Suggestions to strengthen the United Nations draft declaration barring religious intolerance were offered today at the annual session here of the UN Human Rights Commission by representatives of two non-governmental Jewish organizations and one Catholic group.
The representatives were Chief Rabbi Alexander Saffran of Geneva, speaking for Agudat Israel, Dr. Gustav Warburg, of B’nai B’rith, speaking for the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations, and A. Szmikowski, of the Pax Romana. The Coordinating Board includes the Board of Deputies of British Jews, in addition to B’nai B’rith.
Rabbi Saffran asked that the draft convention should ensure the right of all persons to cultivate and express their religious beliefs and to obtain the means to carry out the traditions of their faith. He also proposed that the convention should ensure the right of any religious community to organize on both a local and national basis and to follow its religion in cultural and education frameworks. He suggested that the convention should stimulate also the right of religious communities of any nation to cooperate with religious federations in other countries for religious purposes.
Dr. Warburg and the Pax Romana spokesman commented mainly on the paragraphs about religious freedom. Dr. Warburg stressed the importance of the paragraph to allow the right of religious teaching, asserting that this was important for all religions, particularly Judaism. He said the right to teach and study sacred languages, to obtain facilities to follow dietary rules and to get dietary needs, such as matzon, to form national organizations and to maintain contact with co-religionists abroad was an absolute necessity. Without mentioning the Soviet Union by name, it was clear that he meant that country.
Soviet and later Iraqi delegates charged Israel with intolerance and with discrimination against Arabs and other religions. Israeli Supreme Court Justice Haim Cohen replied to the charges with a brief ironic rejoinder.
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