Since ancient times, religion has played an important role in a number of countries. It is the basis of human existence, and its believers must adhere to moral standards. It refers to an anticipated way of life comprised of conventions, traditions, and rituals. Prior to the emergence of democracy, people were required to abide by religious laws and exercise religious rights. Consequently, it is evident that religion served as a substitute for law in prehistoric cultures, culminating in the formation of religious rules.
It is often considered that religiously motivated crimes are less likely to occur in contemporary societies. In reality, they suffer the same religious crime danger as rising countries. The prevalence of Islamophobia poses a danger to Muslim minority groups in the United Kingdom. Various hate crimes, including mosque invasions, threatening letters, and the disposal of pork-related artifacts in mosques, are done out of unwarranted enmity against Muslims. Muslim women are targeted and exposed to abuse in the name of Islam. This is shown by a pregnant lady who is violently beaten, culminating in a miscarriage. Additionally, hate crimes have surged in another developed country, namely the United States. According to the statistics on Religious Hate Crimes, one in five hate crimes were motivated by religious prejudice. Anti-Jewish crimes were 60.3% of all crimes motivated by religion, while anti-Islamic crimes comprised 13.3%. Even fewer hate crimes are reported, and FBI statistics are unclear.
The Christchurch terrorist attack, which resulted in the murder of 49 individuals in New Zealand mosques, also raises concerns on the issue of Islamophobia. This has created fear and stress in the minds of minority Muslims. According to a poll conducted by the NSW Police Force, the majority of hate crimes committed against Muslims were religiously motivated. Among them were verbal abuse, vandalism, assault, and bigotry. Minority religions, like Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, etc., have been abused and subjected to forced conversions in China. Additionally, same violence happens in other prosperous countries.
RELIGIOUS CRIMES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The first country that springs to mind is India, which is well-known for its diversity. Every day, violent actions inspired by religion are reported in the news. Hindu-Muslim confrontations such as the well-known Babri Masjid and Godhra train events, which sparked hostility between the two populations, are shown prominently. In addition, Islamic terrorist groups committed horrible deeds against the Kashmiri Pandits, such as the destruction of holy places, extermination, and cruel torture. Likewise, Islam predominates in Saudi Arabia. In society, non-Muslims are subject to limitations and hostility. The government has prohibited the public display of non-Islamic religious objects and launched raids on private residences where church services were being performed.
In countries like Syria and Iraq, there have been mass killings, physical assaults, rapes, sexual abuse, and extortion of religious minority. In an endeavor to eradicate religious minorities, Daesh, a militant Islamic group, commits these murders. Simple types of discrimination and denial of rights might be classified as religious offenses. In Pakistan, there is discrimination towards Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs, who are falsely accused of using derogatory language. The focus of violence have been worshippers, churches, and Ahmadi mosques. Christians feel the need for protection as the number of hate crimes perpetrated against them in Israel continues to rise. Extreme groups, whether Jewish or Muslim, use education and political propaganda to encourage anti-Christian views. In impoverished countries, religious prejudice and hate crimes have been documented by the commission on human rights.
WAY FORWARD
Numerous victims of these religious crimes have lost their lives, loved ones, and even their houses. It is thus vital to take action against these offenses rather than only watch them. The following are potential solutions to this problem:
First, it is crucial to educate children at a young age in order to eradicate religious prejudices and misconceptions. Police officers may be provided with advanced training in order for them to investigate and punish these crimes appropriately.
The second need is that all countries must adhere to secular law. Secularism is preferable because it respects and defends the basic rights of all persons, regardless of their religious affiliation. Taslima Nasreen, a writer and member of the National Secular Society, asserts that India must adopt the Uniform Civil Code, which emphasizes the need to eliminate religious personal restrictions in favor of a system based on equality and fairness.
Thirdly, existing laws must be revised to evade the more stringent rules that punish these religious offenses. The laws should preserve basic human rights and promote diversity by allowing religious minorities to participate in the activities of government and public enterprises.
The victims of these crimes motivated by religion must be allowed to participate in the criminal proceedings. By improving transparency, this may facilitate the process of reconciliation between the two parties. Additionally, it may help to bridge ideological gaps.
Fifthly, the media and civil society organizations may play a vital role in averting these religious tragedies. They should endeavor to bring criminal law and social media into harmony.
Finally, police officers should guarantee that victims of hate crimes report them and that perpetrators are punished.
CONCLUSION
In both wealthy and underdeveloped societies, a disproportionate number of persons are harmed by religious transgressions. If we wait action, the situation will deteriorate and do more harm to mankind. It will impact not just religious minorities, but also the economic growth and expansion of the affected countries. Consequently, it is crucial to strengthen law enforcement institutions within the criminal justice system. In addition, there should be an emphasis on religious diversity and the exchange of different perspectives, since this may develop religious tolerance and collaboration. These crimes may be reduced at the international level by strengthening international institutions and executing a more efficient foreign policy. Therefore, this topic must be thoroughly investigated, and governments must take the necessary steps to halt these crimes.
REFERENCE
Wikipedia (Religion): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
Religious Violence, Causes and Solutions: https://www.hinduwebsite.com/ask/why-are-religions-destructive.asp
Muslim Council of Britain: (“Hate Crime and its violent Consequences: Written evidence submitted”), December 2016
Expectant mother lost twins after ‘racially motivated’ car park attack, The Times, August 2016
Statistics on Religious Hate Crimes: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/statistics-on-religious-hate-crimes
The Babri Masjid Issue: https://www.soundvision.com/article/what-is-the-babri-mosque-issue
Saudi Arabia 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Riyadh (osac.gov): https://www.bing.com/search?q=https://www.osac.gov/Country/SaudiArabia/Content/Detail/Report/f6af335…&form=IPRV10
The Atrocities of the Islamic State- Lausanne Movement: https://lausanne.org/content/lga/2019-03/the-atrocities-of-the-islamic-state
What is Secularism?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Secular_Society
Crime in Religion (lawteacher.net): https://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/criminal-law/crime-in-religion.
Religious Legal Systems in Comparative Law: A Guide to Introductory Research – GlobaLex (nyulawglobal.org): https://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Religious_Legal_Systems.html
