Happy 25th, Religious Freedom

Happy 25th, Religious Freedom
But we'll skip the cake!

25 year ago this month, more precisely on November 25, 1981, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed a 'Declaration on Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief' - in more simple terms, a resolution for world-wide religious freedom and tolerance. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? But hardly anyone is celebrating. The stark reality today is that in many parts of the world, freedom of religion or belief does not exist for individuals or communities. ...

The Arab World is one of those parts.  The situation is very bleak, especially for converts from Islam to the Christian faith, according to the International Director of Arab Vision.  “We are contacted every week by Muslims who tell us that they have become Christians because of our TV programs.  We rejoice in that, but at the same time, we feel so worried for them.  They are fearful.  They know they risk imprisonment, ostracism from society, or outright murder.”  Those who were born in Christian families are not endangered to the same extent, but many Arab Christians feel treated as second-rate citizens because of their religion.

It is no wonder then, that the U.N. is not making a big deal of this anniversary.  At the time of writing, there is no reference to it on the official U.N. website or recent communications.  For an organisation which frequently finds reasons for commemorations and fanfare, it may seem odd that this particular 25th anniversary is being pushed away from the headlines.  U.N. Rapporteur Asma Jehangir said recently that "advances [in implementing the declaration] have been slow and reluctant." A diplomatic admission of what has to be regarded as the most embarrassing example of a failed UN resolution - one which never really got off the ground in 1981, and which has since been ignored by scores of member states.

Last month, the Vatican spokesman at the U.N., Archbishop Celestino Migliore, warned the General Assembly that an alarming degree of polarisation and discrimination can be seen in many parts of the world because of high levels of religious intolerance.  “The time has come to apply the principles of authentic religious freedom,” the apostolic nuncio said.  “Religious freedom is the right to believe, worship, propose and witness to one’s faith.  Furthermore, it includes the right to change one’s religion and to associate freely with others in order to express one’s religious convictions,” he added.

Archbishop Migliore’s definition resonates with the one used in the 1981 declaration.  The latter actually goes further in its 3 pages and 8 articles to require ‘all states to take effective measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief’, and ‘to enact or rescind legislation where necessary’ to ensure this is done. 

Ask men, women and children, who have dared to follow a religion different to the one prescribed by their state, whether their governments have adhered to the above.  Most of them will be reluctant to answer honestly out of fear for the consequences, and a good number of them will not be able to answer either because they are imprisoned for their beliefs or have already paid for them with their lives.  For the religious minorities in some of these countries, the U.N. declaration is so far removed from the reality that it could sell as a work of fiction or a children’s fairy tale fantasy.

The 2006 annual U.S. State Department report on religious freedom paints a similar picture. It summarises that authoritarian governments are suppressing religious expression and severely repressing the activities of religious groups that are not state-sanctioned. "Our continued vigilance on religious freedom is desperately needed," said the U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, John Hanford.  His country was the notable exception when it comes to marking the anniversary of the declaration in a commemorative event last month.  The ambassador added that religious freedom is embodied in the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the First Amendment to the Constitution.  It is quite obvious that the United States sees itself as the key architect and guardian of such matters.  But it has also become painfully obvious that ‘such matters’ travel up and down its priority chart based on its foreign policy and political agendas.  Violations of human and religious rights in a 'black listed' country are highlighted and condemned, but the ones in an ally country are ignored. 

There is evidence of scores of cases of obstruction of religious freedom and state sponsored persecution in Arab countries, for example.  Egypt and Saudi Arabia are leading the charts with the number of reported cases (one shudders to think about the plight of the individuals in the unreported ones), yet there is no evidence of any serious pressure or attempt from the United States or the international community to bring about change. 

The irony doesn’t stop there.  Christian minorities in these so called ‘moderate’ countries have been much worse off than the countries branded as the ‘axis of evil’, like Syria and Iraq.   “In the ‘liberated’ Iraq of today,” comments an observer, “we see a substantial and dangerous increase in religious intolerance and violence.”

In the midst of political apathy and failure, media continues to be a unique vehicle to address and change the intolerant mentality permeating the Arab World.  On this 25th anniversary of the U.N. declaration, Arab Vision has reiterated its commitment to work towards just Arab societies in accordance with the Gospel.  “We will continue addressing key human and religious rights issues in our TV programming,” said the International Director of the company.  “The response from our viewers indicates positive changes taking place – both in their minds and hearts.  That’s where it needs to start,” he added.

November 23, 2006

Arab Vision
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