News November 2005

IRLA Experts meeting in Spain

Religious Freedom Experts Confront Bans on Religious Expression

Sigüenza, Spain… Highly-controversial bans on religious expression, such as the French government's outlawing of the Islamic headscarf in public schools and a recent court judgment on a Turkish government headscarf prohibition, have brought a detailed response and analysis by religious freedom experts this week.

The Board of Experts of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) meeting in Sigüenza, Spain, November 12 to 16, took issue with the blanket ban on the wearing or display of religious symbols in state schools.

"While states clearly have the right to ensure a good educational environment for learning, we consider this ban on religious expression as extreme and a violation of an individual's religious freedom," said John Graz, secretary general of the IRLA.

In a document entitled "Guiding Principles Regarding Student Rights to Wear or Display Religious Symbols," the IRLA experts spell out specific concerns, commenting that "It is not the role of the state to decide to interpret the significance of a religious symbol for an individual or a community."

"The right to manifest belief is a vital part of religious freedom as defined by the normative international documents, and this includes the right to manifest belief by wearing and displaying religious symbols and clothing," they further conclude.

Recommendations include respecting the rights of students and parents, the seeking of solutions on a case-by-case basis, and that "Legislation establishing a total ban on the wearing of religious symbols in public educational settings should be avoided because it tends to be unnecessarily insensitive to those acting on sincere religious beliefs and often does more to inflame than reduce social tensions." [Jonathan Gallagher/IRLA News]

Dr. Tom Farr speaks at the Coalition meeting Dr John Graz (L), Attorney James Standish (R)

"Not Taking Religion as Seriously as We Should": Call to Government from Religious Freedom Coalition

Silver Spring, Maryland...; The major problem with government and foreign policy is that "we're not taking religion as seriously as we should," according to the featured speaker at the Washington Coalition's meeting on October 27.

Dr. Tom Farr, former director of the Office of International Religious Freedom in the U.S. Department of State, was speaking on "Still Missing: Religion and American Foreign Policy" to the broad spectrum of representatives that make up the Washington Coalition for International Religious Freedom. "We still don't have this right," Farr observed, "for religion is still missing from statecraft. Religion is broadening and deepening around the world and we tend to ignore it."

Because of secularism and the idea that religion should be a private matter, policy makers often fail to recognize religion's impact on society and policy both domestically and internationally. Without understanding underlying religious beliefs it is impossible to understand the way individuals and societies function. As democratic ideas are promoted, it is important to reject the notion that "democracy means you have to check your religion at the door," Farr concluded.

Ambassador Robert Seiple, former U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, chaired the meeting and encouraged participants to "inject some oxygen into the religious freedom issue."

Hosting the meeting were Dr. John Graz, director of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department, and Attorney James Standish, associate director and the church's representative on Capitol Hill.

"We are always delighted to host such meetings as they bring a greater awareness to these issues and encourage initiatives that can really make a difference," says Graz.

"Religion informs and motivates much of what occurs in this world," adds Standish. "Therefore, failure to delve into the power and diversity of religious thought around the globe results in policies dangerously out of sync with reality on the ground."

The Washington Coalition for International Religious Freedom brings together over forty representatives from churches, organizations, and government departments. [IRLA News]

Ambassador and Mrs Robert Seiple, Dr. John Graz, Dr. Tom Farr

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