The marketplace of ideas is an arena that should be open to all individuals, regardless of political persuasion, religious faith, race or nationality. Unfortunately, governments often exclude religious communities from participating in public debates and exchanges, relegating them to a second-class status. Yet, considering how religious beliefs often provide the framework for discussions on morality, politics and society, excluding the full participation and inclusion of religious-based expression makes for poor public policy.

OSCE commitments on dialogue and inclusion are clear. The Vienna Concluding Document declared participating States will "engage in consultation with religious faiths, institutions and organizations in order to achieve a better understanding of the requirements of religious freedom," and "favorably consider the interest of religious communities to participate in public dialogue, including through the mass media." The Copenhagen Concluding Document added that "everyone will have the right to freedom of expression including the right to communication. This right will include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers."

For a variety of reasons, some participating States have placed limits on the ability of communities to express their religious views. Criminal statutes have been enacted, seeking to penalize the sharing of religious beliefs considered deviant from a particular religious group that enjoys a privileged status with the authorities. Notably, States that limit free speech and religious dialogue are usually countries that fail to provide good governance for their citizens. Yet often, weak or distorted legal systems, plagued by government corruption, only motivate and encourage citizens to speak out more. In Central Asia, religious-based groups are putting forth alternative ideas, despite harsh government condemnation. Yet, by forcing these viewpoints underground, often they become more attractive. Reforming government and allowing free speech is the only long-term answer.

Governments that defend and advance human freedom have learned to trust the marketplace of ideas. Such free societies have seen a variety of religious and political movements enter the marketplace, only to be defeated via a vibrant and healthy public discussion. At the same time, from our own experience, religious movements have played critical roles in injecting new ideas and urging needed reform, such as faith communities during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States or, in the European context, the Catholic Church in Poland during the Cold War. To this end religious groups should be brought into the legislative process by including them and civil society in discussions on the drafting of laws, especially those pertaining to the registration process for entity status for religious groups. This will help ensure that entity status, if required by a State, effectively gives religious communities the legal status they need to carry out the full range of their religious activities.

We encourage participating States to hold inter-faith forums, as well dialogue between government officials, legislative officials, police and judicial officials and religious communities. We encourage OSCE field missions, ODIHR, and the HCNM to assist states in organizing inter-faith roundtable discussions. One example of this could be an open forum series, similar to the Open Forum Speakers’ Program that the U.S. Department of State holds on issues related to U.S. national interests and which features presentations by opinion leaders in government, private industry, academia, the media, and the NGO community.

In closing, we urge all participating States to allow dialogue and free religious expression. OSCE commitments oblige governments to act in this way, and we believe allowing open discussion, while perhaps uncomfortable to individuals or parties in power, will lead to a strong and vibrant society.