ABSTRACT
The applicability of article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to all people, regardless of their religion and belief, is essential to the universality of human rights law. Well-established religions occupy the top rung of the hierarchy of freedom of religion and belief in international law. New and emerging religions have experienced significant persecution around the world, with members not only excluded from public life but even targeted for violent crime. Religious actors may wield ideological influence so essential to national and spiritual identity in a given state that they shape government policy directly or indirectly by swaying public opinion. Unlike some religious movements, atheism is not 'new'. For as long as religions and beliefs have emerged there have been people who have refused to adhere to them and been persecuted for their dissent. Accordingly, atheists are relegated to the lowest rung on a hierarchy of freedom of religion and belief.
