Office of Religious Freedom
| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | February 19, 2013 |
| Employees | 5 |
| Annual budget | C$5,000,000 |
| Agency executive | Andrew P.W. Bennett |
| Parent department | Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade |
| Website |
www |
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The Office of Religious Freedom is an agency of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Government of Canada established to monitor religious oppression and protect freedom of religion internationally.
History
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the Office of Religious Freedom as part of his political campaign during the 2011 Canadian election.[1]
A closed-door meeting about the office was criticized when it was discovered that of the six panellists consulted, four were Christian, one Jewish, and one Baha'i. Harper has denied the office will have a Christian bias, in response to claims of such a bias in a similar office in the US. Harper stated that Canada is "a very different country".[1]
On 19 February 2013, the Office of Religious Freedom was officially opened and Harper announced that Andrew P.W. Bennett would be its first ambassador. Bennett previously worked as a Catholic college dean and a civil servant.[1]
Mandate
The office's stated mandate is to:[2]
- protect, and advocate on behalf of, religious minorities under threat;
- oppose religious hatred and intolerance; and
- promote Canadian values of pluralism and tolerance abroad.
Criticism
The Office of Religious Freedom has been subject to much criticism.
Humanist Canada and the Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC) noted that no secular organizations were consulted about the creation of the office, nor were they invited to the official announcement of the new ambassador.[3] Bob Rae, the then-interim liberal leader, agreed that religious freedom is an important value, but questioned how the newly created office would fit into Canada’s broader efforts to address human rights issues.[4] A representative of the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations raised concerns as to whether the Office was too Christian focused, since the person appointed to lead it was a Catholic.
Endorsement
Former British prime minister Tony Blair, a Roman Catholic, warmly endorsed the Office while in Ottawa in October 2013, "I think the very fact that Canada's taken the step to have an Office of Religious Freedom is a great sign. I think it shows leadership from Canada. And Canada, by the way, in many ways is a perfect place from which to promote this ideal because of the complexion of the country." [5]
Effects
Harper stated that Chinese diplomats were upset that he had "singled out religious persecution in China"[6] during his announcement of the establishment of the office.
Ambassador Bennett has stated that treatment of atheists would also be monitored, but that the priority would be believers.[6]
See also
References
Sources
- CBC News staff (2013-02-19). "Christian college dean to head religious freedom office". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
- Moncton News staff (2013-02-19). Paladin, Richard, ed. "Canada's Office of Religious Freedom". Moncton News. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
- Chase, Steven (7 June 2013). "New religious-freedom watchdog faces uphill battle". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2013-06-07.
External links
- Office of Religious Freedom at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
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