“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
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,
Report for the OSCE Second Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) on FoRB, Fostering Mutual Respect and Understanding
By FOREF Europe
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.
In 2013, two secret reports on Scientology from the State Security, the Belgian secret services, leaked into the media. One was on the alleged “infiltration” of Scientology into the Belgo-Congolese community, and the other about contacts Scientology had made with Belgian politicians.
The European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance (EP Intergroup on FoRB & RT) presented its first Annual Report on the 'State of Freedom of Religion or Belief' at an event hosted by the Intergroup in collaboration with United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Speakers included the Chairs of the EP Intergroup on FoRB & RT and USCIRF as well as the Director of Human Rights at the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Representatives from civil society, governments and international organizations explored the challenges, including discrimination and hate crime, Christian communities face in the OSCE region at a conference held in Vienna on 18 May 2015.
The “Conference on Enhancing Efforts to Prevent and Combat Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, Focusing on Hate Crimes, Exclusion, Marginalization and Denial of Rights” was organized by the OSCE Serbian Chairmanship and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
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.
私たち「European Federation for freedom of belief」略称「FOB」は 石橋正人さんの救出をめぐり「全国拉致監禁・強制改宗被害者の会」の署名キャンパインをお支持しております。
統一教会信者である石橋正人さんは2014年に千葉県内の実家に帰省中に行方不明となりました。このキャンペーンはすでに3000件に突破しました。
「全国拉致監禁・強制改宗被害者の会」によりますと、石橋さんの家族が自分の信仰を放棄させようとして彼を拉致したということです。
こうした事件は、日本において何年間にわたって取り分け統一教会信者に対して、犯されている犯罪です。関係者は一年間当たりにおよそ10人被害者が拉致されると主張しています。
拉致されたうえで、12年間にわたっていじめられた後藤徹さんによって運営されている団体は千葉県警に対し、石橋さんの捜索と解放を繰り返し訴えてきましたが、今日に至るまで地元の警察は積極的に行動してくれませんでした。
脱会説得に関する拉致事件が、かつてイタリアをはじめとする欧州の国でさえ行われました。実際、1980年代にサイエントロジ一教会信者とハレークリシュナ団体の何人も拉致されたうえで、隔離の場所に監禁され、無理に自分の信仰を放棄させられました。
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.
If one found out that an NGO1 (non-government organisation) was targeting new or traditional religious groups, and if this NGO (FECRIS) was a federation of groups with similar aims, one would have every right to be surprised. The information presented in this document goes far beyond what you might imagine—and that’s probably what has allowed it to remain relatively unnoticed until now.
On the 11th of February 2015, the proceedings against the MISA Yoga group in Romania has been concluded with full acquittal of the 21 defendants by the Court.
"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.
The 26th of January 2015 in Rome (Italy) at str. Viale Angelico 38, the association named European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), has been officially incorporated by law.
Founders are: Prof. Pietro Nocita (Chairman), Attny. Fabrizio D’Agostini (Councillor), Dr. Raffaella Di Marzio (Secretary), Camillo Maffia (Councillor). Vice-chair is Attny. Alessandro Amicarelli. Other member of the Steering Committee is Prof. Sonia Bartol.
These are the days after bereavement and grief. Emotions joined us all across the planet, in the same way as when we saw the World Trade Center crumbling down and the London’s underground or the Madrid’s train blowing up.
The executors are terrorist criminals hiding behind the name of a Prophet venerated by millions of Muslims, who openly condemn this violence and feel betrayed by the fact that the persons carrying it out cry that it is done in the Prophet’s name. For millions of Muslims this is blasphemy. That’s what the brother of one of the victims said during a press release.
