HRET at Kustia Sabuj Sangha, West Bengal
22-23 June 2013
Human Rights Educationn workshop
Kustia Sabuj Sangha, Kustia, Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
Facilitator: Asit Kumar Basu
Report (PDF, 5 pages illustrated)
Congress 2014 venue familiarisation
6 July 2013
Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake, representing IARF’s president Most Rev. Mitsuo Miyake, visited Birmingham together with IARF Treasurer Jeff Teagle and British Chapter committee member Derek McAuley (Chief Officer of the Unitarian General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches), as guests of Shaykh Muhammad Amin-Evans, Chair of the Congress Host Committee.
They were given a broad overview of the prospective setting and hosting arrangements in Birmingham city centre and the University of Birmingham campus.
Since it was a Saturday most of the campus buildings and services were closed, but a walk around the grounds took in a visit the Chaplaincy Centre at St Francis Hall and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, and a look over four-star accommodation at one of UoB’s conference buildings.
A small early-evening reception at the nearby Al-Mahdi Institute introduced Yoshinobu-sensei to some local faith representatives and supporters of Congress. Sensei made a short inspiring talk to introduce IARF and express the aims of Congress.
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British Chapter committee member elected to IFN-UK Executive
1 July 2013
The British Chapter of IARF has congratulated committee member Derek McAuley on his election to the Executive Committee of the Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom.
The Inter Faith Network plays a key role in promoting good relations between people of different faiths in this country and advancing public knowledge and mutual understanding of the teachings, traditions and practices of the different faith communities in Britain.
The Executive Committee are the trustees and directors of the organization which is a registered charity and company.
Derek was nominated in the category of ‘Other Inter Faith Organisations’ at the Annual General Meeting held in Birmingham on 1 July 2013 and acts in an individual capacity.
Derek said:
“I am pleased to have the support of the IARF in my new role. IFN plays a significant role in promoting inter faith dialogue which as recent events have shown is key to good community relations. I am proud of the long-standing commitment of IARF, from its establishment in 1900, to developing good inter faith relations among the religions of the world and was a founder member of the Inter Faith Network”.
EU Guidelines on FoRB Promotion & Protection
On 24 June 2013, the Council of the European Union adopted the Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief, and said the EU will:
recall at all appropriate occasions that laws that criminalize blasphemy restrict expression concerning religious or other beliefs; that they are often applied so as to persecute, mistreat, or intimidate persons belonging to religious or other minorities, and that they can have a serious inhibiting effect on freedom of expression and on freedom of religion or belief; and recommend the decriminalisation of such offences.
forcefully advocate against the use of the death penalty, physical punishment, or deprivation of liberty as penalties for blasphemy.
Document (PDF, 18 pages)
Launch of Human Rights Resource Centre (HRRC)
Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh, India
On Thursday 8 August 2013, a multi-part event marked a new phase in the Human Rights work of RFYN (IARF’s youth network) in India.
Council member Br. Albert Xaviour, young adult representative on IARF’s international governing board, organized the event, with the indispensable help of his team of co-workers Janhvi Gupte, Immanuel Manish, Kausrajan, Clinton Moses, Vijaysinh N. Dhandhukiya, Yashika Kim, Sathya Narayanan, G. Vishnupriya & Ruzbeh Vistasp Hodiwala.
The event comprised:
1. Inauguration of new Human Rights Resource Centre
Office space at Angelo Institute outside Hindupur, Andhra P., has been donated by Brothers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, India (SHJ-India), and will provide a base for trainings of young adults across several states.
2. Launch of new Human Rights Education handbook & CD for trainees
The handbook will be used as a training manual for all programs to be offered by RFYN through its network.
3. Hiroshima-Nagasaki Day
Observance of the Day (August 6th), with ceremony of remembrance.
4. Interfaith Dialogue
Involving local religious leaders answering questions from RFYN young adults, this ‘multi-logue’ will mark the inception of a new branch of IARF-India Chapter, for the town of Hindupur (Angelo Institute is located just outside Hindupur).
5. RFYN gathering
Members of our young adult network from around the country will hold planning and training sessions over two days.
Dignitaries attending:
- Smt. Meera C. Saksena, Hon. Member, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (SHRC);
- Most Rev. Dr. Antony Poola, Bishop of Kurnool;
- Sri S. Satyanarayana, Joint Collector & Addl. District Magistrate, Anantapur;
- Rev. Bro. A. Victordoss, Superior-General & President, SHJ-India;
- Adv. V. Rengapashyam, IARF Council member;
- Rev. Bro. Edward Francis SHJ, Provincial Superior, Angelo Province, SHJ-India;, Trichy;
- Mr. Chandra Mohan, Chairman & Founder, BIT Institute;
- Rajayogini B.K. Sugandhaji, Centre In-charge, Brahma Kumaris, Hindupur;
- Rev. Praveen Choudary Chaparala, Senior Pastor, Maranatha Visvasa Samajam Church;
- Mr. Noor Shareef, School Asst., Azizia MPL Urdu High School;
- Rev. Fr. Selvaraj SJ, Parish Priest, Hindupur;
- Rev. Br. Michael Raj SHJ, Secretary, Caussanel Province.
A message of congratulations was received from Dr. Rahul Rai, Director of the Indian Institute of Human Rights:
“On the occasion of the establishment of The Human Rights Resource Centre
(HRRC) under the aegis of the International Association For Religious Freedom (IARF),
I take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to HRRC and its functionaries.
Human Rights Education lies at the heart of our efforts to build a society based on
the twin principles of Justice and Equity. The endeavour of HRRC in partnership
with Brothers of Sacred Heart of Jesus to promote Human Rights Education will go a
long way in creating a culture of respect for Fundamental Human Rights”.
IARF welcomes warmly the practical as well as moral support extended by Rev. Bro. Victordass, Superior-General of BSHJI, in the form of office space for the centre, and anticipates a fruitful collaboration toward the mutual goals of our respective organisations.
And RFYN-India youth network acknowledges with much gratitude the gift of INR 276,000 (GBP3,000) from the UK-based International Interfaith Centre, an old colleague of IARF in Oxford days, toward the outfitting of the centre.
Announcement of 34th World Congress, 2014
“Challenges for Religious Freedom in the digital age”
Sun 24 to Weds 27 August 2014
University of Birmingham,
United Kingdom
Announcement flyer (PDF)
Updates (also on Twitter and Facebook Friends and Event pages)
Information to date on the Congress
HRET Vivekananda Seva Nikatan, W. Bengal
Human Rights Education workshop
@Vivekananda Seva Nikatan, West Bengal
30 April-1 May 2013
Facilitator: Asit Kumar Basu
Report (PDF, 6 pages illustrated)
Tehmina Kazi on Religion, Religious Freedom and Secularism
Religion, Religious Freedom and Secularism
– by Tehmina Kazi
This article appeared in the March 2013 edition of the IARF British Chapter’s Newsletter and IARF Peacemaking Commission News
For the last three and a half years, I have been the Director of a registered charity named British Muslims for Secular Democracy. When I tell other people what I do at networking events and dinner parties, most are delighted, a small proportion give me funny looks, and the rest remain abjectly confused about what secularism actually means (as well as its attendant implications for religious minorities living in the UK).
Hence, I was pleased to find out about the publication of Jacques Berlinerblau’s book, How to Be Secular: A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom last year. While it was written from an American perspective, it also provided a rigorously-researched blueprint for addressing some of these issues in the UK. As Berlinerblau summarises, “So everyone uses the term (secularism), but its definition remains vague. One of my conclusions is, if there’s ever going to be a coherent secular movement in the United States, there will have to be clear articulation of its core values and principles.”
The associate professor says his definition of secularism does not in any way denigrate religion, but rather stresses a core secular goal of “enabling citizens to live peaceably with other citizens whose creed is different than their own.” While many political scientists have articulated pluralistic visions of a secular society, Berlinerblau goes several notches further by embracing the symbiotic relationship between religious communities and secularists. He describes how their respective success as civic actors is often dependent on each other, and outlines a 12-step programme to revive secularism, which actively includes and empowers people of faith. For example, he states, “Either secularism and Catholicism, whose relations have often been strained, must have this peace pipe moment or secularism in America isn’t going to go very far.”
How does all of this apply to a British context, particularly to Muslims? Very well, as it happens. In Contextualising Islam in Britain, a ground-breaking research project conducted by Cambridge University, a diverse group of Muslim participants were asked “What does it mean to live faithfully as a Muslim in Britain today?” An overwhelming majority of them affirmed their support for the British model of procedural secularism (which means that it is theoretically possible for all voices, whether religious or not, to access the public sphere equally). The participants observed that procedural secularism provides many benefits for British Muslims, including religious freedom. As British Muslims we are able, for the most part, to practice our faith in an atmosphere of respect and security, with recourse to established anti-discrimination provisions if this is not the case. Many public sector workplaces now have multi-faith prayer rooms, and halal food options (notwithstanding occasional pork DNA scares!) are available in school canteens and prisons.
Secularism in the UK can only thrive on the basis of specific pacts that different communities make with each other. Non-religious groups and individuals must accept the fact that some people view their faith as the most important part of their identities, even if this may seem perplexing. The onus is also on religious groups and individuals to forge common ground on contentious issues such as women’s rights, LGBT rights, freedom of expression and the establishment of good inter-faith – and, crucially, intra-faith – relations. While certain commentators have argued that these issues have become a stick with which to beat religious minorities, I don’t think we should be encouraging the victim mentality and “Get out of jail” card that this analysis engenders.
First, we should be putting our “equalities hats” on – and keeping them there. This means acknowledging the six protected equality grounds – gender, age, disability, race, religion and sexual orientation – and respecting their rights, but also insisting that each group upholds their responsibilities. For example, this means that a religious group who believes gay marriage to be sinful is entitled to hold such a view, but never entitled to prevent other religious organisations from holding such ceremonies if they so wish.
They should also expect to be robustly challenged on those views. By the same token, an employer who finds Islam repugnant should never be empowered – either by tacit acceptance or active collusion – to bully their Muslim employees. Thankfully, there are many wonderful initiatives like the Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks project (Tell MAMA) which provide support to people who have been treated badly due to their “Muslimness,” or even perceived “Muslimness”.
Second, we should revisit religious texts that speak of civic engagement in positive terms. Within a procedural secular state such as Britain, Muslims have rights and responsibilities that are in keeping with Islamic teachings. Far from advocating withdrawal from society, mainstream Islamic scholarship regards civic engagement as highly desirable for Muslim citizens. Understanding that being a religious Muslim in Britain today also means living a full life as a citizen – with all the rights and responsibilities that entails – is a crucial step towards becoming well-integrated citizens in today’s Britain.
For example, Imam Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi, a 14th-century Andalusian scholar, articulated this principle in his work on the Maqasid al Sharia (goals of the sharia, or Islamic principles). He drew parallels between citizens’ rights and responsibilities in a state – such as freedom of conscience and the obligation to speak out against tyranny – and the objectives of Islam.
More needs to be done to highlight this area of thought, and how it can be used as inspiration in the lives of British Muslims, and followers of any faith, today.
______________
Tehmina Kazi is a Law Graduate of the LSE, and the Director of British Muslims for Secular Democracy.
HRET Swarnachuda College, Nilgiri, Odisha
Human Rights Education training
@Swarnachuda Degree College, Mitrapur, Nilgiri, Odisha
27-28 April, 2013
Facilitator: Asit Kumar Basu
Report (PDF 6 pages, illustrated)
HRET Jan Sikshna Samsthan, Vizag
Human Rights Education training
@Jan Sikshana Samsthan, Visakhapatnam-3
16-17 April 2013
Facilitators: Prof. N.Prakasarao & Prof. E. P. S. Bhagyalakshmi
Report (PDF 5 pages, illustrated)