Religious Liberty Seen as Limited in Parts of Europe
ICC Note:
Christians still face oppression in places like Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina .
Zenit.org (10/22/06) Even in Europe , Christians in some places are disadvantaged when it comes to religious liberty, says an official of a leading charitable group.
At a recent conference of a body within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, held in Warsaw, Attilio Tamburrini, the director of the Italian section of Aid to the Church in Need, drew attention to the oppression faced by Christians in many countries around the world.
On Oct. 12, at the conclusion of the 10-day conference of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), representatives of the 56 member states agreed to establish an information service at the ODIHR to document instances of discrimination, xenophobia and offenses against religious liberty.
Tamburrini, who took part in the conference as an independent contributor, emphasized that even in Europe Christians are disadvantaged.
"Even in 18 member states of the OSCE itself, which have enshrined the basic right to religious liberty in their constitutions, this right is not accorded unrestrictedly," he stated. As examples he cited Belarus , Turkey , and Bosnia and Herzegovina .
The Italian office of Aid to the Church in Need publishes an annual report on the situation of religious liberty around the world.
