(Photo: ADF International)
The recent incident involving Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen’s travel ban to the UK highlights the ongoing debate over Christian freedom of expression in Europe. Räsänen, a former Minister of the Interior in Finland, was scheduled to speak at a Christian conference in Northern Ireland but faced unexpected challenges.
Initially, Räsänen’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to the UK was approved in June. However, by July, the authorisation was revoked, igniting discussions about the influence of political forces on free speech.
The Christian Institute (CI) reported on July 17 that Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Northern Ireland urged the barring of Räsänen from speaking at the event due to her “biblical views.” This call for action followed her conviction by Finland’s Supreme Court in March for “hate speech” related to a 2004 pamphlet expressing biblical sexual ethics.
Naomi Long, leader of the Alliance Party, voiced concerns in a letter to Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots, arguing that allowing Räsänen a platform would “bring the Assembly into disrepute.” Long emphasized the Assembly’s duty to represent all people in Northern Ireland equally.
An Alliance MLA, Nuala McAllister, also stressed that Parliament Buildings should not amplify prejudice. The Alliance Party, advocating for an inclusive Northern Ireland, comprises 17 members in the 90-member Assembly, with Long serving as the Minister of Justice.
In response to her conviction, Räsänen, with the support of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), plans to appeal at the European Court of Human Rights. After her ETA was cancelled, ADF announced on August 18 that Räsänen would deliver her conference speech virtually.
ADF and Räsänen appealed to UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for a last-minute intervention to permit her entry under a full visa. UK law grants the Home Secretary the ultimate authority on such matters.
Räsänen remarked: “It is shocking that the UK has blocked me, a democratically elected politician in an allied European state, from entering the country.
“I was convicted of ‘hate speech’ in Finland for peacefully expressing my Christian views. This was an egregious case of state censorship, noted with concern by observers around the world, including the US State Department and the US Religious Liberty Commission.
“Even though this unjust conviction is currently on appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, the UK has likely refused me travel authorisation on this basis. In doing so, the UK is punishing me for exercising my fundamental human rights.
“I call on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to urgently intervene to allow me to enter the UK to speak at this event. There is still time for this censorship to be reversed.”
Some argue that the decision not to overrule the travel ban demonstrates the sway of left-wing activists within the UK’s political circles, hindering orthodox Christians from expressing their views.
Julian Mann, a former Church of England vicar, is an evangelical journalist based in Lancashire.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
