Human Rights & Discrimination

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infoWhy this? Human rights provide a framework for examining dignity, freedom, equality, prejudice, discrimination, and exploitation. Studying religious teachings alongside cases in which religion has challenged or supported injustice develops a balanced understanding of how beliefs and interpretations can influence society.

scheduleWhy now? After studying several traditions in depth, we can now use that knowledge to evaluate religious responses to real social and historical issues rather than considering beliefs only in isolation. Christian, Jewish, and Sikh learning supports the case studies, while Muslim teachings on equality create a connection to the next unit on Islam.

Human rights are basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person, regardless of nationality, sex, ethnicity, religion, language, or any other status.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a key international document that outlines fundamental human rights.
Examples of human rights include the right to life, the right to freedom of religion, the right to education, the right to a fair trial, and the right to freedom from torture.
Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, often leading to discrimination.
Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.
Christian teachings on prejudice and discrimination include the belief that all humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), the commandment to 'love your neighbour as yourself' (Mark 12:31), and the teaching that there is 'neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus' (Galatians 3:28).
Christian beliefs motivated abolitionist William Wilberforce to campaign against the British slave trade, and the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr drew on Christian teachings when opposing racial segregation during the US civil rights movement.
Some Christians in the United States interpreted the Bible to defend slavery and racial segregation, while the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa used Christian theology to support apartheid.
Exploitation is the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work or situation.
Examples of exploitation include child labour, human trafficking, sweatshop labour, and unfair wages.
Responses to exploitation can include legal action, consumer boycotts, campaigns by religious and secular organisations, and ethical trading initiatives.
Muslim teachings on prejudice and discrimination include the belief that all humans are equal in the eyes of Allah, as stated in the Qur'an (for example, Surah 49:13), and the Prophet Muhammad's Farewell Sermon which emphasised equality and condemned racism.
Antisemitism is hostility to, prejudice, or discrimination against Jewish people.
Examples of antisemitism include the Holocaust, hate crimes, and discriminatory laws.
Sikhism teaches the equality of all humans, regardless of caste, gender, or religion.
The caste system is explicitly rejected in Sikh teachings, and the langar (community kitchen) is an example of this principle in practice.

rocket_launchYou must be able to

Give clear examples of human rights and explain their significance.
Outline key Christian teachings relevant to prejudice and discrimination, citing scriptural references.
Outline what exploitation is and give specific examples.
Identify and explain key Muslim teachings on prejudice and discrimination, referencing Qur'anic verses or Hadith.
Outline Sikh views on equality and the rejection of the caste system, giving examples such as the practice of langar.
Evaluate the extent to which religions challenge or contribute to discrimination by using religious teachings, interpretations, and evidence from named case studies, such as Christian abolitionism, the US civil rights movement, Christian support for slavery and segregation, and the Dutch Reformed Church's support for apartheid.

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