| INTERNATIONAL
COALITION
FOR RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM |
|
| |
International
Coalition for Religious Freedom
(ICRF)
is dedicated to defending the
religious
freedom of all, regardless of
creed, gender or ethnic origin.
It promotes the vision of religious
freedom found in Article 18 of
the United Nations Universal Declaration
of Human Rights:
Everyone
has the right to freedom of thought,
conscience and religion; this
right includes freedom to change
his religion or belief, and freedom,
alone or in community with others,
and, in public or private, to
manifest his religion or belief
in teaching, practice, worship
and observance.
ICRF's
American predecessor, the Coalition
for Religious Freedom (CRF), began
by leading demonstrations protesting
the unjust trial and imprisonment
of Reverend Moon in 1984. It soon
evolved into a broad-based network
of religious leaders and civil
rights activists fighting against
state interference in church affairs.
CRF carried out effective legal
and educational battles against
the so-called anti-cult movement
and the practice of kidnapping
adult believers for the purpose
of breaking their faith, known
as |
|
"deprogramming."
Reverend Jerry Falwell said of
its efforts,
"The Coalition for Religious
Freedom is at the
cutting edge in the crucial battle
to preserve our sacred God-given
rights of religious liberty."
The scope of ICRF's
work for religious freedom is
international. Having helped defeat
"deprogramming" in the
U.S. in the 1980s, it is now working
to bring an end to this practice
in other nations, particularly
Japan. It has recently been in
the fore front of efforts to educate
European governments in the face
of prejudiced reports denigrating
minority religions as "sects"
and "cults."
In 1998, ICRF
held international conferences
in Washington, Tokyo, Berlin and
Sao Paulo on the theme, "Religious
Freedom in the New Millennium."
These meetings brought together
scholars, legal experts, religious
leaders and tries to address pressing
issues related to the future of
religious freedom. Among the participants
were Nobel Laureate and former
president of Costa Rica Oscar
Arias, former prime minister of
Ireland Sir Albert Reynolds, and
Charles Canady, current chairman
of the U.S. House Subcommittee
on the |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
ICRF executive
director Dan Fefferman introduces the head
table at the
opening banquet of the Conference on Religious
Freedom and the New
Millenium in Tokyo, 1998. |
Constitution.
ICRF
publishes the quarterly "International
Religious Freedom Reportˇ± and maintains one
of the leading resources on religious freedom
on the Internet.
|
|
to
religious freedom holds out the hope that,
as more nations recognize the essential nature
of this principle, the greater the possibility
that their citizens will know lasting peace
and prosperity. I am honored to salute your
efforts.ˇ± |
| "The
ability to worship one's Creator --however
that Supreme Being is perceived-- is a fundamental
right surpassing all thers.... This conference
devoted |
| |
-Newt
Gingri |
|
|
