Combating Religious Hatred: The UN Contribution
Jonathan Gallagher
Deputy Secretary-General and UN liaison director
International Religious Liberty Association
“Freedom
of religion or belief is not a reality for many individuals throughout the
world.” Asma Jahangir, UN
Special rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief
Religious intolerance
in today’s world
In today’s world, over a billion people live under regimes that do not allow full religious freedom. Religious intolerance is on the rise, and inter-religious conflict is identified as one of the major causes of strife. So combating religious intolerance must be a primary objective for all of us, not just governments and the United Nations.
However, it is at the level of nations that much needs to be done. In 2003 the International Religious Liberty Association was granted special consultative statuswith the Economic and Social Council of the UN. What does this mean? It means we have the opportunity to attend and speak at UN conferences and commissions, most particularly the Commission on Human Rights. In the past few years the IRLA has presented several statements on different subjects at the Commission, and worked to stop the use of the death penalty for religious conversions.
Despite its many defects, the UN is, in former Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s words, “an important place not just for convening power; it also brings governments together to discuss common and mutually important issues. And many governments stand by the Charter; they stand by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”1 From the perspective of combating religious intolerance, it is vital that we are involved!
Though many criticize the UN and fear it may become the means of achieving the dictatorship on one-world government, others see it as the savior of democracy and fundamental freedoms, the beacon of hope for the future. So what is the truth?
If you have ever attended any kind of UN meeting, the most that could be said is that it currently could not become a world government, nor is it the universal panacea for the ills of humanity. The United Nations is a misnomer—it may be a group of (currently) 192 nations, but it is far from being united. In fact, much time is spent on protocol and procedural issues because of the fractured relationships between nations. In my role representing the IRLA at the UN, the frustration is not so much over its potential world hegemony or Golden Age of universal brotherhood or harbinger of the Apocalypse, but in getting something done on the vital issues that confront our world. Lost at sea in an ocean of paperwork, submerged by points of order and rights to reply, overwhelmed by political waves and international storm surges, it’s a wonder the ship is afloat at all. Yet float it does, and the contributions of the UN, especially in the area of human rights, are sizeable and significant. For the UN does provide the venue and the structure for global decisions and dialogue, for concrete action on specific problems, and ensures the opportunity for civil society (you and me) to be involved.
The UN Role in
defining religious freedom
From its beginnings, the UN has placed strong emphasis on civil liberties and human rights. These are commented on in the UN Charter, and specifically elaborated in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
On
religious freedom, Article 18 is blunt and unequivocal: “Everyone has the right
to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to
change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with
others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in
teaching, practice, worship and observance.”2
Accepting this Declaration sets the ground rules for religious freedom and clarifies violations. In combating religious intolerance, the UN has established both standards and mechanisms for action. In fact, one of the primary contributions of the UN has been to spell out exactly what religious freedom is, and what rights exist in practice. Through the 1948 Declaration, the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, the internationally-agreed norms are clearly established.
Indeed, the 1981 Declaration also paved the way for the establishment of some structure for the monitoring of religious freedom and for the reporting of violations. It must still be admitted that the legal aspects are weak, since there are few available sanctions or legal remedies available. However through the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Human Rights Council and Committee, at least some mechanisms are available for the disclosure of religious freedom violations, and it is important for states parties and non-government organizations to take such opportunities to expose the egregious violations of such fundamental human rights.
The fact that there are international standards, and a forum for publicizing religious freedom issues, are major contributions of the UN that deserve appreciation. In a global context, nations that try to ignore their commitments under the international document discover that they will be called to account.
For example, when I challenged the representative of one extremist regime for the continued imposition of the death penalty on religious converts, I was able to point to the clear language of the UN declarations and covenants. Supported by the representative of a European government, we made the blunt point that nations cannot sign human rights documents, make promises and give undertakings, and not expect to be challenged when they violate fundamental religious rights. In this way the principle of combating religious intolerance can be directly addressed.
The reporting mechanisms, particularly through the UN special rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, who is an independent expert, provide great opportunities to ensure that repression of religious freedoms do not occur in secret. Countries are required to respond to such reports and requests from the special rapporteur, and while the process that some nations term “naming and shaming” can be controversial, it does at least mean there is some knowledge of what is actually happening in religious freedom trouble-spots around the world.
The
availability of national representatives at the new UN Human Rights Council3
provides the opportunity for bilateral intervention—and can lead to a kind of
third-party resolution between parties in religious freedom dispute. Frequently,
appeal to a nation’s permanent mission in
The IRLA Role and the
Global Challenge
Representing the IRLA at the UN, our delegation made a presentation regarding the death penalty for conversion. We outlined the case, and made the request for the UN to explicitly condemn this most extreme form of religious intolerance.
The
permanent mission of
The challenge before us is great. Let me just cite a few examples:
In
In
Attacks by believers from the majority religion in such countries as Pakistan, Egypt, and Indonesia are part of the strategy of containment—to prevent the growth and development of other religions and to enforce the dominant religion. How tragic that once-tolerant Islam is so often being used today as a weapon of force, a hijacking of faith by extremists who wish to bend the power of religion to their own ends!
A Muslim “holy
war” in
Even in such countries
traditionally known for tolerance and liberty, challenges have now surfaced.
The “anti-sect” law proposed in
Persecution continues against religious minorities in some parts of Russia, and the new requirements for the registration of religious groups has provided an opportunity for regional leaders to intimidate and repress Christians who do not belong to the majority church. The media has also mounted a hostile campaign against what they describe as “foreign religions.” For example, sensationalist media reports have described Seventh-day Adventist Christians as practicing child sacrifice and cannibalism.
In
The
While some
religious pluralism is permitted in the mainly Muslim country of
In
How to Counter
Religious Intolerance
Events like
the UN Human Rights Council also give opportunity for media attention,
providing focus for attention on important ideas and events. Visibility is key in ensuring continued freedom of religion and
conscience, for most dark deeds of intolerance, intimidation, and persecution
are attempted in secret.
While the need for structural overhaul of the UN’s bureaucratic functions is clear to most, including the current UN secretary-general,4 this should not be at the expense of what has been achieved for religious freedom. The danger is that in seeking to work for a “more efficient” UN, the vital work of protecting and promoting religious freedom will be lost in the drive for global security and effective government.
While the UN is far from perfect, it has clearly defined the importance and scope of religious freedom, and provided opportunities for scrutiny, reporting, and debate. In a time when such freedoms are under increased scrutiny everywhere, when security concerns as seen as “paramount,” and when freedom of conscience has been called “a luxury we can no longer afford,” the efforts to maintain religious freedom and human rights must be greater now than ever.
Only by working together than we hope to combat religious intolerance, and advance the mutual respect needed to avoid conflicts based on treating others of different beliefs as enemies who must be destroyed. Every human being has the right to choose his or her own beliefs, and does not have the right to force those beliefs on anyone else.
Here, as in all areas of human life, the Golden Rule applies: Treat others as you yourself would wish to be treated.
Conclusion
As a non-sectarian organization dedicated exclusively to foundational principles of religion freedom, the IRLA continues to work single-mindedly in achieving its goals of freedom of conscience and worship for all, regardless of belief or political persuasion. Focusing on the need to combat religious intolerance, the IRLA advances significant initiatives, especially at the UN. We invite support from all those of like mind who also recognize that much needs to be done in national and international arenas, preserving religious freedom, protesting violations of conscience, and maintaining the separation of spheres of influence in politics and religion.
Notes:
1. Kofi
Annan, response (as detailed in UN press
release
2. http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm
3. http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/
4. Note, for example, Annan’s
SG/SM/8855 available at www.un.org, and also his