U.S. Proposes Worldwide Study of Religious Discrimination

A proposal that the United Nations undertake, for the first time in world history, a comprehensive study of discrimination against religious rights and practices of all peoples, was made here today by Justice Philip Halpern, United States expert on the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

The subcommission, a unit of the Commission on Human Rights, has been meeting here for the last two weeks. Justice Halpern, an associate justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court and a member of the national boards of the Jewish Welfare Board and the Joint Defense Appeal, is one of the 12 experts from as many countries who make up the subcommission.

Justice Halpern’s report, submitted this morning, took its place as the most controversial item thus far reached on the subcommission’s agenda. In diplomatic but firm language, A. A. Fomin, the Soviet expert on the body, attacked portions of Justice Halpern’s report. Mr. Fomin objected particularly to references made by the American jurist to the need for investigating countries where “militant atheism” tries to discriminate against religious practices, and lands where “ideological opposition” attempts to suppress all religions.

Mr. Fomin centered his fire on one paragraph in the Halpern report which suggests that a full study of religious discrimination might avail itself of testimony from “escapees.”

The Halpern report as a whole was heartily approved by the experts from the Western countries. However, two of them–Prof. C. Richard Hiscocks of Britain and Pierre Chatenet of France–tried to bridge the chasm between the Soviet and the American experts by hinting that the “escapee” proposal might be dropped without harming the intentions voiced by the American.

ANTI-SHECHITA LEGISLATION CRITICIZED AT U. N. BY AGUDAH LEADER

One section of Justice Halpern’s report elicited particularly warm interest among the representatives of a number of Jewish non-governmental organizations attending the subcommission’s sessions. That section would authorize a study of discriminatory practices in some countries which charge that certain religious practices are contrary to “public safety, order, health or morals.” The Jewish representatives saw in this section a study aimed at prohibition of Jewish ritual slaughter–shechita–in some countries.

One of the first speakers supporting the Halpern allusion to anti-shechita legislation was Dr. Isaac Lewin, representative of the Agudas Israel World Organization. Dr. Lewin pointed out that the Nazis started out by prohibiting Jewish ritual slaughter–only to end up slaughtering Jews. He insisted that “to prohibit shechita is equivalent to cruelly depriving religious Jews of meat.” He urged the subcommission to adopt the Halpern report.

Among other fundamental freedoms of importance to Jews under discussion before the subcommission–in addition to the freedom to practice shechita–is the freedom to emigrate from countries where Jews are virtual prisoners. When the subcommis-reaches a report dealing with emigration and immigration, it is expected that representatives of Jewish organizations will insist on naming some of the Arab countries and countries in the Soviet bloc, especially Rumania.

Among representatives of Jewish organizations at the session, beside the Agudah, are the World Jewish Congress; Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations–a tri-national group representing the American Jewish Committee, Anglo-Jewish Association and Alliance Israelite Universelle; and Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations-composed of the B’nai B’rith, Board of Deputies of British Jews and South African Jewish Board of Deputies.