The Collective Dimension of Freedom of Religion: A Case Study on Turkey

The Collective Dimension of Freedom of Religion: A Case Study on Turkey
Mine Yıldırım
Routledge: Law and Religion  2017

The right to freedom of religion or belief, as enshrined in international human rights documents, is unique in its formulation in that it provides protection for the enjoyment of the rights “in community with others”. This book explores the notion of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief with a view to advance the protection of this right. The book considers Turkey, which provides a useful test case where both the domestic legislation can be assessed against international standards, while at the same time lessons can be drawn for the improvement of the standard of international review of the protection of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief. The book asks two main questions: what is the scope and nature of protection afforded to the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief in international law, and, secondly, how does the protection of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief in Turkey compare and contrast to international standards? In doing so it seeks to identify how the standard of international review of the collective dimension of freedom of religion can be improved.

Contents
1. Introduction 2. The Notion of the Collective Dimension of Freedom of Religion or Belief 3. The Right to Acquire Legal Personality – a Substantive Component of the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief 4. The Right of Religious/Belief Groups to Freedom in their Internal Affairs 5. Introduction to the Case Study on Turkey and the General Turkish Legal Framework Pertaining to the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief 6. The Right of Religious/Belief Communities to Acquire Legal Personality in Turkey 7. The Right of Religious/Belief Communities in Turkey to Freedom in the Internal Affairs 8. Conclusion

Mine Yildirim is Head of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee Freedom of Belief Initiative in Turkey at the University of Oslo, Norway