Human rights groups have denounced a report passed by the European Parliament which has been described as “openly hostile towards religion”.
The report, intended to highlight persecution of religious minorities including Christians, has also been slammed for criticising religion’s role in limiting or banning abortions while using the report to advocate for abortion rights. No Irish MEP voted against the controversial report, with 12 Irish MEPs voting in favour of it and two MEPs, Independent for Change, Mick Wallace and Independent, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan abstaining.
The report on ‘The persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion’ was adopted by the European Parliament earlier last week. While it was intended to highlight the plight of persecuted religious minorities and offer encouragement and solidarity, the report was amended to become a report expressing criticism of persecuted Christians and Christianity as a whole.
The initial draft of the report referred to religion as a “human right” and “often a last bastion of liberty” in society, however, the final report described religion as a threat through its criticism of it as “an important driver of conflict worldwide”.
In one section, the European Parliament said it “Is deeply concerned about the high levels of coercion, discrimination, harassment, violence and repression against people belonging to belief or religious minorities,” recognising such persecution as a “global phenomenon that is intensifying”.
The report expressed strong support for ‘non-religious, secular and humanist organisations’ which it said were facing “growing persecution, including unprecedented waves of incitement to hatred and killings, in a number of countries worldwide”.
It also denounced individuals and organisations who it said “are under assault for peacefully questioning, criticising or satirising religious beliefs”. It described the promotion of religion in this way as an “ongoing violation of freedom of thought and expression” within EU member states.
Alliance Defending Freedom (AFP), a Christian legal advocacy group, said the report also criticised religious communities for their long-standing doctrinal beliefs, and it criticised the report for its failure to “stand in solidarity with those suffering from persecution because of their faith”.
Jean-Paul Van De Walle, Legal Counsel based in Brussels with ADF International said:
“Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. It is unacceptable that this report, which is meant to stand in solidarity with those suffering from persecution because of their faith, is openly hostile towards religion. By adopting the wording of this report, the European Parliament has undermined its credibility of wanting to address the challenges religious minorities face worldwide.”
ADF said the report had been ‘hijacked’ because the original draft contained several positive aspects regarding the protection of religious minorities against persecution. While the report was in reference to a range of faiths, it made various references specifically to Christians in the draft report, and the extent of the persecution they experienced.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) of the European Parliament, however, amended the initial report so that “the scope and tone of the report have completely shifted,” ADF said.
At the time of the report’s proposal at the end of April, Christian Network Europe said it “raises suspicions against Christianity in Europe,” adding that it was openly hostile towards religion.
While the report was described as being openly hostile to religion, it was supportive of abortion, which it said was part of “sexual and reproductive health and rights,” and also expressed a belief that “women and LGBTIQ+ people continue to experience discrimination and violence inflicted in the name of religion by both state and non-state actors”. The authors of the report lamented their belief that abortion was being “banned in the name of religion”.
The ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa, which has been described as “a twenty-year genocide” was omitted and all but one reference to Christians was removed. The report however, includes repeated references emphasising protections for atheist, secular or humanist belief minorities.
PROMOTION OF ABORTION ‘DISCREDITS’ EU
COMECE, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, also blasted the report, and said that the victims who were meant to be protected by the report ended up being portrayed as the aggressors.
COMECE took aim at the report’s advocacy for abortion, stating that any attempt to undermine the right to life discredited the EU:
“Any attempt to undermine the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to life through abusive interpretations that unduly restrict their legitimate scope or to subject them to newly created and non-consensual “so-called human rights”, including abortion, constitute a serious violation of the international law that discredits the European Union before the international community and before millions of European citizens,” the General Secretary of COMECE, Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto said.
He added:
“[…] This motion for resolution, in its current wording, will not be of help for millions of religious believers who are victims of persecution because of their faith, in particular vulnerable women and girls, as their situation will be obscured and rendered invisible by prioritising other political interests.”
Defenders of religious freedom in the European Parliament noted that the adopted report went as far as to condemn religions for their doctrines on marriage and the protection of unborn life, which went “far beyond the scope of the report,” according to ADF.
Slovak Christian Democrat politician Miriam Lexmann said the report stigmatised religion, stating:
“While I welcome the EP’s report on the persecution of religious freedom, I cannot help but express my dismay at the way this report has been hijacked to stigmatise religion itself.”
‘UNDERMINING’ SPECIAL ENVOY ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF’S POSITION
In its comprehensive criticism of the report, ADF also said that it undermined the position of the Special Envoy on freedom of religion or belief outside the EU, introduced in 2016 to protect freedom of religion or belief on behalf of the EU worldwide.
The Envoy had a mandate to visit countries experience severe levels of violent religious persecution to help address the situation and develop response plans. The Special Envoy played a ‘decisive role’ in helping Asia Bibi to safely leave Pakistan after she was acquitted of blasphemy charges, but the position has been vacant for nearly two years.
It was anticipated that the report would recognize the importance of the Special Envoy. ADF said it “instead undermines the role by calling for an investigation into the added value of the position.”
Simultaneously, though, the report urges the Special Envoy to also focus on “the rights to non-belief, apostasy and the espousal of atheistic views”.
ADF said: “We regret that the hijacked report fails to call on the European Commission to take all necessary steps to appoint a new Special Envoy. The Special Envoy has played a crucial role in bringing the horrors of religious persecution to light at the European level.
“The role has created awareness around some of the worst and most persistent violations of fundamental rights around the world and helped focus EU efforts to counter them. The EU should not only continue but intensify efforts to protect freedom of religion or belief around the world. The reappointment of a Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU is now more necessary than ever”.
The Irish MEPs who voted on the report have been contacted by Gript for comment.