Scientology joins 92 signatories in letter to Putin about religious freedom in Russia.
In previous cross-posts I have noted the increased action of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in joining other churches and civil rights organizations in speaking out on various civil rights issues. I have argued that Scientology's statements on these issues were not about the substantive issues, but were instead about the Church of Scientology building relationships (including but certainly not limited to with the Nation of Islam), creating alliances, and establishing its bona fides as an organization concerned about civil rights. I asked whether anyone thought that any of the signatories on such prior civil rights letters would refuse the Church of Scientology if the Church of Scientology asked for support concerning its religious status in Russia, Kazakhstan, etc.
It appears I may have been at least partially right.
European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF): Letter to Vladimir Putin about the Yarovaya law with 93 signatories
http://ift.tt/2b89AhS
* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *
Written the Thursday, August 4th 2016 à 21:07
EIFRF
3 chapters of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable (US, Europe and Vietnam. Implemented by EIFRF in Europe) gathered and got 93 signatories on this letter to President Vladimir Putin. The letter has been sent now.
August 4, 2016
Vladimir Putin
President of Russia
The Kremlin
Presidential Executive Office
Dear Mr. President,
We write as an informal group of organizations and individuals who are scholars, religious and secular leaders, and human rights advocates to express our deep concern about Federal Laws ? 374-?? and 375-??, On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation to establish additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public safety (the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law), which you signed into law on 6 July 2016.
The Federal Anti-Terrorism Law further restricts religious freedom. We are particularly concerned about the amendments that introduce an entire new section to the Religion Law, imposing strict limits on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increase extremism punishments.
As impact studies are now done and a set of normative acts or instructions are developed for its implementation, we respectfully urge you to ensure the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law is not used against peaceful spiritual groups.
[SNP]
Respectfully,
Greg Mitchell
Co-Chair, International Religious Freedom Roundtable
President, The Mitchell Firm
ORGANIZATIONS
21st CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE
ADVANCING FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF (VIETNAM)
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR VIETNAM
THE ALL FAITH NETWORK UK
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION OF FORMER POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS PRISONERS (VIETNAM)
BLOC OF TRADITIONAL HOA HAO BUDDHISTS (VIETNAM)
BOAT PEOPLE SOS
CATHOLICS IN ALLIANCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD
CENTER FOR INQUIRY
CENTER FOR PLURALISM
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY NATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE
CHURCHES IN ACTION
COORDINATION DES ASSOCIATIONS ET DES PARTICULIERS POUR LA LIBERTÉ DE CONSCIENCE (FRANCE)
Member of the Economic and Social Council of the UN
EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR FREEDOM OF BELIEF (ITALY)
EUROPEAN INTERRELIGIOUS FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (EIFRF)
FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM EUROPE (FOREF)
GERARD NOODT FOUNDATION (NETHERLANDS)
HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION (HAF)
HUMAN RIGHTS WITHOUT FRONTIERS (HRWF)
INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY
THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE UK
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
JUBILEE CAMPAIGN USA
THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PEOPLE SERVING PEOPLE FOUNDATION (THAILAND)
PHAP BIEN PAGODA, UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM IN BA RIA - VUNG TAU
POPULAR COUNCIL OF CAO DAI RELIGION (VIETNAM)
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX AUTONOMOUS CHURCH OF AMERICA
SIKHI SEWA SOCIETY - NOVELLARA (ITALY)
SPIRITUAL CALL OF GENEVA (SWITZERLAND)
ST. CHARLES INSTITUTE
UNION OF COUNCILS FOR JEWS IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION (UCSJ)
UNITED MACEDONIAN DIASPORA
Individuals
Rev. Dr. Lennox Abrigo
CUSH DC/MD/VA (USA)
Sheikh Hussain Labib Abu-Rukun
Chairman
Druze Council for the Preservation of Druze Heritage, Ussafia
C. Naseer Ahmad
Leith Anderson
President
National Association of Evangelicals
Ivan Arjona
President
Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society (Spain)
Bejzat Becirov
Executive Director
ISLAMIC CENTER Malmö
Professor Silvio Calzolari
Orientalist and Historian of Religions
Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi of Florence (Italy)
Anuttama Dasa
Minister of Communications
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
Derek H. Davis, J.D., Ph.D.
Fellow, Treasurer and Board Member, International Academy of Freedom of Religion and Belief
Member, Board of Experts, International Religious Liberty Association
Piero d’Ettorre
Attorney
Torino (Italy)
Michael Donnelly
Director of Global Outreach
Home School Legal Defense Association
Acharya S.P.Dwivedi
President
Multifaith Action Society
Vancouver,Canada
Thomas F. Farr
President
Religious Freedom Institute
Barry A. Fisher
International Human Rights
Fleishman & Fisher
Los Angeles (USA)
Rev. E. Wayne Gaddis
Greater True Light Missionary Baptist Church
Los Angeles (USA)
Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism
Washington (USA)
Eric Gozlan
Responsable Associatif pour le Dialogue Interreligieux (France)
Brian Grim
President
Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
Christopher J. Hale
Executive Director
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Lauren B. Homer
Attorney
Law and Liberty Trust
Dr. Joel C. Hunter
Senior Pastor
Northland, A Church Distributed
Rimon Kasher
Professor (Emeritus)
Bar-Ilan University (Israel)
Adnan Khan
Ambassador at Large
Council of Pakistan American Affairs
Muslim Community
Amjad Mahmood Khan, Esq.
National Director of Public Affairs
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA
M. Jean-Claude Kolly
Président of the CLIMS (Centre de Liaison et d’Information des Mouvements Spirituels)
Switzerland
Larry Lerner
President
Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union
Dimitris Levantis
Attorney, Executive Member
SOS Racism (Greece)
Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr.
Executive Director
Queens Federation of Churches
Brent McBurney
President & CEO
Advocates International
Very Reverend William A. McComish
Honorary Dean of the Cathedrale St Pierre de Genève
Founder and Honorary Président of the Spiritual Call of Geneva
Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez
Churches in Action
Co-Chair, Los Angeles Interfaith Clergy Coalition
Russell D. Moore
President
Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Gloria Moran
Law Professor (retired)
University of La Coruña (Spain)
Scott Morgan
President
Red Eagle Enterprises
Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray
Professor, Center for Religion, University of Southern California (USC)
Co-Founder, The Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, USC
Irenée Omositsn Namboka
Retired Staff, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Human Rights Protection Advisor, DPKO, United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, Liberia
Kathryn Cameron Porter
President and Founder
The Leadership Council for Human Rights
Mr. Bruno Portigliatti
Hon. President
Buddhist Union of Europe
Carlo Proserpio
President
Asco Pratocentenaro - Milano (Italy)
Bashy Quraishy
Chairman
FAIRPLAY and Ethnic Debate Forum
Pervez Rafique
Former Member Parliament, Punjab Pakistan
Executive Director, Bleeding for Belief
Tina Ramirez
President
Hardwired, Inc.
Arron Rhodes
President
FOREF
Karan Singh
President
Sikh Foundation Switzerland
Rev. Dr. David A. Spence, B.A.; B.D.; M.Div.
Retired Minister
The United Church of Canada
Professor Daniele Spero
Coordinator of the Department of Science and Faith Fondazione Studium Cattolico Veneziano Patriarchy of Venice (Italy)
Leonid Stonov
Director, International Bureaus and Activities
Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
President
Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice
Aldo Natale Terrin
Professor Emeritus of History of Religions
Universita' Cattolica Di Milano (Italy)
Chris Vonck
Rector of the Faculty for Comparative Study of Religions - Antwerp
World Congress of Faiths Belgium
Bill Walsh
Human Rights Attorney
Bisceglie and Walsh
Travis S. Weber, Esq.
Director, Center for Religious Liberty
Family Research Council
Rev. Janet Weiland
Co-Chair
Los Angeles Interfaith Clergy Coalition
Rev. Alan Wilding
President
Universal Peace Federation Western Canada
Mrs. Michiko Wilding
Secretary
Universal Peace Federation Western Canada
Peter Zoehrer
Secretary General
FOREF
* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
Scientology joins 92 signatories in letter to Putin about religious freedom in Russia
In previous cross-posts I have noted the increased action of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in joining other churches and civil rights organizations in speaking out on various civil rights issues. I have argued that Scientology's statements on these issues were not about the substantive issues, but were instead about the Church of Scientology building relationships (including but certainly not limited to with the Nation of Islam), creating alliances, and establishing its bona fides as an organization concerned about civil rights. I asked whether anyone thought that any of the signatories on such prior civil rights letters would refuse the Church of Scientology if the Church of Scientology asked for support concerning its religious status in Russia, Kazakhstan, etc.
It appears I may have been at least partially right.
European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF): Letter to Vladimir Putin about the Yarovaya law with 93 signatories
http://ift.tt/2b89AhS
* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *
Written the Thursday, August 4th 2016 à 21:07
EIFRF
3 chapters of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable (US, Europe and Vietnam. Implemented by EIFRF in Europe) gathered and got 93 signatories on this letter to President Vladimir Putin. The letter has been sent now.
August 4, 2016
Vladimir Putin
President of Russia
The Kremlin
Presidential Executive Office
Dear Mr. President,
We write as an informal group of organizations and individuals who are scholars, religious and secular leaders, and human rights advocates to express our deep concern about Federal Laws ? 374-?? and 375-??, On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation to establish additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public safety (the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law), which you signed into law on 6 July 2016.
The Federal Anti-Terrorism Law further restricts religious freedom. We are particularly concerned about the amendments that introduce an entire new section to the Religion Law, imposing strict limits on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increase extremism punishments.
As impact studies are now done and a set of normative acts or instructions are developed for its implementation, we respectfully urge you to ensure the Federal Anti-Terrorism Law is not used against peaceful spiritual groups.
[SNP]
Respectfully,
Greg Mitchell
Co-Chair, International Religious Freedom Roundtable
President, The Mitchell Firm
ORGANIZATIONS
21st CENTURY WILBERFORCE INITIATIVE
ADVANCING FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF (VIETNAM)
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR VIETNAM
THE ALL FAITH NETWORK UK
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION OF FORMER POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS PRISONERS (VIETNAM)
BLOC OF TRADITIONAL HOA HAO BUDDHISTS (VIETNAM)
BOAT PEOPLE SOS
CATHOLICS IN ALLIANCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD
CENTER FOR INQUIRY
CENTER FOR PLURALISM
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY NATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE
CHURCHES IN ACTION
COORDINATION DES ASSOCIATIONS ET DES PARTICULIERS POUR LA LIBERTÉ DE CONSCIENCE (FRANCE)
Member of the Economic and Social Council of the UN
EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR FREEDOM OF BELIEF (ITALY)
EUROPEAN INTERRELIGIOUS FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (EIFRF)
FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM EUROPE (FOREF)
GERARD NOODT FOUNDATION (NETHERLANDS)
HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION (HAF)
HUMAN RIGHTS WITHOUT FRONTIERS (HRWF)
INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY
THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE UK
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
JUBILEE CAMPAIGN USA
THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PEOPLE SERVING PEOPLE FOUNDATION (THAILAND)
PHAP BIEN PAGODA, UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM IN BA RIA - VUNG TAU
POPULAR COUNCIL OF CAO DAI RELIGION (VIETNAM)
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX AUTONOMOUS CHURCH OF AMERICA
SIKHI SEWA SOCIETY - NOVELLARA (ITALY)
SPIRITUAL CALL OF GENEVA (SWITZERLAND)
ST. CHARLES INSTITUTE
UNION OF COUNCILS FOR JEWS IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION (UCSJ)
UNITED MACEDONIAN DIASPORA
Individuals
Rev. Dr. Lennox Abrigo
CUSH DC/MD/VA (USA)
Sheikh Hussain Labib Abu-Rukun
Chairman
Druze Council for the Preservation of Druze Heritage, Ussafia
C. Naseer Ahmad
Leith Anderson
President
National Association of Evangelicals
Ivan Arjona
President
Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society (Spain)
Bejzat Becirov
Executive Director
ISLAMIC CENTER Malmö
Professor Silvio Calzolari
Orientalist and Historian of Religions
Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi of Florence (Italy)
Anuttama Dasa
Minister of Communications
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
Derek H. Davis, J.D., Ph.D.
Fellow, Treasurer and Board Member, International Academy of Freedom of Religion and Belief
Member, Board of Experts, International Religious Liberty Association
Piero d’Ettorre
Attorney
Torino (Italy)
Michael Donnelly
Director of Global Outreach
Home School Legal Defense Association
Acharya S.P.Dwivedi
President
Multifaith Action Society
Vancouver,Canada
Thomas F. Farr
President
Religious Freedom Institute
Barry A. Fisher
International Human Rights
Fleishman & Fisher
Los Angeles (USA)
Rev. E. Wayne Gaddis
Greater True Light Missionary Baptist Church
Los Angeles (USA)
Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism
Washington (USA)
Eric Gozlan
Responsable Associatif pour le Dialogue Interreligieux (France)
Brian Grim
President
Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
Christopher J. Hale
Executive Director
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Lauren B. Homer
Attorney
Law and Liberty Trust
Dr. Joel C. Hunter
Senior Pastor
Northland, A Church Distributed
Rimon Kasher
Professor (Emeritus)
Bar-Ilan University (Israel)
Adnan Khan
Ambassador at Large
Council of Pakistan American Affairs
Muslim Community
Amjad Mahmood Khan, Esq.
National Director of Public Affairs
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA
M. Jean-Claude Kolly
Président of the CLIMS (Centre de Liaison et d’Information des Mouvements Spirituels)
Switzerland
Larry Lerner
President
Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union
Dimitris Levantis
Attorney, Executive Member
SOS Racism (Greece)
Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr.
Executive Director
Queens Federation of Churches
Brent McBurney
President & CEO
Advocates International
Very Reverend William A. McComish
Honorary Dean of the Cathedrale St Pierre de Genève
Founder and Honorary Président of the Spiritual Call of Geneva
Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez
Churches in Action
Co-Chair, Los Angeles Interfaith Clergy Coalition
Russell D. Moore
President
Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Gloria Moran
Law Professor (retired)
University of La Coruña (Spain)
Scott Morgan
President
Red Eagle Enterprises
Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray
Professor, Center for Religion, University of Southern California (USC)
Co-Founder, The Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, USC
Irenée Omositsn Namboka
Retired Staff, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Human Rights Protection Advisor, DPKO, United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, Liberia
Kathryn Cameron Porter
President and Founder
The Leadership Council for Human Rights
Mr. Bruno Portigliatti
Hon. President
Buddhist Union of Europe
Carlo Proserpio
President
Asco Pratocentenaro - Milano (Italy)
Bashy Quraishy
Chairman
FAIRPLAY and Ethnic Debate Forum
Pervez Rafique
Former Member Parliament, Punjab Pakistan
Executive Director, Bleeding for Belief
Tina Ramirez
President
Hardwired, Inc.
Arron Rhodes
President
FOREF
Karan Singh
President
Sikh Foundation Switzerland
Rev. Dr. David A. Spence, B.A.; B.D.; M.Div.
Retired Minister
The United Church of Canada
Professor Daniele Spero
Coordinator of the Department of Science and Faith Fondazione Studium Cattolico Veneziano Patriarchy of Venice (Italy)
Leonid Stonov
Director, International Bureaus and Activities
Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
President
Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice
Aldo Natale Terrin
Professor Emeritus of History of Religions
Universita' Cattolica Di Milano (Italy)
Chris Vonck
Rector of the Faculty for Comparative Study of Religions - Antwerp
World Congress of Faiths Belgium
Bill Walsh
Human Rights Attorney
Bisceglie and Walsh
Travis S. Weber, Esq.
Director, Center for Religious Liberty
Family Research Council
Rev. Janet Weiland
Co-Chair
Los Angeles Interfaith Clergy Coalition
Rev. Alan Wilding
President
Universal Peace Federation Western Canada
Mrs. Michiko Wilding
Secretary
Universal Peace Federation Western Canada
Peter Zoehrer
Secretary General
FOREF
* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
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