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UNITED SIKHS Urges Prime Minister of Hungary to
Protect, Not Suppress, Religious Freedoms
Highlights:
UNITED SIKHS:
Hungary, Europe:
At 1.a.m. on July 12th, 2011, the Hungarian Parliament passed new
legislation regarding religious rights entitled "The Right to Freedom
of Conscience and Religion and on the Status of Churches, Religions and
Religious Communities" ("the Religion Law"), which has effectively
become the most oppressive law affecting religious freedoms in
all of Europe. By passing this law, the Parliament of Hungary
contradicted European Court of Human Rights decisions, which prohibit
this type of legislation. Now that the Religion law has passed in
Parliament, the law is in the hands of the President, who may either
sign it, or send it back to Parliament. If President P?l Schmitt signs
the Religion Law, hundreds of religious organizations will be torn
apart from their status as religious communities and will be
“de-registered” as religious organizations.
"UNITED SIKHS, the Sikh community worldwide, and specifically the
European Sikh community, are deeply concerned by this law, because it
will cause minority faiths to be targeted and stripped of their status
as religious entities."[1] A
provision currently under the Religion Law will "de-register" over
three hundred minority faiths, and only fourteen churches will retain
their registered religion status, along with the rights associated with
that status. The Religion Law states that after a religion is
"de-registered," it will lose status as a religious organization if the
religion is not "re-registered" -a process that requires a minority
religious community to go through burdensome proceedings, including
showing that the religion has been organized in Hungary for at least 20
years and has at least 1,000 members. Furthermore, there is a
requirement of a two-thirds vote by Parliament for re-registration,
which effectively subjects all minority faiths to a voting based ban on
religious freedom and denial of religious rights.
The newly passed legislation also includes a very narrow definition of
"religious activities" based on Judeo-Christian concepts; however,
these concepts are not in agreement with the broad definition of
religion which is acknowledged by many authorities, including those
whose standards the Religion Law would be breaching. These authorities
include the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe),
the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations.
The Religion Law "effectively puts up a STOP sign in front of all those
who adhere to religious traditions that do not have a longstanding
history in Hungary, and announces to those who seek to exercise their
basic freedoms under the laws of the European Union that they are
unwelcome, and if they enter Hungary, their identity as adherents of a
minority faith will not be recognized."[2] This law represents a serious setback for religious freedom in Hungary. For more information about this law, click here and here.
The UNITED SIKHS legal team works tirelessly to secure the religious
freedom rights of Sikhs throughout the world. This letter writing
campaign regarding the Religion Law in Hungary is but one example of
our international religious freedom advocacy work. Past advocacy
campaigns have included working to get the Kirpan ban lifted at
Amritsar Airport (for more information click here), advocacy work regarding the forcible turban removal by law enforcement in Mohali (for more information click here),
and the publication of our 3rd Global Sikh Civil & Human Rights
Report, which monitors religious freedoms conditions as they relate to
Sikhs in 29 countries (to view this report click here).
What can YOU do?
- Take a
look at the calendar of events surrounding the 10th anniversary of 9/11
below. Please show your support by attending these events, also
consider participating in these events to provide a Sikh perspective,
and to honor the victims of 9/11 and promote a peaceful tomorrow:
- Unheard Voices of 9/11: Community Hearings Hosted by Sikh Coalition from 1pm-4pm and on Saturday August 27th in San Francisco. Join this important discussion on the impact of 9/11 on the rights and liberties of Arabs, Muslims, and Sikhs.
- National Week of Action:
Reflecting on Our Loss and Reclaiming Our Rights Hosted by Rights
Working Group from September 11th -17th across the country, click here to view a map of events and find out more about how to get involved.
- An America for All of Us Campaign led by South Asian Americans Leading Together, click here to view events taking place across the country and find out more about how to get involved.
- Prepare New York is a coalition of interfaith organizations who are hosting a series of events surrounding the 10th anniversary of 9/11, click here to learn more and get involved in these events.
- New York Civil Liberties Union Panel Discussion
on the meaning of 9/11 taking place Wednesday September 7th from 10am
to noon at the New York County Lawyers' Association at 14 Vesey St.
- New York Civil Liberties Union 9/11 Memorial on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the corner of Church Street and Park Place.
- Inter-Faith Conference at Georgetown University from Sept. 8 to Sept. 10th. RSVP Required.
- Would you like to volunteer and work on religious freedoms issues? Contact law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
- Have you or someone you know been deprived
of the right to practice their faith freely? If so, e-mail the UNITED
SIKHS legal team at law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
- Participate in education and awareness
efforts about Sikhs and Sikhism. For ideas, tools, and more information
on how to get involved, contact us at the e-mail address above and fill
out our volunteer form by clicking here.
Volunteer with UNITED SIKHS, and Donate to our civil rights advocacy projects.
[1]
Hansdeep Singh-Letter to Hungary’s Prime Minister; Re: Hungarian
Parliament Seeks to Suppress Religious Minorities in Contravention of
European & International Law
[2]
Hansdeep Singh-Letter to Hungary’s Prime Minister; Re: Hungarian
Parliament Seeks to Suppress Religious Minorities in Contravention of
European & International Law
Issued by:
Ilana Ofgang
Legal Fellow
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
(888) 243-1690
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Protect Our Identity (POI)
is an ongoing international campaign launched by UNITED SIKHS in August
2010 . It focuses on the need to protect the Sikh community's right to
express its religious identity. Initiatives under the POI
campaign include:
- Right to Turban
- Airport Security in European Union and United States
- Anti-Bullying Initiatives
- Rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Pakistan
- Equality in Employment
- Right to Kakaars
- Recognition
of Sikhs as a Religion and Ethnicity in UK and US Census, and Raising
Awareness of Sikhs and Sikhism to reduce acts of violence and
xenophobia against Sikhs.
UNITED SIKHS is currently looking for enthusiastic volunteers who are
willing to spread the message of the campaign within their own
communities. To join or contribute to the campaign, volunteer or donate to UNITED SIKHS. |
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