Role of Faith Groups in EU Discussed

June 27, 2008

Author: Elham Asaad Buaras

Source: The Muslim News

http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/paper/index.php?article=3569

Inclusion not exclusion, that is the verdict on the role of faith groups in the EU at a summit hosted by the UK’s Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy.

The seminar on Faith and Culture in modern Europe was organised in association with the Foreign Office on May 2 with the aim of addressing the ‘ghettoisation’ of faiths and faith groups in the EU.

The discussion held in London was chaired by Labour MP for East Ham, Stephen Timms, as part of the Delivering a Global Europe series of seminars and included contributions from a variety of think tanks, interfaith and non-faith organisations.

The topic of the role of faith in Europe arose during talks on the failed EU constitution as Christians in Europe faced huge opposition from secularists in their attempts to see a ‘God clause’ included in the constitution that would have made reference to the importance of the Judeo-Christian tradition in Europe.