Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) says that governmental restrictions on religions freedom have reached their highest level in Europe in two decades.
According to the rights group, Europe has increasingly fallen into what it describes as “managerial” secularism. In theory this means the state is neutral on religious issues. In practice however, the state often has a lot to say about when, where and how religious belief manifests in public.
HRWF argued that this often impacts religious minorities, noting the French ban on religious symbols in public schools and the ban on full-face veils in public spaces.
In fact, recent events would suggest that even majority faiths come into conflict with the authorities when they disagree about proper religious practice.
Last month Bread of Life Community Church came into conflict with Colchester City Council, with the council first objecting to the use of sound amplification in public preaching before quickly raising concerns about the content of the preaching. The case is a clear example of secular authorities trying to determine where and how religious activities can take place.
HRWF hinted at similar concerns, noting that religious activities such as prayers, processions or protests are only permitted within specific times and places.
The group argued, “These events are not banned because they threaten public order, but because they are seen as unfitting for a ‘neutral’ public space. Each measure is presented as neutral, yet together they give governments much more control over religious life.”
Increasing restrictions on public displays of religion are driven, according to HRWF, by increased concerns about terrorism, immigration and the growing presence of Islam.
In a similar vein, other commentators have noted that the September 11 attacks in 2001 helped fuel the rise of the “New Atheist” movement of the early 2000s to mid 2010s. Writers like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens used the attacks as evidence of the danger posed by religious belief.
HWRF argued that secularism is increasingly becoming “a tool to push religion out of common spaces instead of a system that protects equal freedom of conscience for everyone”.
The group also argued that minority faiths are often targeted more as the majority faith is branded as “culture” or heritage” and thus deemed more acceptable.
HWRF called upon European countries to do more to protect religious freedom.
“Secularism should be an impartial framework that makes space for different convictions, not an ideology that tries to strip public life of religion," it said.
"If Europe is serious about human rights, it cannot treat FoRB [Freedom of Religious Belief] as optional.
"FoRB is a key safeguard that protects democracy from the very fear‑driven politics that now endanger it. It is part of the European values politicians so often talk about.”
