Freedom of religion is often at the crux of national conflicts, butting heads with human rights and facing government opposition, says University of Utah President Michael K. Young.
"Religion is among the central organizing forces in any individual's life. It is not surprising that kind of interesting individual ethic is capable of manipulation or becoming a motivating force," said Young, who spoke at the Hinckley Institute and previously served as chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
During that time, Young said, he learned how powerful religion can be in tearing apart countries. One of the key indicators of how religion directs political tides is how quick government leaders are to squelch religious uprisings, striking at the heart of opposition, he said.
In the same vein, the tightening of controls on religion is often an early sign of an unstable government trying to regain control, he said. While serving on the commission, Young said, he saw religious intolerance was the key indicator of which countries were on shaky ground.
"The canaries were dying. You knew there was gas in the coal mine when you saw that," he said.
The commission compiled a list of 11 nations in 2004, labeling them " countries of particular concern" that would be subject to trade and other sanctions for tolerating violations of religious rights. Among them were China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.
Countries such as Cuba, Indonesia and Egypt made a "watch list" of countries where abuses were not quite as bad.
Some countries, like China, were quashing religious freedoms in an effort to maintain government control. Others, like Indonesia, were tightening their grip to avoid community violence between religious groups that was destabilizing the country.
All of those countries were starting to oppress or control religion via registration requirements, controlled churches or restrictions on importing religious goods, Young said.
"It's a powerful right because it's an early warning device," he said. "At the same time, it's very often not about religion; it's about government control or authority."
E-mail: estewart@desnews.com