Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal Protection

The legal protection of religious diversity is strewn with difficulties and uncertainties. The re-emergence of religiously motivated demands points to the need to better define the relationship between the legal protection of human rights and religious diversity. The current applicable laws and regu...

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Main Author: Eduardo Ruiz Vieytez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-01-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/87
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author Eduardo Ruiz Vieytez
author_facet Eduardo Ruiz Vieytez
author_sort Eduardo Ruiz Vieytez
collection DOAJ
description The legal protection of religious diversity is strewn with difficulties and uncertainties. The re-emergence of religiously motivated demands points to the need to better define the relationship between the legal protection of human rights and religious diversity. The current applicable laws and regulations come from different historical or national contexts, which presents a confusing landscape that calls for a better definition of the protection afforded by the different rights at stake. This article uses a general normative analysis to propose extending the scope of religious minorities to any religious affiliation that does not represent the majority of the population of a given state. This involves shifting from a paradigm of specific protection for certain minorities to one in which all minorities are protected through the universally recognized rights of freedom of religion and nondiscrimination.
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spelling doaj.art-9663063a9f33425b890d60429c5e10b52024-01-26T18:14:57ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-01-011518710.3390/rel15010087Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal ProtectionEduardo Ruiz Vieytez0Human Rights Institute, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, SpainThe legal protection of religious diversity is strewn with difficulties and uncertainties. The re-emergence of religiously motivated demands points to the need to better define the relationship between the legal protection of human rights and religious diversity. The current applicable laws and regulations come from different historical or national contexts, which presents a confusing landscape that calls for a better definition of the protection afforded by the different rights at stake. This article uses a general normative analysis to propose extending the scope of religious minorities to any religious affiliation that does not represent the majority of the population of a given state. This involves shifting from a paradigm of specific protection for certain minorities to one in which all minorities are protected through the universally recognized rights of freedom of religion and nondiscrimination.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/87religious diversityhuman rightsreligious minoritiesminority rightscultural diversitynondiscrimination
spellingShingle Eduardo Ruiz Vieytez
Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal Protection
Religions
religious diversity
human rights
religious minorities
minority rights
cultural diversity
nondiscrimination
title Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal Protection
title_full Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal Protection
title_fullStr Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal Protection
title_full_unstemmed Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal Protection
title_short Religious Diversity, Minorities and Human Rights: Gaps and Overlaps in Legal Protection
title_sort religious diversity minorities and human rights gaps and overlaps in legal protection
topic religious diversity
human rights
religious minorities
minority rights
cultural diversity
nondiscrimination
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/87
work_keys_str_mv AT eduardoruizvieytez religiousdiversityminoritiesandhumanrightsgapsandoverlapsinlegalprotection