Freedom of religion is an important indication of a nation’s commitment to human rights, University of Utah President Michael Young said Wednesday.
“Lack of freedom of religion is very often not about religion, but rather the government’s desire to retain control over its population,” Young said.
Young, a former chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, addressed issues of international religious freedom at a Hinckley Institute of Politics forum.
He called religious freedom a “canary in a coal mine,” the disappearance of which usually indicates that a government is becoming more authoritarian.
Religion is seen as a threat by oppressive states because it requires a belief that there is something higher than the government, Young said.
He provided other reasons that governments restrict religious freedom. In Latin America, non-Catholic religious groups are often seen as agents of foreign imperialism, so anti-U.S. governments oppress them. In Southeast Asia, some governments push secularism as a way to prevent tensions between religious groups from erupting.
Young said the U.S. government does not have a large number of ways to pressure nations to allow greater religious freedom, but it places diplomatic pressure on “countries of particular concern” to obey international human rights treaties.
Young criticized the United Nations Human Rights Commission for failing to press issues of religious freedom. He noted that the commission includes member states that are notorious violators of those rights, such as Sudan.
Tensions exist between the largely secular international human-rights community and faith-based organizations, Young said.
“We need to engage faith-based communities about international human rights,” he said.
He emphasized that recent global events have reinforced the importance of religion in international affairs.
“The power of religious sentiment is extraordinary. This is how many people define themselves. It has enormous power collectively,” Young said.
Audience members said they enjoyed Young’s global overview of religious freedom issues.
“It was informative and interesting. The issues related to Asia and Latin America added perspective to things,” said Shawn Davis, a senior in political science.
“I think what was said pertains to a lot to things going on today. I agree that the U.N. needs major restructuring,” said Kristen Smart, a senior in Middle East studies and political science.