Peace is essential for harmonious coexistence among diverse nations and communities. Lasting peace stems from justice, which is rooted in the respect for fundamental human rights, with freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) being paramount. This right is a measure for all other rights, impacting both individuals and communities through worship, practice, observance, and teaching. When FoRB is violated, other rights and freedoms are similarly endangered, leading to serious consequences like genocide predominantly targeting religious minorities.
FoRB represents the deepest form of personal freedom, encompassing thought, conscience, and religion as defined by international law. This trio reflects human rationality, morality, and spirituality. Ignoring this deep freedom leads to the disrespect of other freedoms like opinion, expression, association, and more. Democracy and wellbeing begin with FoRB, while autocracy starts with its abuse.
There’s a profound link between FoRB and human dignity, the foundation of human rights from which our rights and duties emerge. Today, human rights agenda is often misused by groups promoting ideologies, extremism, or relativism, neglecting our duties to others and society.
To promote a more humane era, we must revisit key documents and principles:
1) The nexus between human dignity and FoRB
Four key sources emphasize human dignity: two secular documents and two faith-inspired ones:
a) Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Preamble: “Recognition of the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…”
Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
b) The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000)
Dignity is the first founding value, protected in Article 1 of Chapter 1.
c) Vatican II Council Declaration on Religious Freedom “Dignitatis Humanae” (1965)
“The Council… declares that the right to religious freedom is founded on the dignity of the human person.“
d) The Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in Muslim Majority Lands (2016)
“God bestowed dignity on all humans regardless of race, color, language, or belief… This dignity demands freedom of choice… All people share bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood in humanity.”
2. Respect for human dignity unites religious and secular humanists
Different traditions converge towards a common good. The Judeo-Christian tradition views humans as created in God’s image. Christianity proclaims divinity and humanity uplifted. In Islam, Karamah relates to Adam’s honor in the Quran.
Dignity, the highest worthiness, transcends the material world. Every person is a unique intellectual, spiritual, and material being, possessing rights and duties, reason, conscience, and freedom.
3. Rights necessitate duties
Dignity balances rights and duties, freedom, and responsibility. Freedom requires responsibility: as parents, spouses, neighbors, citizens. Awareness of duties must be promoted alongside respect for human dignity, combining the Silver Rule (justice, reciprocity, tolerance) and the Golden Rule (compassion, solidarity, love).
4) Equal citizenship stems from equal dignity
Equal dignity promotes equal, fair, inclusive citizenship. In dignity, we are equal; in identity, different. This diversity fosters creativity rather than cloning.
5) Dignity teaches us to live together
Reason and faith, science and religion, in pursuit of truth, drive civilization forward. Dignity helps us learn what it means to be human, emphasizing rights, responsibilities, and reciprocity.
Leave a Reply