“May this example inspire men to be tolerant, without which fanaticism would desolate the earth, or at least would always sadden it” concluded Voltaire in his Treatise on Tolerance.
ABOUT THE LAUREATES
It will distinguish the actions of the messengers of hope who, every day, work to bring together and unite individuals of different faiths while respecting their particularities.
It is intended to support “messengers of peace” or “everyday heroes” who intervene in situations of distress or religious conflicts. The aid to religious minorities will be done within the framework of a humanistic and non-religious approach, with the primary objective of respecting cultural diversity. It will take the form of the distribution of basic necessities through organizations already established in the field, the reconstruction of homes and access to health care. In order to avoid proselytizing, this award is not intended to build or rebuild places of worship.
by Shamira Minozzi
MAPPING RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees religious freedom. However, in many countries of the world today, religious persecution is a violation of human rights and affects all major religions. This map of horror is fragmentary and does not cover all the abuses committed against believers. It should be emphasized that religious intolerance also manifests itself against non-believers or atheists.
CHRISTIANS – Persecution of the “guardians of the cradle of the Christian faith in the East” worsens every year. Today, the number of Christians in the Near and Middle East is less than 5%, compared to 20 to 25% at the beginning of the 20th century. Their weakening has almost ended a long tradition of mediation or cultural and sometimes political bridge between the East and the West. Christianity is well and truly disappearing from the places where it was born. Forced into exile, fleeing persecution and their basilicas with collapsed domes, they are the victims of these “contemporary Herods.” According to the NGO Open Doors, 1 in 7 Christians in the world faces severe persecution. North Korea tops the list and has the highest score ever measured since the Index was created in 1993, with a total of 98 persecution points (the maximum being 100 points). The NGO also reports that violence in sub-Saharan Africa has worsened over the past 30 years. Islamist extremism, represented by several armed groups, is gaining ground. Kidnappings, raids on churches and murders are becoming more frequent, particularly in Nigeria. ..
JEWS – Islamic terrorism has targeted Jews in Europe with heinous attacks, particularly in France and Belgium. Anti-Semitism is still rife. Undeniably, the Jews have practically disappeared from the once mixed and multi-faith Orient. In Iraq, their population has dwindled to a few dozen individuals compared to 120,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. Although Jewish presence is older and more significant in Iran, it remains fragile. .
MUSLIMS – The Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma is being persecuted by Buddhist extremists. In China, the internment and torture of hundreds of thousands of men and women is justified on the basis of their membership in the Muslim minority religion in the Xinjiang region. According to Amnesty International, the mass persecution of Uighurs amounts to crimes against humanity. In India, Hindu nationalists frequently attack Muslims. In the West, racist and discriminatory acts are committed against Muslims because of their faith. .
BUDDHISTS – In the People’s Republic of China, according to the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Tibetan Buddhists are frequently subjected to persecution and forced disappearances. .
YIZIDIS – Yezidism is a monotheistic faith based on the belief in a single god. The majority of the remaining Yezidis in the Middle East now live in northern Iraq. During the Syrian conflict, the Yezidi population was particularly targeted by Islamic State terrorists, with several thousands murdered and missing.