Islam

by Alessandro Amicarelli — A disproportionate number of cases involving forced adoption at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) come from Norway. Norwegian social services are quick to deprive parents of their rights, accusing them of neglect, and to place children in foster care, which then leads to adoption. Often, this happens to children of poor immigrant single parents, who end up being adopted by well-off Norwegians.

On December 10, 2020, we announced an appeal signed by 14 NGOs, including FOB, to the authorities of China, Iran and Russia to release the religious prisoners, at risk of being infected with COVID-19. This appeal was based on HRWF's annual report: “In Prison for Their Faith 2020”. Today we are publishing a brief summary of the HRWF report.

The recent articles published on this site show a never dormant and ill-concealed intolerant regurgitation towards the beliefs of others. Freedom of belief is protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by subsequent similar declarations, but in the light of the facts this right requires constant and further commitment, so that it is effectively recognized and respected as an inalienable right. Below we publish an article by professor Massimo Introvigne, internationally renowned sociologist of religions, who gives an example of how easy it is to fall into intolerance and incitement to hatred.

By Massimo Introvigne — Anti-cultism is back in France. Media around the world have covered President Macron’s announcement of a new law against “separatism,” explaining it as a measure against radical Islam. It is surely true that Islam is targeted but, not for the first time, a law introduced to fight Islamic radical groups is then used against other religious movements. The Russian law against extremism is an obvious example.

by Vasco Fronzoni — The Italian Muslim communities have faced the challenge of contagion with a pragmatic spirit. As it known, Islam does not recognize universal leaders, and therefore chooses on the basis of the general reference principles, which in the case of epidemics refer to a hadith that prescribes «if you hear of a plague in a land do not enter it; and if it breaks out in the land where you stay, do not leave»

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its concern over reports that religious minority groups from around the world have faced discrimination because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Religious communities have been harassed and accused of bringing COVID-19 to their countries.

Ten NGOs write to the new president of Kazakhstan demanding freedom and protection for a woman who escaped from China and the activist who defended her.

His Excellency
The Hon. Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Brave and fearless reporters enter the dreaded "transformation through education" camp for Muslim Uyghurs in Huocheng county, China. While China tries to defend the indefensible claiming that the transformation through education camps are benign “schools,” one of our reporters secretly visited the new large camp in Yining, Xinjiang, and proved it is undoubtedly a jail.

FOB member association CAP Liberté de Conscience – UN Geneva Universal Periodic Review Side-Event : Highlights the Ongoing and Systematic Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2016

Working session 12: 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 : Problems & Perspectives

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

The Government will appeal against the anti-mosques  law of the Veneto government before the Constitutional Court: this was announced by Hon. Luigi Lacquaniti (Democratic Party) who supported the initiative launched by the European Federation for Freedom of Belief, a petition drive that collected 1,197 signatures in just over a month.

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.

F.O.B. asks the Government of challenging the "anti-mosques law” which violates the Constitution and the freedom of religion of all religious minorities:

Sign the petition

F.O.B. (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) calls on the Government to challenge the law on places of worship approved in the Veneto region. As already sanctioned by the Constitutional Court on the previous one, this "anti-mosques law" violates the principles of our Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, belief and conscience to all religious denominations.

Statements by representatives of all religions and of many Muslim leaders, on the respect for religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries and on how to tackle terrorism by factions who call themselves Muslim though elated criminals that Muslims themselves condemned as such.

In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

Executive Summary of the Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in Predominantly Muslim Majority Communities

25^th-27^th January 2016

“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).

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.

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.

"A liberty-destroying law forbidding to thousands of Lombard citizens – Muslims and non Muslims alike – the right to pray”. This is how the Steering Committee of FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief) voices its strong disagreement about the “anti-mosques law”, currently at the center of controversies in Lombardy.

This is a press statement by FOREF Europe:

Threat of full-face veil to “open, personal relationships” trumps human rights

Vienna 3 July 2014 - FOREF Europe: By upholding a French ban on wearing full-face veils, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has failed to protect the religious freedom of Islamic women who choose the veil as an expression of their faith, according to the Forum for Religious Freedom-Europe (FOREF), an independent nongovernmental monitoring group.