Religious intolerance widespread—U.N.

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 9

Religious intolerance widespread—U.N.

NZPA-Reuter Geneva Religious intolerance and persecution are widespread, claiming hundreds of thousands of victims throughout the world, says a United Nations report. Examples cited included the Iraq-Iran Gulf war, imprisonment, illtreatment and execution of religious opponents, demolition of sacred buildings, forced conversion from one faith to another, restriction of religious practices and discrimination in obtaining jobs, health care and housing. The 29-page document will be discussed at the annual session of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The writer, Angelo Vidal d’Almeida Ribeiro, of Portugal, was appointed by the commission last year to examine reports of religious discrimination and intolerance.

D’Almeida Ribeiro said he had gathered information on arbitrary State intervention in religious or spiritual questions, clashes between supporters of rival ideologies or beliefs, and religious persecution and discrimination in more than

40 countries. He said this picture was neither complete nor exhaustive, adding that this kind of intolerance and discrimination existed in practically all economic, social and ideological systems in all regions of the world.

“The bloody repression exercised in certain countries against adherents of this or that faith or belief, and the heavy toll of armed conflicts where ideological dimensions play a role make it possible to count the victims of intolerance in hundreds of thousands,” the report said.

Although , the legislation .and constitutions of most countries guaranteed freedom of thought, conscience and religion, these principles were often violated by laws and administrative decrees, it added.

D’Almeida Ribeiro said he sought information from Governments, international organisations and church and private bodies.

More than 20 religious groups and sects which complained of actions taken against them included Baptists, Protestants, Roman Catholics,

Orthodox, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Baha’is, he said. The report did not name any countries accused of intolerance, saying this would be inappropriate before they had been given a chance to reply. The report made obvious references to the Gulf war and civil strife in Lebanon, citing “an international conflict opposing two neighbouring countries ... (where) religious dissensions contribute to delaying a peaceful outcome,” and “civil wars opposing members of several sects and religious denominations.”

In an apparent allusion to curtailed emigration of Soviet Jews, the report said that in one country permission to emigrate granted to members of a particular minority had “diminished in spectacular proportions in recent years.”

Examples were also cited of members of religious congregations often being forced to support a State’s foreign policy, and detention in psychiatric hospitals of clergy who publicly criticised Government religious policy.

The report said: “In several countries, religious authorities have been assassinated by members of the armed forces or the security police. “There have also been cases of clergy dying in labour camps Or in prison, as a result of ill-treatment inflicted during their detention.

“In several countries religious leaders have disappeared without explanation. Sentences of death can be passed and executed for religious motives.

“In certain countries capital executions for religious motives are counted in dozens, sometimes even in hundreds, including minors.”

The document said: “The adherents of a religion or given belief often tend to consider this as the sole valid manifestation of the truth.

“This characteristic, which is equivalent to refusing to accept the right of everyone to differ, undoubtedly constitutes one of the profound roots of intolerance or discrimination based on religion or belief.”