Durban Review Conference Workshops
The Durban Review conference has been the topic of numerous mid dayworkshops recently at the UN and it is also a topic which brings out passion in many. The topics of race, religion, and intolerance seem to make emotions run high.
One of the key points being offered at the Race and Religion: Religious Freedom in the context of Durban Review Conference workshop hosted by the Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief is that Religions do not have rights. People and persons who practice a religion have rights. A problem with granting a religion rights is that no one can say or do anything that might cause the religion to be insulted without fear of persecution; no matter what the religion promotes. The feeling of being insulted is therefore dependent on the perceived truth of the religion which moves the essence and decision of truth when a religion feels insulted into the realm of judges and governments rather than the choice of the individual who can believe what they so choose.
When governments can decide what religion or belief can be protected and should be acceptable, they are then empowered to allow other religions to be discriminated against. It is often the religion that is identified but when one group of people in a society is from a different race and their relgion is discriminated against, it is both race and religion which are effected in this conflation.
The laws of a country should be consistent with the religious laws and also human rights was voiced at the workshop.
The Brahma Kumaris look at each individual as special but also as a part of one family. Discrimination and prejudice limit the individual who holds those attitudes and can also cause suffering to others. People should have the right to have a relationship with God or not, but God does not need to have any of His religions protected. He can do that himself.
Erik, NY
