29 Amendments of Željana ZOVKO related to 2021/2055(INI)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 a (new)
Citation 29 a (new)
— having regard to its resolutions of 18 April 2019, 19 December 2019 and 17 December 2020 on the situation of religious and ethnic minorities in China,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 30 a (new)
Citation 30 a (new)
— having regard to its resolutions of 28 November 2019 and 26 November 2020 on the deteriorating situation of human rights in Algeria,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 31 a (new)
Citation 31 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 16 January 2020 on Nigeria, notably the recent terrorist attacks,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32
Citation 32
— having regard to its resolution of 29 April 2021 on blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel9 , its resolution of 14 April 2016 on Pakistan, in particular the attack in Lahore, and its resolution of 13 December 2018 on Iran, notably the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh, __________________ 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0157.
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 a (new)
Citation 32 a (new)
— having regard to its report of 16 April 2021 on EU-India relations,
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas discrimination and persecution of religious is carried out by different actors – whether governments or other groups in society – and can take different forms, such as killings, torture, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, coercion, forced conversion, kidnapping and forced marriage, forced birth control, forced displacement, various forms of human trafficking (slavery, sexual or labour exploitation), threats, exclusion, discriminatory and unfair treatment, harassment, expropriation of private properties, limitation of access to elective offices, employment, education, health and administration services, destruction of places of worship, cemeteries and cultural heritage, and online hate speech;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas not only believers, but also those who support or defend them, such as lawyers, can become targets following social uprising; whereas even the outcome of judicial procedures is no guarantee for safety for believers and those who support or defend them;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the Commission appointed on 4 May 2021, Mr Christos Stylianides as Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) outside the EU;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and ensure the inclusion of all equal and inclusive citizenship for all in their societizens in their societieses, where the members of religious minorities live, and in political and cultural life;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines that although it is usually religious minorities that are the target of persecution or intolerance, there are cases in which persecution is also suffered by religious communities that are not sociologically minorities and have a large presence in a territory or state, but find themselves in a situation of vulnerability that makes them easy targets of intolerance and violence by terrorist groups that seek to subjugate, expel and, in some cases, exterminate them;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that among believers’ groups, Christians are estimated to constitute the majority of people facing persecution for their faith; underlines that globally around 340 million Christians experience high levels of persecution and discrimination, with over 4 500 Christians killed for their faith, 4 500 churches and other Christian buildings attacked, and over 4 200 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned in 2020 alone; is alarmed about the increase in the overall level of discrimination,stresses that these are minimum figures since many incidents go unreported; is alarmed about the increase in the overall level of persecution and discrimination, which increased by 19% between 2019 and 2020; and especially about the sharp 60% increase in the number of faith-related killings compared to 2019;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that indigenous religious communities, among others Christians in the Middle East countries, contribute profoundly to the social stability, conflict prevention and peace of their countries;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Applauds churches’ and faith based organisations’ irreplaceable humanitarian activities in conflict-hit zones, assisting people in dire need regardless of denominational background;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with particular concern that persecution of Christians is widespread in the Middle East, at times amounting to genocide, and has prompted an exodus of Christians from the region over the past two decades, resulting in approximately 15 million Christians making up 4 % of the population in the Middle East and North Africa, down from 20 % a century ago; is alarmed by the situation in Iraq, where there were 1.5 million Christians before 2003, a number now reduced by 87% within one generation to approximately 175,000;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with particular concern that persecution of Christians is widespread in the Middle East, at times amounting to genocide, and has prompted an exodus of Christians from the region over the past two decades, resulting in approximately 15 million Christians making up 4 % of the population in the Middle East and North Africa, down from 20 % a century ago; stresses in this respect the inalienable right to stay of discriminated and persecuted religious communities in their homelands;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recalls the genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed in Iraq and Syria by the so- called ‘ISIS/Daesh’ against Christians, Yazidis, Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities in the territories under its control during the period 2014-2020;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that persecution of religious minorities in Asia is commonplace in many countries, especially in those with communist regimes, and that blasphemy laws are of particular concern, particularly in Pakistan, that disproportionately target minorities, including Christians and Hindus; notes that in addition to the penalties, these laws create an environment and pretext that lead to riots and mob violence against religious minorities’ communities and neighbourhoods as well as their temples, which create intimidation and social unrest among them;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Is alarmed that religious nationalism in countries such as India, Turkey, Bhutan, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar and Nepal leads to stigmatization of Christians as allies of the West and that 2 out of 5 Christians in Asia experience persecution or discrimination for their faith; draws attention to the worsening situations in China and India in particular;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Condemns the violence and attacks by radical Hindus in India against religious minorities, including mobs;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls that after major defeats of 'ISIS/Daesh' in Syria and the Middle East, the terror organisation is gaining new ground through its affiliates in the Sahel, among others in Mali and Burkina Faso, aiming at imposing its rule and violent ideology in the area;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Particularly underlines the alarming situation in Nigeria, where 3530 Christians were killed in 2020;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Emphasises the need to investigate and prosecute the murdering, kidnapping, raping, wounding and other crimes committed against Christian farmers in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, and encourages the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to enlarge the ongoing investigations for the crimes against humanity and war crimes presumably committed by Boko Haram, adding the mentioned crimes committed by jihadist Fulani militias in the Middle Belt, that have already provoked thousands of killings;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Condemns the use by authoritarian regimes of legislation on security, sedition and the fight against terrorism and extremism as an instrument to persecute persons belonging to religious minorities, to outlaw the practise or expression of their religion and gatherings of believers, and to deter the registration of religious associations or finding pretexts for closing churches such as in China and Algeria; calls on the Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) to monitor carefully the implementation of such legislation, and to consistently raise this issue in bilateral dialogues with the governments concerned; urges EU Member States to reject any request by foreign authorities for judicial and police cooperation in individual judicial cases if they are based on such legislation;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Deplores the fact that more than 70 countries in the world enforce criminal laws or seek to introduce new legislation which provide for punishments for blasphemy, apostasy and conversion, including the death sentence; notes that laws already in place are used disproportionately against people belonging to religious minorities, and are thus seen, with good reason, as an instrument of oppression; calls for the EU to intensify its political dialogue with all countries concerned with a view to repeal those laws; underlines that converts leaving a majority faith often experience the most severe violations including imprisonment, forced divorce, abduction, physical violence and murder;
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Encourages the Commission to assist and support members of religious minorities and their families, who look for international protection or are IDPs due to war, violence and persecution, and who are willing to voluntary return to their home places, including the reconstruction of their homes, livelihoods and basic infrastructures, such as schools and hospitals;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Calls on the Commission to especially review the eligibility of third countries under the generalized scheme of preferences in this regard; advocates a system that gradually grants preferences to a country based on its compliance to human rights commitments, in order to better be able to provide incentives and sanctions;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Welcomes the regular contacts and cooperation of EU institutions with CSOs, including Churches and religious communities, to improve the situation of persecuted religious minorities in third countries, and overcome the difficulties and obstacles they have to face in their everyday life; encourages EU institutions to intensify partnerships with CSOs, including Churches and religious communities, in particular with those in third countries dealing with religious freedom and supporting and assisting religious minorities, and leaders of persecuted religious minorities, in order to advance religious freedom and to improve the wellbeing of religious minorities’ faithful, in particular those who are in most vulnerable situations;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Calls on the Council, the Commission and EU Member States to start the procedure to declare and officially designate the 24th of June as the annual European Day on Freedom of Religion or Belief, in order to show true commitment to promoting and protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief, in commemorating the victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief; believes that the 24th of June would be appropriate for such an EU-day, as this date marks the anniversary of the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief in 2013;