Search

One of the major issues of concern in the international organizations of human rights is the protection of places of worship against attacks of other groups or governments. The first part of this paper analyzes the documents of United Nation, European Union or Council of Europe organizations dealing with human rights. The result of the research offers a precise map of the hot spots of religious intolerance along the world. Main aspects of religious liberty, as the access to places of worship, the peaceful reunion inside them or the conservation, are infringed. The second part focuses on the European Court of Human Rights cases dealing with places of worship. We could notice how the Court analyzes carefully conditions and limitations of the establishment of places of worship in several European States, examining accomplishment with the minimum standards of the right of religious freedom enshrine in article 9 of the European Convention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years serious conflicts between freedom of speech and freedom of religion have arisen. These conflicts have attracted the interest of Social Sciences, Law among them. This article examines those conflicts from a legal perspective, studies the concept of defamation of religion and its legal implications, analyzes the concept of hate speech concerning religion as a legitimate limitation to freedom of speech. Finally, the paper exposes the legal doctrine of the European Court of Human Rights on this topic and the Spanish legal protection of religious sentiments as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]