skip to main content

LIMITATION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19: FROM PUBLIC HEALTH REGULATIONS TO DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES

*Hanif Nur Widhiyanti  -  Faculty of Law, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
Anak Agung Ayu Nanda Saraswati  -  Faculty of Law, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
Open Access Copyright (c) 2021 Diponegoro Law Review under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0.

Citation Format:
Abstract

A number of regulations and policies implemented by some countries regarding the limitations of freedom to manifest religion or belief have been highly debated since the Covid-19 pandemic. Many argue such policies are discriminative and inconsistent with human rights law. Thus, this paper aims at analyzing the concept of human rights in the implementation of religion manifestation during the pandemic, and investigating how states implement policies according to the international human rights legal framework. This normative research which uses comparative and conceptual approach concludes that policies established by states in general can be legitimized on several conditions, among others for public health concerns. In addition, the proportionality and the non-discrimination principles need to be applied accordingly.

Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Freedom of Religion; Human Rights; Covid-19 Pandemic; Discrimination Policies; Public Health

Article Metrics:

  1. Abdullah, Afkar. “Coronavirus in UAE: Friday Prayers at Mosques Restricted to 15 Munites, Gathering at Churches Suspended.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 25, 2021. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/coronavirus-outbreak/coronavirus-in-uae-friday-prayers-at-mosques-restricted-to-15-minutes-gatherings-at-churches-suspended
  2. Alidadi, Katayoun. “Reasonable Accommodations for Religion and Belief: Adding Value to Article 9 ECHR and the European Union’s Anti-Discrimination Approach to Employment?” European Law Review 37, no. 6 (2012): 693–715
  3. Aljazeera. “India Hospital Segregates Muslim and Hindu Coronavirus Patients.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 5, 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/4/16/india-hospital-segregates-muslim-and-hindu-coronavirus-patients
  4. ———. “Sri Lanka: Muslims Face Extra Threat as Coronavirus Stirs Hate.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 5, 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/11/sri-lanka-muslims-face-extra-threat-as-coronavirus-stirs-hate/
  5. Amiruddin, and Zainal Asikin. Pengantar Metode Penelitian Hukum. Jakarta: PT RajaGrafindo Persada, 2010
  6. Anonimous. “0228 Letter of Appeal from Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Regards to COVID-19.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 1, 2021. http://enblog.shincheonji.kr/2020/03/0228-letter-of-appeal-from-shincheonji.html
  7. Bitmez, Serdar. “Saudi Arabia Bans Locals from Umrah over Coronavrius.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 25, 2021. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/saudi-arabia-bans-locals-from-umrah-over-coronavirus/1754648
  8. Brookings. “Are Covid-19 Limitations Inflaming Religious Tensions?” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 7, 2021. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/04/13/are-covid-19-limitations-inflaming-religious-tensions/
  9. Center of Human Rights in Iran. “Coronavirus: Citing Crowded Prisons, Renowned Attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh’s Husband Calls for Release of Political Prisoners.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://iranhumanrights.org/2020/02/coronavirus-citing-overcrowded-prisons-renowned-attorney-nasrin-sotoudehs-husband-calls-for-release-of-political-prisoners/
  10. Chulov, Martin. “Saudi Arabia Closes Two Holiest Shrines to Foreigners as Corovirus Fears Grow.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 25, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/27/saudi-arabia-coronavirus-shrines-pilgrims-hajj-bans
  11. Dein, Simon, Kate Loewenthal, Christopher Alan Lewis, and Kenneth I. Pargament. “COVID-19, Mental Health And Religion: An Agenda For Future Research.” Mental Health, Religion & Culture 23, no. 1 (2020): 1–9. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13674676.2020.1768725?needAccess=true
  12. Durham, Cole. “Freedom of Religion or Belief: Law Affecting the Structuring of Religious Communities.” Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, 1999. https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/4/7/16698.html
  13. Durham Jnr, Cole. “Religious Freedom in a Worldwide Setting: Comparative Reflections.” In Speech Delivered at Political Academy of Social Sciences. Brigham University, 2011
  14. ELSAM. “Bupati Tasikmalaya Harus Lindungi Jamaah Ahmadiyah: Hentikan Penyegelan Mesjid, Dan Fokus Tangani Wabah Covid-19.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://elsam.or.id/bupati-tasikmalaya-harus-lindungi-jamaah-ahmadiyah-hentikan-penyegelan-mesjid-dan-fokus-tangani-wabah-covid-19/
  15. European Commission For Democracy Through Law. “Guidelines For Legislative Reviews of Laws Affecting Religion Or Belief OSCE/ODIHR Panel Of Experts On Religion Or Belief.” Last modified 2004. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL(2004)061-e
  16. Evans, Carolyn. Legal Protection of Religious Freedom in Australia. Australia: Federation Press, 2012
  17. Evans, Malcolm. “The Freedom of Religion or Belief in the European Court of Human Rights since the Kokkinakis Case Or ‘Quoting Kokkinakis.’” In The European Court of Human Rights and the Freedom of Religion or Belief, 33–54. Boston: Brill Nijhoff, 2019
  18. Habibi, Roojin, Steven J. Hoffman, and Gian Luca Burci. “The Stellenbosch Consensus on Legal National Responses to Public Health Risks, Clarifying Article 43 of the International Health Regulations.” International Organizations Law Review (2020): 1–68. https://brill.com/view/journals/iolr/aop/article-10.1163-15723747-2020023/article-10.1163-15723747-2020023.xml?language=en
  19. Hill QC, Mark. “Coronavirus and the Curtailment of Religious Liberty.” MDPI, Open Access Journal 9, no. 4 (2020): 1–19
  20. Hoshur, Shohret. “Residents of Xinjiang’s Ghulja City Going Hungry Under Coronavirus Quarantine.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/hungry-02242020153509.html
  21. Human Rights Watch. “Human Rights Dimensions of COVID 19 Response.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 16, 2021. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/19/human-rights-dimensions-covid-19-response
  22. Ibrahim, Johnny. Teori & Metodologi Penelitian Hukum Normatif. Malang: Bayumedia, 2006
  23. de La Ferriere, Alexis Artaud. “Coronavirus: How New Restrictions on Religious Liberty Vary Across Europe.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 25, 2021. https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-how-new-restrictions-on-religious-liberty-vary-across-europe-135879
  24. MacNaughton, Gillian. “Untangling Equality and Non-Discrimination to Promote the Right to Health Care for All.” Health and Human Rights Journal 11, no. 2 (2009): 47–63
  25. Manchin, Gayle. “COVID-19 Symposium: Don’t Let Religious Freedom Become a Casuality of Coronavirus, Opinio Juris.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 25, 2021. https://opiniojuris.org/2020/04/06/covid-19-symposium-dont-let-religious-freedom-become-a-casualty-of-coronavirus/
  26. Marshal, Paul. “Do Government Limitations on Larger Church Gathering Violate Religious Freedom?” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 15, 2021. https://providencemag.com/2020/03/government-limitations-larger-church-gathering-violate-religious-freedom/
  27. Marzuki, Peter. Penelitian Hukum. Jakarta: Prenada Media Group, 2005
  28. Murdoch, Jim. Protecting the Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion under the European Convention on Human Rights. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2012. https://www.echr.coe.int/LibraryDocs/Murdoch2012_EN.pdf
  29. Parliament of Australia. “Definition and Scope of the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief.” Last modified 2019. Accessed February 27, 2021. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/Freedomofreligion/Interim_Report/section?id=committees%2Freportjnt%2F024110%2F25177#:~:text=Religious freedom includes both the,be limited for any reason.&tex
  30. Pelčić, Gordana, Silvana Karačić, and Galina L Mikirtichan. “Religious Exception for Vaccination or Religious Excuses for Avoiding Vaccination.” Croat Med J. 57 (2016): 516–521. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC5141457/pdf/CroatMedJ_57_0516.pdf
  31. Petkoff, Peter. “Forum Internum and Forum Externum in Canon Law and Public International Law with a Particular Reference to the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights.” Religion and Human Rights 7, no. 3 (2012): 183–214
  32. Pierik, Roland. “On Religious and Secular Exemptions: A Case Study of Childhood Vaccination Waivers.” Ethnicities. 17, no. 2 (2017): 2020–241. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5428064/pdf/10.1177_1468796817692629.pdf
  33. Plessis, Georgia Alida Du. “COVID-19 and Limitations to the International Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief.” Journal of Church and State csaa082 (2020)
  34. Pompeo, Michael R. “United States Calls for Humanitarian Release of All Wrongfully Detained Americans in Iran, Press Statement.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.state.gov/united-states-calls-for-humanitarian-release-of-all-wrongfully-detained-americans-in-iran/
  35. Qazi, Shereena, and Ashkar Thasleem. “Anguish as Sri Lanka Forces Muslims to Cremate COVID-19 Victims.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 5, 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/anguish-sri-lanka-forces-muslims-cremate-covid-19-victims 200403053706048.html
  36. Rashid, Raphael. “Being Called a Cult Is One Thing, Being Blamed for an Epidemic Is Quite Another.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/opinion/coronavirus-south-korea-church.html
  37. Soekanto, Soerjono. Pengantar Penelitian Hukum. Jakarta: UI Press, 1986
  38. Temperman, Jeroen. “Are State Churches Contrary to International Law?” Oxford Journal of Law and Religion 2, no. 1 (2013): 119–149
  39. The National News. “Indian Hospitals Shuns Muslims as Coronavirus Spurs Discrimination.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/indian-hospital-shuns-muslims-as-coronavirus-spurs-discrimination-1.1008876
  40. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “USCIRF Troubled by Denial of Food Aid to Pakistani Hindus and Christians.” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 5, 2021. https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/uscirf-troubled-denial-food-aid-pakistani-hindus-and-christians
  41. UN Human Rights Committee. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 2018
  42. United Nations Economic and Social Council. “The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).” Last modified 2020. Accessed March 10, 2021. https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E/C.12/2000/4&Lang=en
  43. United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “International Standards on Freedom of Religion or Belief.” Accessed March 10, 2021. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/Standards.aspx
  44. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. USCIRF Recommended Countries of Particular Concern, China, Annual Report, 2019
  45. World Health Organization. “Chapter 10: Controlling the Spread of Infectious Diseases, Advancing the Rights to Health: The Vital Role of Law.” Last modified 2016. Accessed March 15, 2021. https://www.who.int/healthsystems/topics/health-law/chapter 10. pdf? ua=1
  46. ———. “WHO Director-General’s Opening Remarks at the Media Briefing on COVID-19.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 15, 2021. https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020
  47. Xu, Jianhua, Guyu Sun, and Wei Cao. “Stigma, Discrimination, and Hate Crimes in Chinese-Speaking World amid Covid-19 Pandemic.” Asian Journal of Criminology 16 (2021): 51–74. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11417-020-09339-8.pdf
  48. Yapp, Eugene. “Covid-19 and the Right to Freedom of Religion and Belief.” Last modified 2020. Accessed February 27, 2021. http://shapesea.com/op-ed/covid-19/covid-19-and-the-right-to-freedom-of-religion-and-belief/

Last update:

  1. Moderation between Religious Freedom and Harmony Concerning the Regulation on Mosque Loudspeaker: Comparison between Indonesia and Other Muslim Countries

    Waryani Fajar Riyanto. Muslim World Journal of Human Rights, 20 (1), 2023. doi: 10.1515/mwjhr-2022-0029

Last update: 2024-11-08 01:28:53

No citation recorded.