Faith should be a basic human right
The World Council of Churches general secretary spoke at a UN side event on 7 March
The right to believe in God the way you want, and to practice a faith the way you believe, is a basic human right World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit told a side event of the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council on 7 March.
In many parts of the world, where Christians and others are suffering from persecution and violence, this is not the case, he added.
Olav Fykse Tveit said: ‘It’s connected to the need for protection, for social security, for water, for food, for everything that is basic to our human lives. In some countries, we have seen grave conflict but now we have a new opportunity to address issues of injustice in a comprehensive and collaborative way.’
He argued that it will take international support and collaboration to bring a sense of security to different faith groups in countries such as Iraq and Syria.
Responding on behalf of Friends worldwide, Gretchen Castle, Friends World Committee for Consultation general secretary, said: ‘As Friends we believe in justice and basic rights for all people, in all walks of life, in all circumstances. To worship as we choose is indeed a basic human right, and it is appalling when people are persecuted for their beliefs. It is shocking to think that my ancestors left England for the US due to religious persecution here, and yet we are still facing this injustice in many parts of the world.’
