Reflection Paper by Nur Rahmi

FREEDOM RELIGIOUS AS A HUMAN RIGHT

Freedom of Religion according to the world lens seen from the point of view of human rights is
guided by the UDHR and the international covenant on civil and political rights, The articles that
regulate it are article 18 in the UDHR and article 18 of the international covenant on civil and
political rights, which reads: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion, in this case including freedom to change religion or belief, with the freedom to profess
religion or belief by teaching it, doing it, worshipping and obeying it, either alone or together
with others, in public or alone. (UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
Human rights are always used as a measure of freedom of behavior. This human rights context
is characteristic of the Western view of life and is forced to be applied in all fields, including in
terms of freedom of religious change. Indeed, human rights and freedoms in religion include the
freedom to profess or establish a religion or belief of one's own choice. Everyone has the
freedom, whether individually or in society, publicly or privately to manifest religion or belief in
his teaching and worship. But these rights and freedoms are not absolute. The existence of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights triggers new problems because in one of its articles it
guarantees the rights of a person and protects him to change his religion or belief. This is
certainly contrary in Islam which forbids its adherents to apostatize. Departing from this
problem, this paper discusses the problem of universal human rights and its relation to religious
freedom. Although in Islam there are arguments that show the absence of coercion in various but
certainly does not mean free in changing religions that indicate playing religion.