International Day Commemorating the
Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
22 August 2019
States must do more to stop hate
crimes and promote interfaith initiatives, say UN rights experts
GENEVA (21 August 2019) – States
have an important role to play in promoting religious tolerance and cultural
diversity by promoting and protecting human rights, including freedom of
religion or belief, say a group of UN independent experts*. The experts urged
States to step up their efforts to combat intolerance, discrimination and
violence against people based on religion or belief, including against members
of religious minorities and people who are not religious. Their comments come
in a statement marking the first International Day Commemorating the Victims of
Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief on 22 August:
“We welcome the decision of the UN
to designate 22 August as the international day to commemorate the victims of
acts of violence based on religion or belief. This is a great opportunity to
raise awareness about religious intolerance, and violence and discrimination
against anyone based on their religion or belief.
Any distinction, exclusion,
restriction or preference based on religion or belief which has the effect of
nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of human rights
and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis would amount to religious
intolerance and discrimination. This was made clear in the 1981 General
Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and ofDiscrimination Based on Religion or Belief.
We have observed violence in the
name of religion around the world perpetrated by States and non-state groups
leading to discrimination, persecution, arbitrary arrests or detention,
enforced disappearances, sexual violence and killings of many people based on
their religion or belief. Victims have included religious minorities,
individuals who are not religious, LGBTI persons, children and women who face
many forms of discrimination and gender-based violence. Such violence threatens
the hard-fought progress in securing women’s equality and the rights of LGBTI
persons.
“We stress that religion or belief
should never be used to justify discrimination. When faced with religious
persecution or discrimination, victims are often also deprived of their right
to participate fully in political, economic and cultural life, as well as their
rights to education and to health. This can include the desecration and
destruction of numerous cultural heritage sites of rich historic and religious
value, such as places of worship and cemeteries.
As populism has become a trend in
the political and social arena, it has fostered many forms of hatred against
those who are viewed as foreign or simply different. Often, States and
religious institutions resort to the instrumentalisation of religions or beliefs
in order to retain their influence or control and achieve other political
agendas. Fundamentalism is on the rise across the world’s major religious
traditions, posing a threat to many human rights.
Moreover, critical views of
religions or beliefs are sometimes mischaracterised as ‘hate speech’ or
labelled an offence to the religious feelings of others both by governments and
non-state groups. Too often this is used as a pretext to silence those with critical
voices and punish others for not believing.
The right to freedom of thought,
conscience, and religion or belief is misunderstood as protecting religions and
beliefs instead of the people with the beliefs and those without.
It is incumbent on States to ensure
that religions or beliefs are not used to violate human rights, and to combat
religious extremism – which are a threat to many human rights, while adhering
to international norms.
States have resorted to the
securitisation of religion or belief, or viewing them through a lens of
national security, in their fight against violent extremism. But an overly
securitised approach has proven to be counterproductive and has led to
xenophobia, increasing ‘religious profiling’ and discrimination, particularly
towards religious minorities.
We emphasise the words of the UNGeneral Assembly resolution of 3 June 2019 designating the international day
that ‘terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations
cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality,
civilisation or ethnic group’.
We urge States and all individuals
and groups to work together to enhance the implementation of international
human rights standards that protect individuals against discrimination and hate
crimes, and to increase interreligious, interfaith and intercultural
initiatives, and expand human rights education in an inclusive manner as a key
catalyst for change.”
ENDS
* The experts: Mr. Ahmed Shaheed
(The Maldives), Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Ms Karima
Bennoune (Algeria/USA), Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Mr.
Fernand de Varennes (Canada), Special Rapporteur on minority issues; Ms
Dubravka Šimonović (Croatia), Special Rapporteur on violence against women, itscauses and consequences; Mr. David Kaye (USA), Special Rapporteur on thepromotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Ms
Meskerem Geset Techane, (Ethiopia) , Chair of the Working Group ondiscrimination against women and girls; Mr. Michel Forst (France), SpecialRapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Mr. José Antonio Guevara
Bermúdez (Mexico), Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on ArbitraryDetention; Ms Agnes Callamard (France), Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial,summary or arbitrary executions; Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio (The Netherlands),
Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including childprostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material; Ms
Koumbou Boly Barry (Burkina Faso), Special Rapporteur on the right toeducation; Mr. Dainius Pῡras (Lithuania), Special Rapporteur on the right tohealth; Ms Fionnuala Ní Aoláin (Ireland), Special Rapporteur on the promotionand protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while counteringterrorism; Mr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz (Costa Rica), Independent Expert onprotection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation andgender identity; Mr. Bernard Duhaime (Canada),
Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on enforced and involuntarydisappearances
The Special Rapporteurs,
Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the SpecialProcedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of
independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the
Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address
either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the
world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN
staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any
government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For further inquiries and media
requests, please contact please contact: Ms Chian Yew Lim (clim@ohchr.org)
For media inquiries related to
other UN independent experts please contact: Mr. Jeremy Laurence, UN Human
Rights – Media Unit (+41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)
Follow news related to the UN’s
independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.
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