Freedom of belief must include those we disagree with, Andrew Copson to say at Ministerial opening
On 5-6 July, the UK Government is hosting the annual International Ministerial on Freedom of Religion or Belief in London. The focus will be ‘to urge increased global action on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all.’ Humanists UK is participating extensively in the Conference. Its Chief Executive Andrew Copson (in his capacity as President of Humanists International) is speaking at the opening ceremony, alongside major global religious leaders and the Foreign Secretary. Humanist delegates are also participating in other events in the main programme, Humanists UK is hosting or participating in seven fringe events, and it has a stall.
Andrew Copson’s opening speech will be made in a session that also features a speech from the Foreign Secretary, video contributions from the Prime Minister and Prince Charles, and speeches from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Chief Rabbi, and Muslim and Sikh leaders. In his remarks, he will reject so-called ‘religious freedom’ in favour of ‘freedom of religion or belief’. He will highlight that the latter includes the non-religious. And he will point out that it must include ‘those with whose choices, values, and beliefs we may be in profound disagreement’:
‘FoRB is to be for everyone everywhere, we must all resist the temptation to impose our beliefs on others. This is how so many violations of FoRB originate. That is true of the Christian in China whose atheist government prevents her from congregating freely as her conscience leads her and of the non-religious woman in the West when Christians in her Government block her conscientious choice of an abortion or any other practice. Illiberal totalitarianism, whether atheist, Christian, Islamic: many forces limit freedom of religion or belief today. All of us are in the minority somewhere and all of us have brothers and sisters subject somewhere to the vilest of persecution.’
Ahead of the event, Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented:
‘We’re pleased to be able to take part in the Ministerial, and delighted that the theme is #forbforall. In many countries it is impossible to be openly non-religious. 13 have the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy, many more have prison sentences for these “crimes”, and several have seen humanists be murdered. In many countries, it is effectively impossible to be openly non-religious.
‘To truly live up to the #forbforall theme, it is vital that all countries repeal their laws against blasphemy and apostasy, and implement effective programmes to combat the widespread stigma religious minorities and the non-religious face. That’s what we’ll be using this conference as an opportunity to push for.’
Humanists UK’s participation at the Ministerial
Main programme: On 5 July from 10-11, Andrew Copson will be speaking at the opening plenary session. He is also speaking at a session at 13:30-14:45, on ‘Beyond the constitution: building blocks and incentives for effective protection’.
On 6 July 14:00-15:15, the Humanist Association of Ghana’s Roslyn Mould will be speaking on a panel on ‘Civil society as a driver for change’.
On 6 July 14:00-15:15, Young Humanists UK’s Alavari Jeevathol will be speaking on a panel on ‘Engaging the next generation’.
Stall: Humanists UK will have a stall in the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, accessible to delegates.
Fringe events in Parliament, 5 July: Humanists are participating in or co-organising the following fringes in Parliament:
9:45-11: ‘Preventing Violence, Promoting Freedom of Belief’ – Attlee Suite, Portcullis House. A collaboration between member organisations of the Gender and FoRB working group of the UK FoRB Forum, including Humanists UK. Speakers include humanists Gulalai Ismail (Aware Girls, Pakistan), and Roslyn Mould (Humanist Association of Ghana).
12:45-13:45: ‘The impact of COVID-19 on International Freedom of Religion or Belief, and what can be learned from international responses’ – IPU room, House of Commons. Organised by the Freedom Declared Foundation. Speakers include Emma Wadsworth-Jones, Humanists at Risk Coordinator, Humanists International.
15:00-16:00: ‘Free to Believe… or Not: End Criminalisation of Apostasy and Blasphemy’ – IPU room, House of Commons. Organised by Humanists UK in collaboration with the Jubilee Campaign and Set My People Free.
Today over 70 countries criminalise blasphemy and 22 criminalise apostasy. Of these, 13 maintain the death penalty for apostasy or blasphemy. Even where the death penalty is not applied the law has a chilling effect on the legitimate exercise of fundamental human rights as noted by the UN Secretary General in his report on the death penalty. Many countries see extrajudicial murders for blasphemy and apostasy. This session will focus on these harms and the need to see all such laws repealed.
Speakers include Gulalai Ismail, founder, Aware Girls, and global ambassador, Humanists International (Pakistan); Joel Voordewind, former Member of Parliament of the Netherlands; and Chiara Porro, Ambassador of the Australian Embassy to the Holy See. Chaired by Lord David Alton, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief.
17:00-18:00: ‘Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria’ – Committee room 5, House of Commons. Organised by Humanists UK in collaboration with CSW and Tearfund.
Nigeria’s Federal Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion or belief and guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief to all citizens, including the right to change religion or belief. But in practice, and particularly in the Shari’a states north and centre of the country, constitutional provisions protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief are frequently disregarded, with individuals from religious and belief communities regularly experiencing restrictions of their right to FoRB, which also limit their enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms stipulated in national and international legislation, including freedom of expression, property rights, and equality before the law.
Speakers include Dr Leo Igwe, Founder of the Nigerian Humanist Association; Rev Yunusa Sabo Nmadu, CEO of CSW Nigeria, and General Secretary of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA); Reuben Buhari, CSW Nigeria Press Officer; and Haleemah Oladamade Ahmad, Senior Research Associate and Chief Editor, Da’wah Institute. Chaired by All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group member and Shadow Foreign Minister Lord Collins of Highbury.
Fringe events in the QEII, 6 July: Humanists UK has the following fringes in the QEII Conference Centre, accessible to delegates:
9:30-10:00: ‘Learning FoRB: the role of schools and education’ – Ground floor, Churchill.
Outside of the family, schools and other educational settings are the major influence on our attitudes, beliefs, and values. They can do a lot of damage to freedom of religion or belief but can also play a role in advancing this human right. School structures, the school curriculum, and other aspects of school ethos can all play a part in supporting freedom of religion or belief for all. This session will explore that.
Speakers include Gulalai Ismail, founder, Aware Girls, and global ambassador, Humanists International (Pakistan); Naomi Green, Northern Ireland Coalition for Inclusive Education/Belfast Islamic Centre; and Ed Pawson, Deputy Chair, Religious Education Council of England and Wales. Chaired by Andrew Copson, President, Humanists International
14:00-14:30: ‘Religion and the state: secularism and FoRB’ – Ground floor, Churchill.
Freedom of religion or belief is a key component of secularism as a political idea, together with equal treatment, and religion-state separation. But how healthy is secularism today and how successful are secular states in practice at securing freedom of religion or belief? Considering states from the US to Norway, France, the UK, and India, this session will examine the impact of secularism on FORB.
Speakers include Commissioner Fred Davie, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF); Debora Spini, faculty at New York University, Florence; and Gita Sahgal, writer and documentary film-maker. Chaired by Andrew Copson, President, Humanists International and author, Very Short Introduction to Secularism.
6 Jul 15-15:30: ‘Measuring freedom: quantifying progress and warning signs for FoRB around the world’ – First floor, Pickwick.
If we want to make progress on freedom of religion or belief and target our resources and attention, we need ways of assessing and measuring freedom in different countries. Measurements can tell us how well different states are doing, and give early warning signs if standards are going backwards. This session will examine different ways that implementation of freedom can be measured, comparing them with the instruments used to measure other human rights.
Speakers include Yasmin Ahmed, UK Director, Human Rights Watch; and Emma Wadsworth Jones, Humanists At Risk Coordinator, Humanists International. Chaired by Andrew Copson, President, Humanists International
Andrew Copson’s opening speech, in full – due to be delivered 10.44 am on Tuesday 5 July (check against delivery):
‘For those with a humanist approach to life, freedom of thought and belief has always been the first freedom.
‘The humanist approach is non-religious, rooted in this one world and this one life, centred on human welfare and happiness – and the thing most central to the very concept of the human being for humanists is our ability to feel and to think, to reason and to contemplate, to develop ethics and values, beliefs, and to connect with our fellow human beings, one person to another.
‘But we’ve been asked this morning to reflect from our traditions particularly on the idea of Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.
‘This idea is of profound importance for humanists, because, unlike some ideas of “religious freedom”, the human right to “freedom of religion or belief” also protects the freedom of conscience of those with non-religious beliefs and that’s the first thing I would like to say.
‘Over 140 countries of the world impose legal restrictions or disabilities on non-religious people and in many countries it is illegal to even form a humanist organisation. For me to be here alongside religious leaders would be impossible and my words would be a crime. But “freedom of religion or belief” is a right for non-religious people: and not just those like me who were raised with their own positive non-religious beliefs. It is also a right for those who dissent, critique, reject, and even condemn the religions of their parents.
‘That connects to the second thing I want to say about freedom of religion or belief for all, which is that this freedom cannot just be a right for people whose beliefs we find agreeable. It is also a right for those with whose choices, values, and beliefs we may be in profound disagreement.
‘And if FoRB is to be for everyone everywhere, we must all resist the temptation to impose our beliefs on others. This is how so many violations of FoRB originate.
‘That is true of the Christian in China whose atheist government prevents her from congregating freely as her conscience leads her and of the non-religious woman in the West when Christians in her Government block her conscientious choice of an abortion or any other practice.
‘Illiberal totalitarianism, whether atheist, Christian, Islamic: many forces limit freedom of religion or belief today. All of us are in the minority somewhere and all of us have brothers and sisters subject somewhere to the vilest of persecution.
‘Of course that persecution has to stop. But the third thing I want to say is that freedom from persecution, though essential, is only the starting point, not the endgame. Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief is not just a freedom from, it’s also a freedom to.
‘Freedom to think freely, to pursue the good as we see it and the truth as we perceive it, to share our thoughts and beliefs and hear the beliefs of others. This is empowerment and a vital aspect of human development. It is indispensable for individual happiness. It is indispensable for social and economic development, which depend on the dynamic diversity generated by individual freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. This freedom touches every aspect of our politics and law, from our schools, to our family law, our criminal codes and our public services. It applies to all people, regardless of their gender, sexuality, age, or any other factor.
‘Equality of freedom should be our goal and that perfect freedom of religion or belief is not a reality in our world anywhere today. No one is as free as they could be, and every country can do better. I hope that competing for that excellence will be an aspect of your conference here this week and look forward to participating myself in that endeavour.’
