Religion is understood as a set of beliefs, rituals, rules, stories, and symbols adopted by a society, a group, or a person and has been an intrinsic part of human history for millennia. According to research, only 13% of the world population will have no religion in 2050 (Pew Research Center, 2022). This statistic is reflective of the important role religion has in shaping our world and lives and it consequently has a direct impact on children.
Defining freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is one of the elementary human rights, as prescribed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and everyone is free to choose and/or change their religion or belief (United Nations, 1948). Children enjoy the same rights in this regard, and they are protected by Article 14 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: “State Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.” (Council of Europe, 2000).
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child of 1999 also defends religious freedom for children in Article 9. The Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child can draft reports after having investigated a country. In Europe, in the 46 countries making up the Council of Europe, freedom of thought and religion are protected by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, for children as well as adults (Council of Europe, 2000). If a country does not abide by it, it may be punished by the European Court of Human Rights.
Freedom of religion around the world
Despite the above-mentioned legal instruments guaranteeing complete freedom of religion to both adults and children, the reality does not mirror it and people living in different countries often enjoy different levels of religious freedom. A vast number of countries around the world identify as secular, which means that the state is separate from religion and does not discriminate against its citizens in any way based on their religious identities.
According to data from 2018, there are 96 completely secular countries in the world in which religious and state bodies do not overlap in terms of roles and responsibilities (Sawe, 2018).
Some countries practice state atheism, such as China, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea (Cliteur and Ellian, 2020). These are formerly communist countries in which practicing religion is officially allowed but strictly controlled by the governments.
Contrastingly, there are countries with a state religion. In these countries, there is a strong overlap between religion and government. As a general rule, religion is written into the constitution and thus holds an elevated position of authority (Cliteur and Ellian, 2020). These countries include, for example, Jordan, Greece, and Cambodia.
Finally, there are a handful of countries that officially practice theocracy as a form of government, namely Vatican City, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Yemen (World Population Review, n.d). In these countries, the clergy exercises power in the name of God, and practicing other religions is formally prohibited and/or strictly controlled.
It is important to note that in some countries, apostasy (changing one’s religion) is officially a crime punishable by death. According to a report from 2021, apostasy is punishable by death in at least ten countries, namely, Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. (National Secular Society, 2021). While the distinction between the mentioned groups of countries seems rather clear, in practice, many are ambiguous when it comes to the relationship between a relevant government and the predominant religion in the country.
Children, victims of religious conflicts and turmoil
Because children heavily rely on the decisions and freedoms granted to adults within their communities, they seldom have the opportunity to voice their opinions when it comes to adopting a religious faith. In such circumstances, they are usually at the forefront of different crises deriving from religious conflicts.
The Nagorno-Karabakh crisis from 2023, is an example of how this decades-old conflict between Christian Armenian and Muslim Turkic and Persian influences affects children growing up amid the conflict (BBC, 2023). Almost 30% of the people who fled to Armenia from the Nagorno-Karabakh area in September 2023 are children (Reliefweb, 2023).
These children, many of whom had to experience the horrors of the same conflict back in 2020, are displaced, traumatized, and in desperate need of life essentials, including food, shelter, and hygiene supplies. It is uncertain when and if they will be able to return to what they know as their homes and the same applies to starting and continuing their education.
Another dark example of religious turmoil turning children’s lives upside down is the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan that happened in 2021. The country, which has suffered tremendously during a decades-long conflict, is on the verge of famine in 2023. Two-thirds of the population is facing acute hunger, a large number of children are malnourished, and they lack access to clean water as well as elementary hygiene conditions (Stefan, 2023).
Furthermore, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan strongly discriminates against women and young girls, who are now banned from enrolling in secondary and university education institutions. To make matters worse, girls’ schools had been closed from 1996 to 2001, only for a similar ban to come back into force two decades later, preventing generations of young girls from practicing their right to education (Fetrat, 2023).
Belonging to a religious minority in a country that does not define itself as a secular country or does so only officially is rather challenging and dangerous, especially for children. As an example, in 2009 in Pakistan, six Christians, including one child, were burned alive when their homes were torched by hundreds of supporters of a banned Muslim organization in eastern Pakistan after blasphemy speculations (Quinn, 2009). The attacks repeated in August 2023, this time without human victims (Hussain, 2023).
Harmful cultural practices interpreted as religious rules
Religious fundamentalism, be it Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or others, endangers children’s rights, especially those of girls. Certain religious interpretations linked to ancestral traditions can be the source of different types of violence committed against children, the most prominent of which are genital mutilation, child marriage, infanticide, and denied access to education.
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice that is often and unsuccessfully justified by religious beliefs. It has endangered the lives of more than 200 million girls and women today who have suffered genital mutilation, primarily in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (World Health Organization, 2023).
This procedure is usually carried out in unsanitary conditions and on young girls between infancy and age fifteen, violating their basic human rights and putting their lives at risk (World Health Organization, 2023). While the majority of populations that practice female circumcision practice Islam, with others in Christian and Jewish communities, it is important to mention that no religion officially mentions or supports this custom.
Child marriage
Child marriage is defined as a matrimonial union of two children, or, more often, a young girl and an adult man, sometimes much older. These marriages occur mainly in (Sub-Saharan) Africa and Southern Asia, where values such as virginity and fertility are very important (Petroni et al, 2017).
Girls who enter into these marriages are often denied a range of human rights, ranging from discontinuing their education and never having a chance to start it to serious health risks from early and multiple pregnancies as well as suffering sexual and domestic violence.
The tradition of child marriages is deeply rooted in the interpretation of some religious scriptures, and it is not unique to any religion per se. Because of this, religious leaders and communities could and should be leading figures in the global effort to put an end to the practice of child marriage.
Infanticide
Infanticide, a deliberate act of ending the life of a child under the age of one and a profound violation of the child’s right to life, is often related to cultural and religious beliefs.
In Senegal, a deeply religious and Muslim country, the connection between infanticide and religion reflects a complex interplay of cultural beliefs and religious traditions. Abortion in Senegal is strictly prohibited by law, except in cases where the mother’s health is in danger, but above all, it is prohibited by religion (Gaeste, 2018). Although Islam strictly condemns infanticide, many women who do not want or cannot keep a child, for one reason or another, find infanticide to be the only way to deal with the strict cultural and religious norms in the country.
Ghana, a predominantly Christian country, also faces infanticide as a serious issue. Although the religion strictly prohibits it, there are localized practices rooted in pre-Christian and animistic traditions that have persisted. Some communities in Ghana have been known to engage in infanticide due to the fear of malevolent spirits (Denham et al, 2010). These acts highlight how regional variations in religious interpretation and syncretism with indigenous beliefs can lead to the persistence of harmful practices like infanticide.
Religious influence in creating a better world for children
Religion is very important for many societies as it allows children to learn morals and answers questions regarding life and death, relationships between people and their place in the world, and notions of good and evil. All major religions are based on ideals of wisdom, solidarity, and justice, and in an ideal and safe space, this knowledge is transmitted to children by their families, schools, and society so that they grow to live by these values and ideas.
Religious authorities could and should play a pivotal role in improving the application of the Rights of the Child. As influential and respected members of their communities, they can encourage the actions and development of the protection of children. They also possess the necessary influence to stop harmful practices, customs, sources of violence, and discrimination against children.
As an example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily Ethiopia, religious leaders, Christian and Muslim, have gotten involved in multi-sectoral combat against HIV/AIDS (Murungi et al, 2022). In Afghanistan, religious scholars criticized a ban on female education despite being warned by the Taliban government not to rebel against the decision to prevent girls from getting secondary and higher education.
These examples should be a standard for religious leaders and communities around the globe on the influential role they can play in shaping a peaceful and bright future for children.
Written by Zeljka Mazinjanin
Internally proofread by Aditi Partha
Last updated on 6 November 2023
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