2021/2055(INI) The persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Awaiting Parliament's vote
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET |
KARSKI Karol ( ECR)
|
SANTOS Isabel ( S&D),
RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS María Soraya ( Renew),
YENBOU Salima ( Verts/ALE),
MARIANI Thierry ( ID),
URBÁN CRESPO Miguel ( GUE/NGL)
|
| Committee Opinion | DEVE |
HÖLVÉNYI György ( EPP)
|
Patrizia TOIA ( S&D),
Miguel URBÁN CRESPO ( GUE/NGL),
Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA ( Verts/ALE),
Beata KEMPA ( ECR),
Jan-Christoph OETJEN ( RE)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
2022/05/02
Indicative plenary sitting date
2022/04/04
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Karol KARSKI (ECR, PL) on the persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion.
Members are concerned about the high levels of coercion, discrimination, harassment, violence and repression suffered by people belonging to religious or belief minorities. This global phenomenon is intensifying in some regions and affects many religious communities, including Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Jews, as well as groups of people who are atheists, humanists, agnostics or who do not identify with any belief or religion.
Members affirmed their determination to promote and protect the rights of persons belonging to minorities of religion or belief throughout the world , including their right to adopt, change their religion or belief, or to choose, manifest, practice or abandon their religion or belief, in accordance with the principles of equality and non-discrimination. They strongly condemned all forms of persecution, violence and incitement to violence and acts of terrorism directed against any minority based on religion or belief.
The report stressed that states have the primary responsibility to promote and protect the human rights of persons belonging to religious or belief minorities, while protecting them against violations of these rights, in particular crimes against humanity and genocide. Members also recalled that churches, faith-based organisations and other institutions of belief and religion, as well as religious associations, play an important role in the social fabric of developing countries, as well as an important strategic role in influencing and affecting members of their communities.
Tackling key challenges posed by persecution against religious minorities
Accountability for human rights violations against persons belonging to religious or belief minorities is crucial. The EU and its Member States should:
- work urgently with the relevant UN mechanisms and committees to intensify their investigations into human rights violations against religious minorities or people of belief around the world. In this regard, Members reaffirmed their support for the International Criminal Court and stressed the importance of its role in prosecuting the most serious crimes. They stressed the need to work towards the prevention of acts of violence based on belief or religion, in particular international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes;
- adopt measures to prevent and combat hate crimes , as well as legislation fully in line with international standards on freedom of expression, belief and religion;
- apply sanctions against persons and entities responsible for serious or systematic abuse or violation of freedom of religion or belief;
- recognise the rights, beliefs and values of indigenous peoples, and commit to eliminating specific discrimination against indigenous peoples based on their beliefs, in a comprehensive manner through the Union's external action.
Members are deeply concerned about the misuse and instrumentalisation of belief or religion to impose discriminatory policies, laws, including criminal laws, or restrictions that contradict and undermine the rights of LGBTIQ persons , women and girls and limit their access to basic services, such as education and health, including sexual and reproductive rights, criminalise abortion in all contexts and adultery or facilitate religious practices contrary to human rights. They called for the repeal of such policies, laws or restrictions which are often transposed into national legislation as secular restrictions.
Members also deplored the fact that in more than 70 countries around the world, authorities enforce criminal laws or seek to introduce new legislation that provide for punishments for blasphemy, heresy, apostasy, defamation of or insults against religions, and conversion, including the death sentence. They called on the EU to intensify its political dialogue with all countries concerned with a view to repealing these laws.
The report stressed the importance of initiatives that build on education and intercultural, interfaith and interreligious dialogues in order to combat persecution, intolerance and hate speech against minorities based on belief or religion. It also called on governments to combat the phenomenon of online and offline hate speech , which continues to target religious or belief-based minorities.
Strengthening EU human rights foreign policy and external actions to protect the freedom of belief and religion of persons belonging to minority groups
Members called on the Council, the Commission, the EEAS and EU Member States to address persecutions on the grounds of belief or religion a priority of the EU's human rights foreign policy . The EEAS and EU delegations should consistently raise general issues and specific cases relating to the persecution of or discrimination against belief or religious minorities during human rights dialogues with partner countries and at UN human rights fora.
The Commission and the EEAS are invited to:
- closely examine the human rights situation of religious minorities in third countries and the implementation of related commitments made in the framework of bilateral agreements between these countries and the EU;
- ensure adequate funding for issues related to the protection of persons belonging to religious minorities or beliefs, under the thematic programme on human rights of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe.
Lastly, Members recommended strengthening the EU's multilateral commitment to promoting respect for religious minorities or minorities of belief and mainstreaming this principle into human rights policies worldwide.
2022/03/15
EP - Vote in committee
2021/11/05
EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2021/06/28
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2021/05/26
EP - HÖLVÉNYI György (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in DEVE
2021/05/20
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/05/18
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2021/03/04
EP - KARSKI Karol (ECR) appointed as rapporteur in AFET
Documents
Activities
- Peter van DALEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Carlo FIDANZA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Kinga GÁL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Karol KARSKI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Stanislav POLČÁK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Roberts ZĪLE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Bert-Jan RUISSEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Eugen TOMAC
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Miriam LEXMANN
Plenary Speeches (1)
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 430 |
2021/2055(INI)
2021/06/28
AFET
347 amendments...
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,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution 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 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violence against people belonging to minorities on the grounds of their belief or religion as a
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violence, discrimination and harassment 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;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violence 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
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violence 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, Assyrians and Syrians), Jews, Muslims (including Uyghurs, 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
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violence 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 Uyghurs, Rohingya, 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;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violence 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;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Strongly deplores that non- religious, and secular and humanist organizations are facing growing persecution, including unprecedented waves of incitement and hatred and killings, in a number of countries worldwide; denounces as well that countless individuals and civil society organisations are under assault for peacefully questioning, criticizing or satirizing religious beliefs; stresses that this ongoing violation of their freedom of thought and of expression occurs across geographic and cultural borders, including within EU Member States;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution 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 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 29 a (new) — having regard to its resolutions of 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and of 18 April 2019 on China, notably the situation of religious and ethnic minorities,
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Stresses that among believers’ groups, Christians
Amendment 113 #
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;
Amendment 114 #
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, which particularly concerns cases where Christians live as numeric minorities;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Recognises the positive and enormous contribution by the millenary presence and activities of indigenous Christian communities in their respective countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including in the business communities and serving as elected public officials in government, despite the attacks they have suffered over the past years; strongly commends their efforts to promoting common social bonds, peaceful reconciliation and sustainable peace in the region;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution 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 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 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,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Is concerned about the persecution and serious human rights violations against Muslim minorities; is alarmed by the fact that, as defined by UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in March 2021 [1], several States worldwide responded to a perceived terrorist threat with measures that undermine the possibilities of Muslims of living according to their belief system, the securitization of religious communities, limits on access to citizenship, socioeconomic exclusion and pervasive stigmatization of Muslim communities; [1]https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1 086452.
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Is concerned about the persecution and serious human rights violations against Muslim minorities; stresses that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and various human rights organisations conclude that discrimination against Muslims in European counter-terrorism efforts has helped to create an environment in which Muslims are more likely to be the subject of hate speech and attacks, normalising institutional suspicion of Muslims, which has escalated to epidemic proportions;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Is concerned about the persecution and serious human rights violations against Muslim minorities; is particularly concerned about the persecution of and discrimination against the Rohingya, crackdowns against whom intensified following the democratisation of Burma in 2012, with mosques, schools and homes being torched and the people themselves persecuted; points out that, as a result, they were forced to flee their homes, and a few years later genocide against the Rohingya was committed in Arakan by Burmese Buddhist nationalists;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Is concerned about the persecution and serious human rights violations against Muslim minorities, especially in Myanmar and China where Muslim minorities have been subjected to atrocities meeting the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 129 #
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; is alarmed by the fact that antisemitism is reportedly growing worldwide, including in EU Member States, particularly online during the pandemic [1]; [1]https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justic e-and-fundamental-rights/combatting- discrimination/racism-and- xenophobia/combating- antisemitism/monitoring-antisemitism_en
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 30 Amendment 130 #
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; is very concerned of the increasing number of hate incidents involving the representatives of the Jewish community, attacks on synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in Europe;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Is concerned about the application of sharia, blasphemy and other religious laws over national laws in some countries, where discrimination based on religious ground is taught at school and where practices like female genital mutilation, forced conversions, birth control, abortions and marriages, among others forms of violence, are taking place in total impunity;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Emphasises that the perpetrators of acts of persecution include authoritarian regimes, governments inclined to impose the supremacy of
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Emphasises that the perpetrators of acts of persecution include authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, governments inclined to impose the supremacy of dominant ethnic or religious populations over minorities, atheist States that consider any religion as a public enemy, terrorist organisations, political and religious extremist parties or groups, and also, sometimes, family members, friends and neighbours of victims, for instance when the latter change or abandon their religious allegiance;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution 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 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;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution 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 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 144 #
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; 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 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
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 31 Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Strongly
Amendment 151 #
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; condemns the Islamic law concepts involving the forced conversion of Christians, the persecution of Christians and the degrading status of ‘dhimmis’, according to which Christians are second-class citizens;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Notes with deep concern the situation of Christians in Iraq, whose population was reduced by approximately 85% from 1.5 million in 2003 to around 200,000 today;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution 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 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Recalls the crimes against humanity and war crimes, within the meaning of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), 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 159 #
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; strongly condemns the numerous terror attacks against Christians in Egypt;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 31 a (new) — having regard to its resolution of 16 January 2020 on Nigeria, notably the recent terrorist attacks,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 168 #
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
Amendment 169 #
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; condemns the Algerian Government’s systematic persecution of and discrimination against Christians, especially those who have converted to Christianity;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 32 Amendment 170 #
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; therefore, reiterates its call for the European External Action Service (EEAS) to further strengthen its capacities to counter disinformation, hybrid warfare and propaganda, including through the creation of a dedicated StratCom Task Force focused on the Middle East, and Iran in particular;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Deplores the fact that atheists
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Deplores the fact that atheists are still persecuted
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Deplores the fact that atheists are still persecuted
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;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Deplores the fact that atheists are still persecuted in almost all of the region and that apostasy and atheism carr
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 180 #
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; notes that according to the 2019 Arab Barometer survey, an increasing number of people in the Middle East and North Africa are identifying themselves as not religious, rising from 8% in 2013 to 13% in 2019, with a particular increase among the youth;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes that persecution of religious minorities in Asia is commonplace in many countries,
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes that persecution of religious
Amendment 191 #
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 a cause of particular concern
Amendment 192 #
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 such as China, and that blasphemy laws are of particular concern, particularly in Pakistan;
Amendment 193 #
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 and in other countries in the region, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Nepal;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution 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 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Is gravely concerned about the situation of religious minorities in China, including the situation of Christians and Falun Gong practitioners, and the Chinese government's continued suppression of the right to freedom of religion or belief;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 32 a (new) — having regard to the case of Maira Shahbaz, a Pakistani girl who was kidnapped, forcefully converted and married in April 2020,
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Deplores the crimes against Muslim communities in Asia, including the
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Deplores the crimes against Muslim communities in Asia, including the past and current human rights abuses a
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Deplores the crimes against Muslim communities in Asia, including the past and current human rights abuses against and the ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingya population;
Amendment 203 #
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; recognises the ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, China; condemns in the strongest possible terms China’s crimes against humanity;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Deplores the genocide of Uyghurs in China, along with persecution of members of other religious communities in attempts to discourage religious practice; condemns Chinese government’s efforts to interfere into the process of naming the successor of the Dalai Lama;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Chinese government- led system of forced labour in Xinjiang; urges the Chinese government to end the systematic persecution of Uyghurs, including the excruciating fact that Uyghur women are specifically targeted by the authorities, implementing an official scheme of targeted birth prevention measures, including forcing women of childbearing age to abortions, intrauterine injections and sterilisation, measures that could meet the criteria for belonging to the worst crimes against humanity;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Deplores the extreme persecution of the Chinese government against millions of Uyghurs and other minorities detained in the region of Xinjiang, on the basis of their religion and ethnicity, often labelled as extremists for simply practicing their belief;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Deeply deplores the ongoing persecution and the serious and systematic human rights violations that amount to crimes against humanity in China against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Notes with particular concern the situation of Muslims in Cambodia, who are facing discrimination daily, most recently in the context of being accused of spreading the COVID-19 virus in Cambodia;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 32 a (new) — having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2020 on the foreign policy consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak,
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Is concerned about the situation of Buddhists, especially their ongoing persecution in China, which is home to half of the world's Buddhist population; takes special note of the difficult situation faced by Buddhists in Vietnam as well as the harassment of Tibetan Buddhists by the Chinese government;
Amendment 214 #
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 and Tibet; condemns the intensified surveillance and control of the Tibetan monastic community as well as Chinese government interferences in Tibetan Buddhism’s unique culture;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Condemns the violence and attacks by radical Hindus in India against religious minorities, including mobs;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 32 a (new) — having regard to its recommendation of 29 April 2021 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice- President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning EU-India relations,
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Expresses deep concern on the enactment of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens in India, which, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “is fundamentally discriminatory in nature against Muslims and dangerously divisive” [1]; [1]https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1 053511
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 225 #
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 from Islamist jihadist groups carried out a series of attacks, including on three churches;
Amendment 226 #
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; notes with concern the persecution of Christians in certain countries in Asia, where one in three Christians is facing some level of persecution and there has been an increase in cases of Christians convicted for professing their faith;
Amendment 227 #
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, and increasing numbers of attacks against worshippers in Afghanistan, including May 2021 attack at Sunni mosque in Kabul, which took place during a cease- fire to celebrate the Eid holiday and killed at least 12 people;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Deplores the plight of the 180 000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, whose activities were banned by the Supreme Court in 2017, and points out that any attempts to assemble to read the Bible were subject to an additional ban a year later, and that as a result they cannot meet openly, and face prison sentences of between 2 and 10 years if they do attend such meetings; condemns the actions taken against Jehovah’s Witnesses by the police and security services, including searches of private homes, criminal proceedings, house arrest, travel bans and ultimately the conviction and imprisonment of several hundred people;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 32 a (new) — having regard to its report of 16 April 2021 on EU-India relations,
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes with particular concern the rise of terrorist groups and Islamist militias in
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Highlights the many consequences that the systematic and bloody unpunished terrorist violence and attacks have in an area populated by more than 1.1 billion people, including destitution, famine, and loss of prospects, including brain drain, for generations to come; stresses the impact of the violence and instability in the creation of favourable conditions for millions of individuals to leave their home countries and look for asylum or better life outside, providing mass movements of people to neighbouring countries or to others, falling many times in the hands of traffickers and smugglers;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution 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 24 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 32 a (new) — having regard to its recommendation of 9 June 2021 to the Council on the 75th and 76th sessions of the United Nations General Assembly,
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Strongly condemns, in this regard, the violence, including murder, kidnapping, in particular, this of Leah Sharibu who, to this day, is still missing, and burning of places of worship, committed by terrorist and militant groups against Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Strongly condemns the persecution of Christians in some regions of Africa, where more than 120 million Christians face high, severe or extreme persecution, especially in Libya, Nigeria, Somalia, and also in Eritrea where Christians are arrested for professing their faith;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Particularly underlines the alarming situation in Nigeria, where 3530 Christians were killed in 2020;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Is deeply concerned of the rampant kidnapping for ransom of Christians in Nigeria by apparently loosely organised insurgents and the use of the ransom money to fund Boko Haram;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution 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 249 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 4 Tackling key challenges posed by the persecution against belief or religious minorities
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 35 Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 4 Tackling key challenges posed by the persecution against religious and belief minorities
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Stresses, in accordance with the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, the primary responsibility of any state to protect its population against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, including when committed against religious minorities;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 b (new) 22b. Emphasises the need to work towards preventing acts of violence based on religion or belief, especially of international crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, including by way of implementing the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 c (new) 22c. Recommends the Council, the Commission, the EEAS and EU Member States to introduce mechanisms that would enable them to monitor early warning signs and risk factors of international crimes, including as per the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes, analyse them and make relevant determinations and provide comprehensive responses, including in accordance with the duty to prevent and punish the crime of genocide under Article I of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23.
Amendment 255 #
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 minorities around the world; therefore, reiterates its call for immediate actions to address the growing human rights crisis in Xinjiang, at least to investigate the reported ethnic and religious persecution across the region; calls in this regard for the establishment of an independent UN monitoring mechanism on human rights in China, which could include a UN Special Rapporteur, a HRC Panel of Experts or a Special Envoy; supports calls for the UNHRC to hold a special session on the crisis;
Amendment 256 #
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
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Stresses the paramount importance of holding accountable perpetrators of human rights abuses against persons belonging to belief or religious minorities; calls on the EU and Member States to urgently work towards the establishment of additional UN mechanisms and committees to investigate current human rights violations against belief and religious minorities around the world;
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
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Stresses the need to ensure justice for survivors and families of victims, including by way of ensuring comprehensive investigations of atrocities, the prosecution of perpetrators for their crimes, and providing just reparations for survivors and families of victims;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Calls on the Council, the Commission, the EEAS and EU Member States to work with third countries for the adoption of measures to prevent and fight hate crime, and for the adoption of legislation that is fully compliant with international standards on the freedom of expression and the freedom of belief and religion;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 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
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Calls on the Council and EU Member States to apply more sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for or involved in systematic violations of the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities,
Amendment 265 #
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 s
Amendment 266 #
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 belief or religious minorities, as provided for by the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime;
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);
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Is appalled by the exacerbation of persecution against
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Is appalled by the exacerbation of persecution against religious
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas UN human rights treaties, together with international and EU laws
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Is appalled by the exacerbation of persecution against belief or religious minority groups during the COVID-19 pandemic; denounces the fact that persons belonging to belief or religious 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
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Is appalled by the exacerbation of persecution against religious minority groups during the COVID-19 pandemic; denounces the fact that persons belonging to religious 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, as for example concerning Christians in India, who were dismissed from food distribution points, or in North Vietnam, where Christian families were denied coronavirus-related government aid because of their faith;
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;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26.
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;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Underlines that women and girls belonging to religious minorities have been specifically and increasingly targeted with the purpose of inflicting harm on their community as a whole; stresses that they are particularly exposed to violent attacks, kidnapping, sexual violence, forced conversion, 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, as well as further restricting access to information and contact with them;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Underlines that women belonging to belief or religious minorities have been specifically and increasingly targeted with the purpose of inflicting harm on their community as a whole; stresses that they
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Underlines that women belonging to religious or belief minorities have been specifically and increasingly targeted with the purpose of inflicting harm on their community as a whole; stresses that they are particularly exposed to violent attacks, kidnapping, sexual violence, forced conversion, 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;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Deplores the atrocities against religious minority women and girls, that include but are not limited to abductions, forced conversions, forced marriages, rape and sexual abuse, forced abortions and forced sterilisations;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Denounces all forms of violence and coercion, including public expression of hostility by religious leaders, perpetrated against women, girls and LGBT+ persons justified with reference to religious practice or belief; calls for the repeal of discriminatory laws, enacted with reference to religious considerations, that criminalize adultery, that criminalize persons on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identify or expression, that criminalize abortion in all cases or that facilitate religious practices that violate human rights;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas UN human rights treaties, together with international and EU laws provide standards for the protection of the rights of persons belonging to belief or religious minorities as an integral part of human rights;
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;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Underlines that the right to freedom of religion or belief can never be invoked by governments to justify laws, policies and practices that deny women’s rights and equal personhood of LGBTIQ+ people; reaffirms that freedom of religion cannot be instrumentalized as pretext to violate women's sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as to discriminate against sexual and gender minorities;
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;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 b (new) 26b. Deplores the ongoing rollback and regression on sexual and reproductive rights of women and girl and rights of LGBTI persons, notably under the guise of religious principles or doctrine; notes that intersectional factors, including religion and belonging to minority groups, increase the risk of discrimination under this regressive trend;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Condemns the use by
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Condemns the use
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
Amendment 287 #
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 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 288 #
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 minorities, to outlaw the practise or expression of their religion and gatherings of believers, and to deter the registration of or finding pretexts for the closure of religious associations; calls on the Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) to monitor carefully the implementation of
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Strongly condemns the use of coercive detention of belief and religious minorities in State-run re-education camps; deplores the actions of State authorities to force learning the dominant language, sing praises of the dominant party and renounce their religion in the internment camps; strongly condemns the use of forced labour of belief or religious minorities in State controlled factories; and the massive use of digital surveillance technologies to monitor and control population belonging to belief or religious minorities;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the UN Human Rights Committee has recalled that the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (which includes the freedom to hold beliefs) encompasses freedom of thought on all matters, personal conviction and the commitment to religion or belief, whether manifested individually or in community with others; whereas this freedom cannot be reduced in its description, protection and promotion to less inclusive terms such as religious freedoms;
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;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 b (new) 27b. Condemns the intensified surveillance, attempts to control the functioning, practices and leadership of religious communities and minorities by some countries and the interference in their systems of belief;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Deplores the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other highly sophisticated technical tools by totalitarian and authoritarian states to increase the level of surveillance, control and repression on minority religious communities and their members;
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;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Deplores the fact that more than 70 countries in the world
Amendment 295 #
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
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Deplores the fact that
Amendment 297 #
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, defamation of religion and conversion, including the death sentence; reiterates its strong opposition to the death penalty and calls on governments to repeal the blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws, some of which have resulted in death sentences and have fomented a climate of religious intolerance, violence and discrimination; 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;
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;
Amendment 299 #
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
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 27 a (new) — having regard to the awarding of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Raif Badawi in 2015, Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar in 2016 and to Ilham Tohti in 2019,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the Universal Declaration of Human rights foresees the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to manifest one’s religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance; whereas this right derives from key human rights treaties that are crucial for democracy;
Amendment 300 #
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 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 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Denounces the recourse to denunciations of blasphemy, apostasy or other accusations based on religious grounds, in order to crack down on human rights defenders in relation to their legitimate activities, including on the Internet and social media, and more broadly to restrict civil society space;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Notes the need to protect the lawyers, NGOs and members of the civil society that help, collaborate and defend those who are persecuted on the grounds of belief or religion;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 b (new) 28b. Stresses the need to eliminate discrimination in the field of employment, education, access to justice and effective remedies, housing, and healthcare; underlines the need to work with human rights institutions and organisations to monitor the compliance, examine complaint and repeal laws and policies that discriminate or persecute minorities on the ground of belief or religion;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 b (new) 28b. Stresses that States that have compulsory military service should allow for conscientious objection, including on grounds of religion or belief, and provide for an alternative national service;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Considers that religious illiteracy, as well as the lack of knowledge and recognition of the role that religions play for a large part of humankind, fuel bias and stereotypes that contribute to increase tensions, misunderstanding and disrespectful and unfair treatment related to attitudes and behaviour of large parts of the population; stresses the importance of education for preserving and building freedom of religion or belief worldwide and fighting intolerance;
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;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 c (new) 28c. Recalls that, as stated by the UN Human Rights Council, public education that includes instruction in a particular religion or belief is inconsistent with the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, unless provision is made for non-discriminatory exemptions or alternatives that would accommodate the wishes of persons and guardians;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Stresses the importance of intercultural dialogue, including interfaith dialogue as a catalyst for reconciliation that can contribute to heal the scars of war and rebuild society, to ensure an adequate vision for the future while learning to live together peacefully and constructively in a multicultural context, developing a sense of community, belonging and mutual trust to envisage a peaceful common future, thus the EU shall use the collaboration in the protection of cultural heritage as a confidence building measure between religions, communities, ethnic groups and states including the protection of cultural heritage as part of CSDP missions planning and operational documents and ensure relevant expertise in the field;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 c (new) 28c. Underlines the importance of civil society initiatives in tackling the persecution of minorities on the ground of belief and religion, and in promoting a multi-layered holistic approach that encompass human rights, conflict resolution, development, and interfaith and interreligious initiatives;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas, in accordance with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and that right includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Highlights the important role that religious leaders and actors have on preventing violence and its incitement by disseminating messages of peace, tolerance, mutual respect and by taking effective actions to reduce tensions between religious communities;
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;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 5 Strengthening EU human rights foreign policy and external actions to
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 5 Strengthening EU human rights foreign policy and external actions to address the persecution of belief or religious minorities
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29.
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29.
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29.
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Welcomes the recent appointment of Mr Christos Stylianides as the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief; calls on the Commission to provide adequate resources and to include objectives for the fight against persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion as important parts of his mandate; recommends that the Special Envoy works closely with the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and the Council Working Group on Human Rights (COHOM), and reiterates its calls on the Council and the Commission to adequately support the Special Envoy’s institutional mandate, capacity and duties;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Welcomes the recent appointment of Mr Christos Stylianides as the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief; calls on the Commission to include objectives for the fight against persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion as important part of his mandate; recommends that the Special Envoy works closely with the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and the Council Working Group on Human Rights (COHOM), and reiterates its calls on the Council and the Commission to adequately support the Special Envoy’s institutional mandate,
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Welcomes the recent appointment of Mr Christos Stylianides as the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief; calls on the Commission to include objectives for the fight against persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion as important part of his mandate; recommends that the Special Envoy works closely with the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and the Council Working Group on Human Rights (COHOM), and reiterates its calls on the Council and the Commission to adequately support the Special Envoy’s institutional mandate, capacity and duties; regrets that the Special Envoy position was left vacant for more than a year before the appointment of Mr Christos Stylianides; believes that the position should always be renewed as soon as possible;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas freedom of religion and belief implies the right of the individual to choose what to believe or not to believe, the right to change or abandon one’s religion and convictions without any constraints, and the right to practice and manifest the thought, conscience, religion and belief of one’s choice, whether individually or in community and whether in private or in public; whereas the manifestation of thought, conscience, religion or belief can be expressed in worship, observance, practice and teaching; whereas freedom of religion and belief entails the right of believers’ and non-believers’ communities to preserve or quit their ethos and to act in accordance with it, and the entitlement for religious, secular and non-confessional organisations to have recognised legal personality; whereas protecting individuals adhering to any religion or none and effectively addressing violations of freedom of religion and belief, such as discrimination or legal restrictions based on religion or belief, are primordial conditions to ensure that individuals may enjoy freedom of religion and belief on an equal basis;
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
Amendment 321 #
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 priority of EU human rights foreign policy, in line with the EU action plan for human rights and
Amendment 322 #
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 priority of EU human rights foreign policy, in line with the EU action plan for human rights and democracy for 2020-2024; stresses that a
Amendment 323 #
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 priority 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
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution 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 325 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support programmes that allow members of religious minorities who wish to return to and resettle in their home regions to do so once the material and security conditions make this possible and the circumstances which led to their departure no longer exist;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Underlines the need of enhancing the EU’s role, as a value based actor, in preserving peace, preventing conflict and strengthening international security by adding cultural heritage within the EU’s toolbox as a factor contributing to the development of peace, reconciliation and mutual understanding, intercultural and inter-faith dialogue, international solidarity, identities and social cohesion, capacity building, local, inclusive and sustainable development, cities’ and regions’ regeneration;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Urges the EEAS and EU Delegations to include objectives specifically related to
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Urges the EEAS and EU Delegations to include objectives specifically related to the protection of belief or religious minorities for all relevant situations, as part of the human rights and democracy country strategies (HRDCSs) for 2021-2024
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Urges the EEAS and EU Delegations to include objectives
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas the freedom of religion and belief implies the right of the individual to choose what to believe and not to believe, the right to change or abandon one’s religion and convictions without any constraints, and the right to practise and manifest the religion or theistic, non-theistic or atheistic belief of one’s choice, whether individually or in community and whether in private or in public, the right to not to profess any religion or belief, and the right to express critical or satirical opinions on religions and religious authorities as a legitimate expression of freedom of thought or artistic creation; whereas freedom of religion or belief also entails the right for the religious and non-confessional organisations to have recognised legal personality;
Amendment 330 #
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 minorities during human rights dialogues with partner countries and during UN Human Rights sessions; reiterates its call for Members of the European Parliament to be given access to the content of HRDCSs;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 a (new) 31a. Calls on the EU Delegations and the Member States’ representations to support human rights defenders and journalists active in relation to belief or religious minorities, and, where appropriate, to facilitate the issuance of emergency visas, and provide temporary shelter in EU Member States when these individuals are at risk;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 b (new) 31b. Calls on the Commission to support civil society organizations and social campaigns that promote understanding and awareness of non majority religion and belief groups, especially humanists and atheists in countries where they face particularly serious forms of discrimination;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Calls on the Commission and EEAS to closer scrutinise the human rights situations of religious minorities in third countries and the implementation of related commitments under bilateral agreements of those countries with the EU;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Calls on the Commission and EEAS to scrutinise the human rights situations of belief or religious minorities in third countries and the implementation of related commitments under bilateral agreements of those countries with the EU, including under trade agreements such as the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Calls on the Commission and EEAS to scrutinise the human rights situations of religious or belief minorities in third countries and the implementation of related commitments under bilateral agreements of those countries with the EU;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution 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 338 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 a (new) 32a. Recalls that the political and legal separation of religion and state is a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of human rights, democracy and the rule of law; calls on the EU to ensure that its assistance programmes to national and local authorities in third countries are consistent with the principles of secularism, including in the field of education, and strictly refrain from reinforcing government legislation and policies that favour one belief or religious group over others;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 33 Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas religious freedom is not only about belonging to one of the existing religions, but also the freedom to challenge existing beliefs or create new ones, as well as the freedom not to belong to any religion or to change religion voluntarily;
Amendment 340 #
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
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
Amendment 342 #
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 minorities in human rights policies everywhere in the world; recommends that Special Envoys for Freedom of Religion or Belief throughout EU Member States share their best practices and work closely together; 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 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and to forge alliances with third countries in order to provide international responses to human rights issues faced by religious 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;
Amendment 343 #
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 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 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and to forge alliances with third countries, like the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, in order to provide international responses to human rights issues faced by religious 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;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 33 a (new) 33a. Recommends the EU to intensify its open and constructive dialogues with the African Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on the rights of religious minorities and the need to fully respect their fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in all its dimensions, including private, public, individual, collective and institutional, as well as the right not to believe;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution 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) 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;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 33 a (new) 33a. Calls on the European Commission and other EU institutions to establish the 24th of June as the EU Day on Freedom of Religion and Belief;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas according to Article 21 TEU, the EU promotes and defends the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms and respect for human dignity as part of the guiding principles of its foreign policy;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas freedom of religion or belief and the freedom not to believe, is violated in almost one third of countries worldwide; whereas over 5 billion people live in countries imposing or tolerating severe violations of freedom of
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas freedom of religion or belief is violated in
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas freedom of religion or belief is violated in almost one third of countries worldwide; whereas over 5 billion people live in countries imposing or tolerating severe violations of freedom of thought, conscience, religio
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas according to the Freedom of Thought Report of 2019, 22 countries criminalize apostasy, including 12 countries in which apostasy is punishable by death; whereas 69 countries have blasphemy laws and expression of non- religious views is severely persecuted in parts of the world; whereas human rights defenders are also targeted for fighting against blasphemy laws used against believers of other religions or secularists;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 27 a (new) — having regard to its resolution of 10 October 2013 on caste-based discrimination, in particular article 6 on religion as an intersectional factor of discrimination and abuse,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas discrimination and persecution of religious or belief minorities, is carried out by different actors – whether governments or other groups in society – and can take different forms, such as killings, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, mass incarcerations, coercion, forced conversion, kidnapping and forced marriage,
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution 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 42 #
Motion for a resolution 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, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, coercion, forced conversion, kidnapping and forced marriage, forced birth control, threats, exclusion, discriminatory and unfair treatment, harassment, physical and mental abuse, rape and sexual violence, executions, limitation of access to elective offices, judicial harassment and prosecution, employment, education, health and administration services, destruction of places of worship, cemeteries and cultural heritage, and online hate speech;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas discrimination and persecution of minorities on the ground of belief or religious is carried out by different actors – whether governments or other groups in society – and can take different forms, such as killings, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, coercion, forced conversion, kidnapping and forced marriage, forced birth control, threats, exclusion, discriminatory and unfair treatment, harassment, limitation of access to elective offices, employment, education, health and administration services,
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas discrimination and persecution of religious is carried out by different actors – whether
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution 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, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, coercion, forced conversion, kidnapping and forced marriage, forced birth control, threats, exclusion, discriminatory and unfair treatment, harassment, limitation of access to elective offices, employment, education, health and administration services, destruction of places of worship, cemeteries and cultural heritage, physical and online hate speech;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution 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 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated persecution and violence against belief and religious minorities in some countries; whereas furthermore the health crisis can provide a pretext to adopt persecution measures for purposes unrelated to the pandemic; whereas belief and religious minorities have become particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and mortality due to unequal access to adequate medical care;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas women are particularly at risk of increased discrimination and violence linked to intersectional factors such as gender, religion, caste, ethnic background, power imbalances, patriarchy and belonging to minority groups;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 29 Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas women of belief and religious minorities are particularly at risk of increased discrimination and violence linked to intersectional factors such as gender, religion, caste, ethnic background, power imbalances and patriarchy;
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;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas gender-based violence and discrimination grounded in religious justifications persist; whereas women and LGBTIQ+ people continue to experience discrimination and violence inflicted in the name of religion by both state and non-state actors; whereas sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including abortion, are being banned in the name of religion by both state and non-state actors;
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;
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;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas in almost every region of the world, religious minorities appear to be at risk of being designated “terrorist groups” and of having members arrested under “extremism” or “illegal activity” charges; whereas some governments are using national security imperatives and counter-terrorism measures to criminalize membership in or activities of certain religious or belief groups; whereas such approaches severely undermine the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas minorities on the ground of belief and religious often lack of adequate national representation; whereas legislation often excludes the needs and interests of these minorities, with governments employing a range of extra-legal measures that persecute, delegitimise or stigmatise minorities on the ground of belief or religion;
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;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C d (new) Cd. whereas social media platforms are increasingly exploited as spaces for incitement to hatred and violence; whereas belief or religious minorities continue to be subject to hate speech online and offline from individuals across the political spectrum;
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;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 29 a (new) — having regard to its resolution of 4 July 2017 on addressing human rights violations in the context of war crimes, and crimes against humanity, including genocide,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas in numerous conflicts and crises around the world, attacks on cultural heritage have been an instrument of symbolic violence and the politicization of cultural heritage, often when including its religious aspects directly contributing to humanitarian crises, displacement and migration, the violation of religious and cultural rights as well as human dignity; whereas these can polarize either a society, a country, a region, an ethnical group or a community and increase the risk of violent conflict, thus cultural heritage destruction and looting can be a weapon of war, and a warning sign for future mass atrocities; whereas, furthermore, these represent major obstacles to dialogue, peace and reconciliation;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas the destruction of cultural heritage renders communities, especially religious communities, vulnerable as they are deprived of an important part of their identity, while extremist groups and other conflict parties can easily spread their influence in areas where identities and social cohesion have been weakened and divisions in communities been reinforced;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 29 b (new) — having regard to its resolution of 15 March 2018 on the situation in Syria,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas in 2018, Christians were harassed in 145 countries, Muslims in 139,
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas in recent years, several cases based on religion or belief have reached the threshold of international crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and even genocide, particularly of religious minority groups, including the ISIS/Daesh genocide against Yazidis, Christians and other religious minorities; whereas the Burmese military's actions against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state amount to genocide and their policies against Christians in Kachin as crimes against humanity; whereas China's policies against the Uyghurs amount to genocide; whereas the terrorism committed by Boko Haram and the Fulani militia in Nigeria against Christians amount to genocide and crimes against humanity;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas in cases of international crimes based on religion or belief, perpetrators have been enjoying impunity, with some minor exceptions, and therefore, atrocities have been able to continue;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E c (new) Ec. whereas, in accordance with the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, states and public authorities have the obligation to not only punish the perpetrators of crimes of genocide, but also to prevent such crimes;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution 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 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Affirms its unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities everywhere in the world, including their right to change or choose their religion or belief, or reject it, in respect of the principles of equality and non-
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Affirms its unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities everywhere in the world, including their right to change
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Affirms its unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to religious 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, which in some cases may even amount to crimes against humanity or genocide; condemns also the denial of or efforts to minimise such crimes;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Affirms its unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 29 c (new) — having regard to its resolutions of 4 October 2018 on mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Kazakhs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 18 April 2019 on China, notably the situation of religious and ethnic minorities, 19 December 2019 on the situation of the Uyghurs in China (China Cables) and 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Affirms its unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to belief or religious minorities everywhere in the world, including their right to change or choose their
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;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and ensure the
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and ensure
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and ensure the inclusion of all citizens in their societies and in political
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that, regardless of their
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and ensure the inclusion of all citizens in their societies and in political and cultural life and ensure that their personal rights and freedoms are respected;
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;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Recognizes that respect for freedom of religion and belief directly contributes to democracy, development, respect of the rule of law, peace and stability; reaffirms that violations of freedom of religion and belief encroach on the dignity of human life, and give rise to or exacerbate intolerance, often constituting early indicators of potential violence and conflicts; calls on States to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish acts of violence, or the threat thereof, against persons based on their religion or belief, as well as ensuring accountability should such violations occur;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that freedom of religion or belief, including freedom to worship,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution 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 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that freedom of religion or belief, including freedom to
Amendment 91 #
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
Amendment 92 #
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
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that freedom of
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Underlines that the violence and discrimination against persons belonging to religious or belief minorities have an intersectional dimension, with religious- based discrimination intersecting with forms of discrimination based on the grounds of gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, class, national or ethnic origin, disability, age, migration status and other axes of socio- demographic differentiation;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses that the religious grounds of persecution are often intertwined with some other grounds of distinct nature, in particular those linked to ethnicity, gender and caste; condemns the ongoing persecution and serious and systematic human rights violations in some countries that can amount to crimes against humanity;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses that the persecution of minorities on grounds of religion or belief is often intertwined with some other grounds of distinct nature, in particular those linked to ethnicity, gender and caste;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violence 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,
source: 694.961
2021/09/07
DEVE
83 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 (new) -1. whereas women of belief and religious minorities are particularly at risk of increased discrimination and violence linked to intersectional factors such as gender,caste, ethnic background, power imbalances and patriarchy;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Acknowledges that churches, faith-
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Acknowledges that churches, faith- based organisations (FBOs) and religious associations
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Notes, however, that the term 'faith-based organisations' encompasses a very heterogeneous set of organisations, including 'large faith-based organisations in the West that tend to resemble secular NGOs in terms of policies and programmes', but also 'formal, independent NGOs with (more or less) close links to a religious community or tradition', as is the case, for example, with the Islamic faith-based organisations, Islamic Relief;1 a _________________ 1a https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstr eam/handle/20.500.12413/15397/624_Fait h_Based%20Organisations_Synthesis.pdf ?sequence=1&isAllowed=y " Faith-based organisations and current development debates, Rachel Cooper, University of Birmingham, 17 June 2019, commissioned by the UK Department for International Development and other Government departments (K4D helpdesk).
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;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Stresses that freedom of religion or belief should be understood as a fundamental right, rejecting the trend to see it as inimical to women's, LGBTQI rights or freedom of expression, and should be acknowledged as a key component of peaceful and resilient societies;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Takes note that churches play a critical role to ensure peace as a mediator and are contributing to social cohesion and stability also as providers of basic social services;
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;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Notes that young people in developing countries are particular vulnerable to extremist ideologies and quality education is key to combat radicalisation; notes that extremist movements often exploit the weak presence of the State in rural areas;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 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;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 a (new) -1 a. whereas minorities on the ground of belief or religion often lack adequate national representation in developing countries and legislation often excludes the needs and interests of these minorities, with local governments employing a range of extra-legal measures that persecute, delegitimise or stigmatise minorities on the ground of belief or religion;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 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
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recognises that FBOs cover approximately 40 % of healthcare and a
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recognises that FBOs cover approximately 40 % of healthcare and a significant part of education in sub-Saharan Africa alone1
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Urges the EU to recognise that religious leaders and faith-based organisations are not only key partners in the implementation of humanitarian, development and peace projects, but also have a privileged role in the design, monitoring and evaluation of such initiatives, due to their expertise based on their deep embeddedness in local communities, their direct contact with people experiencing poverty and exclusion, as well as their long history of providing humanitarian assistance;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Stresses that the persecution of minorities on grounds of religion or belief is often intertwined with some other grounds of distinct nature, in particular those linked to ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and caste; calls on the EU to ensure that in all contexts the intersection of discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief with other drivers of exclusion, marginalisation and poverty are clearly mapped and addressed comprehensively;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2 c. Notes that the European Union and the Member States must exercise greater vigilance with regard to the granting of public funding to NGOs and in particular to faith-based organisations operating in conflict zones, especially in areas where Islamist terrorist groups are active;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 d (new) Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 b (new) -1 b. whereas the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated persecution and violence against belief and religious minorities in some countries; whereas furthermore the health crisis is likely to provide an excuse to adopt persecution measures for purposes unrelated to the fight against the pandemic; whereas belief and religious minorities have become particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and mortality due to unequal access to adequate medical care;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 e (new) Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes that churches 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 other crisis zones and that the importance of faith in social life makes local churches essential partners in reaching certain populations in remote areas;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes that
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes that
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes that churches and FBOs are
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes that churches, religious institutions 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 other crisis zones;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the activities of churches 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; stresses that religious and faith-based organisations are now present at every stage of the conflict-transformation cycle as they work in peace education and conflict prevention, in mediation and conflict resolution, in inter-religious dialogue, in building networks of local leaders for peace, in post-settlement social reconstruction and trauma work, and in the academies and courts where human rights, including religious freedom, are given theoretical depth and cross-cultural grounding;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the activities of churches and certain religious leaders, in particular those of the Catholic Church, 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, but that it must take place within the framework defined by the competent national authorities;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the activities of
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 c (new) -1 c. whereas social media platforms are increasingly exploited as spaces for incitement to hatred and violence; whereas belief or religious minorities continue to be subject to hate speech online and offline from individuals across the political spectrum;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the activities of
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the activities of
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the activities of churches, religious institutions 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;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated persecution and violence against religious minorities in some of the developing countries; denounces the use of freedom-restricting measures as part of pandemic-prevention measures to discriminate against religious minorities; calls on partner developing countries to develop inclusive social protection systems that do not discriminate against minorities on religious grounds or on any other grounds in terms of equal access to health care, food, humanitarian assistance or education; calls on the EU to better equip itself with instruments that enable it to better target the most vulnerable populations, including religious minorities;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Strongly deplores that non- religious, and secular and humanist organizations are facing growing persecution, including unprecedented waves of incitement to hatred and killings, in a number of countries worldwide; denounces as well that countless individuals and civil society organisations are under assault for peacefully questioning, criticizing or satirizing religious beliefs; stresses that this ongoing violation of their freedom of thought and of expression occurs across geographic and cultural borders, including within EU Member States;
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;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the EU and its partners to consider a mapping of the role religion has in any specific conflict, the identification and engagement with existing positive actions of religious leaders in peace-building actions, conflict analysis and prevention, and the listening and assessment of multiple voices representatives of both majority and minority religious groups;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Stresses, however, that interreligious dialogue should not be construed as including any organisations deemed to be extremist or fundamentalist, in particular those that propagate radical Islam or challenge the foundations of the rule of law or certain fundamental rights or principles, in particular with regard to the status of women;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 b. Acknowledges the special role which religious leaders, faith-based organizations, and faith communities play in COVID-19 education, preparedness, and response; notes that religious leaders are integrated into their communities through service and compassionate networks and are often able to reach the most vulnerable with assistance and health information and identify those most in need; notes that religious leaders are a critical link in the safety net for vulnerable people within their faith community and wider communities;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 b. Condemns activities from religious cults addressed to the diaspora from developing countries which use schemes to profit financially from the vulnerabilities of migrant communities in Europe and promote biased worldviews, often integrating homophobia, transphobia and misogyny;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Acknowledges that churches, in particular Christian churches and especially the Catholic Church and its informal associations of the faithful, certain faith-
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4 c. Denounces all forms of violence and coercion, including public expression of hostility by religious leaders, perpetrated against women, girls and LGBT+ persons justified with reference to religious practice or belief; calls for the repeal of discriminatory laws, enacted with reference to religious considerations, that criminalize adultery, that criminalize persons on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, that criminalize abortion in all cases or that facilitate religious practices that violate human rights;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4 d. Deplores the ongoing rollback and regression on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, especially those marginalised on the grounds of superstition (e.g., witchcraft), and rights of LGBT+ persons inside and outside the EU, notably under the guise of religious principles or doctrine; notes that intersectional factors, including religion and belonging to minority groups, increase the risk of discrimination under this regressive trend;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make the fight against the persecution of religious minorities, especially Christian minorities, a priority 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 and calls on the Member States to include the issue of the persecution of Christians in their diplomatic dialogue with the States concerned;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission and the
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make the fight against the persecution of religious minorities – in particular the persecution of Christians, who are currently the most frequently persecuted religious group in the world – a priority 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;
Amendment 55 #
5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to assist in providing support to stronger political strategies and longer- term accountability and to make the fight against the persecution of religious and other minorities a priority 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;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make the fight against the persecution of religious and belief minorities a priority 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;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to
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;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Acknowledges that c
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Stresses that the EU should take into account the concrete challenges that religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities often face when accessing humanitarian assistance due to marginalization, active targeting on the ground or weak socio- economic position; calls on the Commission to assess the effective access of minorities to humanitarian assistance and to ensure that its humanitarian policy does not overlook minorities;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. 5a. Points out that violence against religious minorities during conflict can also make them vulnerable to further attacks in refugee settings due to misinterpretations of humanitarian principles of neutrality and universality and widespread assumptions held about religion as either non-essential or divisive;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Underlines that delivering humanitarian assistance must be free from any kind of discrimination, and strongly condemns any discrimination based on religious affiliation in distributing humanitarian assistance;
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;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Is of the opinion that humanitarian actors should be trained in the sensitivities of religious identity for religious minority groups in displacement settings to enhance more inclusive aid and protection for a range of refugee populations;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the EU to develop the necessary 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
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the EU to develop the necessary reaction and sanction mechanisms as provided for by the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime to combat effectively serious 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
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the EU to develop
Amendment 7 #
1. Acknowledges that
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the EU to develop the necessary 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 thought, religion or belief, freedom of association and freedom of expression.
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the EU to develop the necessary reaction
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Recalls that the political and legal separation of religion and State is a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law; calls on the EU to ensure that its development programmes and budget support to national and local authorities in third countries are consistent with the principles of secularism, including in the field of education, and strictly refrain from reinforcing government legislation and policies that favour one belief or religious group over others;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls on the European Union and, in particular, the Member States to provide concrete and commensurate support to the African states concerned in the fight against Islamist terrorism, in particular the G5 Sahel states, and stresses in this regard the very difficult situation of Christian minorities in this region of Africa, for example in Burkina Faso, due to Islamist terrorist violence. 6 a _________________ 6a https://www.portesouvertes.fr/persecution- des-chretiens/profils-pays/burkina-faso- fc6bb232-2f3c-4508-99d3-33a8410bdecb
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Stresses the need to eliminate discrimination against religious and belief minorities in the field of employment, education, access to justice and effective remedies, housing, and healthcare; underlines the need to work with human rights institutions and organisations to monitor the compliance, examine complaints and contrast laws and policies that discriminate or persecute minorities on the ground of belief or religion;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Points out that, in some countries, the main sources of discrimination against minorities come from non-State actors; calls on the Commission and Member States not to focus exclusively on government-based discrimination and to work with partner countries in tackling the causes of societal discrimination against minorities, with special regard to hate speech;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to mainstream, in the EU’s external actions, the protection of freedom of religion and belief, as well as the right to change or abandon one's religion and belief without coercion, notably in developing countries;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to link the issue of religious freedom with trade treaties concluded between the European Union and its external partners;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6 b. Condemns human rights violations, sexual abuse, sectarianism, as well as financial misconduct of religious missions and leaders in several developing countries; calls on the European Commission to undertake a comprehensive mapping and monitoring of religious missions on site to ensure that these structures act with respect for the local population and avoid any type of violation or abuse;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Emphasises that, as the first organisations on the ground with many years of experience, FBOs provide essential social services and remain on the ground when many other actors leave; calls on the Commission to adopt special guidance on partnership and cooperation with churches and FBOs when it comes to development- and humanitarian assistance;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6 b. Calls on the Council, the Commission, the EEAS and Member States to work with third countries towards the adoption of measures to prevent and fight hate crimes, in full compliance with international standards on freedom of expression and freedom of belief and religion;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6 c. Underlines the importance of civil society initiatives in tackling the persecution of minorities on the ground of belief and religion, and in promoting a holistic approach that encompasses human rights, conflict resolution, human development, as well as interfaith and interreligious initiatives;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6 d. Stresses the need for churches, religious institutions and religious communities to respect, uphold and promote fundamental human rights, while opposing, at any levels, all attempts to jeopardize or deny these rights, especially in relation to the condition of minors, women, the elderly, the most vulnerable and marginalized, and other ethnic, social or religious minorities;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Acknowledges that churches, faith- based organisations (FBOs)
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History
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