NEW DELHI — Religious leaders in India have appealed to President Abdul Kalam to help repeal the so-called “Freedom of Religion” laws passed by a half-dozen states that they say restrict the ability of citizens to convert to non-Hindu faiths.
In a joint July 20 statement, the interfaith coalition of clergy called the laws “superfluous” and said they “serve only to intimidate religious minorities and to obstruct freedom of faith.”
Among the more than 100 signers of the statement are the presidents of the All India Catholic Union and the All India Christian Council and the general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India.
Other signers from the Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist faiths include lawyers, academics and civil society activists.
A pro-Hindu ruling party in some northern and western states has brought forward legislation to restrict what it characterizes as forced Christian conversions that disrupt national harmony. The move has prompted an outcry from Christian leaders, who deny forcing any conversions. They also say such laws violate religious freedom and human-rights laws.
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