ABSTRACT
It is my purpose in this book to explain how international law should interpret the right to freedom of religion or belief, and how it should protect this right. The right to freedom of religion or belief should be understood and protected, first and fore most, as an individual right and only in furtherance of individual rights should it be protected as a group right. In this chapter this argument is based on a theoretical analysis of the right. The following chapters will argue for a coherent interpretation of international law based on the principles introduced in this chapter.
