Freedom of Religion

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Brief

Freedom of Religion

Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental, universal human right. It is recognized in core international human rights treaties. It protects every human person, regardless of his or her religion or belief or lack thereof. Freedom of religion or belief has an internal component (forum internum) and an external component (forum externum). The significance given to religious freedom in law is a recognition that a person’s religion or belief, or lack thereof, is a fundamental part of who
he or she is and how he or she lives. Therefore, protection of religious freedom recognizes and preserves human dignity.

Censorship Zones

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Censorship Zones

A censorship zone sets out a defined area around an abortion facility that prevents citizens from engaging in otherwise legal activities within it. Prohibited activities range from the use of amplification equipment to assembling in a group, or even praying quietly alone. Censorship zones around abortion facilities can range from 100 – 800 meters in circumference and are usually intended to prevent any contact between citizens entering a facility and those engaging in pro-life activities.

Euthanasia

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Euthanasia

The principal terms used are ‘euthanasia’ and ‘assisted suicide’. The former is generally understood to be an act or omission that intentionally ends the life of a person ostensibly in order to release him or her from suffering. It should be noted that palliative care, may employ sedation that can, in extreme cases, have the unintended side effect of hastening the natural death of the patient. This is not euthanasia because of the intention behind the act.

ADF India Vanishing Girls

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ADF India Vanishing Girls

Every year in India, girls are killed in the womb simply for being girls. 12 million girls have gone missing in the last three decades. Most females in India are considered a burden on families and have little or no value. The practice of killing girls in the womb is now routine. For every 1,000 male births there are only 918 female births. Existing laws were enacted to stop sex selective abortions, but enforcement of these laws has been feeble. Even with the Pre Conception Pre Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PCPNDT) (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, through 2017, there had been only 449 convictions in a nation of 1.2 billion people. Click here for printable version (large file size)

USCIRF 2020 Annual Report

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USCIRF 2020 Annual Report

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is a bipartisan commission that annually reviews the countries in the world that have the worst record on religious freedom. USCIRF uses the information it receives to make recommendations to the U.S. State Department about what countries should be considered “countries of particular concern.” These countries engage in “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” violations of religious freedom. If the State Department agrees with USCIRF, it can then take actions against these countries.

Summary of the executive order on advancing international religious freedom

On June 2, 2020, United States President Donald Trump signed a historic Executive Order on Advancing International Religious Freedom (Executive Order 13926). The Order is the first executive order in the United States focusing specifically on international religious freedom, and situates the protection of religious freedom worldwide as a central priority for U.S. foreign policy.

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Response to the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls

The UN team has submitted an input to the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights relating to the Questionnaire of the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. Our submission reinforces and restates clearly that there is no international right to an abortion, and there is no humanitarian exception for abortion even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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