Focus on Religious Minorities minority rights group international State of theWorld’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2010 Events of 2009 State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2010 Acknowledgements Published July 2010 Minority Rights Group International (MRG) Production: Kristen Harrison gratefully acknowledges the support of all organizations Copy editing: Sophie Richmond and individuals who gave financial and other assistance Design: Tom Carpenter, Texture to this publication, including CAFOD, the European Printed in the UK Commission, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minority Rights Group International 54 Commercial Street, London E1 6LT, United Minority Rights Group International Kingdom. 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Our specialist training materi- © Minority Rights Group International, July 2010. als include essential guides for NGOs and others All rights reserved. on international human rights instruments, and on Indigenous accessing international bodies. Many MRG publica- Material from this publication may be reproduced tions have been translated into several languages. for teaching or for other non-commercial purposes. If you would like to know more about MRG, No part of it may be reproduced in any form for how to support us and how to work with us, please Peoples commercial purposes without the prior express visit our website www.minorityrights.org permission of the copyright holders. Selected MRG publications: For further information please contact MRG. A CIP p Pakistan: Minorities at Risk in the North-West 2010 catalogue record of this publication is available from p Uncertain Refuge, Dangerous Return: Iraq’s Events of 2009 the British Library. Uprooted Minorities p Discrimination and Political Participation in Bosnia Focus: Religious Minorities ISBN 978-1-904584-97-1 and Herzegovina Inside front cover: A Muslim man reads to two This document has been produced Edited by Preti Taneja children in a makeshift mosque in Wil, Switzerland. with the financial assistance of the Their community’s project to build a cultural European Union. The contents of this centre with a minaret was one of the proposals document are the sole responsibility of Minority that sparked a controversial anti-minaret cam- Rights Group International and can under no paign that led to a referendum banning minarets in circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position Switzerland. Mark Henley/Panos. of the European Union Minority Rights Group International 6 Foreword 74 Americas Asma Jahangir, UN Special Maurice Bryan Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief 100 Asia and Oceania Felix Corley, Jared Ferrie, Part 1 Thematic essays David Fickling and Farah Mihlar 10 Religious minorities in a 150 Europe post-9/11 world Katalin Halász Nazila Ghanea, James A. Goldston, Mumtaz Lalani and Preti Taneja 178 Middle East Lena El-Malak 20 Engaging across divides: interfaith dialogue for peace and justice Part 3 Reference Susan Hayward 197 Peoples under threat 2010 30 Religious minorities and the Millennium Development Goals 208 Status of ratification of major Corinne Lennox international and regional instruments relevant to minority 42 Balancing women’s rights with and indigenous rights freedom of religion Compiled by Marusca Perazzi Zohra Moosa 220 Who are minorities? Part 2 Regional overviews 221 Selected abbreviations 50 Africa Korir Sing’Oei 222 Contributors 224 Acknowledgements s United Nations Special Rapporteur on Below: A boy from Pakistan’s minority Sikh freedom of religion or belief, I have had the population collects aid after fleeing the Swat and A opportunity to conduct country missions Buner districts. Jared Ferrie/MRG. and document individual cases in which freedom of religion or belief has allegedly been violated. These so, states pander to the interests of the religious major- encounters have confirmed my perception that mem- ity community. However, such discrimination against bers of minorities – alongside other groups including religious minorities is often symptomatic of much women, indigenous peoples, refugees and migrants – deeper problems, with governments frequently using are particularly vulnerable to human rights violations. sectarianism as a diversion from other more pressing Some national laws openly discriminate against indi- political, social and economic issues. viduals on the basis of religion or belief, or a perceived A recent survey by US-based think-tank the Pew lack of religious fervour. Violent acts or threats against Forum indicates that about one-third of countries cur- members of religious minorities are also perpetrated rently have high or very high restrictions on religion. by non-state actors, unfortunately all too often with Within these countries, the most salient issue which impunity. needs addressing seems to be legislation which unduly Discrimination based on religion or belief often limits the right to manifest one’s religion or belief, for emanates from deliberate state policies to ostracize example through registration requirements or undue Foreword members of certain minority communities. In doing restrictions on places of worship. Forced conversion, Asma Jahangir UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief 6 Foreword State of the World’s Minorities State of the World’s Minorities Foreword 7 2009 and Indigenous Peoples 2010 often targeting women and children who are Lahore, was arrested when she organized in getting legislation passed through abducted, is another particularly malign problem a march to protest the proposed law of parliament in their favour. Jahangir which needs to be tackled. At the same time, in a Profile evidence which equated the testimonies has defended cases of discrimination number of countries, individuals who have volun- of two female witnesses to that of just one against religious minorities, women tarily changed their religion or belief continue to ‘People aren’t willing to believe that these reliable male witness. and children. She defended three face discrimination, threats and, in the most seri- injustices happen in our society. … But 1987 Together with her sister, Hina Jilani, Christians, among them a 14-year- ous cases, even death. Governments and religious it’s all going on next door.’ Asma Jahangir, established AGHS Legal Aid as an NGO. old boy, accused of blasphemy. In leaders must understand that freedom of thought, speaking to TIME magazine in 2003 AGHS Legal Aid is the first free legal aid an effort to combat rising rates of conscience and religion includes everybody’s free- centre in Pakistan and specializes in gender ‘disappearances’, she has also called dom to change religion or belief, i.e. not just con- violence legal cases. The AGHS Legal Aid on the Pakistani Attorney-General version to the majority or official religion of the Cell in Lahore also runs Dastak – a shelter to inform the public about how concerned country. for women. many covert intelligence agencies are When governments work to ensure that the 1987 Founding Member of the Human Rights operating in Pakistan, and under what rights of members of religious minorities are Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), first laws they conduct arrests. protected, this not only leads to a more stable serving as Secretary-General and later as and secure society, it is also an indicator of how Chair of the Commission. Compiled by Hannah Kaplan seriously invested they are in the protection of 1995 Jahangir and her family faced attempts on human rights. This must be accompanied by their lives by religious extremists. the use of other more informal strategies, such 1998 Appointed UN Special Rapporteur on as inclusive inter-religious and intra-religious