In view of the deplorable state of religious freedom in the world today, the need for greater international attention to this human right cannot be overstated. A recent study by the independent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 70 per cent of the world’s people live in countries with “high restrictions on religion, the brunt of which often falls on religious minorities.” Christians were the subject of government or social harassment in 130 countries, Muslims in 117 countries, and Jews, while making up far less than one per cent of the world’s population, faced harassment in 75 countries.
From 2006-09, one-third of the world’s people experienced increased restrictions on freedom of religion. Restrictions loosened for only one per cent of the world’s population during this time. The report raised concern at a pattern of “gradual polarization … with restrictive countries becoming even more so.”
From a humanitarian perspective alone, these are shocking statistics. Viewed more broadly, restrictions on religion also contribute to higher levels of social tension and violence, undermining the prospects for long-term human development.
To take one of countless examples worldwide, the Baha’i community in Iran has faced systematic persecution for more than 30 years. The Baha’i Faith is a post-Islamic religion and on that basis the Islamic Republic denies Baha’is access to basic civil, social, and economic rights. Baha’is are denied jobs, business licences, and access to universities. They are arbitrarily arrested and detained for months or years on end. All for the simple reason that their religion is considered illegitimate by the Iranian government.
Canada’s policy on freedom of religion or belief has always been clear – for the Baha’is and for other religious minorities that are persecuted for their beliefs. Whether under Liberal or Conservative leadership, such issues of human rights have never been partisan in nature.
The right to freedom of religion or belief, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, includes the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, to change one’s religion or belief, and to manifest one’s religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance (article 18).
On the one hand, promoting religious freedom requires international accountability for states that routinely repress their religious minorities. A number of UN mechanisms exist for this purpose, and the international community has felt it necessary to give special attention to the question of religious freedom in naming a Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. States can also use bilateral diplomacy and public statements to call one another to account.
On the other hand, supporting religious freedom calls for a broader engagement to support a discourse about the value of religious diversity in increasingly plural societies. Such an approach requires state-to-state diplomacy, as well as the inclusion of religious leaders, scholars, and citizens in dialogue about the value of religious freedom.
Religious freedom is not only a basic right, it is a human value that requires consultation and practical action to bring into reality. Some of the issues that arise in conversations regarding religious freedom are not easy to resolve – typically, issues related to the public manifestation of belief through teaching, practice, or worship. The freedom to hold or change one’s belief, for example, relates directly to the freedom to share these beliefs with others. However, some states criminalize the teaching of religions in the name of protecting "morality" or "maintaining public order." While extreme measures such as incitement to hatred and violence should be condemned, people need to otherwise remain free to be exposed to new ideas and to share information. In this vein, support is necessary for civil society and government initiatives that promote religious understanding and mutual regard.
The focus of such efforts should be to uphold the rights and dignity of the individual. This means that the individual’s right to independently search for truth needs to be safeguarded, and also that religious communities should eschew coercive methods and material inducements in their teaching activities.
Ultimately, the realization of religious freedom requires a culture of education, where people are free to read a variety of religious scriptures, to ask questions and discuss openly their views with others, and to apply knowledge acquired in the process. Such an aspiration is not ‘western’ in its conception, and it is foundational to every world religion: that people may discover in Scripture a vision of life beyond material conceptions of reality, and embrace such ideals as justice, reconciliation, love, and service to the common good.
When the Canadian government’s Office of Religious Freedom opens its doors, it will be in the early stages of a learning process, as it tries to figure out how to implement a difficult mandate. It will benefit from the ideas generated by the public and civil society to the extent that this input is informed by the real nature and challenges involved with promoting religious freedom. It’s time to have a broad and inclusive national conversation about how the cause of religious freedom can be supported abroad.
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