Freedom of religion is under attack today not only because of religious extremism and government repression but also because of discrimination by majority religions.

This year, 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, unanimously adopted by the United Nations in December 1948.² The Declaration enshrines freedom of religion among its 30 rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the drafting committee, stated that “this Universal Declaration of Human Rights may well become the international Magna Carta of all men everywhere.”³ That’s how important this declaration was to a world hungry for peace, prosperity, and the re-establishment of freedoms fought for with the bloodshed of millions.

If only it were so.

What was it that those involved in its drafting and adoption were so excited about? In its 30 articles, the declaration set out an understanding of the basic concepts of dignity, liberty, equality, the right to life, and the prohibition of slavery and torture. The first sections (Articles 1–11) outline the rights of the individual, such as the right to life and the prohibition of slavery. The second section (Articles 12–17) constitutes the rights of the individual in civil and political society. The third section (Articles 18–21) deals with spiritual, public, and political freedoms, such as the freedom of religion and freedom of association. The fourth (Articles 22–27) sets out social, economic, and cultural rights. Finally, the last three articles provide the glue that holds all the articles together as they emphasize the mutual duties of every individual to one another and to society.⁴

I’d like to focus in particular on Article 18, which simply states that “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.”

Lofty goal, but some of those original nations who voted in favor of its adoption, countries such as China, Burma, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Syria, and now along with newcomers Afghanistan, Nigeria, North Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and others, are at the forefront of nations that merit particular concern in the trampling of human rights and systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.

Just including this lofty language in a declaration, language that was intended to provide freedoms and protections for all God’s children was not enough. We are frequently reminded that it is incumbent on each of us to do what is right, to speak and to fight for the free will of all of God’s children, not only for those who believe as we do.

But in this day and age of secularization, should we put the same emphasis on these protections as was once thought necessary? We should, and we must.

Recent news out of India, the world’s largest democracy, is particularly alarming. Religious nationalism and worsening bigotry, especially against Muslims and Christians, appear to have created a culture that encourages threats and violence by vigilante groups. In the first six months of 2023, more than 400 acts of violence were committed against Christians alone, compared to 274 for the same period in the previous year.⁵

But it’s not just India. According to recent statistics, religiously motivated killings just of Christians in various countries of the world in 2021 exceeded 5,600 individuals.⁶ While the overall number decreased somewhat in 2022, more than half of last year’s total was attributable to killings in one particular country.

And let’s not forget the Ahmadias in Pakistan, the Uyghurs in China, the Rohingyas in Burma, the Bahá’i in Iran, or the Yazidis in Iraq. Do we say and do nothing because they are not like us, because many people regard them as unimportant or insignificant?

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: TO PROTECT ALL

We cannot forget that religious freedom is meant to protect all individuals and religious minorities, even in the United States, the bastion of religious freedom. The killings in U.S. churches and synagogues cannot be overlooked or merely attributed to intolerance or too many guns.

Today, religious liberty is under attack not only because of religious extremism or government repression but also because of discrimination by the majority religions.

The Pew Research Center, in its 2020 report on government restrictions on religion, revealed that between 2007 and 2018, the number of governments that imposed high or very high restrictions on religions, especially minority religions, climbed from 40 governments to 56.⁷

Whether it is requiring that religious groups register with governmental entities in order to operate, or showing favoritism through the giving of government funding, giving gifts of real property, providing financial support for religious education, putting in place limitations on religious activities, or governments harassment of certain religious groups, restrictions against religious groups abound. According to Pew, more people are living in countries where religious freedom is restricted than at any time in the past two decades. They note in their findings that more than 90 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious freedom is either somewhat or very restricted.⁸ The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted to enshrine those freedoms, yet 75 years later, we are still no further along in providing that assurance than when the declaration was first adopted. In fact, we seem to be going backwards.

All people, no matter where they live, how they worship, or whom they worship, are deserving of consideration and protection. That is the nature of compassion. And we forget that at our own peril. The bottom line for each of us should be that no matter what, all lives matter; we must stand up and speak up for those less fortunate than ourselves.

Should religious communities be silent or passive in the face of challenges to religious freedom or intolerance? Should we involve ourselves in speaking about religious persecution, racism, intolerance, and the dignity of human beings, or is it enough for us to simply pray for our political leaders, law enforcement, and for those affected and struggling to deal with this chaos and trampling of their rights and freedoms? Are we not called to testify and be ambassadors to a kingdom that will be made up of every tongue, tribe, and nation worshiping the God of all creation?

To achieve this goal sometimes takes years and much effort, heartache, and pain. But we must not be dissuaded because true freedom must be founded on respect for the dignity and the inalienable rights of the human person. These are rights that must not be violated or surrendered.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FREE SOCIETY

Perhaps the most concise expression that encapsulates for me what it means to be a free society comes from the pen of Robert George Brian Dickson, the Chief Justice of Canada, in a case before the Canadian Supreme Court that brought forth a legal challenge to the Canadian Lord’s Day Act, which required stores to close on Sundays. In rendering his opinion striking down the act, Justice Dickson stated:

“A truly free society is one which can accommodate a wide variety of beliefs, diversity of tastes and pursuits, customs and codes of conduct. A free society is one which aims at equality with respect to the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms. . . . Freedom must surely be founded in respect for the inherent dignity and the inviolable rights of the human person. The essence of the concept of freedom of religion is the right to entertain such religious beliefs as a person chooses, the right to declare religious beliefs openly and without fear of hindrance or reprisal, and the right to manifest religious belief by worship and practice or by teaching and dissemination. But the concept means more than that.

“Freedom can primarily be characterized by the absence of coercion or constraint. If a person is compelled by the state or the will of another to a course of action or inaction which he would not otherwise have chosen, he is not acting of his own volition and he cannot be said to be truly free.”9

This includes, for example, the rights of parents to raise their children within their chosen faith community. It includes the rights of individuals and communities to share their beliefs with others and to invite others to join their religious communities. It includes the rights of adherents to leave any religious community and to join another. It includes the right of believers and their communities to draw on those beliefs as they participate in community life.

We must all use opportunities that might arise in our countries to intercede where we can before governments, courts, or anywhere we observe instances that may not necessarily involve or affect us or our particular religious group but that have an impact on others.

We must ever be vigilant; we must remember that even though religious freedoms are plenty and generous and are now enjoyed by us in our parts of the world, they may nevertheless be short-lived. All one has to do is look around and see what is happening in the world today.

Where were we when the Russian Supreme Court ordered that the Jehovah’s Witnesses denomination be banned, that all their local congregations be shut, their property seized, and their bibles banned from distribution?¹⁰

Where were we when multiple men and women in Pakistan were sentenced to death by the courts on blasphemy charges after complaints by fellow citizens?¹¹

Where were we recently when Hindu mobs, enraged by the conversions of Hindus to Christianity, attacked Christians in parts of India, destroying houses of worship and brutally beating individuals?¹²

So, we must ask ourselves, how soon before it is our turn if we don’t say or do something? If we don’t raise our voices in alarm? Religious freedom should not be perceived as something that is only meant to protect some citizens at the expense of others. We are reminded of the statement of Lutheran pastor and theologian Martin Niemöller, who spoke these words at the end of World War II after having spent some eight years in concentration camps for speaking out against Hitler:

“First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist. “Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist. “Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist. “Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew. “Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me.”¹³

The bottom line for us should be that no matter what, all lives matter, so we must stand up and speak up for those less fortunate than ourselves. We cannot sit idly by as bystanders. We should not be stopped by fear if we do something—because the result will be dire consequences in the future if we do nothing.

Those of us residing in countries where we have guaranteed freedoms must be concerned about how minorities are treated. Beliefs of some religious groups may not be popular, but do they deserve to be persecuted because of their religious beliefs or teachings?

What can we do?

We can raise awareness, our own and that of others.

We can live and respectfully share our beliefs.

We can find that common ground that unites us.

We can support organizations such as the International Religious Liberty Association (https://www.irla.org/), which for 130 years has worked to promote freedom of conscience for every person, no matter who they are or where they live. and individuals who are working to protect religious freedom.

We can hold governments accountable for their actions.

We can strive for justice wherever and whenever we see the need.

Let us commit to doing all that is within our power to protect the rights and freedoms of all of God’s children.

Karnik Doukmetzian (Honors BA in Strategic Studies, York University, Ontario, Canada; JD, University of Windsor, Ontario) was born in Athens, Greece, and grew up in Canada. He has served as the Chief Legal Counsel for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A., since 2009.

Recommended Citation

Karnik Doukmetzian, "Under Attack: Freedom of Religion," Dialogue 35:3 (2023): 15-18.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. This article is an adaptation of a presentation given at the World Congress on Religious Liberty at Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A., on August 23, 2023, sponsored by the International Religious Liberty Association.
2. The resolution was voted on December 10, 1948: 48 members voted in favor, eight abstained, including the then-Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia, Poland, and South Africa, and two did not cast a vote (Honduras and Yemen).
3. See https://www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary/asset/2328/2328627/.
4. For the full text in English, see: https://www.ohchr.org/en/humanrights/universal-declaration/translations/english. At the same site, you can click on “Other Languages” for translations.
5. United Christian Forum, July 11, 2023, reported on by Hannah Mitchell, “Christian Community in India Faces Surge in Violence, UCF Reports,” Christianity Today (July 14, 2023): https://www.christiantoday.co.in/news/christian-community-in-india-facessurge-in-violence-ucf-reports.html. See also U.S. Department of State 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom—India: https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-internationalreligious-freedom/india/; and Anugrah Kumar, “At Least 400 Acts of Violence Committed Against Christians in India in First Half of 2023: Report,” Christian Post (July 16, 2023): https://www.christianpost. com/news/400-acts-of-violence-against-christians-in-india-in2023-report.html.
6. Open Doors World Watch List 2023, “The Persecution of Christians Globally: Key Facts, Trends and Recommendations” (2023): https://www.opendoorsus.org/persecution/wwl2023-advocacy-report.
7. See Pew Research Center, “In 2018, Government Restrictions on Religion Reach Highest Level Globally in More Than a Decade” (November 10, 2020): https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2020/11/10/in-2018-government-restrictions-on-religionreach-highest-level-globally-in-more-than-a-decade/.
8. ________ , “International Religions Freedom and Restrictions” (November 10, 2020), Section 2: https://www.pewresearch.org/ religion/2020/11/10/harassment-of-religious-groups-continues-tobe-reported-in-more-than-90-of-countries/.
9. Canadian Chief Justice Robert George Brian Dickson, Supreme Court of Canada, in the case of Regina v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., 1985 CanLII 69 (SCC), [1985] 1 SCR 295: https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scccsc/en/item/43/index.do.
10. Samirah Majumdar, “41 Countries Ban Religion-related Groups; Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baha’is Among the Most Commonly Targeted,” Pew Research Center (November 15, 2021): https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/11/15/41-countries-banreligion-related-groups-jehovahs-witnesses-bahais-among-themost-commonly-targeted/.
11. WION News, “Four Men Sentenced to Death on Blasphemy Charges” (September 16, 2023): https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-four-men-sentenced-to-death-onblasphemy-charges-details-inside-632779; The Guardian, “Woman Sentenced to Death in Pakistan Over ‘Blasphemous’ WhatsApp Activity” (January 19, 2022): http://theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/pakistan-woman-aneeqa-ateeq-sentencedto-death-blasphemous-whatsapp-messages.
12. Mithil Aggarwal, “Religious Violence Reaches India’s Capital as a Hindu Mob Swarms a Church,” ABC News (September 6, 2023): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/india-g20-christianchurch-attack-rcna103571.
13. Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, “First They Came—By Pastor Martin Niemöller” (n.d.): https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/first-theycame-by-pastor-martin-niemoller/.