Activities

Yesterday, at Montecitorio, at 2.30 PM, Raffaella di Marzio, Secretary of F.O.B. (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) presented to Hon. Luigi Lacquaniti (PD), along with a letter of thanks, the first 1,100 signatures collected in the petition promoted by the Federation to wield the “anti-mosques law approved by the Veneto Region. The Waldensian MP manifested his intention to join the initiative and signed the petition.

FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) frankly condemns the terroristic violence, product of fanaticism and religious extremism, which in recent days has become – if ever possible – more and more intense and odious, with respect to the increasing level of tragedy which we have witnessed in recent years.

In concern of the fundamental rights of the refugee Magnus Aurolsson, formerly named Gregorian Bivolaru

We are deeply concerned that the fundamental rights of the religious refugee Gregorian Bivolaru are today not secure within the EU judicial collaboration.

Last month European police and media seem to continue the same persecution based upon religious discrimination, for which Gregorian Bivolaru was granted the status of political asylum By the Supreme Court of Sweden in 2006.

Given that

F.O.B. (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) supports the initiative of Soteria International aimed to know the truth about the case of Bivolaru, political refugee arrested in France last February 26 in violation of the international law.

The European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), was urged to intervene in support of an  association of Israeli academics who expressed their opinion on a proposal of law against  “dangerous cults", based on the notion of mental manipulation.

A law proposal aimed against “harmful cults” is about to be voted upon in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset). Below is a summary of how this came to be, and what the response of local academics.

We publish the text of the bill against dangerous cults based on the notion of mental manipulation. Academics of MEIDA have mobilized themselves to counter this initiative by sending documents and studies that refute the notions of "cult" and "mental manipulation". The CESNUR site was the first one to give the news in Italy and HRWFspread the appeal of the Israeli scholars through its Newsletter. FOB is intervening, on the basis of its statutory purposes, to contribute to the campaign against this bill.

On December 21, 2015, the European Federation for Freedom of Belief held its presentation conference at the Chamber of Deputies.
The event, organized in the prestigious “Hall of Globe” of Montecitorio Palace thanks to Hon. Luciano Ciocchetti, was attended by about seventy people, among whom also representatives of nine religious and spiritual minorities:

MEETING

Laicity and Freedom of Belief in Italy: Reports, Suggestions, Evidence

Presentation of FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief)

Rome, Monday 21^th december 2015, 10am
Palazzo Montecitorio. Sala del Mappamondo
Piazza di Montecitorio, 00186 Roma

Aims of the meeting

The European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB) supports Lord David Alton’s request addressed to UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - to review the guidelines about the Pakistani refugees matter.
According to Lord Alton, the UNHCR is denying the existence of an ongoing persecution against Pakistani Christians, reducing such dramatic situation to a case of simple discrimination.

In this section you can find documents and videos about the activities of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB) and the NGOs CAP, Soteria International and AIDLR, concerning freedom of religion and belief and human rights issues, at the Europe’s largest annual human rights conference. It was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in Warsaw, from 21 September to 2 October 2015.

“The Italian government shall clarify about the anti-mosque legislation passed by Lombardy and about the Anti Cult Squad of the State Police”, Alessandro Amicarelli, spokesman of FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief), has addressed with his statement the plenary assembly of OSCE/ODIHR at Warsaw (see the video).

TOKYO, 01.10.2015 (FOREF) – Japan’s Supreme Court has handed Touru Goto final victory in his civil case stemming from his 12 year and 7 month confinement by faith breakers. Japan’s Supreme Court on September 29 dismissed appeals by the defendants in the case and let stand a previous verdict by Tokyo High Court. This ended Mr. Goto’s 7-year legal battle to receive justice. Mr. Goto released the following statement.

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2015

Working session 15: Fundamental freedoms II
Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief

STATEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR FREEDOM OF BELIEF (FOB)
about freedom of belief in Italy

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

6 September 2015 — Many NGOs and leaders, including the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), signed a letter sent to the Members of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal in order to draw their attention to the issue of religious freedom in Nepal, and to ask that they review and consider revising the language in an alarming section of the most recent draft of their new constitution.

Here is the letter and the signatories:

To the Members of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal,

On 12th June 2015, the Steering Committee of FOB sent a letter in support of the LAYMS’s campaign in favor of the Natha Yoga School.

The "anti-mosque act" violates EU's rules. That's what emerges from a report by FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief), sent to the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the proper committees, coordinators and bureaus at the European Parliament and the OSCE/ODIHR, with the support of IRF Roundtable.

On March 30, Soteria International, NGO member of FOB, attended an important event hosted by the European Parliament, a public hearing on fundamental rights in the European Union. Speakers looked into the Human Rights inside European Union in order to make steps in admitting that problems exist and to start truly respecting the Human Rights.

FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief), supports the Japanese Victims Association against Religious Kidnapping and Forced Conversion’s Petition for the rescue of Masato Ishibashi (26), a member of the Unification Church, who has been missing since January, 2014, while he was visiting his parents' home in Chiba Prefecture.

In few days more than 3000 people signed the petition.

The answer from the French Government to the letter promoted by the International Religious Freedom Roundtable (IRF), and subscribed by various NGOs, amongst which the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), and private citizens and sent on the 30th November 2014, was not long-awaited.