WK 221 Religious tenets: Changing perceptions on human rights

People gain guidance, strength and consolation from their religious beliefs and practices. Human rights work and efforts can be advanced by creating public space to educate and help people to understand the mandates arising from their own faith tradition to deal with social issues that can be confusing and contentious such as women’srights, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, and the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Panelists

Featured Tactic: Masjaliza Hamzah, Sisters in Islam, Malaysia Complementary Presentations:

• Jimmy Creech, SoulForce, USA
• Laurie Maund, Sangha Metta, Thailand

Featured Tactic

Using religious mandates to create public space to educate citizens on their rights and current social issues Masjaliza Hamzah, Sisters in Islam, Malaysia

• View Masjaliza Hamzah’s PowerPoint presentation 111 KB
• Read Masjaliza Hamzah’s presentation outline

Sisters in Islam (SIS) is a group based in Malaysia that pushes for public recognition of women’srights within the context of the Islamic religion. They promote interpretations of the Qur’an that support the equal treatment of women by employing a three-prong tactic of using the media as a vehicle, holding law workshops and disseminating mass information through public lecture series, discussions, training sessions and publications. SIS maintains that women’srights have been distorted by the powerful, male factions of the Muslim faith who often pass modern state laws that violate rights integral to Muslim women. SIS gains media attention by flooding newspapers with letters to the editor, holding press conferences that publicize gender discriminating laws, writing a legal question-and-answer column in Utusan Malaysia (a major newspaper) and holding training sessions for female journalists. By doing this, SIS has cultivated a good relationship with the media and is able to use it as an educational tool. SIS’s innovative tactics are useful for any groups seeking to advance human rights within a particular cultural or religious framework. In addition, their clever partnership with the media can be applied to many groups seeking to amplify their voice but who have limited resources.

Complementary Presentation

Jimmy Creech, SoulForce, USA

• Read Jimmy Creech’s presentation outline

Soulforce, Inc. combines dialogue and nonviolent direct action to make local and national religious institutions more inclusive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members. Soulforce has denominational research teams that monitor statements and actions in various denominations and recommend potential opportunities for dialogue. Once there is an opening, Soulforce volunteers approach religious leaders and question them about the institution’s or congregation’s policy. If leaders refuse to talk or negotiate, Soulforce turns to nonviolent direct action tactics.

Complementary Presentation

Laurie Maund, Sangha Metta, Thailand

• View Laurie Maund’s PowerPoint presentation 12,570 KB
• Read Laurie Maund’s presentation outline
• Read Laurie Maund’s supporting material
• Read Laurie Maund’s supporting material
• Read Laurie Maund’s supporting material

The Sangha Metta project trains Buddhist monks, nuns and novices to provide practical and spiritual assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and fight the myths, misconceptions and stigma surrounding the disease. Sangha Metta arranges seminars, workshops and visits to AIDS hospices for Buddhist leaders. Basing their work around the moral and religious teachings of Buddhism, the monks then model accepting and caring behavior towards community members with HIV/AIDS. This has had a powerful impact on the community, teaching acceptance and tolerance.