Campion School Model United Nations

Fourth Session: October 8 th 9 th, 2016 Campion School Model United Nations Forensics Group Discussion Faith and Freedom Chair: Dafni Paraschi Co-Chair: Stella Varsami

Campion School Model United Nations 11 Introduction In ancient times, from the Egyptians who believed in the power of the Ra God, also known as the Sun, to the Greeks, who believed in twelve humanlike gods living on top of a mountain, most people had a belief characterized as a religion or as a faith. Although people do not believe in the power of the sun anymore, they still have faith in an external and sometimes inhumane power. It is this superhuman controlling power that we have come to call a religion. In our world today, there are a couple thousand religions and more than 6.5 billion people have faith in a certain or a number of Gods. It is only through this fact that we can understand the power and effect religion has on many aspects of our cultures, our traditions and even ourselves. That being said, many preach that religion has helped civilization on the way towards freedom. However, for the past few years a debate has been going on. The misinterpretations of holy books and traditions leading to extremist and violent behaviors have concerned the international community. So, what really is the connection between freedom and our religion? In countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan we have seen people killed in the streets for the sake of gods. We have also witnessed the creation of terrorist groups based upon extremist religious beliefs. It is these faces of religion that have raised the concern 1

2 Campion School Model United Nations of the international community. The real question goes as follows: is it our religion which has led us to such extremist behaviors or our human nature which fuels our hunger for power and authority? Definition of key terms Faith: Generally, refers to something that one has a belief in with strong conviction; namely, a system of religious beliefs. When referring to religious faith it is defined as the belief and loyalty to God and his set principles and values. Freedom: The fundamental right of all people to act, speak or think 1 as they desire. Essentially, freedom is the ability to one s self determination due to their will while not being imprisoned or enslaved. Religion: The faith and devotion to a superhuman controlling power, namely a God or a number of gods. Freedom of religion: The principle through which an individual or a community has the right to practice, teach, worship and manifest their faith. Also refers to one s right to change their religion or belief as well as the right to not believe in a certain faith or God. 1 http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/freedom 2

Campion School Model United Nations 11 Religious Persecution: Refers to the act or practice through which a person/ group who differs in religion is persecuted, chased and not granted their rights. Extremism: The faith and advocating of ideas and principles that are considered irrational and incorrect by the people and are not accepted by the society. Timeline Date Description of Event 1568 The Edict of Torda, also known as Patent of Toleration, is adopted due to the political situation in the Kingdom of Hungary, making it the first declaration of freedom of religion in Europe. 1789 Civil rights are granted to Protestants in France through the constitution, marking it as one of the first acts of religious tolerance. 3

4 Campion School Model United Nations December Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of 10,1948 Human rights which calls for freedom of thought and belief is adopted and ratified by the General Assembly. 1960 The 27 th of October is marked as International Religious Freedom day in memorial of two martyrs in Boston who were executed due to their religion under Massachusetts law. December 16, Article 27 of The International Covenant of on 1966 Civil and Political Rights which asks for freedom of religion is ratified. 1979-1989 The Soviet-Afghan War takes place marking it as the first form of western efforts for influence in the Islamic world and thus triggering the creation of many radical Islamic groups, amongst them Al-Qaeda. November 25, The General Assembly passes the 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All forms of Intolerance and Discrimination based on Religion or Belief which recognized individuals right to religious thought and belief internationally. 1996-2001 Taliban claims political power in Afghanistan, making it one of most strict applications of Sharia Law and triggered the invasion of Afghanistan. September A series of four related terrorist attacks are 11,2001 launched in symbolic US landmarks by Al- Qaeda through the hi-jacking and crushing on landmarks of four airplanes causing thousands of deaths, marking it as one of the most religious extremist attacks in modern 4

Campion School Model United Nations 11 history. September 20, The War on Terror is launched; an 2001 international military operation inspired after the September 11 attacks. The War is mostly done against nations connected with Islamic terrorist organizations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. May 2,2011 Osama bin Laden, the leader and founder of Al-Qaeda is killed by US Navy Seals and the Central Intelligence Agency in an operation code-named as Operation Neptune Spear, triggering the beginning of the Al-Qaeda decay. April 15, 2013 Terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon with bombing followed by shooting, carried out by extremist Islamic believers. June 2014 ISIS proclaims a worldwide caliphate, years after the decay of Al-Qaeda. November 13, Coordinated terrorist attacks by Islamic 2015 extremists connected to ISIS are launched in Paris killing 130 people, raising the concern of the international community over the threat of ISIS. 2014-2016 A series of states engage on the war against ISIS including the United States of America, France, the United Kingdom, Turkey and others. 2014-present ISIS claims grounds on Iraq and Syria, implementing authoritarian Sharia political systems and causing the further suppression of freedom of religion in Iraq and Syria. 5

Topic discussion Freedom of religion For centuries, people were persecuted for their religious beliefs, with a great example being Jews being excluded out of Spain. Today, over 120 constitutions mention equality regardless of religion. As mentioned above, freedom of religion refers to the principle through which an individual or a community has the freedom to practice their own religion or faith. Furthermore, freedom of religion is a fundamental human right recognized by article 18 of the Universal Declaration 2 of Human Rights. An important note to understand is that freedom of religion refers to both believers and non-believers. While it is important for believers to practice and manifest their faith, it is also equally important for non-believers to have the option of not indulging in the religious world without fear of being criticized or persecuted by their state or members of their community. That being said freedom of religion is greatly based upon everyday life. For example, the right to participation in religious rituals, the right of wearing religious dresses or symbols, such as the cross, the right of one teaching their children their religious beliefs and traditions as well as the expression of one s religion are all everyday examples of freedom of religion. 2 http://www.claiminghumanrights.org/thought_religion_definition.html

Campion School Model United Nations 11 Since it affects our everyday life, it is logical that it affects our society as a whole as well. Moreover, religious freedom promotes stability. Many societies are pluralistic 3 and thus, it is needed that all rights of all groups are treated equally. Through freedom of religion, no group feels as if they are restrained or in a vulnerable position and thus, they do not feel the need to protest in order to achieve their rights. In this way, the society is more stable and free of violence and social conflict caused by religious constraints. Furthermore, it has also been found by the IRF that in nations where there is freedom of religion, aspects such as the economy, health institutions and democracy are more stable and prosperous. Finally, another important note to understand is that freedom of religion does not exclusively mean that a state be non-religious. Per say, a state may declare an official religion. Freedom of religion is still possible to exist as long as the state through its laws and policies respects fundamental rights of one s conscience and freedom of thought and religious belief for all members. Religious Persecution Today, restrictions on religion exist in 39% of countries. Amongst them are states in which conflict exists, such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, as well as communist and authoritarian states such as China and North Korea. As aforementioned, religious persecution refers to the chase, persecution and action of violence towards a certain religious group. It is important to understand that not only religious minorities face religious persecution. In fact, the majority of religious persecution is acted upon the two biggest religions; Islam and Christianity. Moreover, religious persecution can be done officially and/or unofficially. When it is done officially, it is done by the state through laws and or policies. Examples include the suppression of certain religions, injunction on conventions and censorship on the practice of a religion. Greatest examples of official religious persecution include states which follow the Sharia Law. 3 a condition in which many cultures coexist within a society and maintain their cultural differences; also called multiculturalism (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/culturalpluralism) 1

2 Campion School Model United Nations The Sharia Law is a religious legal code which all Islamic states such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and many more follow. Sharia law includes a series of orders civilians have to abide by. If they do not, they are to be punished and punishments vary from amputation to death. More specifically, according to the Sharia law no civilian is to not accept Allah, the moon god and that Muhammad is a prophet. All these are forms of religious persecution since if civilians are to deny the Islamic principles they will be persecuted. Furthermore, women are to not drive a car, speak alone to a man that is not their husband or relative, their voice in court counts as half of that of a man s voice, they are to not persecute their rapist if they are raped and are to have only one husband while simultaneously men are able to have up to four wives. Under Sharia law, stoning of women and men occur on the street on a daily as well as floggings of children and violators. Additionally, Sharia Law is supported by the populations of countries where it is applied such as in Afghanistan where 89% of the population support the Sharia Law. In countries where a civic law walks hand in hand with Sharia Law such as Egypt, Muslim citizens prefer Sharia Law. Finally, it is important to understand that Sharia Law is based on interpretations. Although no one can deny that it is a strict legal system there are countries which have a more moderate application of Sharia Law such as Morocco who opts against stoning and other measures. Unofficially, religious persecution happens through communities. Especially in less developed communities where there is a small population, religious persecution is done through informal sanctions. Such sanctions usually include violence, harassment, discrimination and in some cases murder, of religious minorities. Religious extremism and Jihad Due to the rise of many radical Islamic terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Boko Haram, extremism and Jihad have concerned the international community. As mentioned above, extremism refers to the adoption of principles which are socially unacceptable and considered irrational by the community and society. Through its definition we can understand that it is a pretty complex term. Most times, the labeling of activities people or groups as extremists is tricky since it is hard to define what is not socially accepted and considered irrational. That being said, it 2

Campion School Model United Nations 11 is clear that some terrorist organizations are of extremist nature. Furthermore, it is important to remember that extremism does not only occur during conflict. Suicide bombings and terrorist attacks powered by radical Islamic organizations such as suicide bombings are all acts of extremism. Most times extremism acts as fuel for terrorism. Although a primary consequence of extremism is the violence that it brings, we must also consider that it leads to the spread of hatred and fear throughout a society. Per say, after the November 2015 attacks in Paris, the population supporting anti- Muslim organizations in France doubled. However, what needs to be understood is that it is not the purest form of religion that leads to terrorist attacks. Extremism is what leads to terrorist attacks. There are millions of Muslims living in Western societies who have been integrated and are beneficial for the society. It is not these people that commit these attacks. It is extremist people who support radical organizations. That being said, generalizations such as All Muslims are bad and have created terror in our societies do not stand since it is not Islam that fuels the terror but extremism. Jihad could easily be described as the most misunderstood pillar of Islam. Jihad is most commonly translated as holy war but in a basic linguistic sense jihad refers to struggle. Jihad is not a violent principle which calls for a declaration of war to anyone who is non- Muslim. In the Quran the term jihad has many approaches and generally refers to the endeavor of a believer to follow the principles of Islam as well as the effort for the promotion of Islam. While it is mentioned that the faith is to be protected against others, it is specified that this must first be done through legal, diplomatic, economic or political means. As a last resort, must believers use force and under strict rules such as the banning of harming of minors and women. As we can understand, the military approach of jihad is not common, a fact that has been underlined by Muhammad numerous times. 4 However, when it is necessary it is highlighted that it needs to be declared by a proper authority under advisory. In modern day, jihad is to follow the rules of just war. That being said, the principal of jihad has been misused by many radical Islamic organizations who have misinterpreted its meaning. Once again, we can see that it s not the religion which leads to violence but misinterpretation and extremism. 4 This day we have returned from the minor jihad to the major jihad," which he said meant returning from armed battle to the peaceful battle for self-control and betterment. ( http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/5-jihad-a-misunderstood-conceptfrom-islam.html?start=9) 3

4 Campion School Model United Nations Causes Possible solutions Due to the multiple aspects of the issue a multifaceted approach is required. Primarily, terrorism based on religion needs to be addressed. Although the traditional war of terror through military intervention and air forces 4

Campion School Model United Nations 11 has proven somewhat effective, there are many more important factors that need to be tackled as regards eradicating radical Islamic organizations and striving for freedom of religion. Primarily, what needs to be done is the limitation of resources of these organizations. Per se, we are aware that the majority of ISIS s funding and resources come from oil extraction, donations through money laundering and arms trading in the black market. With this information, we are to find measures to eliminate all of the above. As regards oil extraction we can create stricter international laws and conditions in the context of oil extraction and create a database of all oil extraction sites through asking respective nations to run checks and record all oil extracting sites, marking suspicious sites who are probably ISIS related. In this way, we can ensure that ISIS loses a big part of its oil extraction. This database can be then evaluated by representatives of the UN. Solutions on other resources of terrorist organizations need to be found as well. Moreover, an issue such as the recruitment of children and men in these organizations needs to be tackled as well. It is known that ISIS recruits men from nations outside of Syria and Iraq. In this way, men leave their home country and travel to Iraq and Syria in order to aid ISIS in the extension of the caliphate. Thus, if we were to establish stricter security controls both in borders of countries of origin and countries of destination we can greatly eradicate the phenomenon. Secondly, there are many ways to tackle religious extremism. Education plays a vital role in ensuring that religious extremism is defeated. Although knowledge on religious principles is important to some communities, the fact that it doesn t take extremist approaches needs to be ensured. Such education needs to be established in all communities, especially small-scale and poor communities which are vulnerable to extremist groups taking advantage of their state and providing education to them through the building and organizing of schools which has happened in small communities in the borders of Iraq. All forms of misinterpretations of religious principles, which lead to extremism, need to be addressed. Another means of tackling extremism calls for security measures such as prevention of conflict as well as terrorist attacks based on religious extremism. Nations need to develop anti-religious extremism and terrorism strategies as well as create emergency plans which would be triggered in the event of a religious extremist attack. Measures to curb extremist propaganda are important as well. Considering the fact that extremist propaganda occurs greatly through the internet, internet safety awareness campaigns would be useful to educate minors and teens about such phenomenon. In this way, 5

6 Campion School Model United Nations vulnerability of minors of extremist propaganda through the internet can be eliminated. Major countries and organizations involved Taliban The Taliban is a radical political movement currently involved in the Afghan war. It claimed government power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 implementing one of the strictest faces of Sharia law. As many radical Islamic organizations and movements it first emerged after the end of the presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, claiming to aspire a better, more powerful Afghanistan for the Muslim population. However, its means were inhumane. It implemented Islamic punishments such as public executions, torturing, beheadings and amputation of violators of the Sharia law. Furthermore, it applied full censorship to the media while at some point forbidding television, music and other cultural forms. However, it showed its most inhumane face against women and girls. Primarily, girls above the age of 10 were not approved of going to school. Public stoning of women and girls who had simply shown a mere interest towards 6

Campion School Model United Nations 11 protecting their human rights were a common instance. Women were further not allowed to drive, exit their house without wearing the burgha and without being accompanied by a male relative or husband. Many more crimes were done by the state of Taliban during its power such as the funding and hosting of human trafficking. The fall of the Taliban regime occurred two months after the US militarily became involved in War against the Taliban in October 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. The Taliban has also greatly influenced Pakistan. It is believed by many that Pakistan was the architecture of Taliban. Pakistan was the country that bred the Taliban insurgency and hosted the Taliban members who fled Afghanistan after the US invasion. It also allowed the Taliban to establish its military sanctuary in Waziristan despite being given the chance of abolishing the movement. Today, the Taliban has re-emerged and is now holding grounds in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan while still being able to hold power and exercise political influence in the former and latter. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is one of the most powerful nations in the Arab world. The origin of its power is heavily based upon geographical size, its history as the birthplace of Islam and its power in oil production marking it with a quarter of the world s oil reserves. Its oil power has granted it the economic independence from the West it desires, making it a leading nation. That being said, Saudi Arabia is one of the world s stricter applicator of Sunni Islam and Sharia Law. Saudi Arabia is characterized as a kingdom with the Al Saud family holding a monopoly in political power. Saudi Arabia implements huge restrictions on freedom of religion and imposes strong 7

8 Campion School Model United Nations punishments against violators of Islamic principles such as public beheadings. Furthermore, in Saudi Arabia no citizen is allowed to not be Muslim while its constitution as quoted by them is the Quran. It also enforces religious police which daily control the streets by imposing strict dress codes, separations of the sexes, contribution at prayer and other points of the Sharia Law. However, Saudi Arabia allows non-muslims to enter their country in order to hold guest work in its oil reserves and other corporations with the precondition that they won t practice their religion freely during their stay. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant also referred to as ISIS or ISIL is a jihadist terrorist organization which proclaimed a worldwide caliphate in 2014. ISIS was first created as an umbrella organization of Al-Qaeda. However, in 2010 and after the beginning of the Al-Qaeda decay, it started gaining more powers. By 2013, it was the carrier of many attacks in Iraq while it also joined the rebellion against Syria s President. Since then, it has acquired a number of grounds both in Syria and Iraq, proclaiming an Islamic states in towns they do so. Inside towns where Islamic State is in power there is implemented a strict Sharia, with women forced to wear the burgha, public executions and non-muslims having to choose between a special tax, converting to Islam or execution. Many nations have launched a war against ISIS, including the United States who has launched air strikes against ISIS weapon bases and ISIS controlled areas. ISIS is also responsible for many terrorist attacks outside of Syria and Iraq, including attacks carried out in Europe such as Brussels and Paris. 8

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10 Campion School Model United Nations UN involvement: Relevant resolutions and treaties Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief 5 was established in November 1981 by the General Assembly in resolution number 36/55. It is considered as the international standard-setting framework promoting religious freedom and freedom of belief. It calls for individuals right to freedom of religious thought, whether that be choosing a religion or opting to be a non-believer and for States to support such rights. It also calls upon states to take all necessary measures in order to eliminate discrimination based on religious beliefs and faiths. The Declaration also sets the specific freedoms an individual and a community has as far as religion is concerned. United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief The special rapporteur is an individual expert chosen by the UNHRC in order to acknowledge all existing and upcoming obstacles as regards freedom of religion and belief as well as inspire the adoption of policies and laws internationally and nationally which promote freedom of religion and belief. The 5 http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/36/a36r055.htm 10

Campion School Model United Nations 11 current rapporteur is Heiner Bielefeldt. The rapporteur has several working methods such as addressing letters of allegation to nations in which cases of violations of freedom of religion and belief have been present as well as offering annual reports on annual progress, checks and allegations to the General Assembly and the HRC. 11

12 Campion School Model United Nations Research questions What are other resources of terrorist organizations and how can they be eliminated? What are other extremist beliefs in religions other than Islam? What about Zionism? How can we ensure freedom of religion in countries where there is Sharia law? Is it ethical for us to try and change the ideologies of nations who have lived by such cultures for centuries? How can we reduce influence of terrorist organization groups based on religious extremism? What burden do religious principles have on the elimination of freedom of religion and extremism? BIBLIOGRAPHY Oxford University. "Religion." Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/religion>. Oxford University. "Faith." Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/faith>. Oxford University. "Freedom." Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/freedom>. "Why We Need Religious Freedom." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Newsroom, 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 12

Campion School Model United Nations 11 <http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/why-religiousfreedom>. "What Is Religious Freedom?" U.S. Department of State. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 14 June 2016. <http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/fs/2011/170637.htm>. Reese, Thomas. "Religious Freedom Is a Fundamental Human Right."National Catholic Reporter. The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company, 16 May 2014. Web. <http://ncronline.org/blogs/faith-and-justice/religious-freedomfundamental-human-right>. Bandow, Doug. "Religious Persecution And Hostility On The Rise: The First Freedom Is Under Global Siege." Forbes. N.p., 17 Mar. 2015. Web. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2015/03/17/religious -persecution-and-hostility-on-the-rise-the-first-freedom-is-underglobal-siege/#10aa74222393>. http://www.billionbibles.org/sharia/sharia-law.html http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/dealing-extremists http://spectator.org/42209_real-meaning-religious-persecution/ http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjjvo8gasmw http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34818994 http://www.infoplease.com/spot/al-qaeda-terrorism.html rulings/5-jihad-a-misunderstood-concept-from- islam.html?start=9 https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/soviet-invasionafghanistan http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11451718 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14702705 http://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/freedomreligion/pages/free domreligionindex.aspx 13

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