Religious hatred can be addressed through community- and trust-building

Religious hatred can be addressed through community- and trust-building

“Fostering Interreligious Communication” (13 March 2014)
Geneva—13 March 2014

 Religious hatred, a cause of religious violence and numerous violations of religious freedom, is not a natural or irreversible phenomenon – it can be addressed by measures aimed at building trust or a greater sense of community.

That was among the ideas presented at a panel discussion on “Countering Religious Hatred while Respecting Human Rights,” which was held 12 March 2014 as a side event to the 25th session of the Human Rights Council.

“Hatred in the name of religion – this I would say is one of the most disturbing phenomena that I come across,” said Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.

“We often use the language of natural disasters in describing it, like ‘forces beyond human control,’ or an ‘erupting volcano,’” said Dr. Bielefeldt. “But this is not the case.”

Rather, he said, religious hatred is caused by human beings, both by individuals and organizations – and often by leaders intent on making scapegoats of minority groups to mobilize people for political ends.

Accordingly, said Dr. Bielefeldt, religious hatred can be addressed or ameliorated by human action – such as by taking measures to build trust in public institutions or improved communications between majority and minority groups.

Diane Ala’i, a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva, who also participated on the panel, said such trust-building and communications-improving measures could include efforts to promote freedom of speech.

“Governments should protect human rights and freedom of religion or belief by creating a space where religious minorities are able to inform others about the tenants of their beliefs,” said Ms. Ala’i. “This will contribute to dispelling suspicions about their religion.”

Other panelists included Yvette Stevens, Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the UN in Geneva and Ibrahim Salama, director of the Human Rights Treaties Division in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The panel was introduced by Mariangela Zappia, head of the European Union Delegation to the UN in Geneva. Rita Izsak, the UN’s Independent Expert on minority issues, sent a video message.

Amb. Stevens talked about the experience of Sierra Leone, where the population is roughly two-thirds Muslim and one-third Christian, along with a small percentage who practice indigenous beliefs, and yet tolerance has been widely encouraged.

She said the “whole idea of interreligious tolerance goes up to the highest level.” The president belongs to one religion, and the vice president to another. Although not written into the constitution, “this is adhered to,” she said.

The government strives to promote tolerance, also, through early education about different religions, she said.

Mr. Salama reviewed the Rabat Plan of Action, a series of recommendations adopted in 2011 after a series of regional conferences on combatting national, racial or religious hatred sponsored by the OHCHR.

“Legislation is not the only solution,” said Mr. Salama, noting that the Rabat plan also recommends things like involving religious authorities in issues concerning religious intolerance or hatred.

Ms. Izsak, in her message, said that religious hatred “is constructed, it does not come naturally. Most of the time, it is due to political agendas.” As such, she said, minority groups need support and preventative measures if they are to counter hate speech.

On 13 March, Dr. Bielefeldt and Ms. Ala’i also appeared on a panel on “Fostering Interreligious Communication,” also held as a side event to the 25th session of the Council.

That panel also featured Bishop Porfyrios of Neapolis, director of the Representation of the Church of Cyprus to the EU, and Talip Atalay, Grand Mufti of Cyprus. It was moderated by Jan Knutsson, the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN in Geneva.

The discussion provided a case study, based on the improved climate of interreligious communication and cooperation in Cyprus, which Dr. Bielefeldt had observed during a series of interreligious round tables held in Nicosia, Cyprus, in September 2013,

The conflict in Cyprus is quite complex, said Dr. Bielefeldt, “and everyone agrees that religious differences are not the root cause – this is basically a political conflict, everyone agrees on that.

“But this protracted conflict has repercussions also on the way that religious communities interact, or failed to interact, and this has had an impact on people’s full enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief,” said Dr. Bielefeldt, such as on things like access to places of worship or the violation of cemeteries.

Bishop Porfyrios and Dr. Atalay discussed steps religious communities in Cyprus had taken, with the help of the Swedish embassy and funding from the European Union, to improve interreligious dialogue and to establish greater harmony.

Ms. Ala’i offered the perspective of a minority religious group, not directly involved in the Cyprus situation, but with a strong desire to promote interreligious harmony.

She suggested three broad principles for other efforts in other trouble spots: 1) recognizing that all religions are valid in nature and origin; 2) understanding that the onus for action often devolves on the majority religion, since minorities are often constrained; and, 3) to acknowledge that, in the end, all religions worship the same God, and that all religions at their heart teach the peaceful resolution of conflict.