Canada’s new Office of Religious Freedom raises concerns

By Leah Bjornson

The Conservatives’ newly revealed vision for an Office of Religious Freedom in Canada has caused many to question the intention behind the office’s creation.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Andrew Bennett, the previous dean of Augustine College in Ottawa, has been appointed as ambassador to the office. In the official announcement, Harper stated, “Dr. Bennett is a man of principle and deep convictions, and he will encourage the protection of religious minorities around the world so all can practice their faith without fear of violence and repression.”
In November 2012, when the office was first announced, the federal government stated that the ORF would promote religious tolerance by “protecting, and advocating on behalf of religious minorities under threat; opposing religious hatred and intolerance; and, promoting the Canadian values of pluralism and tolerance abroad.”
Despite the government’s claims that the $5 million office will support pluralism and an individual’s freedom of religious choice, the office itself and foreign affairs minister John Baird have been accused of having a Christian bias.
When citing instances of religious violence, Baird referred exclusively to Christian victims: Baha’i practitioners in Iran, Coptic Christians in Egypt, Roman Catholic priests in China, and Catholics in Nigeria. Furthermore, Baird had only consulted western authorities like the Vatican and the Aga Khan during the creation of this office.
“We have tried to participate,” wrote Doug Thomas, the president of Secular Connexion Seculaire (SCS), in an article in the Huffington Post. “I tried to present our case to the minister of foreign affairs, John Baird, at the time of the original announcement. Months later, Mr. Baird, or rather one of his minions, responded by repeating passages from the original announcement that did not mention persecuted atheists at all.”
Liberal foreign affairs critic Dominic LeBlanc has voiced a concern that the ORF may hold religious rights above others. “In regions where this office is likely to be active, religion often conflicts with our understanding of other important human rights, including LGBTQ and women’s rights,” LeBlanc said in a recent press release. “This government must explain how it will guarantee that it does not feed a perception that religious rights are supreme.”
In Canada, anywhere from 19 to 30 per cent of citizens classify themselves as atheists or agnostics. While discrimination against non-believers is not a prominent issue in Canada, it occurs around the world, including in the US, where atheists are restricted from entering public office. For such individuals, the ORF may represent a government initiative from which they are excluded.
Concerning questions of bias or Christian-centrism, Bennett made his position on the matter explicit at his first press conference. “All people of faith and, again, those who choose not to have faith, need to be protected, their rights need to be respected,” Bennett said. “That’s what this office is about.”
Bennett’s colleague, Augustine College administrator Harold Visser, reinforced this in an interview with Global News: “There’s nothing in me that says Andrew is going to be, as some would suggest, some kind of Christian fundamentalist who’s out there to bang the Christian drum.”
The ORF is currently facing its first challenge in the form of a call from Tibetan exile Lobsang Sangay to send Bennett to Tibet, a move that would no doubt anger huge Canadian trading partner, China.
Meanwhile, the intention behind the office continues to be called into question. “Elevating religious freedom above other freedoms . . . violates the principle of the separation of church and state,” wrote iPolitics columnist Tasha Kheiriddin. “Religion and politics don’t mix — not in Canada, at any rate.”