people who were registered could attend. Great speakers were on the program and among them U.S. Senate Chaplin Barry Black and our IRLA team with Dr. Baker, Dr. Diop and Attorney Leslie.

The organizers are planning larger meetings in the next few years. As the crowd stood saying: “We love religious freedom, we want to keep it”, I thought of the next meetings I would attend around the world in the next months. From Birmingham we flew to Florence for the 16th IRLA Meeting of Experts.  That is our annual Think Tank on religious freedom with university professors and NGOs leaders. Christians, Muslims, Jews, and non-religious are members in this group. Every meeting is an affirmation of religious freedom and a bridge builder. It shows that in the shadow of the tragic events in Middle East there are some signs of hope. Hope may be too strong? At least it shows that there are people of good will who have no intention of giving up their faith, nor their belief in religious freedom for all everywhere.

-- Dr. John Graz, Secretary General, International Religious Liberty Association