Appeal to the Heads of States and Governments, Participants at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels on 12-13 December 2003

Your Excellencies,

We, the undersigned, recognize the role of religion in the cultural heritage of Europe.

However, we firmly object to the mention of any specific religion in the preamble to the Constitution of the European Union. All citizens of Europe - regardless of the faith or tradition in which they were raised — should be able to identify themselves with the principles of new, united Europe. Democracy can flourish only in secular states.

Faith is a private matter. Freedom of belief and religion should be protected against government interference. We stand for a preamble that can be accepted by all Europeans — adherents of different life-stances. The law should not be an expression of the religious views of any particular group.

As the representatives of non-governmental, confessional and non-confessional organizations, political parties and other social groups in Poland, we appeal to the Heads of States and Governments, participants at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, to adopt the Preamble to the European Constitution in the version proposed by the European Convention.

Warsaw, 11.12.2003  

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The letter has been signed by Members of Polish Parliament:
Maria Szyszkowska (SLD),
Andrzej Niski (Unia Pracy),
Piotr Gadzinowski MP (SLD)
— members of the Democratic Left Alliance and Unia Pracy / Union of Labour (parties of governing coalition)

and numerous NGO's, parties, confessional and none-confessional organisations, among them:
— Anticlerical Party of Progress „The Right", 
— Party Green 2004,
— Pre-election Coalition of Women, 
— Polish Labour Youth,
— Federation of Polish Humanist Associations, 
— Karat Coalition, 
— Women's Association for Gender Equality, Beijing 1995,
— Youth Club of Democratic Left Alliance in Wroclaw,
— The Polish Freethinkers Society, 
— „Gnosis Club", 
- Reformed Free Church of Poland,
— Association Pro Femina, 
— Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland, 
— Democratic Union of Women, 
— International Lesbian & Gay Culture Network in Poland, 
— Transgender Reinforcement Society,
— Association for a Secular State „Neutrum",
— The Polish & American Rationalist (TheRationalist.org)