UN: VIOLENCE COMMITTED IN THE NAME OF RELIGION

UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF REPORT TO THE UN 2015 – VIOLENCE COMMITTED IN THE NAME OF RELIGION – Multiple report components important to WOMEN.

Website of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FreedomReligionIndex.aspx

United Nations
A/HRC/28/66

General Assembly
Distr.: General
29 December 2014

Original: English

Human Rights Council
Twenty-eighth session
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
Political, economic, social and cultural rights,
Including the right to development

Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Heiner Bielefeldt

Summary

Violence committed “in the name of religion”, that is, on the basis of or arrogated to religious tenets of the perpetrator, can lead to massive violations of human rights, including freedom of religion or belief.

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur first provides a typological description of various forms of violence carried out in the name of religion. He subsequently explores root causes and relevant factors that underlie such violence. The main message is that violence in the name of religion should not be misperceived as a “natural” outbreak of collective acts of aggression that supposedly reflect sectarian hostilities existing since time immemorial.

Rather, it typically originates from contemporary factors and actors, including political circumstances.

The Special Rapporteur also recommends concerted actions by all relevant stakeholders, including States, religious communities, interreligious dialogue initiatives, civil society organizations and media representatives, in order to contain and eventually eliminate the scourge of violence committed in the name of religion.

Contents
Paragraphs Page
I.Introduction.......................................1–2 3

II. Preventing violence committed in the name of religion................................. ....................3–82 3
A. A complex phenomenon...............................3–11 3
B. Overcoming simplistic interpretations...........12–20 5
C. Root causes, factors and political circumstances.......................................... 21–38 7
D. The human rights framework........................39–40 10
E. Obligations and responsibilities
under international law.............................. 41–59 11
F. Roles of other stakeholders..........................60–82 15

IIIConclusions and recommendations...... 83–118 19

A. Recommendations to all relevant stakeholders.......................................... ......86–88 20
B. Recommendations to different State institutions...................................... ............89–102 20
C. Recommendations to religious communities........................................... 103–106 21
D. Recommendations to civil society organizations...................................... 107–111 22
E. Recommendations to the media............................................................. 112–115 22
F. Recommendations to the international community................................. 116–118 23

Download and read the full report here:

2015 Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt / A/HRC/28/66

29 December 2014