A transatlantic partnership for international religious freedom? : the United States, Europe, and the challenge of religious persecution

Abstract

While there are still important misunderstandings and conflicts concerning the very same notion of freedom of religion or belief, many initiatives from different states and international organizations have acknowledged the relevance of this right to their foreign policy options. With the approval in 1998 by the US Congress of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) the United States has pioneered action in the field which has also influenced policies in other states. Building on these premises Section 2 of this article briefly describes the US model envisaged by the IRFA. Section 3 deals with the action undertaken by EU institutions (as shaped by the jurisprudence of European supranational courts), and especially by the European External Action Service (EEAS), for the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief. Section 4 discusses the possibilities of a transatlantic cooperation in the field. Section 5 concludes that given the current difficulties in reaching an agreement on a real agenda for the promotion and protection of religious freedom, Western states should focus their joint efforts on the issue of religious persecution.