wfn.org | LWF, NGOs Call for Elimination of All Forms of Religious

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank.Imhoff@elca.org>]

LWF, NGOs Call for Elimination of All Forms of Religious Discrimination

Opposition to Specific Listing of Three Religions

GENEVA, 27 April 2005 (LWI) * The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has
spoken out against the explicit listing of the terms
"Christianophobia," "Islamophobia" and "Anti-Semitism"
with regard to the elimination of all forms of religious discrimination.

In a written statement delivered jointly with other non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) to the 61st Session of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights here, March 14-April 22, the LWF called for a
return to an earlier list that did not cite special problem areas. 

Every form of intolerance or discrimination, whether it was against
religious groups, or those of no religion or belief, must be eliminated,
the LWF stated jointly with the Friends World Committee for Consultation
(Quakers), Franciscans International, the International Association for
Religious Freedom, and other NGOs.

They asked the UN Commission to consider renaming the resolution as a
resolution on "Freedom of Religion or Belief" in line with the title
of the Special Rapporteur, and with a view to encouraging a more
positive approach.

The NGOs asked the Commission to reflect on how the question of freedom
of religion or belief could "be applied consistently and absolutely
without discrimination as intended, including inviting input from the
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief." 

Categorizations which may encourage the idea of a clash of religions by
underplaying the intolerance and discrimination which occur within
religions should be avoided, the NGOs stated. 

Their statement was linked to the decision adopted during the
Commission's 60th session last year, adding "Christianophobia" to
the previous existing list of special problem areas namely
"Islamophobia" and "Anti-Semitism." 

The NGOs noted that specification of any particular religion or belief
would lead to particular problems including focusing attention on
special forms of discrimination. They pointed out that "the degree,
nature and subject of discrimination varies in different countries
and/or regions." In addition, the greater the number listed the more
invidious the list would become because of those that would not be
included.

Given the need to protect every form of religious practice, the call
for the freedom of religion must remain as general as possible with
regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The explicit
listing of the 'three religions of the book' created an impression
of hierarchy in this context, and should therefore be rejected, the NGOs
said.

Moreover, discrimination manifested itself in various ways, according
to the NGOs. Intolerance was not only practiced between different
religions, but within religions. "The implication that religious
discrimination and intolerance are only practiced by 'outsiders' is
not only wrong but misleading, and dangerously so," they said. (443
words)

(By Barbara Schneider, youth trainee in the LWF Office for
Communication Services.)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138
member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of
nearly 66 million Christians. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights,
communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work.
Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the
dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be
freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

* * *

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