ABSTRACT
This chapter examines religion’s relationship with human rights across multiple settings and the insights that can be gleaned through the application of the critical intersectional approach. It considers four issues at the nexus of religion, human rights, law, and public life, all with implications for public and foreign policy: the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), minority rights, indigenous rights, and the regulation of religion in public spaces in so-called secular states. The chapter argues that how “religion” is interpreted in law and human rights often reflects broader power inequalities between majority and minority communities, and between states and individuals, leading to contradictory outcomes with little regard for contextual specifics and nuances, or for the perspectives and aspirations of communities themselves.
