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Introduction
In some societies, it can be all too
easy to take the right to freedom of religion and belief
for granted. We might not know, for example, what it
would feel like to be put in jail for professing a genuine
faith or belief system.What if, as a religious minority,
we were denied opportunities to go to school, to receive
pensions, to keep our jobs, or to have our marriages
registered? What if we went to a private home for a
religious class and always had to worry whether authorities
would raid that home and confiscate the literature?
Or, what if we went to our place of worship anticipating
that this spot which is holy to us might soon be demolished
or destroyed?
All of these things do happen to some people. In extreme
cases, admitting to believing in a certain way risks
a death warrant, regardless of whether those beliefs
are a private matter or become a public manifestation.
Just to believe in a way which is different from the
accepted norm is enough to single you out for some form
of persecution, little or big. It's hard for some of
us to imagine a life like that. How strongly would we need to believe to withstand that kind of persecution and discrimination? Would we measure
up to the test? Would our faith be strong enough?
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Why does
it matter to me?
You may not be personally religious
and non-belief, or secularism, is an equally protected
international right. Even if this is the case,
how people define their religious and belief commitments
remains a key element of politics and human rights.
Freedom of religion and belief does matter, even
if it is an often overlooked area of international
affairs. Unfortunately, those experts who follow
the subject generally claim that the situation
of freedom of religion and belief has deteriorated
over the past decade.
While the West may think of itself as mainly
secular, religious or other belief identities
still play a major role in social cohesion or
breakdown in every country. Furthermore, no country
is immune from experiencing various forms of religious
discrimination, regardless of whether rights to
freedom of belief are enshrined in a country’s
constitution. Even in Europe, legislative initiatives
are being put forward that restrict the rights
of religious or belief communities to openly practise
their faith. In some countries, the rights and
privileges accorded to ‘traditional’
faith groups are greater than those granted to
minority faiths.
While you may not be persecuted for your beliefs,
there’s no guarantee that there will not
be a time (and a place) that you find yourself
in a different situation. Thus, making sure that
all have the freedom to worship as they wish is
in everyone’s longer term interest.
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