Open AccessThe situation of freedom of religion and belief in the South Caucasus
Author(s) -
Shorena Kobaidze
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
relìgìjna svoboda
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2663-0818
pISSN - 2617-9296
DOI - 10.32420/rs.2016.19.2.899
Subject(s) - multiculturalism , religious freedom , ethnic group , freedom of religion , agency (philosophy) , government (linguistics) , state (computer science) , political science , religious belief , minority rights , law , sociology , political economy , public administration , development economics , human rights , social science , politics , philosophy , epistemology , linguistics , algorithm , computer science , economics
Attitude towards freedom of religion and belief, tolerance and the concept of multiculturalism, as well as generally towards the protection of the rights of national, ethnic and religious minorities, remains extremely difficult in the South Caucasus region. Despite the declared strong tradition of public religious tolerance, the attitude of government agencies and institutions to religious freedom has worsened in both Azerbaijan and Georgia over the past few years. If in Azerbaijan the authorities in recent years continued to impose fines for violating the repressive law on religion of 2009, adopting new restrictions and further aggravating the general atmosphere, in Georgia since the establishment of the new state agency on religions in 2014, there are no effective mechanisms for resolving minority issues have not been taken.