{"id":38157,"date":"2023-09-21T12:28:16","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T12:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/?post_type=noticia&p=38157"},"modified":"2023-10-11T20:53:28","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T20:53:28","slug":"criola-conectas-and-portal-catarinas-release-e-book-on-religious-racism","status":"publish","type":"noticia","link":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/en\/noticias\/criola-conectas-and-portal-catarinas-release-e-book-on-religious-racism\/","title":"Criola, Conectas and Portal Catarinas release e-book on religious racism","content":"

Criola, Conectas and Portal Catarinas, with the support of Synergia, will launch this Thursday, September 21, the e-book \u201cReligious Racism: a look through new lenses at the violations related to the growing tension between religious freedom and freedom of expression\u201d, <\/span>the result of the cycle of debates held by the institutions<\/span><\/a> in an online format over the course of 2022. In four meetings, different aspects of the topic were addressed with the intention of expanding dialogue with sectors of civil society on the impact of religious racism on the black population, indigenous peoples and other social groups affected by violence and the violation of their rights.<\/span><\/p>\n

>>>Access the e-book<\/a><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The meetings provided an opportunity to understand the shortcomings in the political debate and in the human rights approach to religious freedom and religious racism, taking into account the intersection of gender, gender identity, territoriality and other dimensions of oppression. Consisting of 43 pages, the e-book compiles the thoughts of the 14 experts who participated in the debates, as they denounce the State\u2019s failure to comply with various legal frameworks supposedly created to ensure the rights of <\/span>terreiro<\/span><\/i> religious communities and indigenous communities \u2013 including <\/span>article 5<\/span><\/a> of the Brazilian Constitution, which deals with freedom of belief. <\/span><\/p>\n

The publication defends the use of the term \u201creligious racism\u201d to describe such practices, considering the growing number of attacks and cases of violence directed at <\/span>terreiro<\/span><\/i> religious communities in the country, <\/span>such as the case of M\u00e3e Bernadete<\/a><\/span>, the <\/span>ialorix\u00e1 <\/span><\/i>priestess and quilombola leader from Bahia who was murdered in her temple on August 17, 2023. <\/span><\/p>\n

The term has been used by civil society organizations and leaders of African-based religions to <\/span>replace the idea of \u201creligious intolerance\u201d<\/span><\/a>, which is considered insufficient to reinforce that this type of crime is, in fact, directed at Africa\u2019s whole cultural heritage and civilizational legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMore than just a semantic change, the use of the expression religious racism instead of religious intolerance is also a political and conceptual exercise in systematizing, interpreting and confronting the crime of religious violence against religions of African origin based on Brazil\u2019s historical singularity and on the understanding that these sacred places are a national cultural heritage,\u201d reads an excerpt from the e-book.<\/span><\/p>\n

The book covers topics still shrouded by taboos, such as the actions of Child Protective Councils that pursue <\/span>loss of custody<\/span><\/a> for parents of children and adolescents initiated into these religions. Another issue raised in the book is the process of persecution of indigenous traditions perpetrated by some religious denominations in northern Brazil. This has occurred in the Kaiow\u00e1 and Guarani indigenous territories, where there have been <\/span>cases of fires at \u201cprayer houses\u201d<\/span><\/a> and reports of attacks, threats, torture and attempted murder against <\/span>nhanderu<\/span><\/i> (worshippers). There has also been a case of femicide against <\/span>nhandesy<\/span><\/i> (female worshippers), who have been called witches and persecuted, according to a <\/span>report prepared by Ku\u00f1angue Aty Guasu<\/span><\/a> (Grand Assembly of Kaiow\u00e1 and Guarani Women), from 2022. <\/span><\/p>\n

As a contemporary and necessary contribution to public debate on the topic, \u201cReligious Racism: a look through new lenses at the violations related to the growing tension between religious freedom and freedom of expression\u201d has appeared at a turning point in Brazilian politics, with reflections that need to be absorbed by anyone involved in the defense of human rights in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The publication features the contributions of L\u00facia Xavier (Criola), Rafael Soares (KOINONIA Presen\u00e7a Ecum\u00eanica e Servi\u00e7o), Felipe Brito, (Ocupa\u00e7\u00e3o Cultural Jeholu), Baba Diba de Iyemonja, (Renafro), Thayn\u00e1 Yaredy (Conectas Human Rights), Ingrid Limeira (child protective councilor and representative of Ocupa\u00e7\u00e3o Cultural Jeholu), H\u00e9dio Silva (Instituto de Defesa das Religi\u00f5es Afro-Brasileiras), Vera Baroni (Rede das Mulheres de Terreiro de Pernambuco), Edina Shananewa, (Uni\u00e3o das Mulheres Ind\u00edgenas da Amaz\u00f4nia Brasileira), Roseli Finscue Chavaco, (Rede Nacional de Mulheres Defensoras de Direitos Humanos), Sergio Albino, (Ile de Bara Lode \u2013 Kimbanda Zumbi, in Montevideo, Uruguay), Bab\u00e1 Adailton Moreira de Ogun (Il\u00ea Ax\u00e9 Omiojuar\u00f4), Yuri Silva (Coletivo de Entidades Negras) and Ana Gualberto (KOINONIA Presen\u00e7a Ecum\u00eanica e Servi\u00e7o). <\/span><\/p>\n

Watch the cycle of debates on Religious Racism<\/b><\/h2>\n