Canada: Religious freedom ambassador gets temporary reprieve

---

Conservative foreign affairs critics and some faith groups, including organizations representing Jewish, Sikh and Ahmadiyya Muslim Canadians, have asked that the Liberals let the office continue its work.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Ottawa Citizen / National Post
By Lee Berthiaume | February 15, 2016

[Excerpts]

OTTAWA — The Liberal government is extending the term of Canada’s ambassador for religious freedom — at least until it can decide what to do with him.

Andrew Bennett’s three-year stint as ambassador was set to expire this coming Friday, but Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion said Monday it is being extended until at least the end of March as the government weighs “how best to preserve and protect all human rights, including the vital freedom of religion or belief.”

“Dr. Andrew Bennett has shown remarkable ingenuity, sensitivity and competency over the past three years in serving as head of Canada’s Office for Religious Freedom and we are grateful for his continued service,” Dion added in an emailed statement.
...
Conservative foreign affairs critics and some faith groups, including organizations representing Jewish, Sikh and Ahmadiyya Muslim Canadians, have asked that the Liberals let the office continue its work. They say its mandate is more important now than ever, thanks to the role of religion in geopolitics. [more ...]
...
[AT] Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper had chosen a mosque in Maple, Ontario in February 2013 to announce the establishment of the office. This mosque hosts the Ahmediya Muslims, a historically persecuted and marginalized religious community in Pakistan declared non-Muslim by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government in 1974. (via Toronto Sun February 21, 2013)


Read original post here: Canada: Religious freedom ambassador gets temporary reprieve


This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Ahmadiyya Times. Ahmadiyya Times is not an organ of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, nor in any way associated with any of the community's official websites.