We Must Condemn Abuse Of Religion Or Belief As Tool Of Discrimination And Violence

On August 22, the U.N. marks the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. It is a day designated by the U.N. for member states to reflect on their efforts to combat intolerance, discrimination and violence against persons based on religion or belief. The day was established as a direct response to the ever-growing issue of violence based on religion or belief, including in their most severe manifestations, international crimes such as crimes against humanity, war crimes and even genocide.

Over the recent years, we have witnessed several cases of the most egregious atrocities where religion or belief have been abused as a tool of discrimination and violence resulting in atrocity crimes. In 2014, Daesh unleashed genocidal atrocities against the Yazidis, Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq. To this day, over 2,700 Yazidi women and children are missing and their fate is unknown. In 2016, the Burmese military attacked the Rohingya in Myanmar killing many and forcing over a million of people to flee. In 2018, stories of thousands of Uyghur Muslims being placed in quasi-prisons where they would be subjected to litany of abuses started circulating the news. In all these cases, religion or belief have been abused to justify discrimination and violence. 2021 and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan have seen an increase in attacks against the Hazara Shias in the country with targeted bombings of places of worship and schools in Hazara regions.

In 2022, as Putin attacked Ukraine unleashing war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide, stories of Putin’s use of religion to justify the war. In June 2022, the U.K. Government imposed Magnitsky sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, for his support and endorsement of Putin’s war. As reported in a recent expert legal analysis, “Religious authorities [in Russia] have reinforced the narrative praising the invasion with innuendo and spiritual meaning. On March 13, the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, gifted an Orthodox icon to Gen. and Director of the Russian National Guard Viktor Zolotov in order to ‘inspire young soldiers’ who are ‘on the path to defending the Fatherland’.” However, Patriarch Kirill is not the only religious leader using his position to spread Putin’s propaganda. Conversely, some Russian religious leaders who speak against the war face consequences, including prosecution for a public offense aimed at “discrediting the Russian armed forces which are conducting a special military operation” and lengthy imprisonment as a result.

Such abuses of religion or belief will continue until decisive steps are taken to address the root causes.

Marking the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, several U.N. experts issued a joint statement condemning abuse of religion or belief to justify discrimination and violence. As they emphasize, “this cynical abuse of religion or belief as a tool of discrimination, hostility and violence should be condemned by all actors at every level of society. (…) International law rejects any attempt to call on either religion or belief, or freedom of religion or belief, as justification for the destruction of the rights and freedoms of others. Online and offline hate speech that take the form of expressions of intolerance, discrimination and violence against individuals on the basis of religion or belief should be addressed and countered.”

Marking this day, and commemorating the victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief, it is crucial to address the issue of abuse of religion or belief to justify all kinds of discrimination, harassment, violence in their various shapes and forms. The abuse of religion or belief must be duly recognized for what it is and acted upon.