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Tuesday, October 25, 2011 The Honourable John Baird, P.C., M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs House of Commons, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0A4 Re: The Office of Religious Freedom Dear Minister, The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada is grateful that you have asked Canadians and stakeholders in religious freedom for input as you prepare for and develop the Office of Religious Freedom. ARPA Canada is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that strives to equip members of Canadas Reformed churches to be active participants in public life. In the last four years we have grown to engage political action in over 140 Reformed Christian congregations. Nineteen local ARPA groups are located in towns and cities across the country, promoting a similar goal through grassroots and volunteer efforts. In this submission we aim to represent the faith-based perspective that is held to by these, and many more, Canadians. The Reformed Church community is intimately involved with the persecuted church throughout the world. Students that come from persecuting nations study at our seminary, refugees are assisted in settling here through volunteer efforts in our community and ministers and other members of our congregations visit and encourage those persecuted in other countries. ARPA Canada and the Reformed Church community are excited about this initiative of the Government of Canada to form a new Office of Religious Freedom (ORF). We encourage this government to give consideration to the following suggestions: 1. The new ORF should produce either a comprehensive, annual report of the religious freedom abuses around the world, designating which countries persecute and which religions are persecuted or a web-based listing which provides on-going updates of all abuses of religious freedom as they occur and as they are monitored. We would prefer the latter for the reasons of immediacy and cost-effectiveness. The report and the web-based listing should include anecdotal evidence.

 2. The new ORF should strive for objectivity and fact-based reporting, regardless of political correctness. For example, 75% of the worlds persecuted people are Christian, and so the Government should not feel ashamed if 75% of the ORFs resources are designated to that faith community. 3. The ORF should have an annual operating budget of $5,000,000 in order to meet its pressing need and to be properly resourced. 4. The ORF should monitor not only the protection or violation of religious beliefs but also the protection or violation of religious practice. Religious freedom includes the right to speak, proselytize, convert, openly worship, and commune with co- religionists. 5. The ORF should continue to ensure that Canada offers its protection to vulnerable religious minorities through Canadas refugee resettlement program and should work with existing domestic religious groups to help resettle these refugees. 6. The ORF should assist emerging democracies in implementing freedom of religion and conscience. The current restructuring of Libya and Afghanistan, where Canadians paid a price for freedom, should be monitored by the ORF. We must insist on and require the full protection of a diversity of religious beliefs and practices in places where Canada has contributed any military intervention of any magnitude or length. 7. The ORF, and DFAIT, should make good on their promises and threats with foreign countries that continue to violate religious freedom. If necessary, Canada should be prepared to use escalating means of sanction, including public statements against foreign policies, trade and economic sanctions, the withholding of foreign aid, and even, in the most extreme instances, military intervention should the circumstances warrant.

Thank you for taking the time to consider these thoughts. We recognize that you have a very difficult position and we pray that the Lord gives you wisdom and courage to make good decisions. Respectfully Submitted, Rev. George van Popta, B.A., M.Div. Andr Schutten, Hons.B.A., LL.B. Advisor on Religious Freedom International General Legal Counsel & Ontario Director Association for Reformed Political Action Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada (ARPA) Canada