Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-03-Speech-3-170"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-09-03"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Human rights 20022
dcterms:Language	"fr"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030903.7.3-170"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-09-03-Speech-3-1712
lpv:speaker	lp:Véronique De Keyser2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; PES (2001-09-25--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Parti socialiste (2001-09-25--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, Mr van den Bos’ excellent report has puzzled me on two points. The first is the almost excessive emphasis he places on religion. The second is an implicit idea that we can discern by reading between the lines, namely that freedom of conscience would be guaranteed by tolerance of different beliefs. I will not dwell on the first point: it is a political choice of the rapporteur and has been explained. However, with regard to the second issue, that is, the pluralism of beliefs as support for human rights in a society, I am a great deal more sceptical. Firstly, this idea relegates atheists and agnostics to the rank of infidels, a sort of status by default. However, more seriously, I am convinced that only the structural secularity of a state or a federation of states can guarantee each person’s freedom of conscience. This structural secularity places beliefs where they are needed, in other words in the private domain. It is of little relevance whether one is in private an atheist, a Catholic, a Jew, a Muslim or a follower of any peaceful sect. With regard to sects, I will refer to the words of Anna Morelli, a Belgian historian of religions: what is a sect, if not a religion that has not received the support of a political power. Yet in the public arena, and particularly in the political arena, all religious interference must be banned, all occultist influence denounced. These are the only genuine guarantees of citizens’ freedom of conscience and quite simply of their freedom. The van den Bos report would have been even more forceful if his conclusions had gone this far."@en1

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