The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted April 27 in favor of Resolution 2163 “The Protection of the Rights of Parents and Children Belonging to Religious Minorities.”
The resolution, introduced by PACE Rapporteur Valeriu Ghiletchi, is summarized on the Council of Europe website:
“The European population is increasingly diverse, which is reflected in the variety of religious communities. However, people belonging to religious minorities may face an increased risk of marginalisation or unjustified limitations on freedom of religion. Peaceful coexistence between people of different religious and ethnic affiliations requires consistent enforcement of the fundamental rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. In this field, this applies in particular to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right of parents to provide their children with an education in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions. The fundamental right of children to education in a critical and pluralistic manner should also be taken into account.”
The resolution further specifies:
- The Assembly finds that new religious movements and religious minorities are especially at risk regarding the infringement of these rights by some member States.
- Derogatory labeling of religious minorities as ‘sects’, ‘sectarian’, ‘cults’ or any other term generates bias and stigmatization and leads to undue restrictions to a parent’s right to raise and educate their children in conformity with their own beliefs.
- The Assembly therefore resolves to study and identify cases where member States do not respect the rights of parents to educate children according to their own religious and philosophical convictions, especially with regard to minorities.
The full measure is available here.
