Epigraph:

There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Al Quran 2:257)

Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

In January every year USA celebrates National Religious Freedom Day, which commemorates the Virginia General Assembly‘s adoption of Thomas Jefferson‘s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786. That statute became the basis for the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and led to freedom of religion for all Americans.^[1] Religious Freedom Day is officially proclaimed on January 16 each year by an annual statement by the President of the United States.

Despite more than 200 year history of the Establishment Clause, which  is the first of several pronouncements in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, stating, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…,” it is constantly under attack in one guise or the other.

Many of the leaders of the Republican party strive for greater perks or rights for the Christians in one disguise or the other.

The most recent attack or shall we call it a misrepresentation came from none other than a Supreme Court Justice Scalia, in the form of a public speech, where in he tried to exclude agnostics and atheists from the protections of Establishment Clause, by playing with the words.

In the beginning of the last century, British colonialism was at its peak. If organized religion did not speak for their followers, no one would have. Religions other than Christianity did not stand a chance.

In the previous centuries, when tyrannical and self serving kings and queens ruled, organized religion served a useful function to promote human rights and human dignity.  But, the ground realities in our global village of today, are very different and now organized religion speaks invariably to take away the rights of minorities and women; where ever it can harness the power of the majority.

The concept of statehood has been gradually evolving in Europe and Americas and we see the courts very deliberately and diligently defining human rights and human dignity, for more than two centuries in USA.

Organized religions, on the other hand, are focused on so many other issues, including their religious dogma that they cannot bring enough resources to human rights issues.

We can easily bring out the human right violations of each individual religion and sect, if we put them under the microscope.  An easy case to prove is one against the Catholic Church of child abuse, as it has received tremendous attention in the media in recent years.  I will just link one most recent publication that I read on this topic: What Pope Benedict knew about abuse in the Catholic Church?

Nevertheless, when we look at the religious groups they constantly are after some of the powers of the state, be they Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Hindu extremists in India, Ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel or the Evangelical Christians in USA.

It is not rocket science to understand that when the religious majorities demand special privileges for themselves in their respective countries, it is invariably at the expense of the minorities dwelling within the boundaries of those countries.

As we continue to get closer to the rest of humanity in our ever shrinking global village, it is becoming increasingly clear that the role of religion, organized in groups or not, should be purely spiritual, in bringing humanity closer to Personal God and advise about morality, without enforcing it, and leave the more mundane spheres of human interaction and human rights to the politicians and states, who can try to ensure human rights without consideration to race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

We are promoting secularism in every country of the world. For the Muslim Times’ collection on secularism, please click here

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in USA, is trying to precisely define its role, in the modern society.  In a pledge for patriotism and secularism, they have initiated an 11 point program, dubbed as True Islam.  They unequivocally declared: “True Islam advocates for the separation of mosque and state and True Islam advocates freedom of conscience, religion, and speech.”

When we look at religion with this perspective, we realize that the sphere of religion is very much personal and the public sphere belongs to the state, in every individual country.  However, we are still long ways  from such clear demarcations in almost every country and every organized religion or sect.

December 10 every year is Human Rights Day

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has taken a clear stance in favor of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by stating, True Islam encompasses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

They have their work cut out for them as they closely examine all the thirty Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and bring their inner workings completely in line with the details of this Declaration.

For example, Article 16 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, gives freedom to every man and woman to marry the person of their choice, regardless of race or religion, by stating:

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Most, if not all, religious communities seem to be  lacking in the fullest implementation of this Article.

I have examined some of the issues pertaining to interfaith marriage in a separate article.

The process may take decades, but, in our global village, it is high time that organized religion clearly divorces itself from the business of state, so that human rights can be fully implemented in every country, without resistance from religious majorities, in each country.