Aadel Collection
Encouraging the understanding of tolerance, and freedom of belief (BIC – December 1984)
Submission by the Bahg'i International Community
to the
seuuinar on the encouragement of understandings
tolerance and respect in matters relating to
freedom of religion or belief
Geneva
3—14 December 1984
BPOOO O2
CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 1
1. THE ROOT CAUSES OF MANIFESTATIONS OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE. 1
1.1 Religious prejudice 2
1.2 The lower human motivations that activate religious
prejudice 4:
2. THE VARIOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF INTOLERANCE OF RELIGION OR
BELIEF IN THE CONTE ORARY WORLD . 4
2.1 Violations of the basic right to maintain or to
change the religion or belief of one's choice. . . . 5
2.2 Violations of the right. t'o practise and to manifest
one's religion or belief 5
2.3 Violations of civil, political, economic, social or
cultural rights on the basis of religion or belief . . . 6
3. THE NECESSARY ANS FOR ERADICATING RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE . 7
3.1 •Action in the field of legislation 7
3.1.1 Action at the national level 7
3.1.2 Action at the international level 8
3.2 Educational programmes to foster tolerance of
religion or belief 8
3.2.1 The type of education required to eliminate
religious intolerance 9
3.2.1.1 A spirit of free inquiry 9
3.2.1.2 A recognition of the essential unity
of religions 9
3.2.1.3 The role of religious principles 1O
—1—
3.2.2 Towards practical programmes of education to
foster religious tolerance 11
3.2.2.1 Topics that might be incorporated in
programmes of education designed to
foster religious tolerance 11
3.2.2.2 Specific actions that might be taken
in the field of education 12
4. MODELS FOR LOCAL ACTION BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF BARA'
CO1 il 11JNITIES AROUND THE WORLD IN PROMOTING RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE . 13
4.]. Fellowship with members of all religions 13
4.2 Education in the principle of religious unity. . 14
4.3 Some suggestions for local community action. . . i5
CONCLUSION 16
— 11 —
-S
INTRODUCTION
The achievement of religious tolerance and understanding is, in
the Bahá'i view, a prerequisite for the establishment of universal
peace and the elimination of all forms of discrimination — whether this
discrimination be based on race, ethnic origin, religion, sex,
nationality, language or any other characteristic.
Countless wars have been waged throughout human history in the
name of religion, and innumerable conflicts have been spurred by
religious differences. Religion has become yet another basis and
pretext for discrimination and for the violation of human rights.
Certainly the development of religious tolerance would eliminate one of
the most potent sources of conflict in the world today.
At the same time, the attainment of religious tolerance would
produce benefits that would extend into every sphere of global life.
The development of religious tolerance and understanding would allow
man to recommit h 1 s spiritual energies to the central purpose of all
the world's revealed religions — the unification of the whole of
humanity. For it is religion itself that — if not abused by man for
human, selfish ends — provides an awareness of man's spiritual purpose
and •of his fundamental unity with other men. Such an awareness is
essential for the eradication of all the prejudices that currently
divide mankind, and is the only sure basis for establishing world
peace.
Because the development of religious tolerance is such an
important goal and imperative for our time, the Bah 'I International
Community wholeheartedly welcomes the holding of this seminar on the
encouragement of understanding, tolerance and respect in matter.s
relating to freedom of religion or belief. We are pleased to submit
the following comments of relevance to the topics to be discussed by
the seminar, as an elaboration of the Bah 'i perspective -described
above. In particular, we would like to offer the Bah 'i view on the
root causes of manifestations of religious intolerance; the various
manifestations of religious intolerance in the contemporary world; the
necessary means for eradicating religious intolerance, including action
in the fields of legislation and education; and models for local action
based on the experience of Bahi'i communities around the world.
1. THE ROOT CAUSES OF MANIFESTATIONS OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE
Manifestations of religious intolerance can be viewed as the
product of the interaction of two main factors. The first is simple
religious prejudice. Every violation of religious rights, no matter
what its outward manifestations, can be traced ultimately to the
existence of attitudes of religious prejudice. As Arcot Krishnaswami
has pointed out in his seminal Study of Discrimination in the Matter of
Religious Rights and Practices , “Underlying most discriminatory
practices are prejudices which have crystallized into mores of a
society. In the particular case of attitudes towards religions or
—2—
beliefs, perhaps more than in any other field? mores are slow to change
since they stem from deeply held convictiorisi' In this sense,
religious prejudice is the primary root cause of religious intolerance.
Prejudice alone, however, may remain obscured or latent; it need
not rianifest itself directly in outward actions. Yet when religious
prejudice combines with any number of selfish, lower human motives it
can lead to the violation of the right to freedom of religion or
belief. These lower motives — whether the quest for power, the desire
to feel morally superior to others or the need to find a scapegoat for
social or economic ills — represent the immediate causes of
manifestations of religious intolerance. Both prejudice and these
other lower human motives are discussed in more detail below.
1.1 Religious prejudice
Religious prejudice may itself be the product of a number of
factors. Certainly one of the most important is simple ignorance of
other beliefs. There exists a natural human tendency to regard any
person who is different — for whatever reason — with suspicion and
initial mistrust. In the Bah 'i view, this tendency must be countered
by fostering in every individual an awareness of the fundamental,
organic unity of all members of the human race arid an appreciation for
diversity and variety in beliefs and cultural and social backgrounds as.
a source of enrichment to the whole of human society.
Another cause of religious prejudice, however, and one which
operates to make prejudice based on religion one of the most pernicious
and potent forms of prejudice, is the tendency of human beings to
proclaim the inherent superiority of their own belief and to refuse
accordingly to accept the equal dignity and worth of people of other
faiths. These attitudes may take the form of a claim to have an
exclusive hold on truth. Such a conviction has served historically as
the basis for countless “holy wars” waged against so—called “heretics”
or “infidels”. 2
Where such attitudes are manifested by followers of the world's
major religions, they clearly represent a distortion of the Teachings
of their Prophets and a misunderstanding of the reality that all the
world's religions have proceeded from one God. It is the Bahg'I view
that all religions emanate from the same source — the one and unchanging
God — and that, throughout human history, God has revealed himself to
man through various Divine Educators, or Messengers. All these
Messengers of God— who include Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Abraham,
Moses, Christ, Muhammad and, in our day, Bah 'u'll h — have taught the
same eternal spritual principles of love, unity and tolerance. In
fact, the central purpose of every religion has been to promote unity
among men. According to the Bah 'I Writings:
1. Arcot Krishnaswami, Study of Discrimination in the Matter of Religious
Rights and Practices (New York: United Nations, 1960), p. 63.
—3--
All the Divine Manifestations sent by God into the world would
have gone through their terrible hardships and sufferings for
the single hope of spreading Truth, unity and concord among
men. Christ endured a life of sorrow, pain and grief, to
bring a perfect example of love into the world — and in spite
of this we c ntinue to act in a contrary spirit one towards
the other...
While the spiritual teachings of these great Educators are
changeless and eternal, like their Divine Source, each Messenger of G
has brought social laws and teachings particularly suited to the need
of the age in which He appeared. Only these social teachings have
changed from one religion to another. Bah 'Is believe that
Baha'u'llgh, the Prophet—Founder of the Bah 'I Faith, is the most
recent — but not the last — of these Messengers of God, and that He h s
brought social laws and ordinances for this age, while renewing the
spiritual message taught by all the past Messengers.
Man has chosen to dwell on these outward differences of religion,
rather than the unity of their spiritual message, and a distorted
emphasis on these differences is the source of religious enmity and
estrangement. The Bah 'I Writings underline that any doctrine of
religious exclusivity is contrary to the very spirit of the teachings
of all religions:
Most regrettable of all is the state of difference and
divergence we have created between each other in the name of
religion imagining that a paramount duty of our religious
belief is that of alienation and estrangement, hat we should
shun each other and consider each other cbntaminated with
error and infidelity. In reality the foundations of the
divine religions are one and the same? The differences which
have arisen between us are due to blind imitations o dogmatic
beliefs and adherence to ancestral forms of worship.
This recognition of the fundame ital unity of all religions is
coupled, in Bah 'I belief, with a commitment to the principle of the
independent investigation of truth. God has provided guidance to man
through religion, but it is the responsibility and right of each
individual to search and find religious truth for himself, and no
can judge the spiritual capacity of anothe.r or dictate to him the best
path for his spiritual growth. In the Bah ' view, every person must
have the right to practise the religion of his choice — or not to
believe at all.
The belief in the inherent superiority of one's own belief to the
exclusion of others, and the prejudice that ensues, springs from a
failure to recognize both the right of every individual to discover
religious truth for himself and the essential unity and harmony of all
religions. Arguably one can support the concept of freedom of belief
2. ‘Abdu'l—Bahá, Paris Talks , pp. 121—122.
3. ‘AbdUl_Bah , rniinrlarirrnc of World Unity , p. 92.
—4—
while believing that one's own belief is exclusively valid; yet human
character is such that mere intell ctual arguments in favour of
toleration have made little dent on human prejudices. Only a positive
appreciation for the unity of religions c n overcome this prejudice.
l.2 The lower human motivations that activate religious prejudice
We have examined above the various factors leading to religious
prejudice — the primary root cause of manifestations of religious
intolerance. A number of self—centred motives — the immediate causes
of manifestations of religious intolerance — can activate this
prejudice and lead to concrete violations of religious freedom. These
motives can involve struggles for. power, for social position, for the
maintenance of the existing social and political order or for the
establishment of a new social and political structure; they can equally
include the desire to seek scapegoats as a result of dissatisfaction
with one's position in s' ciety or with the conditions existing in one's
country.
Thus, for example, religions can be perceived to “threaten” the
existing power structure within the dominant religion in a country;
they can be perceived as threatening the overall moral, social and
political order in a society, whatever its form; and they can be
perceived as a threat to other groups if the religion's members are
regarded as wealthy or privileged — or simply on the way to attaining a
more equal socio—economic standing with the rest of the population.
Likewise, members of certain religions may be used as scapegoats for a
country's internal or external problems. They may be accused of
fomenting internal conflict, causing troubles abroad or being the
source of the nation's economic woes. In all these ways, religious
prejudice can lead to religious differences being used as a basis and
pretext for pursuing selfish ends — in turn resulting in manifestations
of religious intolerance.
2. THE VARIOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF INTOLERANCE OF RELIGION OR BELIEF
IN THE CONTE OFAR! WORLD
Religious intolerance — caused by prejudice and other lower hum
motives — may manifest itself in a variety of ways, and the rights
enshrined iii the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of
Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief may
ljkwise be yiolated in many different ways. Violations of the right to
religious liberty may, however, for the purpose of better
understanding, be divided into three major categories. The first
category comprises violations of the basic right to have a religion dr
belief of one's choice and to change this belief. The second categor y
includes violations of the right to practise and to manifest one's
religion or belief, while the third category encompasses violations f
civil, political, economic, social or cultural rights on the basis of
religion or belief.
—5—
Naturally, these categories may overlap and do not necessarily
exclude one another. For example, a religious community may suffer
curtailment of some purely religious rights while at the same time
suffering discrimination in areas not directly connected with
religion — in the area of employment, for instance. Likewise, certain
acts of discrimination may have as their purpose to compel an
individual to recant his own belief.
2.1 of the basic rig to in_or to change_the
The Declaration Ofl the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and
of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief is most flagrantly
violated if individuals and religious communities are denied the basic
right to which they are entitled under Article 1 — that is, the right to
have a religion or belief of their choice. The right to hold or to
change a particular belief — whether or not it is outwardly
manifested — may be denied outright through various acts of oppression
and coercion. Mere adherence tO a particular religionmaY, for
example, be designated a criminal offence, with correspondingly severe
penalties in the form of imprisonment, or even execution. The
followers of a religion that has been proscribed bylaw may become the
victims of physical assault, torture, assassination and rnurder — or may
simply “disappear.” Individuals may be deprived of their homes,
personal possessions or means of livelihood. All or any of these acts
of intimidation may be directed towards thegoal of coercing an
individual to renounce his or her religiouS beliefs, or of preventing
him from leaving a religion in which he does not believe.
Violations of the right to. have or to change the religion or
belief of one's choice are perhaps the mast pernicious of religious
rights violations, for they ake aim at what Arcot KrishnasWam
describes as the “inner faith and conscience of an individual.'
KrishnasWami indicates that world opinion considers that violations
under this fi 9 t category may not be justified under any
circumstances. His observation that “there are even today cases of
interference with this freedom — or at least with its outward aspects
is certainly as true today as it was in 1959.
2.2 Violations of the right to practise and to manifest one's
religion or belief
%Thether or not • the basic right to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion is directly violated in the manner just described, the
right of individuals and religious communities freely to practise their
religion and outwardly to manifest their beliefs may be denied or
curtailed. Violations in this second category may assume a number of
forms. Individuals may, through legislation, judicial decrees, or acts
of intimidation perpretrated by officials, groups or individuals, be
4. KrishnasWaflli, p. 16.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
—6—
denied the right to observe the social laws of their religion,
including those relating to marriage and divorce; to teach their faith
to others; to make voluntary contributions to. the funds of their
religious organization; to make pilgrimmages to the holy places of
their religion; or (as provided in Article 5 of the Declaration) to
educate their children in accordance with their own beliefs.
Similarly, the right of an individual to manifest his or her
belief in community with others (as provided in Article 1 of the
Declaration) may be severely curtailed. Religious gatherings may be
forbidden; religious communities may be prohibited from choosing their
religious leaders and organizing their religious affairs; and all
contact with their co—religionists in other parts of their own country
or in other countries may be proscribed. Voluntary contributions from
members of religions to national or international religious funds may
be proscribed and monies so directed may be confiscated by the
government; assets owned by religious communities — such as holy places,
‘burial sites, and financial assets — may likewise be seized and
confiscated or destroyed. Religious communities may be forbidden from
maintaining charitable or humanitarian institutions, and religious
classes conducted for the purpose' of educating members in the
principles of their own faith mmy be prohibited. The observance of
holy days, fasts and other religious practices as a. community may be
proscribed. Finally, religious communities may be forbidden to publi h
and disseminate religious publications and literature. Almost all of
these restrictions constitute violations of the rights enumerated in
Article 6 of the Declaration.
2.3 Violations of civil, political, economic, social o cultural
rights on the basis of religion or belief
The third category described above involves violations of
non—religious rights on the basis of religion or belief. Whether or
not they are denied the basic right to freedom of belief, and whether
or not restrictions are imposed upon their religious activities,
individuals and communities may be subjected to discrimination in the
enjoyment of their civil, political, economic, social or cultural
rights solely on the basis of their religion. This discrimination may
involve, for example, the denial of grounds for the enjoyment of
various rights through non—recognition of certain religions in national
constitutions which are based on religious law and which make enjoyment
of certain rights conditional upon membership in one or more officially
recognized religions. It may involve, as already described, denial of
the right to life, to freedom of person and to personal property on the
basis of religion. Similarly, personal status may be impaired under
the law. For example, marital status, citizenship or the right to
obtain identity cards or passports may be denied on the basis of
religion. Discrimination may also take the form of denial or
infringement of the right to education through harassment, dismissal
from or refusal of admission to public schools, or — in the field of
employment — may be manifested in such practices as denial of
employment, withholding of promotion or arbitrary dismissal. Such acts
constitute violations of the non—discrimination rights set out in
Articles 2 and 3 of the Declaration.
—7-.
3. THE KECESS RY ? AI S FOR ERADICATING RELIGIOUS ‘INTOLERANCE
In the previous two sections we have outlined both the root causes
of manifestations of intolerance based on religion or belief and the
various specific forms that these manifestations may assume in the
contemporary world. It is evident from the types of violations of the
right to freedom of religion or belief described above, on the one
hand, that appropriate and effective legal, judicial and administrative
meaures must be taken in order to protect persons from violations of
the right to religious freedom. At the same time, the fact that
outward manifestations of intolerance are but the product of inner
prejudices and the action of lower human impulses implies that
religious tolerance will only be fully realized when a change of
attitudes has been brought about through appropriate education. In
this respect, education must be viewed as the primary remedy for the
problem of intolerance based on religion or belief.
3.1 Action in the field of legislation
3.1.1 Action at the national level
The violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief
outlined in Section 2 are very real and pervasive. To combat these
direct, outward, violations of religious freedom it is essential that
appropriate constitutional, legislative, judicial and administrative
measures be adopted at all governmental levels to ensure that all the
rights set forth in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of
Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief are
adequately and fully protected by law. Laws should be adopted which
explicitly protect the fundamental right to have a belief or to change
one's belief; which, on the basis of the Declaration, clearly define
and protect the specific rights associated with the right to practise
and to manifest one's belief; and which ensure the full enjoyment of
all civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights without
discrimination on the basis of religion or belief. In particular,
measures should be taken to ensure the implementation of such laws.
States should ensure that the rights set forth in the Declaration are
realized in practice and are guaranteed through the existence and
application of effective grievance and recourse measures.
The importance of effective legislation is emphasized by
Krishnaswami, who, underlines that the duties of public officials to
refrain from making any adverse distinction on the basis of religion
ccmust be discharged through the adoption of appropriate legal
provisions of a preventive or remedial character, including papal
sanctions when necessary, as well as by administrative action. In
addition to the legal protection which laws may provide, the very
adoption of laws may contribute to an evolutionary change of attitudes.
Krishnaswami affirms that: “The very process of adoption of laws may
8. Krishnaswami, p. 65
—8--
in itself constitute an educational measure. Individuals are incline d
to consider 0 wrong what the law prohibits, and right what it enjoins
them to do.”
3.1.2 Action at the international level
At the international level, the United Nations might consider the
following means of promoting the effective protection of religious
rights in both national and international law:
a) the United Nations might offer assistance to states in the
drafting of appropriate legislation.
b) the United Nations might investigate ways of disseminating
information on the standards set forth in the Declaration to judges,
legislators, magistrates, lawyers, public officials, civil servants and
other officials whose duties involve the protection of the right to
freedom of religion or belief.
c) the appropriate United Nations human rights bodies might
consider the possibility of elaborating additional standards as a means
of implementing the Declaration. In particular, they might investigate
the possibility of beginning discussions on the elaboration of a draft
convention on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of
discrimination based on religion or belief.
d) the appropriate United Nations human rights bodies might
consider further measures to study the current dimensions of the
problem of •religious intolerance and discrimination and to monitor tl
situation in the world relating to religious intolerance. They might
consider establishing a formal or informal body which could study th
state of religious tolerance in various parts of the world and could
report to one of the United Nations human rights organs.
3.2 Educational programmes to foster tolerance of religion or belief
In Section I above, prejudice and other lower human motivations
were identified as the root causes of manifestations of religious
intolerance. These prejudices and lower human behaviours can only be
changed through proper education — education which seeks to change
values and attitudes, and which is based on the spiritual, moral and
ethical teachings brought by all the Prophets of God. The Bahg'i
Writings state:
There are some who imagine that an innate sens.e of human
dignity will prevent man from committing evil actions and
ensure his spiritual and material perfection.. .And yet, if
we ponder the lessons of history it will become evident that
this very sense of honour and dignity is itself one of the
bounties deriving from the instructions of the Prophets of
God. We also observe in infants the signs of aggression and
9. Ibid., p. 63.
—9--
lawlessness, and that if a child is deprived of a teacher's
instructions his undesirable qualities increase from one
moment to the next. It is therefore clear that the
emergence of this natural sen of human dignity and honour
is the result of education.
3.2.1 The type of education required to eliminate religious
intolerance
3.2.1.1 A spirit of free inquiry
The education required to eliminate prejudice must, first of all,
promote that spirit of free inquiry which alone can break through
traditional religious divisions, traditions and dogmas and allow each .
individual to discover truth for himself: S
Another new principle revealed by His Holiness BaM'u'llãh is
the injuction to investigate truth; that is to say, no man
should blindly follow his ancestors and forefathers. Nay,
each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and
investigate the truth himself in order that he may follow the
truth in ead of blind acquiescence and imitation of ancestral
beliefs.
In particular, as part of this investigation, individuals must be given
the opportunity to investigate beliefs other than their own with a view
towards gaining a greater understanding of these beliefs and how they:
relate to one's own.
3.2.1.2 A recognition of the essential unity of religions
While knowledge of other beliefs is a first step towards
eliminating prejudices, it is not sufficient in itself to eradicate
prejudice. For prejudice has been caused not only by general ignorance
of other beliefs, but in particular by a failure to recognize the
oneness of religion and an accompanying tendency to dwell on outward
religious differences instead. Individuals will only truly become
tolerant of other beliefs when they are able to see that the
fundamental tenets of all the world's revealed religions are one arid
the same.
Thus, the investigation described above must have as
its second goal the development of an appreciation for the fundamental
unity of all religions and for the spiritual teachings of love, unity,
and tolerance that are common to all religions — teachings that include
such spiritual principles as “faith, knowledge, certitude, justice,
piety, righteousness, trustworthiness, love of God, inward peace 12
purity, detachment, humility, meekness, patience, and constancy. '
The Bah 'I Writings State fl this connection:
10. ‘Abdu'l—Bah5, The Secret of Divine Civilization , p. 97.
11. ‘Abdu'l—Bah , Bah 'i World Faith , p. 246.
12. ‘Abdu'l —Bah , Some Answered Questions , pp. 55—56
__--
— 10 —
Therefore it is our duty in this radiant century to
investigate the essentials of divine religion, seek the
realities underlying the oneness of the world of humanity and
discover the source of fellowship and agreement which will
unite mankind in the heavenly bond of love.. .For if we remain
fettered and restricted by human inventionS and dogmas, day by
day the world of mankind will be degraded, day by day warfare
and strife will increase and satar forces converge toward
the destruction of the human race.
As part of his investigation of religious truth, each individual
must also be given the opportunity to understand how the social
teachings of various religions — those teachings relating to material
matters such as fasting, prayer, forms of worship, marriage and
divorce, legal processes and penalties for murder, violence, theft
and injuries — are ‘ tnodified and altered in e h prophetic cycle in
accordance with the necessities of the times.t Such an
understanding of why religious teachings on material matters differ
from religion to religion can help dispel prejudices based on an
exclusive focus on these outward differences. “It is the outward
practices of religio that are so different, and it is they that cause
disputes and enmity. '
3.2.1.3 The role of religious principles
Third and finally, the education required to eradicate religious
intolerance' must draw its primary inspiration from the spiritual
principles of huinanoneness and unity that lie at the very heart of the
teachings of all the divine religions. Only religion itself can in the
end provide that awareness of human unity and of man's spiritual
purpose necessary to overcome prejudices and lower human impulses. The
Bah 'I Writings acc rdingl.y emphasize that moral education is necessary
to eliminate the prejudices and lower human motivations that lie at the
root of any outward manifestations of religious intolerance, and that
it is a necessary complement to legal sanctions implemented to combat
these outward manifestations:
And among the teachings of Bah 'u'lláh is that religion is a
mighty bulwark. If the edifice of religion shakes and
totters, commotion and chaos will ensue and the order of
things will be utterly upset, for in the world of mankind
there are two safeguards that protect man from wrongdoing.
One is the law which punishes the criminal; but the law
prevents only the manifest crime and not the concealed sin;
whereas the ideal safeguard, namely, the religion of God,
prevents both the manifest and the concealed crime, trains man,
educates morals, compels the adoption of virtues and is the
all—inclusive power which guarantees the felicity of the world
of mankind. But by religion is meant that which is
13. cAbdu)1..Bahá, Bahi'i World Faith , p. 229.
14. ‘Abdu'l—Bah , Some Answered Questions , pp. 55—56
15. ‘Abdu'l—Bahá, Paris Talks , pp. 120—121.
— 11 —
ascertained by investigation and not that which is based on
mere imitation; the 1 ouridations of Divine Religions and not
human institutions.
It is true religion itself which provides the teachings of
tolerance, of humility, of never presuming to be superior to others, of
respect for other human beings: “all religions teach that we should
love one another; that we should seek out our own shortcomings before
we presume to condemn the faults of others, that we must not consider
ourselves superior to our neighb rs! We must be careful not to exalt
ourselves lest we be humi1iated. '
3.2.2 Towards practical programmes of education to foster religious
tolerance
Krishnaswami emphasizes the importance of adopting effective
educational measures to eliminate the prejudices that lie at the root
of religious intolerance: “the enactment of laws and the taking of
positive administrative and educational measures are required ;
eradicate — even if onlygradually — such stubborn prejudices. ' In
accordance with the concepts outined above, the Bah 'I International
Community would like to offer the following suggestions relating,
first, to the possible content of educational programmes designed to
combat religious intolerance, and secondly, to the specific measures
which might be taken to i plement such programmes.
3.2.2.1 Topics that might be incorporated in programmes of education
designed to foster religious tolerance
The Bah 'i International Community suggests that programmes of
education, designed to eliminate religious prejudice should:
a) seek to develop a fundamental knowledge of the world's various
religions and belief systems. They should include study of the lives
of their founders, of the scriptures associated with each religion or
belief, of their fundamental teachings, of their history and of their
present—day practice in the world today, including their traditions and
customs. In this connection, a number of admirable efforts have been
made to develop materials for the study of comparative religion in
schools.
b) incorporate an examination of the commonality of spiritual
concepts in all human societies, such as, for example, the concept of
the existence of some Being superior to man; the twofold
physical/spiritual nature of man; the development in man of such
qualities as compassion, truth, love and tolerance. In studying these
common spiritual teachings, students might refer to the scriptures of
all of the world's religions.
16. ‘Abdu'lBah , Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l—Bah ,
pp. 302—303.
17. ‘Abdu'l—Bahá, Paris Talks , p. 147.
18. Krishnaswami, p. 58.
— 12 —
c) include a study of the different social teachings of various
religions, in order to develop an appreciation for the variety of forms
of religious expression.
d) include examination of the history of religious prejudice and
conflict, with a view to understanding the nature of religious
prejudice and how it results from a tendency to dwell on religious
differences.
e) include a study of the principles of religious liberty and
tolerance contained in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms
of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.
3.2.2.2 pecific actions that might be taken in the field
of education
The topics described above might be incorporated in a variety of
educational programmes, initiated by religious organizations,
non—governmental organizations, local community councils, or local,
regional or national governments. The Bah 'i International Community
would like to suggest the following specific action that might be
taken:
a) Governments might encourage the incorporation of the above
topics in school curricula at the primary, secondary and university
levels; might provide for the development of appropriate educational
materials for use in curricula on religious tolerance; might encourage
the development of appropriate teacher—training programmes; and might
share with other states their experience in the field of education
aimed at promoting religious tolerance.
b) Non—governmental organizations — including community and
religious organizations and a variety of educational institutions —
might develop special classes or courses which would incorporate the
topics mentioned above, or they might choose to include these subjects
in existing programmes. Furthermore, these organizations, in
cooperation with each other or with government agencies, might consider
a number of cultural programmes which would encourage religious
understanding. Some of these activities might be undertaken in
cooperation with UNESCO. These might include the development of
multi—religious cultural programmes, through the use of exhibitions,
religious libraries and museums.
c) The media might be encouraged to disseminate materials conducive
to fostering understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating
to religion or belief.
d) The appropriate intergovernmental agencies, for example, UNESCO
might:
-- 13
1) solicit information on existing educational progr eS
and methods aimed at promoting religious tolerance and make
this info at10fl available tO interested governmeflts
instituti0flS and orgafli ati0 ;
2) compile a bibliograPhY of educational materials which
might be incorporated in curricula on religious tolerance,
and pos iblY establish a library of such materials available
to institutions and governments; and
3) consider the possibilitY of developing appropriate
curriculum guides for teaching about religious tolerance
which might be used in school programmes;
e) The United Nations General AssemblY might consider the
possibilitY of proclaiming 25 November “Universal Religious Tolerance
Day”, in commemoration of the anniversary of the adoption •of the
Declaration.
4. NODELS FOR LOCAL ACTION BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF BA 'I
C0 JNITIES AROU1/ D THE WORLD IN PROMOTING RELiGIOUS TOLERANCE
Bahá'f communities around the world are working to promote
religious tolerance and unity as one of the fundamental tenets of their
religious belief. Their endeavOUrs are reflected, on the one hand, in
the Bahg'i emphasis on fellowshiP with members of all religions, and on
the other, by the efforts of these commi. nitie5 to educate all people in
the principle of religious unity. In both these areas, the activities
of Bah 'f éommunities offer possible examples of actions that local
commun.ities around the world might also take.
4.1 ‘pelldwship with members of all reli&i
The Bahâ'I Writings counSel “0 people! Consort with the
followers o 9 a1l religions in a spirit of friendliness and
fellowship. Individual Bah ' S and Bahg'i communities have
attempted to follow this counsel in their everyday lives and affairs,
in recogitioa of the reality that all divine religions proceed from the
one and same God, and that the very purpose of religion is to foster
unity among peoples of all races, creeds, colours and faiths. Bah 'fS
emphaticallY avoid any tendency towards isolation or separatism, and
rather seek to jnte iflgle and interact with peoples of all religions
and beliefs.
As a manifestation of this emphasis on fellOWShiP with members of
all religions, Bahâ'f communities have erected six houses of worship,
one on each of five continents of the world — North America, Central
America, Europe, Africa, and Australia — and one in the Pacific. These
houses of worship are open for worship to members of all religions,
faiths and beliefs. Each of these houses of worship has nine
entrances, 9 boliZing the nine major world religions and the fact that
19. Bahá)u'llâh, Tablets of Bah 'u'llih , p. 22.
a
£1
each of these religions provides a path to God. Bahâ'I communities
also maintain local or national Bahi'i centres which are open to
members of diverse religions and faithS and may often be used by
residents of the local village or communitY for various communitY
purposes.
Members of other faiths are warmly welcomed at commemOrati0 of
Bahâ'i holy days and at most other Bahi'f gatherings. One Bahá'i holy
day, the Day of the Covenant, commemorates the eternal and continuing
covenant God has made with man through his es5eflgers, and as part of
this observance prayers and seleCtiofl 5 from the Holy Books of all
religions may be read.
Bah ' communities have participated in a number of inter_faith
councils and organizations aimed at promoting greater derStanding
among eiigi0flS. Furthermore, they have, either singly or in
cooperation with other religious organizations in their localities,
developed a variety of charitable and humanitarian services available
to all members of the local populati0fl whatever their faith or belief.
For example, Bah ' communities have assisted in the organization of a
number of rural development projeCtS In South America and in Africa.
The Bah&'i communitY of India has establi5h two high schools,
0 ffi iallY accredited and recognized by t e Government of India, which
are opep to members of all faiths. Such efforts have been undertaken
in the spirit of humble service to all members of humanity described in
the following passage from the Bah 'i Writ nSs “Let US therefore be
humble, without prejudiCC5 preferring others' good to our o ! Let us
never say, “I am a believer but he i an infidel', ‘I am near to God,
whilst he is an outcast'. We can neverkflbw what will be the final
judgement! herefOre let us help all who are in need of any kind of
a SiStan
In addition to promoting association and fellowshiP with members
of all beliefs, Bah 'f commUfl t are actively engaged in du atiflg
all peOple in the reality of religious unitY, seeking to foster the
development of attitudes of religious tolerance and underSt dimg.
For exaucple, in classes conducted by Bahi'i communities in over
100 countries, children are being instructed in the principle of the
unity of religions and of the independent investigation of truth. In
these classes, children from all religious backgr0 fldS — not only
Bah ' — study the history, scriptures and eachiflg5 of the world's
various religions. The aim of these classes is to develop an
appreciation for each of these religions and for the essential
spiritual principles common to all of them. In these classes, students
also seek to understand how the social achingS .of various religions
have varied in accordance with the needs of the particular age in which
they were revealed. Students learn that religious division is caused
because men cling tO the outward observances of religion and forget the
simple, underlying truth of human oneness and unity which is the most
important reaching of all religions. Finally, these classes seek to
20. Abdu ,l_B a, !STAi , pp.. 147—148.
I
— 15 —
nstill in children and youth a respect for all people, of whatever
eligion or belief, and in particular, a respect for the right of each
nd every person to investigate and find religious truth for himself.
In addition to holding classes for children, youth and adults,
ah '1 communities around the world have sponsored, often in
ollaboratiOn with other religious organizations, a number of public
ieetings, commemorations and exhibits (including observances of United
rations Human Rights Day) at which various forms of religious belief
ave been discussed and the essential unity underlying these various
orms of belief illuminated and studied. Members of all religions have
)articipated in these events.
.3 Some suggestions for local community action
Based upon the experience of local Bah '1 communities described
above, the Bah '1 International Community would like to suggest the
following actions that religious organizations, non—governmental
organizations and governments might wish to consider at the local and
national levels as means of promoting religious tolerance and
understandiflg
a) Non —gover ental organizations and various religious
organizations could help to establish inter—faith bodies or councils
whose purpose would be to promote an understanding of various beliefs,
as well as an appreciation for the essential principles which they all
share.
b) Such inter—faith bodies, as well as individual religious or
non—governmental organizations, could organize social events and
gatherings whose purpose would be to bring together informally members
of a variety of religions — simply for the purpose of sharing and
socializing. Such inter—faith gatherings would help to promote a sense
of fellowship among different religions in the local community.
c) Meetings or observances could be held at which scriptures from
different religions could be read, and representatives of various
faiths could share their beliefs and teachings.
d) Religious organizations could be encouraged to cooperate ‘ith
one another in developing and implementing community service or
development projects of an economic, social or humanitarian nature.
The experience of working side—by—side with members of other faiths in
service to the community as a whole could greatly help to foster
attitudes of respect and understanding.
e) Similarly, local religious organizations might cooperate in
organizing observances of such events as United Nations Day and United
Nations Human Rights Day as well as multi—religious exhibits or
presentationS in museums or libraries.
— 16 —
f) As suggested in Section 3, non_governmental organizations and
religious organizations might be encouraged to consider holding classes
in which different religions are studied, with a view to nderstandiflg
the fundamental similarities in their spiritual teachings, as well as
the differences in their outward forms of practice. Local, regional and
national governments might also be encouraged to consider developing
educational programmes in public schools aimed at developing an
derstafldiflg of various religions and an appreciation for these
religions.
CONCLU S ION
The above paper has sought to show that the primary root causes of
religious intolerance are, on the one hand, prejudice, and, on the other
hand, a variety of lower human impulses which activitate this
prejudice; that religious intolerance may assume a variety of
manifestations, ranging from violations of the basic right to have a
belief of one's choice, to restrictions on the right to practise one's
beUef and to disc imiflati0n in non—religious rights on the basis of
religion or belief; that action in the fields of both legislation and
education is necessary to combat religious intolerance and the
prejudice that lies at its roots; and that a number of actions may be
taken by local communities and local communitY organizations to promote
religious tolerance and derstandiflg. The global problem of religious
intolerance demands for its solution, in the end, a recognition of the
fundamental oneness of the human race — a recogitiOn that religion
itself must provide. Only the hea1it g power of religion and its
teachings çf tolerance can dispel fanaticism, intolerance and
prejudice:
...Shall we remain steeped in our fanaticismS and cling to our
prejudices? Is it fitting that we should still be bound and
restricted by ancient fables and superstitions of the past; be
handicapped by superannuated beliefs and the ignoranceS of
dark ages, waging religious wars, fighting and shedding blood,
shunning and athematiZi.flg each other? Is this becoming? Is
it not bet ter for us to be loving and considerate toward each
other? Is it not preferable to enjoy fellowship and unity;
join in anthems of praise to the most high God and extol all
His prophets in the spirit of acceptance and true vision?
Then indeed this world will become a paradise and the promised
Day of God will dawn... fierce and contending religions,
hostile creeds and divergent beliefs will reconcile and
associate, 0 withstanding their former hatred and antagonism.
Through the liberalism of human attitude demanded in this
radiant cen rY they will blend together in perfect fellowship
and love...
21. ‘Abdu'l—Bah , Bah ' World Faith , p. 280.
