Break-out Session 1: Addressing rising restrictions on religion: law matters
Panelists: Brian J. Grim, Senior Researcher PEW Research Center’s forum on religious and public life Trond Bakkevig, Pastor Lutheran Church of Norway and Convener of the Council of religious institutions of the Holy Land Mustapha Ben Jaafar, President National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Founder and President Appeal of Conscience Foundation Heidi Rautionmaa, Coordinator, Religion for Peace – European women of faith network Father Nabil Haddad, Executive Director Jordanian interfaith coexistence research center Amman Moderator: Heiner Bielefeldt, Professor University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Session Summary Three Quarters of the world’s population are living in countries with high or very high restrictions on the freedom of religion. Especially in the Middle East and Northern Africa persecution of religious minorities can be perceived often and in a radical manner. Father Nabil Haddad wants state diplomacy to adopt an interfaith approach. Furthermore he criticised the stagnation of moderate voices in religious dialogues. Mustapha Ben Jaafar described the drafting process of the new Constitution in Tunisia and the essential role of freedom of religion, religious practices and beliefs for the individual in order to achieve a progressive, democratic and pluralistic state. The new Constitution will provide the same rights and responsibilities for all Tunisians, no matter what religion they affiliate to, said Ben Jaafar. As a Holocaust survivor, Rabbi Schneier expressed his personal concern for the topic of religious freedom. He claimed that responsible religious leadership is characterized by unifying the people. Due to increasing migration processes religious problems become a border-crossing issue. According to Heidi Rautionmaa training for teachers on the necessity of an interfaith dialogue shall be ensured to guarantee the inclusion of inter-faith elements as well as the corporate principles of ethics in religious education. She additionally mentioned the importance of a focus on gender equality and interfaith activities among women to fight discrimination of women in the name of religion. Trond Bakkevig outlined the importance of guaranteeing and protecting the free access to religious sites and places of worship shared by religions. The panelists agreed that an international good will and a strong partnership to work together are needed in order to ensure the freedom of religion. Furthermore, a culture of understanding and respect are essential to guarantee this freedom and effectively address restrictions on it.
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Quotations Trond Bakkevig: “The State is there for everybody; religion is there for those who want to belong to it.” “Religions themselves have a special responsibility, which is to learn to speak for each other.” Rabbi Arthur Schneier: “As a child in Vienna, I was persecuted being a member of a religious minority. […] I feel the pain of any community that is oppressed; for me, it is not theory, it is recall.” “Children are not born with hatred. They are educated to hate.” Mustapha Ben Jaafar: “Tunisian citizens have the same rights and responsibilities, no matter what religion they have.” Heidi Rautionmaa: “States and municipalities should support interfaith work and respect of religious diversity.”
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Break-out Session 2: Living together at ease in a landscape of religious diversity and differences: education matters
Panelists: Faisal Bin Adulrahman Bin Muaammar, Secretary General, King Abdullah Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Cardinal Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Ibrahim Abubakar Jega, Executive Secretary Abuja National Mosque Management Board Shulamith Koenig, PDHRE – People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning Khalek Awang, Chief Executive Officer of Global Movement of Moderates Foundation Floriane Hohenberg, Head of Tolerance an Non-Discrimination Department, OSCE-ODHIR Heiner Bielefeldt, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Moderator: William Vendley, Secretary General Religions for Peace
Session Summary Interreligious dialogue, especially between religious leaders, is highly important Faisal Bin Adulrahman Bin Muaammar pinted out. He also put focus on the use of the internet and social media, which in our days have a great potential to promote mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. Khalek Awang gave the example of a religious diversity in his country Malaysia. According to him, religious differences should be celebrated in order to ensure interreligious understanding and coexistence. According to Cardinal Onaiyekan from Nigeria where 80 million Christians and 80 million Muslims are living side by side, the process of globalization is bringing the world nearer to a situation where a peaceful coexistence of religion is possible. As the problem of religious fanaticism can be found within many religions an interreligious cooperation is needed to solve it. By citing various verses of the Koran, Ibrahim Abubakar Jega outlined that Islam is a religion of tolerance and respect. He insisted on the empowerment of the youth and civil societies in the interreligious dialogue as well as the establishment of an interreligious council within the UN framework which could have a consultative function for the other UN bodies. Shulamith Koenig and Floriane Hohenberg highlight the importance of “learning human rights”. Koenig’s vision of a world in ten years with no human being ignoring human rights will make it possible to perceive human rights as a “way of life”. Additionally, she pointed out that women are suffering under patriarchic religions and have to be seen as full human beings on a global level.
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Hohenberg stated that it is not enough to only teach human rights, but national authorities need effective tools to act with. Heiner Bielefeldt concluded that there is the need to go “beyond tolerance” since tolerance is an ambivalent concept.
Quotations Faisal Bin Adulrahman Bin Muaammar: “Responsible leadership means all of us leading by example.” Cardinal John Onaiyekan: “The challenge for religion is not to justify its existence, but its relevance in the days we are living in.” Shulamith Koenig: “Human rights are the banks of the river in which life flows freely.” Khalek Awang: “We are encouraged to celebrate the differences. We have to make it a celebration.” Floriane Hohenberg: “It is important to introduce the human rights discussion within a group of leaders.“
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Break-out Session 3: Back to the basics: freedom of the media matters
Panelists: Alison Bethel McKenzie, Executive Director of the International Press Institute Galina Sidorova, Journalist and Chairperson of the International Press Institute Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression Dunja Mijatović, Representative on Freedom of the Media at OSCE Hadi Adanali, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Turkish Prime Minister Gulya Akhundova, Journalist Martine Ostrovsky, Former Head of the Legal Department of AFP and Members of Reporters wirhout Borders Moderator: Sylvie Coudray, Chief of Section of Freedom of Expression at UNESCO
Session Summary The right to freedom of opinion is the right to be properly informed. In this context Frank La Rue emphasized that Information prevents ignorance and thus counteracts negative sentiments in a society, because hate speech can only be countered by more speech and more education. Following that freedom of opinion is also connected to freedom of the press. Galina Sidorova outlines how a theoretical situation of press freedom can be paradoxically turned in its own opposite, when it comes to censorship in Russia. Furthermore she stresses the general importance of public and civic participation in order to sustain press freedom and promotes tolerance as means against hate speech. The panelists agree unanimously upon the freedom of expression as a social and individual right. In a truly democratic society freedom of expression is the fundament of broad social inclusion in the political discourse. The practical term of journalist needs some redefining as a person gathering and distribution information or media content to the public. So, as a phenomenon of new media, more and more citizen journalists (e.g. bloggers) need to be considered as such with the implication to grant them the same individual press freedom. This goes hand in hand with growing personal responsibilities and establishing profound professional training.
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