Freedom of expression and participation : right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion

Abstract

Freedom of expression and participation encompasses the Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion. Freedoms that so many of us take for granted and assume that people throughout the world enjoy. Witnesses today tell us how governments are breaking their promises made in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, to "recognize and respect the freedom of the individual to profess, express and practice alone or in community with others, religion or belief, acting in accordance with the dictates of his own" I conscience. Religious freedom is not something just for religious people, nor is it isolated from our basic freedoms. Religious freedom is essentially the right to freedom of speech, thought and assembly directed towards one's deepest spiritual needs and to freely express one's convictions. If the state is permitted to deny these basic rights to one person or group on the basis of religion, than what is to prevent the state from denying these rights to other persons or groups for other reasons. Although all European countries have accepted Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Principle VII of the Helsinki Accords we still have cases where some simply do not respect freedom of speech, thought, conscience, religion and assembly, and this in conflict with their international human rights obligations. Their conduct speaks louder than their words. Intolerance violates human rights and threatens democracy and peace.