Religion, social justice and human rights Flashcards
what are human rights?
the basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings should be entitled
what is social justice?
ensuring that society treats people fairly whether they are poor or wealthy and protects people’s human rights
what does UDHR stand for?
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
what is the UDHR?
- response to WW2 events
- Drew on ideas of many different cultures + centuries
- Sought to express key principles and values
- not law but a foundation for law
what is the first article of the UDHR?
“All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”
What is the Human Rights Act (HRA)?
- UK law passed in 1998
- Based on European Convention of Human Rights (1950)
- Rights relate to life, liberty, security, privacy, marriage, family life, free elections, education and fair trial
- Torture, slavery and forced labour specifically prohibited
what does the CDHR stand for?
Cairo Declaration of Human Rights
What is the CDHR?
- signed on 5th August 1990 by 57 members of OIC (Organisation of the Islamic Conference)
- Builds on Qur’an teachings, Sunnah, (practices of Muhammad) + Shari’ah law
- All rights and freedoms stipulated are subject to Shari’ah law
Why was the CDHR made?
- most Muslim countries signed UDHR too
- some like Saudi Arabia + Iran said it violated Shari’ah law
- they said UDHR only considers Western Christian and Jewish views - not representative of non-western countries
what do people think of the CDHR?
Non-Muslims:
- step forward for human rights in Muslim countries
- human rights = more protection
- some things need to change - eg. gay rights/sex outside marriage
Muslims:
- human rights are based on modern culture - not necessarily what is right
How do Christians promote social justice?
- follow Jesus’s teachings - eg. Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
- campaign to improve lives of the less fortunate - eg. William Wilberforce (slavery), Lord Shaftesbury (factory conditions + education)
How do Muslims promote social justice?
- give Zakah (compulsory) - 2.5% of wealth for good causes yearly
- get involved with social + community projects - eg. for homeless + poor
Key Bible quote on human rights and following the law?
- “All his ways are just” - Deuteronomy 32:4
- “Let everyone be subject tot he governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established” - Romans 13:1
What responsibilities come with human rights?
- neither the UN nor the OIC can enforce human rights - they aren’t law
- everyone has the right to freedom of speech but must be responsible not to say anything that causes offence to others
- children have the right to protection from cruelty and neglect but the responsibility not to harm each other
- apply to both individuals and countries and governments
what is the main religious tradition of Britain?
Christianity
(Monarch is the official head of the Church of England and has been the ‘defender of faith’ since 1521)
what sort of religious freedoms are there in the UK?
- religious freedoms are protected by the govt - choose to follow any religion or none
- illegal to persecute anyone based on faith
- anyone can encourage others to follow their faith, as long as they aren’t preaching hatred and intolerance
- people who are found guilty of discriminating against members of particular religious traditions can be punished by the court
- politics and religion based conflict in NI (Catholics v Protestants) during second half of 20th Century has largely ended
What is religious freedom like in other countries?
- religious freedom is protected by both UDHR and CDHR
- some governments in the world still don’t allow their citizens religious freedom - eg. Saudi Arabia
What is does the UDHR say about religious freedom?
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion…”
How is France an example of restricted religious freedom?
- it is secular - no public expression of faith
- 2016 Burkini Ban - Muslims were asked to undress/were removed from beaches because they wore religious dress
- limited religious freedom because it is illegal to express it publicly - fairly intolerant society
How is Geert Wilders an example of restricted religious freedom?
- Far right Dutch leader with 23% of the vote
- Advocates banning Muslim immigration + the Qur’an
- convicted for collective discrimination in 2016
- led a chant for fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands and never apologised
Why does religious intolerance exist?
- misunderstandings
- historical/religious disputes - eg. Holy Land
- human nature - people hate each other + are afraid of the unknown
- ignorance - eg. no RS in France
- people can’t agree with each other
- power/control of others
what do Christians believe about freedom of religion?
- encourages tolerance and harmony
- not allowed to fight against other Christian denominations/other religions
key Bible quote on religious freedom?
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” - Romans 12:18
what do Muslims believe about freedom of religion?
- it is part of God’s design and is taught in the Qur’an
- the whole of a believer’s life can be seen as religious expression if lived according to God’s will
- Shari’ah law can punish people who convert to another religion from Islam - only strictly enforced in a few countries
- some countries have strict blasphemy laws to stop criticising Qur’an, Muhammad, Jesus + other prophets
Key Qur’an quote about religious freedom?
“Now the truth has come from your Lord: let those who wish to believe it do so and let those who wish to reject it do so” - Qur’an 18:29
what is prejudice?
- prejudices are biased opinions that we hold
- can be about an individual or a group of people
- often negative but not always
- lead to judgements about people before we know them
what is a stereotype?
- A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image of a person or thing
- received idea sticks because it is passed on from person to person
Give an example of prejudice
Men are better at numbers than women
Give an example of a sterotype
- English people drink tea
- Dutch people are tall
Where do prejudices come from?
- Fear of the unknown
- personal experience (+ extrapolation)
- historical conflicts
- family
- social media
How are discrimination and prejudice linked but different?
- discrimination results from prejudice
- prejudice is a thought, discrimination is an action
What are some examples of discrimination?
- hiring a younger man instead of an older man - assumes he is more industrious
- male nurse is assumed to be a doctor
- more regular stop and search of Black + Asian people
- can also be inaction - choosing not to talk to someone because they don’t look like the type of person you would talk to
What is positive discrimination?
Treating people more favourably because they have been discriminated against in the past or have disabilities
What are some examples of positive discrimination?
- hiring a male teacher even if the female teacher is more qualified in order to have both male and female staff at the school
- common in organisations like the police to protect minorities from discrimination when applying for jobs
What is the Muslim view in racism?
- The Qur’an doesn’t support the idea that differences of race or skin colour justify treating people unfairly
- equality + differences in the way people look shows God’s creativity and variety
- Ummah makes no distinction between people of different races
Key Qur’an quote on racial prejudice?
“An Arab is not better than a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not better than an Arab; a white person is not better than a black person nor is a black person better than a white person…”
What do Christians believe about racism?
- they oppose racism
- Paul had a vision that everyone is equal in Jesus - revolutionary then and still not completely accepted
- 20th century - races kept apart + discrimination eg. USA and South Africa
- Christians eg. Martin Luther King and Desmond Tutu
