Human Rights and Freedom in Lebanon
https://www.humantruth.info/lebanon_human_rights_and_freedom.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2019
#gender_equality #lebanon #lebanon_slavery #prejudice #women
| Lebanon Lebanese Republic [Country Profile Page] |  |
|---|---|
| Status | Independent State |
| Social and Moral Index | 112nd best |
| Location | Asia, The Mediterranean, The Middle East |
| Population | 6.9m1 |
| Life Expectancy | 75.05yrs (2017)2 |
Lebanon is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Lebanon comes in the best 20 for eliminating modern slavery3. However Lebanon performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)4, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports5, opposing gender inequality6, supporting press freedom7 (still good for Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms8, its average Freedom in the World rating (still low for Asia), its nominal commitment to Human Rights9, freethought10 and in LGBT equality11. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice12. "Lebanese authorities continue to prosecute individuals for peaceful use of freespeech"; in 2017 soldiers beat up protestors13. The Armed Forces and Security Forces use torture. Social progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 1% hold 23% of the country's entire income14.
1. Lebanon's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #lebanon #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance
| Compared to Asia (2025)15 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank15 | |
| 1 | Taiwan | 23.7 |
| 2 | Japan | 38.8 |
| 3 | Cyprus | 42.8 |
| ... | ||
| 21 | Thailand | 96.8 |
| 22 | China | 98.2 |
| 23 | Vietnam | 98.9 |
| 24 | Lebanon | 100.6 |
| 25 | Kazakhstan | 102.8 |
| 26 | Jordan | 104.4 |
| 27 | Cambodia | 107.7 |
| 28 | Kuwait | 108.9 |
| 29 | Bhutan | 109.9 |
| Asia Avg | 103.0 | |
| q=52. | ||
| Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)15 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank15 | |
| 1 | Sweden | 8.5 |
| 2 | Denmark | 13.5 |
| 3 | Norway | 13.5 |
| ... | ||
| 118 | Sierra Leone | 100.2 |
| 119 | Fiji | 100.3 |
| 120 | Niger | 100.6 |
| 121 | Lebanon | 100.6 |
| 122 | Ivory Coast | 101.3 |
| 123 | Madagascar | 101.4 |
| 124 | Gabon | 101.9 |
| 125 | Kazakhstan | 102.8 |
| World Avg | 87.8 | |
| q=200. | ||
The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway16. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, The Vatican City and Sudan16.
The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on supporting press freedom, eliminating 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 Europe16, whereas the worst are Melanesia, The Middle East and Micronesia16.
For more, see:
Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Lebanon stated:
“The authorities failed to address key economic and social rights affected by the country’s economic crisis, leaving residents without adequate access to healthcare and water. Impunity continued to protect perpetrators of torture and other crimes. Defamation laws were used against critics of the authorities. Migrant workers, particularly women domestic workers, continued to face abuse under the discriminatory kafala (sponsorship) system. Women still faced discrimination in law and in practice. Authorities stepped up their deportation of Syrian refugees to Syria despite risks of egregious human rights abuses there. The authorities banned public LGBTI events during Pride month. ”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)17
“Human Rights Watch continued to document reports of torture by Lebanese security forces, including Internal Security Forces, the Lebanese Armed Forces, and Military Intelligence. In October, parliament passed a new anti-torture law that, while a positive step, falls short of Lebanon´s obligations under international law. [...]
While freedom of expression is generally respected in Lebanon, defaming or criticizing the Lebanese president or army is a criminal offense carrying penalties of up to three years in prison. The Lebanese penal code also criminalizes libel and defamation of other public officials, authorizing imprisonment of up to one year. In 2017, Lebanese authorities continued to detain and charge individuals for social media posts critical of government officials. [...]
Lebanon continues to try civilians, including children, in military courts, in violation of their due process rights and international law. Those who have stood trial in the military courts describe incommunicado detention, the use of confessions extracted under torture, decisions issued without an explanation, seemingly arbitrary sentences, and a limited ability to appeal. [...]
An estimated 250,000 migrant domestic workers, primarily from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Nepal, and Bangladesh, are excluded from labor law protections. The kafala (sponsorship) system subjects them to restrictive immigration rules and places them at risk of exploitation and abuse [case examples] include non-payment or delayed payment of wages, forced confinement, refusal to provide time off, and verbal and physical abuse. [...]
Lebanon has no minimum age for marriage for all its citizens. Instead, religious courts set the age based on the religion-based personal status laws, some of which allow girls younger than 15 to marry. Parliament has failed to take up draft bills that would set the age of marriage at 18.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)13
2. Human Rights & Tolerance
2.1. Press Freedom
#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK
| Press Freedom Lower is better7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 20137 | |
| 1 | Finland | 638 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 648 |
| 3 | Norway | 652 |
| ... | ||
| 97 | Mongolia | 2993 |
| 98 | Mali | 3003 |
| 99 | Georgia | 3009 |
| 100 | Lebanon | 3015 |
| 101 | Albania | 3088 |
| 102 | Maldives | 3110 |
| 103 | Uganda | 3169 |
| 104 | Peru | 3187 |
| Asia Avg | 4378 | |
| World Avg | 3249 | |
| q=178. | ||
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 Index18
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).
2.2. Slavery
#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery
| Slavery Lower is better3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2018 % Victims3 | |
| 1 | Japan | 0.03 |
| 2= | Canada | 0.05 |
| 2= | Taiwan | 0.05 |
| ... | ||
| 17 | Paraguay | 0.16 |
| 18= | Sweden | 0.16 |
| 19 | Ireland | 0.17 |
| 20= | Lebanon | 0.17 |
| 20= | UAE | 0.17 |
| 20= | Finland | 0.17 |
| 20= | Austria | 0.17 |
| 20= | Switzerland | 0.17 |
| Asia Avg | 0.79 | |
| World Avg | 0.65 | |
| q=167. | ||
The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory19. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends20. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life21. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves22.
The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery23. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity24. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.
'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 vulnerable.25. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi26, Eritrea26, Indonesia27) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery28.
For more, see:
2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
| Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better8 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2014 Rank8 | |
| 1 | Hong Kong | 1 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 2 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 3 |
| ... | ||
| 105= | Argentina | 103 |
| 106 | Malawi | 106 |
| 107 | Thailand | 107 |
| 108 | Lebanon | 108 |
| 109 | Laos | 109 |
| 110 | Ivory Coast | 110 |
| 111= | Ukraine | 111 |
| 111= | Senegal | 111 |
| Asia Avg | 94.6 | |
| World Avg | 79.7 | |
| q=159. | ||
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)29
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 |
| ... | ||
| 127 | Bangladesh | 4.5 |
| 128= | Guinea-Bissau | 4.5 |
| 128= | Maldives | 4.5 |
| 128= | Lebanon | 4.5 |
| 128= | Mozambique | 4.5 |
| 132 | Morocco | 5.0 |
| 133= | Mauritania | 5.0 |
| 133= | Jordan | 5.0 |
| Asia Avg | 5.0 | |
| World Avg | 3.7 | |
| q=205. | ||
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:
2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments
| Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2017 Score5 | |
| 1= | UK | 9 |
| 1= | France | 9 |
| 1= | Germany | 9 |
| ... | ||
| 85 | Venezuela | -5 |
| 86= | Oman | -5 |
| 86= | Tajikistan | -5 |
| 86= | Lebanon | -5 |
| 86= | Mali | -5 |
| 86= | Israel | -5 |
| 91 | UAE | -6 |
| 92= | Rwanda | -6 |
| Asia Avg | -5.0 | |
| World Avg | -1.9 | |
| q=123. | ||
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
| Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better9 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2009 Treaties9 | |
| 1 | Argentina | 24 |
| 2= | Chile | 23 |
| 2= | Costa Rica | 23 |
| ... | ||
| 144 | Suriname | 12 |
| 145= | Kuwait | 12 |
| 145= | Trinidad & Tobago | 12 |
| 145= | Lebanon | 12 |
| 148 | Thailand | 11 |
| 149= | Barbados | 11 |
| 149= | Bahamas | 11 |
| 149= | Cuba | 11 |
| Asia Avg | 12.7 | |
| World Avg | 15.1 | |
| q=194. | ||
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 better30 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty30 | |
| 1 | Ecuador | 2.15 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 2.25 |
| 3 | Tunisia | 3.65 |
| ... | ||
| 93 | Algeria | 9.95 |
| 94 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 9.98 |
| 95 | Azerbaijan | 10.08 |
| 96 | Lebanon | 10.14 |
| 97 | Afghanistan | 10.23 |
| 98 | Dominican Rep. | 10.24 |
| 99 | Kuwait | 10.36 |
| 100 | Laos | 10.53 |
| Asia Avg | 10.97 | |
| World Avg | 10.02 | |
| q=195. | ||
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:
3. Gender Equality
The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Lebanon and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Lebanon has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.
"Lebanon has 15 separate religion-based personal status laws, which discriminate against women [including] inequality in access to divorce, residence of children after divorce, and property rights", and there is no legal protection against marital rape, although a positive development in 2017 saw the repeal of article 522 of the criminal code, "which had allowed rapists to escape prosecution by marrying the victim"13.
See:
3.1. Gender Inequality
#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women
| Gender Inequality Lower is better6 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 20156 | |
| 1 | Switzerland | 0.04 |
| 2 | Denmark | 0.04 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 0.04 |
| ... | ||
| 80 | Myanmar (Burma) | 0.37 |
| 81 | Belize | 0.38 |
| 82 | Mauritius | 0.38 |
| 83 | Lebanon | 0.38 |
| 84 | Rwanda | 0.38 |
| 85 | El Salvador | 0.38 |
| 86 | Peru | 0.39 |
| 87 | Sri Lanka | 0.39 |
| Asia Avg | 0.36 | |
| World Avg | 0.36 | |
| q=159. | ||
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:
3.2. Gender Biases
#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women
| Gender Biases Lower is better4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2022 %4 | |
| 1 | Sweden | 31.831 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 34.432 |
| 3 | Australia | 37.032 |
| ... | ||
| 52 | Georgia | 94.731 |
| 53 | Thailand | 95.532 |
| 54 | Iran | 95.532 |
| 55 | Lebanon | 95.632 |
| 56 | Kenya | 95.732 |
| 57 | Tunisia | 96.832 |
| 58 | Zambia | 97.133 |
| 59 | S. Africa | 97.131 |
| Asia Avg | 94.24 | |
| World Avg | 83.93 | |
| q=88. | ||
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 |
| ... | ||
| 91= | Bolivia | 1952 |
| 91= | Ivory Coast | 1952 |
| 91= | Greece | 1952 |
| 91= | Lebanon | 1952 |
| 95 | Guyana | 1953 |
| 96= | Mexico | 1953 |
| 96= | Bhutan | 1953 |
| 96= | Syria | 1953 |
| Asia Avg | 1907 | |
| World Avg | 1930 | |
| q=189. | ||
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:
4. Prejudice
4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions
#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #israel #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam
| Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better12 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2014 %12 | |
| 1 | Laos | 0 |
| 2 | Philippines | 3 |
| 3 | Sweden | 4 |
| ... | ||
| 87 | Saudi Arabia | 74 |
| 88 | Egypt | 75 |
| 89 | Oman | 76 |
| 90 | Lebanon | 78 |
| 91= | Morocco | 80 |
| 91= | Qatar | 80 |
| 91= | UAE | 80 |
| 94 | Jordan | 81 |
| Asia Avg | 48.2 | |
| World Avg | 36.8 | |
| q=101. | ||
Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving 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 Jews34,35,36,37. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently 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 East38, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews39,40. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"41. 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 males42.
For more, see:
4.2. LGBT Equality
#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #lebanon #sexuality #tolerance
Lebanon's stance towards homosexuality is nonsensical and pointlessly prejudiced - there is no legal way to conduct a sexually active homosexual relationship:
“Sexual relations outside of marriage [is] criminalized under Lebanon´s penal code. Furthermore, article 534 of the penal code punishes “any sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature” with up to one year in prison. In recent years, authorities conducted raids to arrest persons allegedly involved in same-sex conduct, some of whom were subjected to torture including forced anal examinations.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)13
It is wrong because (1) adult consensual sexual relations are a matter of personal privacy, (2) homosexuality is rife in nature43 and (3) discriminating against people based on their sexuality is immoral.
| LGBT Equality Higher is better11 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 2017 Score11 | |
| 1 | Netherlands | 103 |
| 2 | Belgium | 90 |
| 3 | Sweden | 86 |
| ... | ||
| 164= | Oman | -22 |
| 164= | Yemen | -22 |
| 166 | Turkmenistan | -24 |
| 167= | Lebanon | -24 |
| 167= | Zimbabwe | -24 |
| 169 | St Kitts & Nevis | -25 |
| 170= | Botswana | -25 |
| 170= | Ghana | -25 |
| Asia Avg | -02.1 | |
| World Avg | 12.6 | |
| q=196. | ||
Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence44. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws45. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries44. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.
For more, see:
4.3. Freedom of Thought
#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment
| Freedom of Thought Lower is better10 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos. | 202110 | |
| 1= | Belgium | 1.0 |
| 1= | Netherlands | 1.0 |
| 1= | Taiwan | 1.0 |
| ... | ||
| 163 | Tunisia | 4.0 |
| 164= | Cuba | 4.0 |
| 164= | Azerbaijan | 4.0 |
| 164= | Lebanon | 4.0 |
| 164= | Vietnam | 4.0 |
| 164= | Libya | 4.0 |
| 164= | Algeria | 4.0 |
| 170 | Iraq | 4.3 |
| Asia Avg | 3.7 | |
| World Avg | 3.0 | |
| q=196. | ||
Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights46. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish47. 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 era48 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted49. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief50. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands10,51 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia10,52.
Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed53. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief47, 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 religion54 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"55 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.
For more, see: