Close to Our Hearts: Freedom of Religion or Belief as a Human Right

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We, the undersigned, are committed to promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and have supported this right in different capacities and in various ways across the globe. We are concerned about political or ideological tendencies that obscure the human rights nature of FoRB. With this letter, we wish to reaffirm the status of FoRB as a human right, on a par with other human rights and firmly anchored within the broader international human rights system.

We are concerned about current trends which seek to promote FoRB in isolation or pit it against other human rights. Without denying the legitimacy of specialization in the field of human rights, we reject the construction of abstract normative hierarchies between different rights, which undermine international human rights protection. Moreover, while tensions between different human rights issues can always occur in concrete contexts, it would be dangerously misleading to turn such inevitable tensions into abstract dichotomies. Policies to promote one specific human right with the strategic intention of de-legitimizing or minimizing other human rights will ultimately erode the integrity and normative force of human rights in general.

Dichotomized views, which pit FoRB against other human rights, exist in various ways. For example, some contend that FoRB is inherently in opposition to freedom of expression, thereby obscuring the fact that the two rights have much in common and can mutually reinforce each other. To harness FoRB as an alleged justification of anti-blasphemy laws would mean no less than denying its essential character as a right to freedom. Particularly worrisome at present is the tendency to construct dichotomies between FoRB and rights related to gender equality and non-discrimination. Not only does such a dichotomized approach undermine the indivisibility, interrelatedness and interdependency of all human rights; it also tears apart the life-world of countless people, whose needs, yearnings and vulnerabilities lie in the intersection between FoRB and gender equality, including those who belong to sexual orientation and gender identity minorities. In order to do justice to the various features which together define personal identity, a holistic framework of human rights remains indispensable.

As a human right, FoRB is part and parcel of the international human rights framework, which itself is based on the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, preamble). Notwithstanding this common denominator of all human rights, each of those rights also has its specific features, aims and applications. FoRB plays a crucial role in that it reminds us that human beings can search for meaning in various ways and cherish profound identity-shaping convictions, in conformity with which they may wish to live their lives, as individuals and in community with others. Without adequately recognizing this central dimension of the human condition, human rights would cease to be fully humane.

We therefore pledge our continued commitment to freedom of religion or belief as an inalienable human right, convinced that such a commitment can only be meaningful within the broader human rights approach. In the face of growing political and ideological tendencies towards normative fragmentation, relativism and selectivity, this elementary insight warrants public re-affirmation.

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List of signatories (in their personal capacity):

Heiner Bielefeldt (Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief)
Marie Juul Petersen (Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for Human Rights)
Katharine Thane (Independent FoRB Advisor)
Thiago Alves Pinto (Project Coordinator, Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief)

Amina F. Hasan (Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development)
Ana María Vega Gutierrez (Professor, Universitaire of La Rioja)
Andreas Nachama (Rabbi, Pastor Gregor Hohberg and Imam Kadir Sanci House of One)
Andrew Copson (Humanists UK)
Andrew Davies (Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion, University of Birmingham)
Ángel López-Sidro López
Ani Zonneveld (Muslims for Progressive Values)
Anne Katrine Ebbesen (The Council on International Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark)
Arie de Pater (Brussels Representative, European Evangelical Alliance)
Asiya Nasir (Chairperson Pakistan Christian Forum)
Awraham Soetendorp (Rabbi, Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values)
Azila Talit Reisenberger (Temple Hillel and University of Cape Town)
Azza Karam (Secretary-General of Religions for Peace)
Bani Dugal
Barb Rieffer Flanagan (Central Washington University)
Bassem Maher (Independent Peacebuilding Advisor)
Bente Sandvig (The Norwegian Humanist Association)
Bereket Alemayehu (Photo artist, social activist, writer)
Bert Lockwood (Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, University of Cincinnati)
Besa Ismaili (Professor & MP, Assembly of Republic of Kosovo)
Bonnie Evans-Hills (Reverend, Episcopal)
Bushra Anjum Butt (Member of Parliament)
Caroline K Roberts
Charles Reed (FoRB Leadership Network)
Christian Kazadi Lupemba (IYC Member, Religions for Peace)
Christof Sauer (International Institute for Religious Freedom / Professor for Religious Freedom, Giessen School of Theology)
David Alton (Member of the House of Lords)
Deborah Thebault (Lecturer, University Paris-Sciences-Lettres [PSL])
Đermana Šeta (Adviser on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, [OSCE] ODIHR)
Desi Hanara (Regional Coordinator, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights)
Diane Ala'i
Dicky Sofjan (Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies)
Dima Dabbous (Equality Now)
Ed Brown (Secretary-General, Stefanus Alliance International)
Elias Szczytnicki (Religions for Peace Latin America and the Caribbean)
Elisabeth Naurath (Professor, University of Augsburg)
Elizabeth Kerekere (Founder/Chair, Tiwhanawhana Trust and Member of NZ Parliament)
Elizabeth O'Casey (Humanists International)
Emily Ostler (Masters Student, Harvard Divinity School)
Emna Gelacia (Minority Rights Group International)
Esref Efendi (Sheikh, Sufi Zentrum Rabbaniyya, World Peace Institute of Sufism)
Eva Maria Lassen (Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for Human Rights)
Even Gran (Norwegian Humanist Association)
Ewelina U. Ochab (Independent Advisor)
Filip Buff Pedersen (Political Advisor, DMCDD & www.forb-learning.org)
Filzah Sumartono
Fiona Bunn (Mosaic Middle East)
Francisco Javier Zamora Cabot (Chair Professor of Private International Law, UJI of Castellón, Spain
Fraser Sutherland (Chief Executive, Humanist Society Scotland)
Genti Kruja (Interreligious Council of Albania)
Geoffrey Kerosi (Minority Rights Group International)
Georgia Alida du Plessis (Research Fellow, UA, ETF and UFS)
Glenn Payot (Representative to the United Nations, Minority Rights Group International)
Gunilla Hallonsten (Church of Sweden)
Haider Al-Husseinawi (Rfp- Iraq)
Hajja Feride Funda G.-Gencaslan (Europäisches Zentrum für Sufismus & interreligiöse Begegnungen e.V.)
Heather J. Sharkey (Professor, University of Pennsylvania)
Iain T. Benson (Professor, University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney)
Ibrahim Habib (United Copts of Great Britain)
Indira Manandhar (RfP Nepal)
Irma Riana Simanjuntak (United Evangelical Mission, Dept. of JPIC Regional Asia)
Ja Seng Ing
Jason Klocek (University of Notre Dame)
Javier Martínez-Torrón (Professor of Law, Complutense University [Spain] & Instituto LIRCE)
Jeffrey Green
Jeroen Temperman (Professor of International Law & Religion, Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Joaquín Mantecón Sancho (Universidad de Cantabria [Emeritus])
Jochen Motte (Justice & Peace Department - UEM)
Joelle Fiss
John Kinahan (Forum 18)
Juan Navarro Floria (Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina)
Julio Cesar Holguin Khoury (Bishop, Anglican)
Kambale J.-B. Kahongya Bwiruka
Kat Eghdamian (Independent Advisor)
Katherine Cash (Freedom of Religion or Belief Learning Platform)
Katherine Marshall (World Faiths Development Dialogue)
Kathleen Thein (Ingyinmay Hindu Women Network - Myanmar)
Katja Voges
Kesh Morjaria (Palan Foundation)
Keyvan Rahgoshay (PhD in medicinal Chemistry, Cergy University)
Kinyamba Lunge (Reverend, Conseil National de Religions pour la Paix en RDC)
Kishan Manocha (Head, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department, OSCE [ODIHR])
Kristoffer Robin Haug
Lena Larsen (Director, Oslo Coalition for Freedom of Religion or Belief)
Leon Saltiel (Historian)
Lillie Ashworth (Advocacy Officer, Humanists International)
Liv Hernæs Kvanvig (Head of Freedom of Religion or Belief Section, Norwegian Helsinki Committee)
Loïc Druenne (Minority Rights Group International)
Lone Ree Milkær (European Humanist Federation)
Lourdes Ruano Espina (Profesora, Universidad de Salamanca)
Luigi De Salvia (President, Religions for Peace Italia)
Luis Bretel
Luis Martínez Vázquez de Castro (Catedrático de Derecho Civil. Universidad Jaime I de Castellón [Spain])
Lyka Mtambo (IYC Committee Member, Religions for Peace International)
Malcolm Evans (Professor, University of Bristol)
Mamta Shaha (Federation of Jain Centers in North America)
Mansoor Baksh (Guyana Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at-I-Islam Lahore)
Manuel Paz y Miño (Philosopher, Peruvian Rationalist Humanists)
Marco Schendel (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)
Marco Ventura (University of Siena)
María Jesús Gutiérrez del Moral (Professor, University of Girona)
Maria Lindhardt (Political Advisor)
María-José Valero (Universidad Villanueva & Instituto LIRCE)
Marianne Heimbach-Steins (Professor, University of Muenster)
Marie-Josée Rankin-Tardif (Eider from the Algonquin tradition, Canada)
Mariz Tadros (Professor of Politics and Development)
Maulana Sayyid Tasdeeq Aabidi (Al-Mustafa Islamic Trust Guyana)
Mehdi Kochat
Michelle Becka (Professor, University of Würzburg)
Mine Yildirim (Head of the Freedom of Belief Initiative, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee)
Mohamad Miqdad (Institut Titian Perdamaian [Peace Building Institute])
Monica Belitoiu (The Romanian Secular-Humanist Association)
Munib A. Younan (Bishop, Honorary President, Religions for Peace)
Mustafa Field (Faiths Forum for London)
Mustafa Karatas
Natia Tsintsadze (World Student Christian Federation in Europe)
Nazila Ghanea (Director of International Human Rights Law Programmes, University of Oxford)
Nevine Ebeid (Researcher, Musawah)
Nicholas Wood (Former Director of the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture)
Nisrina Nadhifah Rahman (Hivos Southeast Asia)
Nontando Hadebe (Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians)
Oguzhan Albayrak (Human Rights Defenders e.V. Köln)
Pamela Slotte (Professor, Åbo Akademi University)
Pascale Frémond (Religions for Peace Canada)
Pasquale Annicchino (CIRIS / FBK)
Patrik Lindenfors (Researcher, Institute for Futures Studies)
Paul Martens (Baylor University)
Paulo Manuel Pulido Garcia Adragão (Faculdade de Direito, Universidade do Porto [Portugal])
Peter Balleis SJ (Executive President, Jesuit Worldwide Learning - Higher Education at the Margins, Geneva)
Peter Petkoff (Brunel Law School London and Regent's Park College, Oxford)
Philipp W. Hildmann (Hanns Seidel Foundation)
Phumzile Mabizela (INERELA+)
Pierluigi Consorti (Università di Pisa - President of the Italian University professors of Law and Religion)
Pravesh Gangaram Hurdeen (World Hindu Foundation SA)
Raafat Gendy (United Copts of Great Britain)
Rachel Miner (Executive Director, Bellwether International)
Ravi M. Gupta (Professor, Utah State University)
Renata Arianingtyas
Renz Christian Argao (Coordinator, Religions for Peace International Youth Committee)
Ronald Mcgarrell (InterReligious Organization)
Rudy Vasquez (Reverend, Episcopal)
Sabine Dreßler (Department for Human Rights, Migration and Integration, Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland)
Saïd Hammamoun (Professor, University of Agadir)
Salma Pir T. Rasul (Lecturer, University of the Philippines College of Law)
Salma Waheedi (Human Rights Lawyer)
Samuel Jayakumar (South Asia Forum for Freedom of Religion or Belief)
Sheldiana Jano (Interreligious Council of Albania)
Signe Lill Maas
Siti Z Kasim (Founder of Malaysian Action Justice & Unity)
Stanley Boodie (Executive Member, Inter Religious Organization Guyana)
Stephanie Berry (Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights Law, University of Sussex)
Stephen Rand
Steven Pazsitzky
Suriani Kempe (Musawah)
Susan Hayward (Harvard Divinity School)
Swati Chakraborty (International Fellow, KAICIID)
Tanja Kleibl (Professor Social Work, Migration and Diversity, FHWS)
Tehmina Kazi (Independent FoRB consultant)
Tina Ramirez (President, Hardwired Global)
Tore Lindholm (Professor Emeritus, University of Oslo)
Trisno S. Sutanto (Paritas Institute, Jakarta)
U Myo Win (SMILE Myanmar)
Ulf Gustafsson (Humanists Sweden)
Ulrich Nitschke (Piron Global Development)
Victoria Camarero Suárez (Reader, Jaume I University)
W. Cole Durham, Jr. (International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Werner Nicolaas Nel (Senior lecturer, University of Johannesburg)
Zahed Amanullah (The Concordia Forum)
Zahia Jouirou (Musawah)
Zainah Anwar (Executive Director, Musawah)
Zainal Abidin Bagir (Lecturer, Universitas Gadjah Mada)
Zharin Zhafrael
Ziba Mir-Hosseini (SOAS University of London)

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