Advancing Religious Freedom in Different Political Regimes: Personal Stories

Dmytro Vovk is Director of the Centre for the Rule of Law and Religion Studies, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and co-editor of Talk About: Law and Religion

In June 2021 the ICLRS Blog, “Talk About: Law and Religion,” hosted a webinar on advancing religious freedom in different political regimes. The panelists (Brett G. Scharffs, Seng Mai Aung, Ján Figeľ, Mine Yildirim, Knox Thames, and Elizabeth A. Clark) talked about their personal experiences in Iraq, Myanmar, Pakistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan focusing on challenges and restrictions religious and belief communities face in these countries and other parts of the world. They shared their thoughts on human rights compliance, the basics of religious freedom advocacy and internationals’ interacting with local authorities and religious communities, discussed what worked and did not work in promoting religious freedom globally and why efforts to promote religious freedom was sometimes a matter of both international and domestic politics.

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Advancing Religious Freedom in Different Political Regimes

Ján Figeľ is a former EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union

Why is religious freedom important? Because it is a measure, principle, and instrument of humanization and civilizational process. It makes every society and time more humane, more respectful, and just.

It is important because freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is an expression of human dignity belonging to each person and community, society, nation. The primary role of any power and authority is to provide peace to its people. Peace is the fruit of justice, and justice today is centered around human rights for all.

Human dignity is a foundational principle of all human rights. We have rights and duties because we are endowed with the dignity of the person.

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In for the Long Haul—Advocating for Freedom of Religion or Belief

Dr. Mine Yildirim is Head of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee’s Freedom of Belief Initiative in Turkey

In this personal reflection piece, I will share my experience on advocating for freedom of religion or belief, particularly based on human rights law and the engagement with different actors. The context for these reflections is my work with the Freedom of Belief Initiative (FoBI) and my engagement in the promotion of freedom of religion or belief in different regions as an expert and advisor.

The FoBI is a human rights project that aims to contribute to the protection of freedom of religion or belief in Turkey. The project’s activities center on systematic monitoring and reporting on the state of freedom of religion or belief with concrete policy recommendations. Advocacy is another core activity. International human rights compliance control mechanisms are important in this sense. We provide submissions in the context of the Universal Periodic Review, UN treaty bodies, and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. Another focus is the creation of platforms for constructive discussion on complex freedom of religion or belief issues by way of conferences, roundtables, or workshops.

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