January 2023

Letter In support of Resolution against Coercive Conversion

Letter In support of Resolution against Coercive Conversion

The IRF Community and Alliance of Religions circulated a letter urging governments worldwide to uphold the right to freedom of belief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter highlights the ongoing use of blasphemy and apostasy laws, as well as coercive conversion practices, as critical human rights violations. These practices, often sanctioned or tolerated by governments, exacerbate social hostilities and restrict religious freedom, as seen in re-education camps in Xinjiang, China; coercive conversions in South Korea; and forced marriages in Pakistan. The letter emphasizes the protections enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Advocates call for a resolution condemning such violations and explicitly addressing coercive conversion practices to safeguard individual freedoms and uphold international human rights standards.

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Letter Requesting India be Removed from the UNHCR