Freedom of Religion seminar in the European Parliament

Aug

Freedom of Religion seminar in the European Parliament

Soteria International are partners in organizing the conference "A cause for concern in Europe: Freedom of opinion, religion and belief. Persecution of, and discrimination against minority groups" in the European Parliament 16th October.

We cordially welcome all collaborators and interested to this important discussion among scholars, human rights activists and politicians for securing fundamental freedom in Europe!

This conference will be held on the 16th of October 2013 (13:00 to 18:00) in the EU parliament, rue Wiertz 60, 1047 Brussels. To reserve your place, please contact:

Laure Ferrari 0032 22845469, laureJerrari@europarl.europa.eu

fundamental rights, guaranteed by numerous international treaties and conventions, including several European ones. Nevertheless, many recent reports describe a large number of infringements of these rights, even in European countries. Indeed, minorities of belief are increasingly subjected to discrimination in some European countries, or even to persecution, by means of various deleterious instruments, which give an appearance of legality but which, in reality, are at odds with European and international standards of Human Rights.

Because the believers in every religion, and the holders of any particular belief or opinion, are in the minority somewhere, the rights of the adherents of any faith or view are liable to infringement, as perpetrated by governments or as promoted by groups working as front-organizations for particular vested interests or for governments.

In this Conference, we will examine in detail the trend in Europe to increase restrictions on freedom of opinion, religion and belief, as well as the clandestine efforts of some governments to export discriminatory systems to other countries via European institutions, and the concrete effects of these things. We will examine the existing tools for protecting freedom of belief, religion and opinion (including international law, international jurisprudence and EV-jurisprudence). The speakers (in 2 different panels) will be representatives from various religious denominations, international experts in the relevant fields and specialist defenders of human rights.

Each panel-presentation will be followed by live debates.

Speakers

Bashy Quraishy
Chairman of ENAR AdvisOlY Council
Chair of European Platform for Jewish/Muslim Cooperation Secretary General of EMISCO

Professor Juan Ferreiro Gualguera
Full professorship of Ecclesiastical Law at University of Coruna Former D/Director General for Promotion and Protection
of Religious Freedom at the Spain Ministry of Justice.

Hans Noot
President of the Gerard Noodt Foundation Member of the board of the ICRLS

Gerard Ducrey
PhD in political sciences, Attorney at law, France

EricRoux
Steering Committee of the European InterreligiOUS Forum for Religious Freedom

Dr. Alessandro Amicarelli
PhD, Attorney atlaw. LAW Society of England and Wales Doctor of Research in International Order and Human Rights "SAPIENZA" UniverSity of Rome

lasvir Singh United Sikhs International

Patricia Duval
Attorney at Law - France
Specialist in European and international Human Rights law

Moderator Father AethIwine

Orthodox Priest - Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch - UK