{"id":6453,"date":"2026-09-19T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanbuddhistunion.com\/religious-freedom-under-pressure\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T16:00:00","slug":"religious-freedom-under-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanbuddhistunion.com\/de\/religious-freedom-under-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Religionsfreiheit unter Druck: Die Europ\u00e4ische Buddhistische Union und die Zukunft der Rechte in Europa"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 9 May 2026, Brussels hosted the annual assembly of the European Buddhist Union, EBU, bringing together representatives of Buddhist communities from across the continent. This year\u2019s theme \u2014 \u201cRespect for the Religious Rights of Buddhists in Europe\u201d \u2014 is anything but symbolic. It reflects a growing awareness that freedom of belief and religious practice, long regarded as cornerstones of European democracy, can no longer be taken for granted.<\/p>\n\n

Europe finds itself in a period marked by profound strain: armed conflicts at its borders, deepening political polarisation within, and the resurgence of nationalist rhetoric and intolerance that challenge cultural and religious pluralism. In such a climate, even communities traditionally perceived as quiet presences in public life \u2014 including Buddhist communities \u2014 encounter legal, social and cultural obstacles that restrict the full expression of their religious identity.<\/p>\n\n

Was ist Buddhismus ohne Freiheit?<\/h2>\n\n

The central question guiding this year\u2019s assembly was as simple as it was radical: how can one practise one\u2019s faith when social, political and cultural conditions act as a constraint \u2014 or even an outright prohibition? The issue extends beyond the formal guarantees enshrined in European treaties. It concerns the lived reality of faith: the ability to practise openly, to transmit teachings, to organise communities and to be recognised as a legitimate part of Europe\u2019s plural fabric.<\/p>\n\n

A key moment of the day was devoted to testimonies from delegations representing Ukraine, Poland, Greece and Hungary. In each of these contexts \u2014 albeit in different ways \u2014 Buddhist communities report challenges ranging from limited legal recognition to cultural environments that are less than receptive to non-traditional religious minorities. Their voices offered a tangible insight into what it means to practise one\u2019s faith where pluralism feels fragile or under pressure.<\/p>\n\n

\"Participants
Participants of the EBU Annual General Meeting 2026 in Brussels. Pictures taken at the AGM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Einbeziehung der Institutionen<\/h2>\n\n

The assembly did not confine itself to testimony. It also fostered dialogue with European institutions and the academic world. Among the most anticipated contributions was that of Professor Marco Ventura of the University of Siena, whose research focuses on religious freedom and the relationship between states, the European Union and faith communities.<\/p>\n\n

His intervention addressed what remains incomplete within the European legal and political architecture: uneven legal instruments, inconsistent national applications, and a broader lack of sustained political attention to the needs of minority religious communities. The question is not merely whether rights exist on paper, but whether they are effectively implemented and defended.<\/p>\n\n

Ein weiter gefasstes Europa<\/h2>\n\n

This gathering was more than a forum for raising concerns. It was also conceived as a space for collective reflection. Discussions revolved around essential themes: the meaning of a European Buddhist identity; the practice of faith under conditions of limitation; sustained networking with EU institutions; and the role of the EBU as a bridge between Brussels and local communities, including those geographically distant or numerically small.<\/p>\n\n

Particular emphasis was placed on dialogue with what might be described as the \u201cwider Europe\u201d \u2014 understood less in geographical or political terms than in cultural ones. This includes regions such as Israel and countries bordering the Black Sea, areas with long-standing Buddhist traditions and historical ties that extend beyond today\u2019s political boundaries.<\/p>\n\n

Das gemeinsame Haus bauen<\/h2>\n\n

Letztlich steht nicht nur der Schutz einer bestimmten spirituellen Tradition auf dem Spiel, sondern die demokratische Qualit\u00e4t Europas als Ganzes. Die Wahl Br\u00fcssels als Austragungsort hat ein klares symbolisches und politisches Gewicht. Als Hauptstadt der Europ\u00e4ischen Union und Stadt, in der viele Grundrechtsrichtlinien Gestalt annehmen, ist sie auch die nat\u00fcrliche Heimat der EBU.<\/p>\n\n

Hier zusammenzukommen bedeutet, die Stimme der buddhistischen Gemeinschaften Europas in das Herz des Entscheidungsprozesses zu tragen \u2013 und zu bekr\u00e4ftigen, dass Religionsfreiheit keine Randfrage, sondern ein Pr\u00fcfstein f\u00fcr die demokratische Gesundheit ist. In einer Zeit, in der die Idee Europas selbst umstritten ist, strebt die Jahrestagung der Europ\u00e4ischen Buddhistischen Union danach, einen klaren und notwendigen Moment der Besinnung zu bieten: eine Erinnerung daran, dass es ohne Achtung vor Unterschieden \u2013 religi\u00f6sen, kulturellen und spirituellen \u2013 kein glaubw\u00fcrdiges, integratives und zukunftsorientiertes europ\u00e4isches Projekt geben kann.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

This article first appeared in EBU Magazine #15 \u2013 Practicing in Turbulent Times<\/a> (Autumn 2026). Download the full issue as PDF or browse all issues<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On 9 May 2026 the EBU’s annual assembly in Brussels put the religious rights of Buddhists in Europe at its centre \u2014 with testimonies from Ukraine, Poland, Greece and Hungary and a dialogue with European 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