Religion and Human Rights

The relationship between religion and human rights is one of the most important and contested areas in the study of dialogues. Religious traditions have both inspired and obstructed the development of human rights, and there are significant tensions between religious law, religious freedom, and the universal rights framework established by the United Nations. The AQA specification requires you to understand the key documents, the right to religious freedom, and the areas of conflict between religious teaching and human rights norms.

Key Definition: Human rights — fundamental rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled, regardless of nationality, sex, ethnicity, religion, or any other status. They include civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights.

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948, in the aftermath of the Second World War and the Holocaust. It establishes a framework of rights that are declared to be universal — applicable to all human beings, everywhere, at all times.