BETA

Activities of María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS related to 2021/2055(INI)

Plenary speeches (1)

Persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion (short presentation)
2022/05/02
Dossiers: 2021/2055(INI)

Shadow reports (1)

REPORT on the persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion
2022/04/04
Committee: AFET
Dossiers: 2021/2055(INI)
Documents: PDF(234 KB) DOC(87 KB)
Authors: [{'name': 'Karol KARSKI', 'mepid': 124887}]

Amendments (64)

Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to UN General Assembly resolution on promoting a culture of peace and tolerance to safeguard religious sites, adopted on 21 January 2021,
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that churchesRecalls that freedom of belief and religion are fundamental human rights, enshrined in the EU Charter of fundamental rights and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; recognizes the importance of freedom of belief and freedom of religion for an inclusive society and for the full and entire achievement of the 2030 SDGs; acknowledges that institutions of and places of worship, faith- based organisations (FBOs) and religious associations have a major role in the social fabric of developing countries, are important partners in delivering humanitarian assistance to hard-to-reach communities and can greatly contribute to sustainable development and to achieving the SDGs, in particular SDGs 3 and 4; further notes that churchesinstitutions and places of worship and FBOs deliver in social sectors where shortcomings in state services are experienced;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that combatting discrimination against all minorities regardless of their traditions, belief or religion, and promoting and protecting their rights, contribute vastly to social and political stability, poverty reduction, democratic governance, and conflict prevention;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Considers that freedom of belief and freedom of religion is only possible with the assurance of personal and human freedom, including the right to sexual and reproductive health and the right to self-determination, regardless of origin or sexual orientation;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Condemns the criminalization and other punitive treatment of minority traditions in legal systems through the instrumentalisation of religion; Condemns the use of religion and religious interpretation to the detriment of human rights, through the institutional persecution of belief- or religious minorities and for the legal and social restriction of sexual health and of gender and sexuality;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that FBOs cover approximately 40 % of healthcare and a significant part of education in sub-Saharan Africa alone1 , while their role remains mostly unrecognised; emphasizes that healthcare and education provided by FBOs must be provided to all persons in need, regardless of their religious background, ethnicity, gender or orientation; condemns the severe restrictions on sexual and reproductive healthcare by religious institutions and associations, which are translated into restrictive laws and penal codes; _________________ 1 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/1 0665/43884/9789241596626_eng.pdf
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that churchesinstitutions and places of worship and FBOs are frequently the only providers of healthcare, and other social services in remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa and, in conflict- prone settings such as northern Mozambique and otherand in crisis zones;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the activities of churchesinstitutions and places of worship and religious leaders in the field of conflict management and mediation, and in fostering reconciliation, dialogue and peace; highlights that inter-religious dialogue is crucial, notably in conflict areas, to foster peace and, reconciliation and an inclusive society on all levels;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Reminds institutions and places of worship, FBOs and religious leaders of their responsibility and role in preventing hatred and violence directed towards religious or belief minorities; calls on all institutions and places of worship, FBOs and religious leaders to promote a tolerant and non-discriminatory discourse and to contribute to constructive exchanges between communities, regardless of their belief or religion, minority and majority alike;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas women face more difficulties in exercising their right to leave a religious or belief community due to lack of social or economic independence or threats of violence or loss of custody of their children;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas indigenous beliefs or religions' practices are part of a people's cultural identity and that indigenous peoples have the right to promote, develop and maintain their institutional structures and their distinctive customs, spirituality, traditions, procedures, practices according to international human rights standards;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief forces many individuals and communities to migrate or become internally displaced; whereas the instrumentalization of religion and belief constitutes an important driver of conflict worldwide;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to makcontinue the fight against the persecution of religious minorities and to priorityize, promote and protect freedom of belief, assembly, expression and speech in the programming of activities related to EU development assistance, in line with the areas of cooperation for geographic and thematic programmes of NDICI-Global Europe;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the lack of knowledge and recognition on the role that religions and beliefs play for individuals and communities fuels intolerance, hate speech, stereotypes and contributes to increase discriminatory attitudes and behaviours;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas social networks are increasingly used as a forum for incitement to hatred, intimidation and violence by religious, political and organized groups;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recognizes that LGBTQI+ communities are a part of faith traditions; Recognizes that as all human beings, LGBTQI+ persons have a right to freedom of expression, speech, belief and religion; reiterates the importance of the role that religious authorities can play to ensure that religion and tradition are not utilized to discriminate, criminalize or exclude persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Calls on the EU and its Member States to strengthen legal and institutional protection mechanisms to ensure that human rights of members of minorities on the basis of belief and religion, as well as those of women, children and members of the LGBTQI+ community are ensured and to guarantee that others in vulnerable situations, such as migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons are fully protected on the basis of their fundamental rights and are not subjected to discrimination on the basis of their belief or religion;
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
D. whereas in 2018 Asia and the Pacific experienced the largest increase in government restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, while the Middle East and North Africa continued to have the highest median level of restrictions;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
E. whereas in 2018, Christians were harassed in 145 countries, Muslims in 139, Jews in 88, Buddhists in 24, Hindus in 19 countries and non-believers in 18 countries12 ; __________________ 12According to data collected by the Pew Research Center (10 November 2020).deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the EU to develop the necessaryan adequate accountability, reaction and sanction mechanisms to combat effectively violations of freedom of religion or belief, including discrimination or legal restrictions based on religion or belief in its partner countries, as well as any kind of impediment to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and freedom of expression.
2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
1. Affirms its unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to religious and belief minorities everywhere in the world, including their right to change or choose their religion or belief, in respect of the principles of equality and non- discrimination; condemns in the strongest terms all persecution, violence, incitement to violence and terrorism targeting any minority on the grounds of religion and belief;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and help to ensure the inclusion of all citizens in their societies and in political and cultural life;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that freedom of religion or belief, including freedom to worship, and freedom to believe or not believe, is a human right, and that it often serobservance, practice and teaching, freedom to adopt, change or abandon one's religion or belief and freedom to believe or not believes as a last bastion of liberty and as a source of fierce dend to manifest one's religion or belief, is a human right protected under intermination in highly repressive settingsal law;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violencecoercion, violence and repression against people belonging to minorities on the grounds of their belief or religion as a global phenomenon, which is intensifying and affecting more and more countries; notes that it affects many religious communities, namely Christians (including Copts), Jews, Muslims (including Ahmadis and Alevis), Buddhists, Hindus and smaller religious groups, such as Baha’is, Sikhs and Zoroastrians, as well as groups of people who are atheists, humanists, agnostics or do not identify with any religion;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
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, and especially about the sharp increase in the number of killings compared to 2019;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
6. Is concerned about the persecution and serious human rights violations against Muslim minorities;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
7. Is worried about growing antisemitism worldwide, given that although Jews make up only 0.2 % of the global population, they faced harassment in 88 countries in 2018;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Recognizes the important contribution of faith-based non- governmental organizations to development; acknowledges the growing role of some of these organizations in the fight against environmental degradation and in advocacy for peace and reconciliation;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
The Middle East and North Africadeleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
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;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
10. Strongly deplores that millions of Christians have been uprooted from their homes, and that many have been killed, kidnapped, imprisoned, discriminated against and have had restrictions placed on their freedom of worship; notes that forms of persecution also exist in all aspects of social life, including in employment and education;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
11. Recalls the 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;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines that the persecution of minority Muslim denominations or sects is widespread in the countries in the Middle East and North Africa in which Islam is the predominant or official religion;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
13. Notes with particular concern that the Middle East and North Africa present the highest regional levels of anti-Semitic attitudes, and that Holocaust denial is prevalent among certain segments in society and even at state level, such as in Iran;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
14. Is concerned about the persecution of Baha’is in the Middle East; strongly condemns the restrictions imposed on the Baha’i community by the Houthis in Yemen, the expulsion of community members from Qatar and the continued systematic arrests, imprisonment, torture and harassment of community members in Iran;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
15. Deplores the fact that atheists are still persecuted in almost all of the region and that apostasy carries the death sentence in several countries; expresses its regret that freedom of worship is severely limited in some of the countries in the Middle East, with the notable example of Saudi Arabia, where public practice of any religion other than Islam is strictly prohibited;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 183 #
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
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;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
17. Deplores the crimes against Muslim communities in Asia, including the past and current human rights abuses against the Muslim Rohingya population;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
18. Is concerned about the situation of Buddhists; takes special note of the difficult situation faced by Buddhists in Vietnam;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines that Hindus continued to be harassed in 19 countries in 2018, most notably in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly condemns terror attacks on places of worship, including the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka in 2019, when nine suicide bombers carried out a series of attacks, including on three churches;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Sub-Saharan Africadeleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
21. Notes with particular concern the rise of terrorist groups and militias in several parts of Africa, including in the Sahel, Nigeria and Mozambique, and of terrorist violence against religious minorities;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
22. Strongly condemns, in this regard, the violence, including murder, kidnapping and burning of places of worship, committed by terrorist and militant groups against Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria, Mozambique and the Central African Republic;deleted
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses the paramount importance of holding accountable perpetrators of human rights abuses against persons belonging to religious minorities; calls on the EU and Member States to urgently work towards the establishment of UN mechanisms and committees to investigate current human rights violations against religious minoritbased on religion or beliesf around the world;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the Council and EU Member States to apply sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for or involved in systematic abuses or violations of the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, as provided for by the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regimfreedom of religion or belief, as provided for by the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act); notes that the Rome Statute covers both crimes against humanity and genocide based on the persecution of groups on the basis of religion or belief and establishes a fundamental international legal framework to fight impunity; calls on the EU and its Member States to increase their political and financial support to the International Criminal Court and calls on UN member states to commit to the fight against impunity in this context through the ratification of the Rome Statute;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the Council and EU Member States to apply sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for or involved in systematic violations of the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, as provided for by the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act);
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
25. Is appalled by the exacerbation of persecution against religious minority groupand belief minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic; denounces the fact that persons belonging to religious and belief minorities have been scapegoated, blamed for spreading the COVID-19 virus, and have been denied or faced discrimination in access to public healthcare, food or humanitarian aid, on the basis of religious or belief criteria;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to recognize the rights, beliefs and values of indigenous peoples, and to commit to address the specific discrimination of indigenous populations based on their beliefs, in a comprehensive manner through EU's external action;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
26. Underlines that women belonging to religious and belief minorities have been specifically and increasingly targeted with the purpose of inflicting harm on their community as a whole; condemns all types of gender-based violence against women; stresses that they are particularly exposed to violent attacks, kidnapping, rape and sexual violence, forced conversion, female genital mutilation, beatings, forced and early marriage and domestic incarceration, and that lockdown measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic have made their human rights situation even more precarious; strongly condemns the use of forced sterilization against women as an extremely violent form of persecution;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Condemns the imposition of discriminatory norms based on gender and sexuality rooted in religious orthodoxy, which are often translated into national legislation as secular restrictions; stresses that the defence of "tradition" or "public morality" cannot contradict, in any case, international human rights provisions subscribed by States; expresses deep concern about the situation of LGBTI+ and transgender people, women and girls who, in many contexts, see their conduct criminalized, are subject to gender-related violence and whose access to basic services such as health and education is restricted on the basis of narrow interpretations of religious beliefs or principles, which are often instrumentalized to justify discrimination;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Deplores the instrumentalization of religion or beliefs to restrict sexual and reproductive rights and women's access to safe and free abortion worldwide;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
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 and belief minorities, to outlaw the practise or expression of their religion and gatherings ofor believersf, and to deter the registration of religious or belief associations; 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;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Strongly condemns any practice of coercive detention, forced labour and exploitation of belief or religious' minorities as well as the extensive use of digital surveillance technologies to monitor and control population belonging to belief or religious minorities;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Deplores the restriction on access to legal documentation and registration for organizations and individuals belonging to religious and belief minorities, and recalls that legal identity is a right that must be guaranteed for all citizens on an equal manner;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
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 and belief 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;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Underlines the importance of strategic approaches and educational initiatives aimed at addressing religious intolerance and hate speech, encouraging interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and building mutual respect and understanding;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Deplores destruction and damage to the religious sites, which constitute an integral part of the cultural heritage, and calls for their protection and restoration;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on the Council, the Commission, EEAS and EU Member States to address persecutions based on belief or religion as a priorityn important element of EU human rights foreign policy, in line with the EU action plan for human rights and democracy for 2020-2024; stresses that a multi-layered and multi-actor approach is needed to protect and promote freedom of religion or belief, encompassing human rights, conflict resolution and interfaith initiatives that involve multiple state and non-state actorsdialogue and mediation, conflict resolution and prevention in cooperation with multiple state and non-state actors such as faith-based organisations, religious leaders and actors, non- believer's groups, civil society organizations and human rights defenders; calls for enhanced cooperation with UN initiatives on this matter; reiterates its call for a public review of the EU Guidelines on freedom of religion or belief, allowing for the assessment of their implementation and of proposals for their update; also calls for progress reports on the implementation of the Guidelines to be communicated regularly to Parliament;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
31. Urges the EEAS and EU Delegations to include objectives specifically related to the protection of religious minorities for all relevant situations, as part of the human rights and democracy country strategies (HRDCSs) for 2021-2024. and to consistently raise general issues and specific cases relating to the persecution of religious and belief minorities during human rights dialogues with partner countries including a gender- perspective; reiterates its call for Members of the European Parliament to be given access to the content of HRDCSs;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Commission and 32. EEAS to scrutinise the human rights situations of religious and belief minorities in third countries and the implementation of related commitments under bilateral agreements of those countries with the EU; calls on the Commission to ensure an adequate funding for freedom of religion and belief under the recently adopted Global Europe instrument, and to respect the principles of pluralism, neutrality and fairness when allocating funds for this purpose;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
33. Recommends strengthening EU multilateral engagement with like-minded states and other actors with a view to promoting and mainstreaming the respect for religious and belief minorities in human rights policies everywhere in the world; calls for the EU and EU Member States to enhance cooperation with the UN, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), to intensify its dialogues with the African Union and, the Organization of American States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other regional organisations, and to forge alliances with third countries in order to provide international responses to human rights issues faced by religious and belief minorities, in particular those who are most vulnerable or targeted in conflict areas; also recommends that the EU continue to be the lead sponsor of resolutions on freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief in the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council and reiterates its call to step up cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on this matter;
2021/06/28
Committee: AFET