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Rights activist denounces restriction on religious liberty in Africa
Friday, 14 May 2010 01:00
Leo Igwe, West Africa Representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union
(IHEU), has denounced the prevalence of restrictions on religious liberty in Africa. Using the platform of the 47th Ordinary Session of the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), which is currently
underway in the Gambian capital, Banjul, the human rights activist did not mince his words as he highlighted the persecution that a section of the people on the continent are undergoing in the name of religion.In spite of recent reports proclaiming Africans as “the most religious people on Earth,” the Nigerian activist told Jollof News that this perception has often made some people wrongly perceived the continent as a “Heaven” of religious liberty.
“Unfortunately this is not the case,” he said. “African states lack the political will to uphold this basic human right and address human abuses that are committed in the name of religion.”
He went on: “In fact, what we have experienced in many African states is a State-sponsored abuse, persecution and discrimination in the name of religion.”
According to Igwe, this situation has made him to come to the conclusion that the conflicts prevailing on the continent are deeply rooted in religion. “Countries like Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda are grappling with conflicts that are aided and abetted by religion.”
“In matters of religion, States should be neutral. States should not be biased for or against any religion or belief,” he said.
But, he added, “In most countries people are coerced to be religious or to profess particular religion and to remain religious.”
Igwe pointed to Northern Africa, where he said there is high social and political pressure on individuals to profess Islam and to remain Muslim. “This also applies to Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Northern Nigeria, and Chad, while in most countries in Southern and Central Africa, there is high political pressure on individuals to profess Christianity,” he stated.
To remedy to this deplorable situation, the Nigerian human rights activist called on the African Commission “to take steps to address the many religion related human rights abuses in Africa, and to pressure on African States to eliminate all forms of discrimination on the basis of religion or belief.”
As the African NGOs community continues to forward their concerns to the ACHPR, expectations are high that the 47th Ordinary Session of the regional rights body will eventually move from commitment to action…
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