CAP Liberté de Conscience is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to defending human rights, with a specialized focus on protecting religious minorities worldwide. While our expertise centers on religious freedom, we recognize that a comprehensive understanding requires insights from diverse expert perspectives.
First of all I would like to thank Mrs Maxette Pirbakas MP and the organisers of this 3rd Faith and Freedom summit for inviting me to give you a presentation on the theme of “the social action of Faith-Based Organizations”. I would like to take you on a journey through time, exploring the profound impact of Faith-Based organisations in promoting peace and social equality from the 15th century to the present day.
The French government has established a system of control over these minorities that is unique in Europe and that leads to serious violations by the State of the principles of freedom of religion or belief, equality of French citizens before the national institutions, and fraternity, by dividing citizens according to whether or not they belong to a recognized religious or belief minority, and by creating a climate of suspicion and sometimes even hatred towards non-traditional beliefs, leading to a deterioration in the quality of peaceful living together.
The United Nations Security Council convened on 2nd June 2023, to discuss the ongoing situation in Sudan.
The members of the Security Council recalled the previous Press Statement issued on 15 April 2023, expressing deep concern regarding the continued military clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.
I will summarize the key points and outcomes of the Security Council’s deliberations.
As we all know, women, along with children, are the most vulnerable targets in wartime.
Gender-based violence and crime, such as rape and the destruction of property and lives, are the greatest threats to women, and these crimes are often overlooked and committed with impunity.
According to UN estimates, even before the fighting broke out on April 15, more than 3 million women and girls in Sudan were at risk of gender-based violence. This figure has since risen to 4.2 million.
They have also encountered restrictions on their language and cultural rights. For instance, the Azeri language, which is widely spoken in Iran, has faced limitations in official settings, education, and media. Iranian law imposes certain restrictions on women, such as compulsory hijab and gender-based segregation in public spaces. It is important to emphasize that these issues are not unique to women of ethnic minority backgrounds in Iran. Women across the country, regardless of their ethnicity, face legal and social challenges that limit their rights and freedoms. I’d like to illustrate the situation of ethnic minority women in Iran with an emblematic case of persecution.
It is high time that Iran listened to the voices from around the world imploring it to comply with the universal principles of respect for human rights for all Iranians, and that the persecution, discrimination, and barbaric behavior of another age cease, so that this great country with a rich and glorious history, can once again become the magnificent Iran.
On April 30th, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for a review of the GSP+ status granted to Pakistan in view of an “alarming” increase in the use of blasphemy accusations in the country as well as rising number of online and offline attacks on journalists and civil society organisations, it emerged on Friday.
