PROTECTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR ALL DEMOCRACIES

Abstract

Political leaders need to recognize that religion remains a powerful force shaping the world around us. As globalization pushes the world together it becomes more urgent to find ways for people of different faiths (or no faith) to coexist peacefully. The honoring of religious minority rights and a healthy religious pluralism are core aspects of democracy and key priorities of the open-minded. People of faith must have the right to speak out on issues that concern them and in the name of beliefs derived from faith. At the same time, religious voices cannot predominate in democracies that preserve equal rights for all.