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.

The UDHR was drafted by a committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) and included contributions from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, including the Lebanese philosopher Charles Malik (a Maronite Christian), the Chinese philosopher P.C. Chang (influenced by Confucianism), and the French jurist Rene Cassin (of Jewish heritage).

Key Articles Relevant to Religion

Article	Right
Article 1	All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights
Article 2	Rights apply without distinction of any kind, including religion
Article 18	Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
Article 19	Freedom of opinion and expression
Article 26	Right to education

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Article 18: Religious Freedom

Article 18 of the UDHR states:

"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."

This article is supplemented by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966), Article 18, which adds that "No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice."

Components of Religious Freedom

Religious freedom has several dimensions:

Dimension	Description
Forum internum	The inner freedom to hold beliefs — this is absolute and cannot be restricted
Forum externum	The freedom to manifest beliefs in practice, worship, teaching, and observance — this can be limited by law when necessary
Freedom to change religion	The right to convert or leave a religion — contested in some traditions
Freedom from coercion	Protection against being forced to adopt or abandon a religion

Evaluation: The right to religious freedom is widely supported in principle but contested in practice. Some Islamic states entered reservations to Article 18 on the grounds that it permits apostasy (leaving Islam), which is prohibited under some interpretations of Sharia law. Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan have laws that criminalise apostasy, in some cases with the death penalty.

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Religious Contributions to Human Rights

Religious traditions have made significant contributions to the development of human rights:

• Christianity: The concept of the imago Dei (image of God) — the belief that every person is created in God's image — provides a theological foundation for human dignity. The Catholic Church's social teaching, from Rerum Novarum (1891) to Laudato Si' (2015), has championed workers' rights, economic justice, and environmental stewardship.
• Islam: The concept of khalifa (stewardship) and the Quranic affirmation that God created all people from a single soul (Quran 49:13) provide foundations for human dignity. The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (1990) affirms human rights within an Islamic framework, though it subordinates them to Sharia.
• Judaism: The concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world) inspires Jewish engagement with social justice. Jewish organisations played a prominent role in the American civil rights movement.
• Buddhism: The Buddhist principle of compassion (karuna) and the interconnectedness of all beings provide foundations for a Buddhist approach to human rights. The Dalai Lama has been a prominent advocate for universal human rights, emphasising compassion as the basis of all ethics.

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Conflicts Between Religious Law and Human Rights

Some of the most intense debates in the religion-and-human-rights field concern areas where religious teaching appears to conflict with internationally recognised human rights.

Sharia and Human Rights