A new government official warns of hate against the faithful.
Thomas Rachel, the newly appointed government commissioner for religious and ideological freedom, has cautioned against hate directed at believers, as he took up his new role. He emphasized that religious and ideological freedom is under pressure worldwide, with three-quarters of the global population living in a country that restricts their freedom of religion and worldview.
Rachel, a Christian Democrat, stressed that, despite this, for four out of five people worldwide, religion holds a high value in their lives, providing a sense of purpose and orientation for their actions. He lamented that Christians, Muslims, Jews and adherents of many other religions and worldviews are worldwide victims of the violation of religious freedom, often facing persecution and discrimination solely due to their beliefs, while others are targeted and threatened for not belonging to a religion.
The politician promised to use his new position to give a voice to these individuals and stand up for their rights, as well as to resolutely counter radical movements that misuse religion as a pretext for dividing and inciting hatred in society. He underlined that religious and ideological freedom is deeply connected to other fundamental rights, such as the freedom of conscience, the freedom of opinion, the freedom of assembly and the freedom of the press.
Without the central human right of religious and ideological freedom, the other human rights would also remain incomplete, Rachel explained. The relocation of the commissioner for religious and ideological freedom to the Foreign Office is a sensible move, as the German government, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, thereby strengthens its engagement for global religious freedom.