International

 
 
The Becket Fund is dedicated to protecting the religious freedom of people of all faiths.  The search for truth is innate to the human condition, and part of what makes it so rich.  We believe that the freedom to inquire after the truth--and after God--crosses cultures, geography, and language.

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INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM NEWS SERVICE

Every week, we compile media coverage of top religious freedom headlines from around the globe. Visit the new International Religious Freedom News blog for the most up-to-date religious freedom news from around the world:

http://becketinternational.wordpress.com

We also offer our International Religious Freedom News service in a weekly newsletter deliviered directly to your e-mail inbox.  To sign up for this and other e-mail services from The Becket Fund, click here.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. All human beings -- not just American citizens -- are entitled to that freedom. And that is because the right is rooted in the inherent dignity of the human person, not in the fickle will of the state.

Thus, Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirms, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights… [and] endowed with reason and conscience.” And Article 18 specifies that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice worship and observance.” Other international treaties not only echo the same principles, but lend them the force of law.

The Becket Fund advocates for religious freedom internationally in accordance with these principles.  Areas of special concern include laws prohibiting religious apparel and other forms of peaceful religious expression; laws that prohibit proselytizing or religious conversion; the persecution of “unregistered” religious groups; and the seizure or destruction of houses of worship.

Click on the following to learn more about what the Becket Fund does in these areas.

Scholarship

The Becket Fund's academic arm, The Becket Institute in Rome, supports scholarship on the legal, anthropological, philosophical, and political dimensions of religious liberty.  The Becket Fund also conducts training for the legal community in countries with developing legal systems.  Read about The Becket Fund's semester teaching the first class on U.S. Constitutional Law to law students in China.
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Advocacy

In the public arena, The Becket Fund’s status as an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has enabled it to advocate at the U.N. Human Rights Commissions in Geneva.  Attorneys at the Becket Fund have testified before the U.S. Congress on international religious freedom issues.  Attorneys have testified about religious persecution in Sri Lanka, India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijian, Sweden, and Malaysia.
 
The Becket Fund's advocacy work extends into public education, and The Becket Fund has sponsored "Body of Belief," a traveling exhibit of religious attire and symbols, including headscarves, turbans, stars of David, Native American symbols, crosses, and ties, that have been banned in many countries. 
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The Law

As a law firm, The Becket Fund files lawsuits -- on behalf of people of all faiths -- to enforce these laws in international tribunals, such as the U.N. Human Rights Committee(UNHRC), the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and in domestic courts of countries abroad.
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RESOURCES

Universal Periodic Reports (UPR's)

The Universal Periodic Review is a newly created process at the United Nations by which the human rights records of all UN member states will regularly be examined through a common review process.  Click here for a full list of links to the reports The Becket Fund submitted to the UN Human Rights Council for UPR's.

The Becket Fund has submitted reports on the following countries:

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Litigation

Our Cases

• Australia -- Criminalizing Religious Speech -- Pastors Scot and Nalliah
• Azerbaijan -- Seizing Religious Property -- Juma Mosque
• France -- Banning Religious Attire -- United Sikhs
• Malaysia - State Imposed Religious Designations - Lina Joy
• Sri Lanka -- Criminalizing Religious Conversion
• Sweden -- Criminalizing Religious Speech -- Ake Green

Media Releases

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2000

Media Coverage

2009 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

Scholarship

• "Interview on Egypt and Malaysia," January 15, 2010