European religious liberty advisors advocate for stronger safeguards in the defense of religious freedom
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Religious freedom experts gathered at the European Parliament this week for a panel discussion titled "Safeguarding religious freedom in Europe: Current challenges and future prospects". The event, chaired by MEP Dr. Paulius Saudargas, followed the 2024 European Prayer Breakfast held at the European Parliament on 4 December, which marked the 27th edition of the event.
The discussion highlighted a complex environment shaped by increasing secularization, rising religious diversity, and growing intolerance. Current challenges include rising religious intolerance and hate crimes, the legal and societal impact of secularization in Europe, state restrictions and inequalities, and contentious political and social narratives.
Rising religious intolerance and hate crimes, especially against Christian communities, were a significant concern. According to OIDAC Europe, 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes were documented in 2023 across 35 countries, with many incidents remaining unreported.
The legal and societal impact of secularization in Europe, where religion no longer underpins societal norms or law, creates tensions regarding religious expression in public life, privacy, and the autonomy of religious groups. This situation sometimes causes a perceived shrinking of religious freedoms within an emerging human rights hierarchy.
Specific state restrictions and inequalities were exemplified by the situation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Turkey, where Orthodox clergy face prohibitions on public religious dress, surveillance, visa denials, and structural funding inequalities that favor Sunni Islam over minority religions.
Contentious political and social narratives, such as the labeling of Christian pro-life organizations as “religious extremists” in European abortion advocacy debates, were also discussed. Religious freedom advocates contest these labels as ideologically motivated attempts to silence religious voices in politics.
Future prospects and responses discussed by experts include ensuring legal protections that address new dynamics in secularized societies while respecting diverse religious expressions and avoiding prioritizing some rights over others unjustifiably. They also emphasized the importance of fighting rising religious intolerance through improved monitoring, reporting mechanisms, and inclusive policies.
Promoting pluralism and structural equality was another key point, particularly addressing state funding disparities and surveillance issues faced by minority religions to ensure democratic integration and respect for all faiths in Europe’s diverse societies. Advocating for an inclusive understanding of secularism that balances state neutrality with freedom for public religious expression was also highlighted.
During the discussion, Gudrun Kugler mentioned regulations that force medical students to participate in abortions as a violation of conscience rights. Katharina von Schnurbein recalled recent anti-Semitic attacks in Europe and stressed the importance of working together. Alessandro Calcagno emphasized the importance of respecting all aspects of religious freedom, including religious autonomy rights.
Participants agreed on the need to create an EU coordinator for combating anti-Christian hate crimes. The article was published in Evangelical Focus - Europe and was attended by around 450 guests, including Dr. Katharina von Schnurbein, Dr. Gudrun Kugler, Alessandro Calcagno, and Anja Hoffmann. The intent of the European Prayer Breakfast is to be relationship-driven rather than agenda-driven, according to its organizers. The event is hosted by MEPs and participants from other European institutions, with the goal of fostering ongoing relationships.
- The panel discussion at the European Parliament delved into policy-and-legislation matters, such as the need for legal protections that address new dynamics in secularized societies while respecting diverse religious expressions and avoiding prioritizing some rights over others unjustifiably.
- In the context of general-news, participants from the panel discussion at the European Parliament agreed on the importance of creating policy to combat anti-Christian hate crimes, particularly through improved monitoring, reporting mechanisms, and inclusive policies.
