World Report 2019
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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2019 Public Affairs and Religious Liberty 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2019 ©Public Affairs and Religious Liberty 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 COUNTRIES 7 SOURCES 337 THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST 339 CHURCH & RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THANK YOU 340 CONTACT INFORMATION 341 4 I RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2019 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this world report is to show the need for, and the foundation of, freedom of religion or belief around the world. My main thesis in this introduction of the world report is the following: human beings should not be subjected to violence based on what is known in international law as the internal forum of religious liberty. It is imperative that the whole human family come together to re-establish a vision of human relationships which would foster a mode of peaceful coexistence, due to the non-negotiable importance and the infinite and non-market value of every being human. By human family, I mean all sectors of society, not only governments but also experts in various fields such as philosophers, economists, politicians, religious or non-religious actors. No human being should be assimilated or reduced to an object or a marketable good. The dignity and integrity of a human being should never be violated physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially or spiritually. No human being or community should be deprived of the right to live according to the dictates of their conscience, culture or constitution as long as this does not harm others. Historically speaking, this is fairly new to our planetary consciousness. We have no shortage of superb statements, but we must keep in mind that it took the horrors and massacres engendered by two world wars, several genocides, and the Holocaust to incite nations to unite and to establish a universal declaration of human rights. This universal mobilization in favor of respect for human life and human rights should have occurred centuries before millions of Africans were kidnapped and sold during transatlantic, trans-Saharan and Oriental slaveries. Unfortunately, we cannot change the past, but we can build a better future. But why must we wait for atrocities, the horrors of war, the brutality of slavery, and genocide to push human conscience to formulate emblematic declarations? For the humanization of the world, moral benchmarks are necessary today. However, historical declarations such as the Edict of Milan, the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to name a few, have been preceded by moments of disconcerting brutality and the destruction of human lives. All the evils that have caused the loss of millions of lives are grounded on the legitimacy of violence. In essence, my appeal is specific: to make violence illegitimate. Violence has always been part of the structure of human society. As an example, it is worth noting that in Roman times, violence was part of the political ideology of the time. The munera were used by the Empire to assert the absolute power of the emperor. Significantly, the gladiatorial battles, and the midday executions preceding them, conveyed the same message: the emperor is powerful and must be feared. The more brutal the propaganda machine in the service of the emperor, the more efficient it was. It is now time to dismantle this logic. The time has come for a vision that humans, individually or as a majority or minority in the global social fabric, should not be subjected to violence, humiliation, harm or suffering of any kind. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2019 I 5 Restoring the awareness of solidarity between human beings is necessary and essential if we want to heal memories and promote peace. This solidarity is anchored in our common destiny. Many believe in our common origin; some even argue that it is not limited to the religious sphere. It is fascinating that contemporary thinkers are engaged in lively and constructive discussions to reinvent the sacred in public space, but here the sacred does not concern places or objects, but people. The sanctity of the human being is a good starting point to speak about respect for others. People take meticulous care of their temples, mosques, churches, cathedrals, and shrines because of respect for sacred spaces but humans are far more important than places or objects. However, following the perspective of respect for sacred places, it should be noted that human beings are temples, images of God or representatives of the divine. It is significant that the current discussions in the field of continental philosophy take into account the debate on the divine in connection with the sacred as it concerns hospitality or hostility towards the stranger. The stranger is also sacred. In connection with the right to freedom of religion or belief, the importance of communities does not depend on their size. Minorities should not be a subcategory defined by a lack of rights or dignity. The experience of otherness is the foundation of our own humanity. Rejecting the stranger is paradoxically a way of rejecting oneself. The fact that a human being can dialogue internally within the framework of decision-making should signify an openness towards otherness. In other words, the stranger, the unknown, the minorities and the poor do not lie outside the perimeter of our own humanity: in fact, they test our humanity - by bringing out the best or the worst of ourselves. Therefore, being attentive to the dignity and rights of everyone - minorities, migrants and people in vulnerable situations is the best thing to do. We cannot afford not to be humane and humanitarian. These two concepts are tied to our humanity. We betray our humanity if we lose the essential virtues of being humane and engage in humanitarian services. Many creative partnerships work to foster hospitality, inclusion, rehabilitation and empowerment so that all actors of civil society thrive, including those with limited activity, mobility or capacity. Everyone should have the opportunity to live in a place free from coercion, evil or violence. We encourage states and every branch of government to take into consideration these principles and values. As decision and law makers and people of influence, local, state and government officials must translate principles and values into policies that foster peace and prosperity among all citizens of any given country. May the right to peace become a reality for all. 6 I RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WORLD REPORT 2019 LIST OF COUNTRIES Afghanistan .............................. 10 Cayman Islands ........................ 66 Albania ..................................... 11 Central African Republic ......... 67 Algeria ...................................... 13 Chad ......................................... 68 American Samoa ...................... 14 Chile ......................................... 70 Andorra ..................................... 15 China ........................................ 71 Angola ...................................... 17 Colombia .................................. 74 Anguilla .................................... 18 Comoros ................................... 76 Antigua and Barbuda ................ 19 Congo, Democratic Argentina .................................. 20 Republic of the ......................... 77 Armenia .................................... 22 Congo, Republic of the ............ 78 Aruba ........................................ 24 Cook Islands............................. 80 Australia ................................... 25 Costa Rica ................................ 81 Austria ...................................... 27 Cote d'lvoire ............................. 82 Azerbaijan ................................ 29 Croatia ...................................... 84 Bahamas .................................. 31 Cuba ......................................... 86 Bahrain .................................... 32 Cyprus ...................................... 87 Bangladesh .............................. 34 Czech Republic ........................ 89 Barbados ................................... 35 Denmark ................................... 91 Belarus ..................................... 36 Djibouti .................................... 93 Belgium ................................... 38 Dominica .................................. 95 Belize ........................................ 39 Dominican Republic ................ 96 Benin ........................................ 40 Ecuador .................................... 97 Bermuda ................................... 42 Egypt ........................................ 99 Bhutan ..................................... 43 El Salvador ............................... 100 Bolivia ..................................... 45 Equatorial Guinea .................... 102 Bosnia and Herzegovina .......... 46 Eritrea ....................................... 104 Botswana .................................. 47 Estonia...................................... 106 Brazil ........................................ 49 Ethiopia .................................... 107 British Virgin Islands ............... 51 Falkland Islands ....................... 109 Brunei Darussalam ...................52 Fiji ............................................ 110 Bulgaria ................................... 54 Finland ..................................... 112 Burkina Faso............................ 55 France ......................................