The Interconnection between Religion and Profane World: The Role of Religious Leaders in Enforcing Human Rights
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31291/hn.v14i1.813Keywords:
human rights, religious leaders, peace, Ricoeur’s hermeneuticsAbstract
The Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together emerged from a 2019 meeting between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyeb, in Abu Dhabi. Motivated by deep concern over global suffering and crises, the two religious leaders sought to articulate a vision of unity and peace. Decades earlier, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in response to the aftermath of World War II. Although separated by 71 years, these two documents share fundamental connections.
This article explores the intersection of religion and the secular realm, as demonstrated by these texts. A comparative examination highlights the significant role of religious leaders in advocating for human rights beyond theological contexts. The study draws on desk research, incorporating primary data from both documents and secondary sources from academic journals and international organizations. Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutics approach was applied to analyze their themes and implications.
Findings reveal two key points of convergence. First, both documents emphasize seven types of human rights. Second, religious and world leaders express a shared commitment to peace and the protection of human dignity. The role of religious figures in human rights enforcement is evident in their call for collective action, urging believers to unite against injustice and wrongdoing.
Downloads
References
Al Jarwan, A. (2021). Human Fraternity Document and the Role of the United Arab Emirates. In El Zein, B., & Al Jarwan, A. (Eds.), Paths to a Culture of Tolerance and Peace (pp. 1-17). River Publishers.
Amirpur, K., & Overbeck, I. (2023). Islamic and Iranian Perspectives on Human Rights: Potentials. In Kollontai, P., & Lohmann, F. (Eds.), On the Significance of Religion for Human Rights (pp. 91-96). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003344537-16
Anam, S. (2018). The Universality of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Does It Merely Express Western Values? Nation State: Journal of International Studies, 1(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.24076/NSJIS.2018v1i1.85
Bembid, F. S. (2023). Dialogue Between Christian Love and Pancasila Values According to Driyarkara. Smart: Jurnal Studi Masyarakat, Religi, dan Tradisi, 9(2), 147-161. https://doi.org/10.18784/smart.v9i2.2039
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27-40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Calo, Z. R. (2015). Catholic Social Thought and Human Rights. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 74(1), 93–112. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43817508
Červenková, D., & Vizina, P. (2021). Faith Embodied in Attitudes: Ethics of Dialogue and Brotherhood of All People in the ‘Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’ in Abu Dhabi and the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti. Auc Theologica, 11(1), 61-81. https://doi.org/10.14712/23363398.2021.4
Christensen, H. (2020). Born Free and Equal: The History of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(6), 112–117. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.76.8334
De Baets, A. (2009). The Impact of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" on the Study of History. History and Theory, 48(1), 20-43. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25478812
Driessen, M. D. (2022). Interreligious Engagement and Political Theory: Between Virtue Ethics and Religious Humanism. CrossCurrents, 72(3), 265-286. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27181603
Duan, F. (2017, November 7). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Modern History of Human Rights. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3066882
Hallo de Wolf, A., & Moerland, R. (2023). The UDHR as a Living Instrument at 75 and beyond. Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, 41(4), 182-189. https://doi.org/10.1177/09240519231214481
Human Rights Watch. (2024). World Report 2024: Events of 2023 (pp. 1). Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2024/01/World%20Report%202024%20LOWRES%20WEBSPREADS_0.pdf
Iharchane, O., Maghraoui, D., Abouaoun, E., Al-Qarawee, H. H., El Fegiery, M., Fadel, M., Salamey, I., & Uddin, A. T. (2017). The Multiple Layers of Freedom of Belief and Apostasy: Islam, History, and Politics. In Abdo G. (Ed.), Islam and Human Rights: Key Issues for Our Times (pp. 33–38). Atlantic Council. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep03717.9
Lasim, R. A. (2022). Abu Dhabi Document of Human Fraternity and the Interconnection of Moderation in Islam. Proceedings The 1st Annual Dharmawangsa Islamic Studies International Conference, 2, 110-115. https://proceeding.dharmawangsa.ac.id/index.php/PFAI/article/view/70/85
Lohmann, F. (2023). Christian Perspective: Jesus Christ the Liberator. In Kollontai, P., & Lohmann, F. (Eds.), On the Significance of Religion for Human Rights (pp. 83-90). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003344537-15
Michael, T. (2019). Korelasi Hukum Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together dengan Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 24 Tahun 2007 tentang Penanggulangan Bencana. Jurnal Hukum Magnum Opus, 2(1), 35-40. http://dx.doi.org/10.30996/jhmo.v2i2.2178
Mol, A. Y. (2019). Islamic Human Rights Discourse and Hermeneutics of Continuity. Journal of Islamic Ethics, 3(1-2), 180-206. https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340031
Müller, S. (2020). Concepts and Dimensions of Human Dignity in the Christian Tradition. Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 6(1), 22-55. https://doi.org/10.30965/23642807-00601003
Petrovici, I. (2013). Philosophy as Hermeneutics. The World of the Text Concept in Paul Ricoeur's Hermeneutics. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 71, 21-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.01.004
See, G. K. (2005). Muslim-Christian Dialogue: Signs of Hope. European Judaism: A Journal for the New Europe, 38(1), 48–61. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41443784
Setyawan, H. (2019). Redefining the Role of Religion in Contemporary Society: Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyeb. Jurnal Sosiologi Walisongo, 3(2), 111-124. https://doi.org/10.21580/jsw.2019.3.2.4023
Shelledy, R. B. (2004). The Vatican’s Role in Global Politics. The SAIS Review of International Affairs, 24(2), 149-162. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26999231
Sinombor, S. H. (2022). The Use of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in Indonesia Legal System. AL WASATH: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 3(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47776/alwasath.v3i1.336
Sintang, S., Mohd. Khambali @ Hambali, K., Mohd. Khalli, M. N., Ationg, R., Marinsah, S. A., & Mohd. Yakin, H. S. (2022). The Spirit of Human Fraternity Pervades Sabah’s Inter-Religious Landscape Preserving Unity in Diversity. Afkar: Jurnal Akidah & Pemikiran Islam, 24(1), 191–242. https://doi.org/10.22452/afkar.vol24no1.6
Sofjan, D., & Gaudiawan, A. V. E. (2022). The Spirit of the Human Fraternity. Nuova Umanita, 41-49. https://www.icrs.or.id/publication/the-spirit-of-the-human-fraternity
StudyCorgi. (2025, March 26). Comparison of Gadamer’s and Ricoeur’s Hermeneutics: Key Differences and Philosophical Insights. https://studycorgi.com/comparison-of-gadamers-and-ricoeurs-hermeneutics-key-differences-and-philosophical-insights/
The Holy See. (2019, February 4). Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/travels/2019/outside/documents/papa-francesco_20190204_documento-fratellanza-umana.html
United Nations. (1948, December 10). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2021/03/udhr.pdf
______________. (2020, December 28). Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly on 21 December 2020. https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n20/377/94/pdf/n2037794.pdf?token=4xoR0YcK4fxLP4Z9Td&fe=true
Washburn, C. D. (2016). The First Vatican Council, Archbishop Henry Manning, and Papal Infallibility. The Catholic Historical Review, 102(4), 712-745. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45175598
Yunus, N., Setiawan, R., & Rohmah, S. N. (2022). Reposition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the State Legal System. Al-Qisthas: Jurnal Hukum dan Politik, 13(2), 64-77. https://doi.org/10.37035/alqisthas.v13i2.7304
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Heritage of Nusantara: International Journal of Religious Literature and Heritage
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
