Professor Dr Heiner Bielefeldt, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, has made a speech emphasising that ‘minority rights are human rights’. Prof. Dr Bielefeldt made the keynote speech at the international consultation on the ‘Politicization of Religion and Rights of Religious Minorities’ in Geneva, Switzerland. The British Humanist Association (BHA) who met with Prof. Dr Bielefeldt earlier this year welcomes his comments.
He made the comments on Monday in his address at the opening session of the consultation. He said that the current focus on the values of human rights represents a paradigm shift away from simply protecting religious minorities. He also questioned the ‘labelling’ of minorities, and mentioned examples from various countries in which the members of minority religions choose to define themselves as ‘citizens’ rather than as a ‘minority’.
Prof. Dr Bielefeldt said that ‘all human beings have equal rights but not all human beings live in equal circumstances’, and he added that freedom means ‘respect for the self-understanding of the human beings; therefore the self-understanding of religious minorities must be fully respected’. He also emphasized the issue of ‘how we can create space for religious diversity without creating divisiveness or exacerbating existing fragmentation’. He said that the project of creating space for minorities is a long-term project, which must involve inter-religious communication and the building of trust through public institutions.
Pavan Dhaliwal, BHA Head of Public Affairs, commented ‘Prof. Dr Bielefeldt’s comments are very important in a world in which those who adhere to minority belief systems, whether religious or non-religious, often find themselves under threat. The emphasis on universal human rights is key to ensuring that everyone is able to express their beliefs freely without fear of persecution. For example, blasphemy is a human right, and is closely connected to religious freedom, as one person’s blasphemy could be another person’s religious belief. Secularism is also enormously important in ensuring that members of minority faiths have their rights respected, because state neutrality on matters of religion and belief ensures that everyone, no matter what their belief system, stands before the law equally.’
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For further comment or information contact Pavan Dhaliwal, Head of Public Affairs at pavan@humanists.uk or on 0773 843 5059.
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.