Human Rights and Freedom in Italy

https://www.humantruth.info/italy_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#freedom #human_rights #Italy #italy_freedom #politics

Italy Italian Republic [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	19th best
Location	Europe, The Mediterranean
Population	60.6m₁
Life Expectancy	82.85yrs (2017)₂

Italy performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Italy performs the best in its average Freedom in the World rating. It comes in the best 20 in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₃, opposing gender inequality₄, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₅ and in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₆. It does better than average in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₇, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₈, combatting modern slavery₉, LGBT equality in the 2020s₁₀ and in supporting press freedom₁₁ (but low for Europe). But, things still need to improve in Italy. Italy does worse than average in terms of freethought₁₂. In 2017, "parliament adopted a law finally making torture a crime, but with a definition and statute of limitations that do not meet international standards"₁₃. The United Nations made specific recommendations in 2017 that Italy creates "stronger measures against gender-based violence [and stronger] anti-trafficking mechanisms"₁₃.

1. Italy's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #eu #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #italy #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Europe (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
13	UK	25.5
14	Ireland	28.8
15	Spain	29.0
16	Italy	29.9
17	Slovenia	30.9
18	Portugal	35.8
19	Malta	38.0
20	Czechia	38.0
21	Estonia	40.2
	Europe Avg	47.37
q=49.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
16	UK	25.5
17	Ireland	28.8
18	Spain	29.0
19	Italy	29.9
20	Slovenia	30.9
21	Uruguay	31.2
22	Japan	31.6
23	Portugal	35.8
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₅. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₅.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₅, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₅.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Italy stated:

“Concerns about torture persisted. Police used excessive force against demonstrators. Restrictive measures against unauthorized musical gatherings risked undermining freedom of assembly. High levels of violence against women persisted. People rescued at sea were left stranded for many days before being allowed to disembark. The government approved new rules to restrict rescue operations by NGO ships. Cooperation with Libya on migration was extended, despite abuses. Access to abortion was not guaranteed in some parts of the country. Poverty levels rose, gravely affecting children and non-nationals. Parliament failed to extend protection against hate crimes to LGBTI people, women and people with disabilities. Whistle-blowers were not adequately protected in law.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₆

The EU has acted on behalf of its member states on many occasions to support, foster, fund and encourage human rights protections in every region of the world, with agreement of its member states through the European Parliament. The protections of workers' rights and their harmonisations (which stops companies moving staff to countries with the weakest laws) has had great effect in stopping workforce abuse₁₇. According to Human Rights Watch's comprehensive review for the year 2017, in addition to vocal and public pronouncements on poor human rights records of many countries, the EU has also acted through economic sanctions, political pressure and used other means to incentivize the adoption of human rights protections, even if these measures harm EU trading₁₈. It is to Italy's credit that it supports the EU in these actions.

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2025₁₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
45	Seychelles	68.56
46	Tonga	68.39
47	Belize	68.32
48	Italy	68.01
49	Mauritania	67.52
50	Mauritius	67.31
51	Ghana	67.13
52	Panama	66.75
	Europe Avg	70.63
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

When it comes to supporting press freedom, Italy is 48th in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₉

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Averages by decade for Italy (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Italy:	10.02	73.99
World Rank:	42nd	⇣ 56th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₉
Pos.		Total Per 1000₉
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
37=	Costa Rica	3.20
38=	Nepal	3.30
38=	Togo	3.30
38=	Italy	3.30
38=	USA	3.30
42=	Latvia	3.40
42=	Sierra Leone	3.40
44	S. Korea	3.50
	Europe Avg	5.64
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

With regard to combatting modern slavery, Italy comes 38th in the world.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₂₀. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₁, Eritrea₂₁, Indonesia₂₂) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₂₁, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₃.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Italy (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Italy:	2.40	3.30
World Rank:	45th	⇡ 38th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₈
Pos.		2014 Rank₈
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
25	Iceland	25
26	Taiwan	26
27	Slovakia	27
28	Italy	28
29	Chile	29
30	Romania	30
31	France	31
32	Japan	32
	Europe Avg	33.9
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

In terms of supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, Italy is 28th in the world.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₄

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
19=	Iceland	1.0
19=	Marshall Islands	1.0
19=	Ireland	1.0
19=	Italy	1.0
19=	Japan	1.0
19=	Luxembourg	1.0
19=	Kiribati	1.0
19=	Estonia	1.0
	Europe Avg	2.2
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

With respect to its average Freedom in the World rating, Italy comes best in the world.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Italy (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Italy:	1.7	1.2	1.5	1.2	1.1
World Rank:	23rd	⇡ 19th	⇣ 35th	⇣ 37th	⇣ 41st
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₃
Pos.		2017 Score₃
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
18=	Bulgaria	5
18=	Spain	5
18=	Malta	5
18=	Italy	5
18=	Slovenia	5
18=	Austria	5
18=	Slovakia	5
18=	Latvia	5
	Europe Avg	3.5
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Italy ranks 11th-best in the world regarding commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₅
Pos.		2009 Treaties₅
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
9=	Serbia	23
9=	Sweden	23
9=	Uruguay	23
14=	Italy	22
14=	Denmark	22
14=	Croatia	22
14=	Belgium	22
14=	Austria	22
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Italy is positioned 14th-best in the world in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₅
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
34	Poland	6.34
35	Cape Verde	6.40
36	Venezuela	6.51
37	Italy	6.56
38	Russia	6.58
39	UK	6.62
40	Portugal	6.69
41	Bolivia	6.70
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Italy is positioned 37th in the world regarding speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Italy is notable for its equality between the sexes.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₄
Pos.		2022₄
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
10	Luxembourg	0.04
11	Belgium	0.05
12	Austria	0.05
13	Italy	0.06
14	Spain	0.06
15	Slovenia	0.06
16	S. Korea	0.06
17	Australia	0.07
	Europe Avg	0.12
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

With regard to opposing gender inequality, Italy ranks 13th-best in the world.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Italy (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Italy:	0.22	0.16	0.09
World Rank:	19th	⇣ 21st	⇡ 15th
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₆
Pos.		2022 %₆
1	Sweden	31.8₂₆
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₇
3	Australia	37.0₂₇
	...
14	UK	57.7₂₈
15	Slovenia	61.1₂₆
16	Japan	63.4₂₇
17	Italy	64.4₂₈
18	Greece	64.9₂₇
19	Hungary	67.3₂₈
20	Argentina	74.3₂₇
21	Serbia	77.6₂₇
	Europe Avg	69.08
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

With regard to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), Italy is positioned 17th-best in the world.

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
50=	Jamaica	1944
51=	Slovenia	1945
51=	Croatia	1945
51=	Italy	1945
51=	Senegal	1945
51=	Indonesia	1945
51=	Japan	1945
51=	Togo	1945
	Europe Avg	1895
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Italy comes 51st in the world regarding the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₇
Pos.		2014 %₇
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
23	Jamaica	18
24=	India	20
24=	Ireland	20
24=	Italy	20
24=	China	20
28	Portugal	21
29=	Ivory Coast	22
29=	Estonia	22
	Europe Avg	29.9
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Italy is 25th in the world regarding its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₉_,₃₀_,₃₁_,₃₂. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₃, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₄_,₃₅. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₆. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₇.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₁₀
Pos.		Total Score₁₀
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
40	Estonia	1.90
41	Cyprus	1.85
42	Croatia	1.85
43	Italy	1.78
44=	Isle of Man	1.62
44=	Faroe Islands	1.62
44=	St Helena	1.62
44=	Pitcairn Islands	1.62
	Europe Avg	1.77
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

Italy ranks 43rd in the world regarding LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₈. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₃₉. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₄₀. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₄₁_,₄₂. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Under Catholic influence, sodomy was criminalized in many Italian states; punishments ranged from imprisonment to execution, especially under the Papal States. Thankfully, Italy�€�s Penal Code of 1889 (Zanardelli Code) decriminalized consensual same�€`sex sexual activity.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Italy had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, .

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported a 2003 resolution at the UN Commission tabled by Brazil, on prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and supported it in 2004 (it was defeated both times by the Vatican and a collection of Islamic countries).
⇡ Supported the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
⇡ Voted in favour of the 2014 Resolution 27/32 at the UN Human Rights Council against discrimiantion based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
⇡ In 2019, voted to renew the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for Italy (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Italy:	0.50	0.50	0.50	4.80	4.37	1.78
World Rank:	7th	⇣ 13th	⇣ 20th	⇡ 18th	⇣ 22nd	⇣ 43rd
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₁₂
Pos.		2021₁₂
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
124=	Ethiopia	3.3
124=	Germany	3.3
124=	Ghana	3.3
124=	Italy	3.3
124=	Macedonia	3.3
124=	Liberia	3.3
124=	Malawi	3.3
124=	Madagascar	3.3
	Europe Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Italy is 109th in the world when it comes to freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₃. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₄. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₅ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₆. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₇. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₁₂_,₄₈ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₁₂_,₄₉.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₅₀. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₄, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₅₁ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₅₂ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

5. Freedom of Belief and Religion

#catholicism #christianity #islam #Italy #judaism #religion_in_Italy

Italian law has a definite bias towards Catholic Christianity₅₃. Although the constitution protects freedom of religion and belief, blasphemy laws are specifically used to the favour of Christians, and the education system is somewhat biased - all classrooms in state schools must display crucifixes, for example₅₃, which can only ever entrench prejudice and discrimination at the social level.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₅₃, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Italy states:

“The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, under article 724 of the penal code, blasphemy is considered as an "administrative offense" and punished with a fine. Administrative law requires that all classrooms in state schools display crucifixes. Additionally, the government recognizes the Holy See as a sovereign authority. Under the 1984 revision of the concordat with the Catholic Church, the state is secular but maintains the practice of state support for religion, which can also be extended to non-Catholic confessions if requested. In such cases, state support is governed by legislation implementing the provisions of an intesa (accord) between the government and the religious group. An intesa grants clergy automatic access to state hospitals, prisons, and military barracks; allows for civil registry of religious marriages; facilitates special religious practices regarding funerals; and exempts students from school attendance on religious holidays. If a religious community so requests, an intesa may provide for state routing of funds, through a voluntary check-off on taxpayer returns, to that community. The state paid Catholic religion teachers, but this financial support was not available to other religious communities. If a student requested the assistance of a religion teacher of a non-Catholic religious group, that group could select a representative but had to cover the cost. The government provided funds for the construction of places of worship, granted public land for their construction, and helped preserve and maintain historic places of worship that shelter much of the country's artistic and cultural heritage.
Cases of Discrimination
On June 12, 2006, the blasphemy case against the author Oriana Fallaci begins in Bergamo, Italy. Prosecutors alleged that her latest book, La Forza della Ragione (The Force of Reason), contained eighteen statements "unequivocally offensive to Islam and Muslims." Oriana Fallaci died of lung cancer before the trial could conclude.
On March 16, 2005, a Milan court prohibited a billboard campaign by the clothes company Francois Girbaut because of a photo imitating Leonardo's Last Supper.
On October 20, 2010, the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Franco Frattini, called for Muslims, Jewsand Christians to unite to fight the "threat" that he claims atheism poses to society.
”
"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₅₃