Religious freedom: what’s all the fuss?

This project has been modestly funded from the Commission’s budget under the National Action Plan to Build on Social Cohesion, Harmony and Security - an initiative aimed at improving the inclusion of Muslim Australians into the civic life of the nation, and addressing the fear and discrimination many experience.

There are many ways an organisation can go about countering this fear and discrimination; and the Commission is doing so through a wide and varied range of activities. The freedom of religion and belief project, as clearly stated in the discussion paper, is to model co-operative approaches to issues relating to religious freedoms. The premise is that by working with all communities - Christian, non-Christian, conservative, progressive, religious, and non-religious - we can gain an understanding about the importance of religion to Australians in 2009.

It is also important to point out that on the opposite side of the ledger, the Commission is accused of bias in favour of religion because two of the principal academic authors have links to Christian traditions (Anglican and Catholic).

It is also worth reminding readers that a substantial number of supplementary papers have been commissioned which will complement the core report. These papers are being authored by highly regarded experts in their specialty fields and will generally broaden the range of issues that will be examined under this research.

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s interest is - and always has been - in having a national discussion to see if there are any ways that groups can continue to be civil to each other or, better still, more civil: a necessary condition to maintain a civil society!

Australia is also a free society. Freedom of thought, expression and belief are fundamental to our lives as Australians. Any attempt to close down discussions about freedoms relating to religion and other belief systems, would be deeply concerning.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is conducting research into freedom of religion and belief - including non-belief - and we are doing so objectively, openly and fairly. Attempts to discredit high quality academic research and the collaboration of Australia’s independent human rights institution are damaging to our efforts to build and sustain a cohesive and inclusive society.