US State Department to step up support of religious freedom in Europe and Asia

The US State Department announced a new project, directed at the support of religious minorities, including sects, in Europe and South-East Asia. A subcontractor is supposed to create “coalitions” of civil organizations for them to lobby interests of religious minorities in governments of the project-promoting countries, writes Life.

It is said there will be involved “creative and innovative approaches”, in particular, the use of media capacity to promote “religious freedoms” for target audiences.” The Evangelist or Pentecostal sect also falls under “protection” by the USA as a target audience in Europe and Asia.

Besides, the project foresees youth programs for religious minorities.

In order to lobby programs on religious minorities in South-East Asia attracting far more allocated funds than those in Europe, the State Department is ready to hire local non-profit organizations to put pressure on regulators with a view to bringing the domestic legislation in compliance with international standards of freedom of religion.

Within the program the State Department is going to shape local political movements so that they could have a more tolerant attitude to their interaction with religious minorities, an ultimate goal being the creation of coalitions made of Parliamentarians for the promotion of religious freedoms.

A separately going project vector is the protection of Muslims against violence in Europe, where, according to Washington, their rights and freedoms are violated. Besides, the State Department is determined to fight with anti-Semitism and discrimination of certain Protestant communities in some above mentioned countries due to their domestic laws.