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The IARF has general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It maintains representatives in New York and Geneva.

The IARF Council in 1998 passed a Policy on Religious Freedom that guides the work of the Association.

Mr. ROSSI (International Association for Religious Freedom) said that his organization wished to draw the attention of the Commission to gross and systematic violations of human rights and basic freedoms in Saudi Arabia. It was the only country in the world that expressly forbade the public practice of any religion other than Islam, in spite of the presence of many non-Muslims among its immigrant workers.

Although neither Mohammed nor the Koran had ever forbidden Jews and Christians living in the Arabian peninsular to profess their religion, the Saudi Arabian authorities not only denied them the right to have their places of worship but even to meet in private. Those policies were in strange contradiction with the proclamations on the Saudi Arabian embassy Web site in Washington, which stated that God proclaimed in the Koran that human rights were universal and that all individuals should be able to enjoy them whether in Islamic States or in others.

The Commission could not continue to ignore such grave violations of human rights. In particular, its member States with Christian majorities, especially the United States of America, which guaranteed the Muslims the right to profess and propagate their religion and build mosques - often with Saudi Arabian financial assistance - should speak out in defence of the rights of their fellow citizens working in Saudi Arabia, and require the Saudi Government to respect the human dignity of all individuals.

GIANFRANCO ROSSI, of International Association for Religious Freedom, addressed the problem of religions intolerance. There had been a rise in religious extremism. All religious preached harmony and peace, yet these preachings were sometimes ignored in practice. Unfortunately there were erroneous traditions supported by official representatives of religions and States. It was important to move away from these trends if respect for human rights was to be maintained.

The Minister of Education of Tunisia had been quoted as having said that some traditions ran counter to traditional Islamic laws, and that the Sharia ran counter to some Qu'ranic principles in the treatment of women. Afghanistan was an example of the most inhumane religious regime in the whole world. This regime could destabilize the whole region. Reality showed that a number of Islamic States such as Sudan, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia still maintained religious laws which were intolerant, against human rights and misrepresented Islam.

Item 12 : Integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective - a) Violence against women

81. Mr. ROSSI (International Association for the Protection of Religious Freedom) said that on 8 March 2000, women in 148 countries had loudly expressed their determination to react against oppression and discrimination and to fight for equal rights with men. The obstacles to the achievement of that objective included, inter alia, traditions related to religion and, in particular, as the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance had pointed out, religious extremism mainly targeting women. For example, the extremely difficult situation of women in Afghanistan was the result of the implementation of religious rules deriving from an extremist view of Islam. The Taliban applied Islamic law, the Shariah, with all the discrimination it involved, including the prohibition on the exercise of management functions by women, the obligation to wear the Islamic scarf and death by stoning in the event of infidelity. There were, however, prominent Muslim experts, such as Professor Mohammed Talbi of the University of Tunis, who had written Plaidoyer pour un islam moderne and who were fervent advocates of full equality between the sexes in all areas without exception. That was also the position of the representative of Guinea, who had said that, as an expression of the divine message, Islam proclaimed the equal rights of men and women. Tunisia, an Islamic country, could be cited as an example in that regard. The new Tunisian laws prohibited polygamy and provided for equality of rights between men and women in respect of inheritance, divorce, access to education and employment.

82. The Commission should request the leaders of the world’s major religions to ensure that the equality of the fundamental rights of men and women was recognized and that their teachings were cleansed of extremism.

Item 14 : Particular groups and individuals - b) Minorities

GIANFRANCO ROSSI, of the International Association for Religious Freedom, said that States should take measures so that minorities, including religious minorities, could exercise all human rights without any discrimination and in full equality. Many minorities, including religious minorities, could not enjoy all human rights. They were the victims of discrimination, intolerance and persecution. For example, in Kashmir, there were terrible terrorist attacks against the Hindu and Sikh minorities. In Pakistan, the Ahmadis were not allowed to be called Muslims and many had been executed. In Iran, the Baha'is were victims of lengthy imprisonment. In China, religious minorities had limited freedom and were persecuted. Tens of thousands of followers of Falun Gong had been imprisoned. Laws were also being adopted in European countries to deny the freedom of religious minorities. Situations in Turkmenistan and France were referred to.

Submitted by Sue Nichols, IARF Alternatate UN representative - January 24, 2001

The NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief maintains an active program at the UN in New York. Nearly 100 people members, of more than 50 organisation (both religious and secular), are on the mailing list. About 25 generally attend monthly meetings, generally held from September through May. This report covers the NGO Committee's activities during the year 2000.

As one of several IARF Representatives at the UN, my major commitment is to serve to the best of my ability as Secretary of the NGO committee.

In addition to its monthly meetings, each November the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief organises a major event to observe the anniversary of the November 25, 1981 adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. The seventh Annual Day for Freedom of Religion or Belief, marking the 19th anniversary of the Declaration , was held on November 5, 2000. This meeting, as always, was organised mainly by the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, with co-sponsorship by the NGO Committee on Human Rights, the Committee NGOs at the United Nations and the Values Caucus, Speakers were Dr. David Saperstein, Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Professor Cole Durham, Brigham Young University Law School. The topic addressed was "Freedom of Religion or Belief: Reports are in -- Are Results Achievable?" More than 30 Ambassadors, from countries in all parts of the world, agreed to being listed as Honorary Patrons. Attendance was good -- more than double the usual attendance at monthly meetings.

The NGO Committee maintains active and continuing connections with the "Oslo Coalition", the continuing working group established at the 1998 Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, sponsored by the Government of Norway, at which I presented a workshop on the work of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief . In Oslo, keynote speakers included the Venerable Chung Ok Lee, Won Buddhism International and Professor Abdelfattah Amor, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of religion or Belief.

In addition to my work with the NGO Committee, I was one of four "convenors" for the general theme of "Religion" for the Millennium Forum held at the UN in May 2000 in preparation for the Millennium Summit and Millennium General Assembly, both held in September. In preparation for the Forum, the four convenors (Chung Ok Lee, Won Buddhism International; Nikoo Mahboubain, Baha'i International Community and George Younger. Baptist World Alliance) worked for several months, contacting religious leaders, academics and NGO's, to invite them to contribute ideas for documents and to participate in the Forum.

Special Rapporteur Amor is the most important contact for the NGO Committee in the UN Human Rights structure. In addition to reporting to the UN Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly, he maintains regular contact with the NGO committee, often meeting with its members. When he was in New York in October to make his presentation to the 55th Session of the General Assembly, he addressed the monthly meeting of the NGO Committee, speaking on "Current State and New Developments in Protection and Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief"

Professor Amor's assistant, Patrice Gillibert, who works in the Geneva Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, held an informal consultation with members of the NGO Committee in December. This meeting focused on the need to move UN efforts for freedom of religion or belief "from words to deeds" - a perennial problem, which, nonetheless, NGOs continue to address. This meeting produced very positive feelings, and high hopes that progress can be made.

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