To Karel Nowak, Our Good Friend

"When people talk about Karel, certain words keep reoccurring like the refrain of a great song..."

I’m in the plane flying to Cairns. It’s Thursday, August 25. Just a few days ago, Karel made this same trip. I can imagine him preparing to travel to Australia to attend the 13th IRLA Meeting of Experts held at the University of Sydney, School of Law. He knew this meeting would open new opportunities and he’d probably already thought about some articles he could publish. As Secretary General of the Association Internationale de Défense de la Liberté Religieuse and editor of its journal Conscience et Liberté, Karel would have been anxious to see old friends and to meet new friends.

But Karel was not there and his absence was felt deeply by each one of us.

He had decided to take a few days prior to the meeting to see Australia’s barrier reef and to spend a few days in Cairns on the north coast. But he never came back.

In a few hours, I will fly back to Sydney with Karel’s ashes and bags. Then when I can get all the necessary documents I will fly to Prague where his beloved wife and three children wait.

Just over a week ago, my plane from Washington arrived in Sydney at 6:15 a.m. on Friday morning, and at that moment Karel, our good friend, was still alive. He was probably enjoying the reef and the beautifully colored coral.

Then, at 5 a.m. on Saturday I received a telephone call from my wife in Washington. Karel had died while he was swimming the day before. I was utterly shocked and my first thought was to cancel our meeting. But Karel would have strongly opposed such a decision. On the contrary, he would have encouraged us to make sure that this 13th IRLA Meeting of Experts was the best yet.

He wouldn’t have been disappointed. We were hosted by Professor Patrick Parkinson of the University of Sydney School of Law and the program was indeed one of the best we’ve ever had. The campus was beautiful, the presentations were superb. But Karel was not there.

Karel was not there but his presence was everywhere, in our thoughts and in our discussions throughout the three days of the meeting. At the opening session we observed a minute of silence and on Tuesday we held a memorial service which was attended by all the meeting participants. Over and over again, we heard how Karel was appreciated. Certain words kept reoccurring like the refrain of a great song:  “kind,” “competent,” “wise,” “easy to work with,” “committed.” Karel had a gentle manner in all his interactions with others. He was a professional: he knew the issues he had to deal with, but never imposed his knowledge. Rather, he made it accessible and he was always ready to help anyone who asked. His advice was always wise and thoughtful.

Karel had a special vision for his journal, Conscience et Liberté , and for the association he represented so well at the United Nations and in international meetings. He was fluent in three languages and was open to broad international cooperation. Our relations with him were always excellent.

Two years ago, I asked him if he would be ready to join our IRLA team and move to Silver Spring, Maryland. He declined. He thought he could serve better religious freedom and his church while working in Europe. I knew he could have done a great work with us, but I respected his choice.

And now my plane is soon to land in Cairns. Out the window I can see beaches and mountains, but images of Karel are crowding my memory. I’ve known him for more than 25 years. I remember him as the president of his church after the communist regime collapsed in Czechoslovakia.  He was a young man facing a difficult time and I admired his quiet strength and kindness. Twelve years later, he organized the first religious liberty symposium in Prague—the city where I will be in just a few days.

What will I say to Karel’s wife and family? I will say that although Karel’s journey is over for now, his life was dedicated to serving God and people and he made a difference for the cause of good. Everywhere he went, he made life better for others. For as long as my journey lasts, I will keep with me his peaceful and kind presence, his wisdom and conviction. Karel believed in the resurrection when Jesus returns. I want to be there and see him again. I want to talk with him again. I want his hope to make my hope stronger.

The plane has just landed.

Goodbye, Karel, and see you again.

--Dr. John Graz, IRLA Secretary General