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| Canadian Prime Minister ] announced the Office of Religious Freedom as part of his campaign during the ].<ref name=CBC/> | Canadian Prime Minister ] announced the Office of Religious Freedom as part of his campaign during the ].<ref name=CBC/> | ||
| On 19 February 2013, the |
On 19 February 2013, the Office of Religious Freedom was officially opened and Harper announced that ] would be its first ambassador. Bennett worked previously as a Catholic dean and a civil servant.<ref name=CBC/> | ||
| ==Criticism== | ==Criticism== | ||
Revision as of 11:46, 23 February 2013
Canada's Office of Religious Freedom is an office of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade set up to protect freedom of religion internationally.
History
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the Office of Religious Freedom as part of his campaign during the 2011 Canadian election.
On 19 February 2013, the Office of Religious Freedom was officially opened and Harper announced that Andrew Bennett would be its first ambassador. Bennett worked previously as a Catholic dean and a civil servant.
Criticism
A closed-door meeting about the office was criticized when it was discovered that of the six panellists consulted, four were Christian, one Jewish, and one Baha'i. Harper has denied the office will have a Christian bias, in response to claims of such a bias in a similar office in the US. Harper stated that Canada is "a very different country".
References
- ^ CBC News staff (19 February 2013). "Christian college dean to head religious freedom office". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
Further reading
- Sanders, Doug (6 October 2012). "'Religious freedom' sends the wrong message to the wrong people". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 23 February 2013.