Four drafts proposing a United Nations declaration of the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance were introduced here today before the Human Rights Commission’s Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.The drafts were presented and debated in the face of stiff opposition by the subcommission’s two-man bloc of Communist-members, one representing the Soviet Union, the other from Poland.
The sponsors of the drafts, in the order in which they were presented, were Sir Arcot Krlshnaswami, of India; Morris B. Abram, the United States expert on the group, who is chairman of the executive board of the American Jewish Committee; Peter Calvocoresai, the British expert on the group; and Dr. Isaac Lewin, representing 23 Orthodox Jewish organizations around the world affiliated with Agudath Israel. Agudah has consultative status before the subcommission as do a number of other world Jewish organizations. Among these is the World Jewish Congress. Dr. Maurice L. Perlzweig, the WJC’s permanent representative here, was one of the discussants of the draft declarations.
Representing the Communist bloc, Wojciech Ketrzynski, of Poland, who has been objecting to a debate on religious freedoms along with his Soviet colleague, Boris S. Ivanov, argued at length against the adoption of any of the four drafts. He insisted that the world needs a UN declaration on intolerance by religious groups against non-believers. All four draft declarations cover essentially the same ground. All are linked in one way or another with the precepts calling for religious freedoms expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted without dissent by the UN General Assembly in 1948.
AIMED AT SOVIET SUPPRESSION OF JEWISH RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES
Three of the drafts–all but the one Introduced by the British expert–are aimed In part against the Soviet Union’s persecutions against practitioners of the Jewish religion. While none of these documents mentions the Soviet Union by name–adhering to a sub commission rule forbidding criticisms against specific countries–the Krishnaswaml, Abram and Lewin drafts place into sharp focus prohibitions against anti-Semitic practices in the USSR, including such practices as the closing of synagogues, the denial of the Russian community’s right to observe kashruth and to have matzoh for Passover, denial to Jews of the right of association for religious purposes, and denial of the right to teach, Learn and disseminate Jewish sacred works in the Hebrew language.
All of the drafts also make it mandatory upon all states to implement principles of the rights of religious practice, and to pass legislation to such effect while wiping off the statute books any laws that prohibit religious rights and practices. The official sponsors–Sir Arcot, Mr. Abram and Mr. Calvocoressi–addressing the subcommission, each urged the adoption of his draft.
In his address, Mr. Abram stressed one clause in his proposed draft–which appears also in another form in the Krishnaswami document–urging that states which control the means of production must make it possible for any religious practitioner to make, buy and distribute such articles as his religion prescribes. It was clear to all in the subcommission that he was aiming directly at the Soviet Union’s denial to Russian Jews of the right to make or buy dietary articles or to print and publish prayer books or to make or buy prayer shawls or prayer books.
RUSSIA CHARGED WITH PRACTICING ‘CULTURAL GENOCIDE’ AGAINST JEWS
Prior to the subcommission’s session this morning, Mr. Abram, at a press conference, made the Soviet Union the target of an accusation that it practices “cultural genocide” against the Jewish people–again without naming the USSR specifically. “All states,” he said, “must find some way to deal with cultural genocide. A state can destroy an ethnic group by destroying that groups schools and other means of cultural outlets. I know of one state where the Jewish group is forbidden to enjoy its cultural attachments.”
Dr. Lewin, summarizing his draft, consisting of 16 articles, told the subcommission that his proposal would condemn religious discriminations; would deal with the position of a state toward religious discriminations; establish the rights of the individual to religious freedom; prohibit incitement to religious hatred and violence; and recognize the “principles of religious tolerance as a natural right of every human being.”
Dr. Perlzweig, in his intervention, expressed “apprehension” whether the subcommission time table will permit adoption of any of the proposed drafts. He told the subcommission that, contrary to some opinions, “the problem of religious intolerance is still widespread, and discrimination on religious grounds even leads to violence.”
Hernan Santa Cruz, of Chile, chairman of the subcommission, pointed out that so much time has been taken up since the body convened 10 days ago discussing draft conventions for the elimination of racial tolerance, that it may not be possible to reach a vote on the religious item. He noted that there is still much work to be done on the convention against racism. The debate on racism had been interrupted to provide some time today for the debate on religious freedoms. Mr. Calvocoressi, also alluding to the lack of time, urged the adoption of his draft, which is much shorter and more concise than the other documents.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
