2005 News Archives

Trinidad and Tobago: Prime Minister Speaks Out for Religious Freedom

Posted August 21, 2009

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad… "Religion can be the most powerful force for liberty in society," affirmed H.E. Patrick Manning, prime minister of Trinidad andTobago. "However religion can also be one of the root causes of division, with intolerance of others, belief in the monopoly of sacred knowledge, and the incapacity to see alternatives."

Indonesian Leaders Visit IRLA Headquarters

Posted August 21, 2009

Silver Spring, Maryland, USA... "We work to make religious freedom work," said Robert Nixon, one of the vice presidents for the International Religious Freedom Association (IRLA).

United States: Senator Clinton Promotes Religious Freedom Issues at IRLA Event

Posted August 21, 2009

April 8, 2005. Washington, District of Columbia, United States .... [Mark A. Kellner/ANN/IRLA] "Religious liberty is one of the most important issues on the world's agenda today," said United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who made the case for both freedom of religion and the right not to choose one, at a dinner sponsored by the International Religious Liberty Association, "Liberty" magazine and the North American Religious Liberty Association.

IRLA Participates in Open Forum with UN Special Rapporteur

Posted August 21, 2009

Geneva, Switzerland… United Nations representative for the International Religious Liberty Association, Dr Jonathan Gallagher, took advantage of an April 7 open forum to seek support for its program.

Muslim Leader Visits IRLA Headquarters

Posted August 21, 2009

Silver Spring, MD, USA… May 12, 2005. On his first visit to the United States of America, Mr. Wisoot Binlateh, director for the Department of Academic and Foreign Affairs at the Songkhla Islamic Center in Bangkok, Thailand, had the opportunity to meet with officials from the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

IRLA Secretary General Speaks at Major International Congress

Posted August 21, 2009

Santiago de Compostela, Spain… Under the auspices of the United Nations and UNESCO, the famous historical city of Santiago de Compostela in the province of Galicia, Spain, hosted the world Conference on Peace, Solidarity and Development from March to May 2005. Dr. John Graz, Secretary General of the IRLA was invited as speaker to the special international congress on "Religion, Dialogue, Solidarity and Development" held May 25-27.

IRLA Awards Special Commendations

Posted August 21, 2009

St. Louis, Missouri, USA... At a special meeting in St. Louis on July 1, special commendations were given to Robert Nixon Esq., Mitchell Tyner Esq., and Viktor Vitko for their long-standing commitment and contributions to the cause of religious liberty.

IRLA Hosts Muslim Women Leader

Posted August 21, 2009

On August 31, the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) hosted Ms. Yasmin Busran Lao, executive director for the Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation, Inc., in Quezon City, the Philippines.

Indonesian Leader Visits IRLA HQ

Posted August 21, 2009

On August 2, Mr. Muhamman Adnan of the Central Java Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), Semarang, Java Tengah, from Indonesia visited the IRLA office and met with officers and members of the Adventist Church to learn about constitutional underpinnings for separation of church and state.

Dr Gallagher Visits Peru

Posted August 21, 2009

As part of the ongoing program to highlight human rights and religious freedom, Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, deputy-secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association visited Peru. He attended a regional meeting on human rights education sponsored by the UN, and gave one of the featured presentations entitled "Human Rights, Religion, and Peace." He took advantage of the visit to hold briefings in Lima on religious liberty concerns, and spoke twice at the Adventist University. Interviewed by local radio station, he also underlined the vital importance of freedom of conscience and the right to believe as fundamental principles in a democratic society.

Peru: Proposed Law on Religious Freedom and Equality Submitted to Government

Posted August 21, 2009

Lima, Peru… In a highly-significant move, a working group on religious freedom and equality has completed the project it was assigned and submitted a proposed law to the Peruvian government's Ministry of Justice on September 27. If the proposed legislation enters into law, it will guarantee equality of treatment for all religions and persons, says Dr. Abelardo Muro, one of the bill's writers and proponents.

UN Expert on Religious Intolerance Appeals for Support

Posted August 21, 2009

New York, NY… United Nations expert Ms. Asma Jahangir appealed for greater support in the fight against religious intolerance during a meeting in New York on October 24. She also commended the IRLA's work, saying "you have been in the forefront of fighting religious intolerance, wanting a space for every human being to believe what they want to."

Republic of Georgia: New Religious Freedom Initiative Launched

Posted August 21, 2009

Tbilisi, Georgia… In a breakthrough for religious freedom, a new organization dedicated to promoting this fundamental human right was launched October 23.

Religious Freedom Experts Confront Bans on Religious Expression

Posted August 21, 2009

Sigüenza, Spain… Highly-controversial bans on religious expression, such as the French government's outlawing of the Islamic headscarf in public schools and a recent court judgment on a Turkish government headscarf prohibition, have brought a detailed response and analysis by religious freedom experts this week.

"Not Taking Religion as Seriously as We Should": Call to Government from Religious Freedom Coalition

Posted August 21, 2009

Silver Spring, Maryland... ; The major problem with government and foreign policy is that "we're not taking religion as seriously as we should," according to the featured speaker at the Washington Coalition’s meeting on October 27.