As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take its huge and tragic toll on the world’s population, it is being felt hardest by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world, whichever kind of political, economic, social, religious exclusion they experience.
PROMOTING FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF AND GENDER EQUALITY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A FOCUS ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE, EDUCATION AND HEALTH
The Special Rapporteur fully agrees that the right to freedom of religion or belief can never be used to justify violations of the rights of women and girls, and that ‘it can no longer be taboo to demand that women’s rights take priority over intolerant beliefs used to justify gender discrimination’ [as noted by former Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir]. Acknowledging and rebuking these practices, however, does not mean tacitly accepting an inherent incompatibility between the right to freedom of religion or belief and gender equality. Instead, the two should be understood in a holistic manner as mutually reinforcing human rights norms. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
One Year Later: The Historic United Nations Report on Antisemitism as a Human Rights Concern
It has been one year since Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, published the first-ever UN human rights report solely dedicated to examining the threat to human rights posed by antisemitism and identifying necessary actions
to combat it. Dr. Shaheed’s report, which he developed after studying the issue and meeting with representatives of Jewish communities and organizations around the world, including in several consultations convened by AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute, was warmly welcomed not only by Jewish audiences but also by many governments at the UN General Assembly.
Legislation Factsheet: Attacks on Houses of Worship and Religious Leaders in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso was long viewed as a bastion of religious tolerance and interfaith
harmony in west Africa. However, in recent years, religious freedom conditions in
Burkina Faso have deteriorated, with the country facing interrelated security and
humanitarian crises. Attacks on both Muslim and Christian houses of worship and
religious leaders have spiked as jihadist and other militia groups expand their area
of influence throughout the country. The government is struggling to rein in the
violence, and poor performance and misconduct by government affiliated forces are
exacerbating the situation