On Tuesday, 29 November 2016 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, asked the Committee to inquire into and report on The status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief. An interim report of the committee was issued in November, 2017. On Wednesday, 3 April 2019, the Committe tabled its second interim report for the Inquiry into the status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief.
Australia
Statement on Christchurch shootings
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the peak representative body of the Australian Jewish community is shocked and deeply saddened by the killing of worshippers at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. From the information available to the public, it appears that the murderer or murderers were motivated by white supremacist, neo-Nazi ideology. To kill unarmed … Read more
Australian National Imams Council – 12th General Assembly
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) held its 12th General Assembly and AGM on Sunday 3 March 2019 in Sydney. The General Assembly of ANIC discussed and considered various topics and affairs that concern Australian Muslims. It also discussed various proposals and strategies relating to, and the future direction of, ANIC and the Australian Muslim community.
2019 World Interfaith Harmony Week – Parliament House, Canberra
The co-convenors of the Parliamentary Friends of Multiculturalism, the Member for Calwell Maria Vamvakinou and the Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent commemorated the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week with a guest speaker in partnership with the Canberra Interfaith Forum and Religions for Peace Australia in Parliament House Canberra, on Wednesday, 13 February 2019. Rabbi Shmueli Feldman of Chabad ACT delivered the keynote address.
World Interfaith Harmony Week Address: Religion and Human Rights in Australia
Former head of Australia’s Human Rights Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs, gave an address on Religious Freedom in celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week 2019 – at Melbourne University – on 5th of February 2019 to an audience of 400 interested persons.
Multifaith – Interfaith Australia: An Audit of Activities
Religions for Peace Australia – through the offices of the National Secretary, Dr. Susan Ennis and oversight from the Chair, Professor Emeritus Desmond Cahill, has conducted an audit of mulitfaith and interfaith activity in each state along with the National Capital. The Audit results find skewed activities and significant variations in support of multifaith and interfaith activity. An overview of the report is given, and the document is available for reading.
PM wants Muslim leaders to do more to prevent terrorism, but what more can they do?
The Prime Minister has said that religious leaders – of all congregations – and all faiths, are responsible for the conduct of members of their faith community. In this article, Prof. Greg Barton – who often addresses interfaith groups – highlights an issue with the Prime Minister’s so-called proclamation of responsibility for faith leaders.
Statement: Tree of Life Synagogue
Religions for Peace Australia is shocked and deeply saddened to hear of uncalled for attack and subsequent deaths at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg during a family service. Religions for Peace Australia calls for people of all faiths to stand in solidarity with our Jewish Community as well as holding them in our … Read more
Op-Ed: The New Nazis: How the meme-rich world of the internet is a threat in Australia
Everyone’s Nazi these days, it seems. Bothered by punctuation mistakes? You’re a grammar Nazi. Like to protest hate speech? A leftist Nazi.
Nazi is most often used in our society to describe a person intolerant of the beliefs of others. It’s become a confusing term, with some even believing that Nazis were actually socialists (for what it’s worth, they weren’t).
Australia: The Man Box
An Australian first study by Jesuit Social Services’ The Men’s Project involving 1,000 men aged 18 to 30 has shown that young men who comply with society’s pressures to be a ‘real man’ report poorer mental health, are twice as likely to consider suicide, more likely to commit acts of sexual harassment and experience and perform acts of violence and bullying.
Australia: Global Week of Living the Change
Living the Change is a multi-faith sustainable living initiative designed to support and celebrate people of faith making personal behaviour changes in three areas — transportation, home energy use, and diet — which all have a high impact on climate change. The initiative is led by a diverse religious and spiritual leaders working together with scientific experts in sustainable consumption practices. In Australia, the Global Week of Living the Change will be celebrated in Brisbane, Sydney, NSW South Coast, Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide.
Australians speak on Living The Change
Across Australia, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change supporters – and fellow travellers of good will – will have the opportunity to attend Week of Living the Change celebrations in the week of October 7 – 14. Here, we bring you video of Australians from different faiths and religious traditions on why they are Living the Change.
