Religious tolerance is often regarded as a fundamental human right which grants individuals the autonomy to practise their religious faith. Religious tolerance advocates the peaceful coexistence of all religions without any one group being discriminated or oppressed because of their beliefs. Practicing religious tolerance need not mean that individuals validate or agree with certain beliefs or practices, but that they acknowledge the fact that others have the right to their own beliefs and related legitimate practices. (B.A., 2014) All of the world religions can be found in South East Asia (SEA) today, and this makes it a fertile breeding ground for conflicts whether it be inter-faith conflict or intra-faith conflict. In this essay, I will be relating the topic of religious tolerance to SEA countries such as Brunei, the
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Although there are countries that practise religious intolerance overtly, it seems like countries that appear to maintain religious harmony may not be so religiously tolerant after all. Hence, I argue that religious tolerance in ASEAN is more fiction than fact. Religious intolerance is most apparent in countries where the government outrightly discriminates against religious minorities through the passing of state laws. Even though there may be an understanding that multiple faiths exist in the country, religious minorities may still be marginalised and disregarded. On May 2014, Brunei became the first country in Southeast Asia to impose the Islamic sharia law on a national level. This decision was regarded by many as “a huge step backwards for human rights in the country” as it legalised the implementation of brutal medieval punishments for crimes
Although there are countries that practise religious intolerance overtly, it seems like countries that appear to maintain religious harmony may not be so religiously tolerant after all. Hence, I argue that religious tolerance in ASEAN is more fiction than fact. Religious intolerance is most apparent in countries where the government outrightly discriminates against religious minorities through the passing of state laws. Even though there may be an understanding that multiple faiths exist in the country, religious minorities may still be marginalised and disregarded. On May 2014, Brunei became the first country in Southeast Asia to impose the Islamic sharia law on a national level. This decision was regarded by many as “a huge step backwards for human rights in the country” as it legalised the implementation of brutal medieval punishments for crimes