Religious freedom of minorities must be protected says Vatican
(March 06, 2013) :Widespread discrimination affecting religious minorities persists
and even increases, said Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations and
other International Orgnisations in Geneva, Switzerland.. Addressing the 22nd
session of the Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi said
“In today’s world, because of their faith or belief, persons belonging to religious
minorities experience various degrees of abuse that run from physical attacks to kidnapping
for ransom, from arbitrary detention and obstacles in requesting registration, to
stigmatization. The prelate pointed out that effective protection of the human rights
of persons belonging to religious minorities is lacking, or inadequately addressed
even in the U.N. and international systems. Archbishop Tomasi said “While the
State should enforce the universality of human rights by balancing freedom and equality,
it often identifies itself with the “dominant community”, thus also creating problems
for the religious freedom of individuals. He said that the legal recognition of a
minority is the starting point for the necessary harmony between individual and group
freedom. He added that what the what the State can and should do is - create favourable
conditions for persons belonging to religious minorities to ensure that they can take
their faith related affairs in their own hands, in order to preserve and further develop
their religious community life and identity” Only through respect for this balance
can both peaceful coexistence and the advancement of all human rights be attained,
he said. To eclipse the public role of religion creates a society which is unjust,
as it fails to take into account the true nature of the human person and thus stifles
the growth of authentic and lasting peace for the whole human family.