Societies that protect religious freedom are more likely to protect other fundamental freedoms, says a high-ranking Conservative MP.
"I believe that religious freedom has a trickle down effect on other freedoms," Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bob Dechert told members of a parliamentary forum on April 2.
"At any given point in time, one could take a snapshot of a given country's status on religious freedom and make reasonable assumptions of that country's overall human rights record."
Mr. Dechert, speaking at the Second Parliamentary Forum on Religious Freedom and Governance in the downtown Government Conference Centre in Ottawa, also announced that Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to appoint an 'ambassador' to head his new Office of Religious Freedom.
Once appointed, this individual "will set up the office immediately and begin to speak out at every international forum," Mr. Dechert said.
Mr. Dechert also indicated that part of the new office's mandate will be to vet Canadian aid in terms of the rights records of countries.
"Emergency aid and medical attention would not be linked in any way to the human rights record of any government, but other forms of developmental aid are certainly subject to review," he said.
That sounds similar to the Harper government's 2011 campaign promise to "ensure that the Canadian International Development Agency makes it a priority to work with groups that support vulnerable religious minorities." But Mr. Dechert said he couldn't elaborate on any more details until after the office's representative is announced.
Conservative MP David Anderson, who organized the first parliamentary forum on religion in March 2011 to look at persecution, also said the office would try to steer an original path.
"Obviously there's a number of NGOs and groups that do good work in researching persecution around the world...I don't think we want to duplicate that as Canadians," he said.
Organizers estimate 160 people attended the event on April 2, including representatives from Pakistani, Indian, Iranian, and Chinese communities, as well as those from Jewish, Muslim, Baha'i, Falun Gong and Christian faith groups.
Peter Bhatti, the chair of religious rights group International Christian Voice, was one of the event's most prominent speakers. In a speech, Mr. Bhatti asked the government to help promote religious freedom around the world with like-minded countries such as the United States and Britain. The US Department of State has an Office of International Religious Freedom.
Mr. Bhatti has been alongside the government's push for the office since the beginning. He witnessed Prime Minister Stephen Harper announce plans for the office in April 2011 while sitting alongside Mr. Dechert in what is now Mr. Dechert's suburban Toronto riding.
He has also met other times with Mr. Dechert and Mr. Harper, standing next to the prime minister in a photo Mr. Dechert posted online.
In March, Mr. Bhatti accepted the government's prestigious John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award on behalf of his late brother Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's former federal minister for minorities, who was assassinated in March 2011, weeks after having met with Mr. Harper.
Other speakers at this year's forum stressed the presence of religion in Canada, in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the funding of Catholic schools in Ontario.
At the same time, they held up Canada as a free and peaceful country that welcomes those who practice many religions.
"People have come, throughout our entire history, to our country to be able to practice their freedom of conscience, belief and religion," said Mr. Dechert.
"If we're not willing to stand up in the world and say, 'This is a Canadian value,' then we're denying our heritage as Canadians."
Few details, many meetings
As the Harper government's clearest attempt to marry religious freedom and foreign policy, the new office has been the subject of intense debate.
Last June's throne speech reiterated Canada's promise to put religious freedom at the forefront of its foreign policy by establishing a special office under the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with a budget of $5 million.
But roughly a year later, there have been few details released about how the office will operate, who will be in control, which current affairs it plans to address, and in what way. Budget 2012 did not contain any details.
Foreign Minister John Baird told Parliament last month that there will be an announcement about the office "in short order."
Some critics say such an office would blur the lines between church and state, while others complain it will be used as a partisan tool to curry favour with minority groups in coveted ridings across the country.
Members from mainstream Muslim groups have criticized the government for ignoring their concerns and aggravating historical divisions between different branches of Islam.
The founder of a Classical Arabic school and the only Muslim speaker at the April 2 event, Imam Mohamad Jebara, left before the question and answer period, when his interpretations of the Quran, Islam's holy book, were criticized by some attendees.
But Mr. Baird said in Parliament that "religious freedom is something that defines Canadians," and that "it is a value, a right that everyone around the world should share."
Both Conservative and DFAIT officials have been busy scheduling meetings with different individuals on the topic.
In August, Mr. Baird met with US Ambassador At Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook. He has also met with the Holy See's ambassador to Canada, his counterpart in Rome, and the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the largest group of Ismaili Muslims.
Last October, DFAIT also hosted over 100 individuals representing religious organizations in a closed-door meeting. Mr. Baird personally vetted those invitations on a daily basis, Postmedia News reported. \
Original Article
Source: embassy mag
Author: Taline Bedrossian
"I believe that religious freedom has a trickle down effect on other freedoms," Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bob Dechert told members of a parliamentary forum on April 2.
"At any given point in time, one could take a snapshot of a given country's status on religious freedom and make reasonable assumptions of that country's overall human rights record."
Mr. Dechert, speaking at the Second Parliamentary Forum on Religious Freedom and Governance in the downtown Government Conference Centre in Ottawa, also announced that Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to appoint an 'ambassador' to head his new Office of Religious Freedom.
Once appointed, this individual "will set up the office immediately and begin to speak out at every international forum," Mr. Dechert said.
Mr. Dechert also indicated that part of the new office's mandate will be to vet Canadian aid in terms of the rights records of countries.
"Emergency aid and medical attention would not be linked in any way to the human rights record of any government, but other forms of developmental aid are certainly subject to review," he said.
That sounds similar to the Harper government's 2011 campaign promise to "ensure that the Canadian International Development Agency makes it a priority to work with groups that support vulnerable religious minorities." But Mr. Dechert said he couldn't elaborate on any more details until after the office's representative is announced.
Conservative MP David Anderson, who organized the first parliamentary forum on religion in March 2011 to look at persecution, also said the office would try to steer an original path.
"Obviously there's a number of NGOs and groups that do good work in researching persecution around the world...I don't think we want to duplicate that as Canadians," he said.
Organizers estimate 160 people attended the event on April 2, including representatives from Pakistani, Indian, Iranian, and Chinese communities, as well as those from Jewish, Muslim, Baha'i, Falun Gong and Christian faith groups.
Peter Bhatti, the chair of religious rights group International Christian Voice, was one of the event's most prominent speakers. In a speech, Mr. Bhatti asked the government to help promote religious freedom around the world with like-minded countries such as the United States and Britain. The US Department of State has an Office of International Religious Freedom.
Mr. Bhatti has been alongside the government's push for the office since the beginning. He witnessed Prime Minister Stephen Harper announce plans for the office in April 2011 while sitting alongside Mr. Dechert in what is now Mr. Dechert's suburban Toronto riding.
He has also met other times with Mr. Dechert and Mr. Harper, standing next to the prime minister in a photo Mr. Dechert posted online.
In March, Mr. Bhatti accepted the government's prestigious John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award on behalf of his late brother Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's former federal minister for minorities, who was assassinated in March 2011, weeks after having met with Mr. Harper.
Other speakers at this year's forum stressed the presence of religion in Canada, in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the funding of Catholic schools in Ontario.
At the same time, they held up Canada as a free and peaceful country that welcomes those who practice many religions.
"People have come, throughout our entire history, to our country to be able to practice their freedom of conscience, belief and religion," said Mr. Dechert.
"If we're not willing to stand up in the world and say, 'This is a Canadian value,' then we're denying our heritage as Canadians."
Few details, many meetings
As the Harper government's clearest attempt to marry religious freedom and foreign policy, the new office has been the subject of intense debate.
Last June's throne speech reiterated Canada's promise to put religious freedom at the forefront of its foreign policy by establishing a special office under the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with a budget of $5 million.
But roughly a year later, there have been few details released about how the office will operate, who will be in control, which current affairs it plans to address, and in what way. Budget 2012 did not contain any details.
Foreign Minister John Baird told Parliament last month that there will be an announcement about the office "in short order."
Some critics say such an office would blur the lines between church and state, while others complain it will be used as a partisan tool to curry favour with minority groups in coveted ridings across the country.
Members from mainstream Muslim groups have criticized the government for ignoring their concerns and aggravating historical divisions between different branches of Islam.
The founder of a Classical Arabic school and the only Muslim speaker at the April 2 event, Imam Mohamad Jebara, left before the question and answer period, when his interpretations of the Quran, Islam's holy book, were criticized by some attendees.
But Mr. Baird said in Parliament that "religious freedom is something that defines Canadians," and that "it is a value, a right that everyone around the world should share."
Both Conservative and DFAIT officials have been busy scheduling meetings with different individuals on the topic.
In August, Mr. Baird met with US Ambassador At Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook. He has also met with the Holy See's ambassador to Canada, his counterpart in Rome, and the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the largest group of Ismaili Muslims.
Last October, DFAIT also hosted over 100 individuals representing religious organizations in a closed-door meeting. Mr. Baird personally vetted those invitations on a daily basis, Postmedia News reported. \
Original Article
Source: embassy mag
Author: Taline Bedrossian
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