A pluralistic democracy like Sri Lanka requires, among other things, the robust protection of two interdependent pillars: Freedom of Expression (FoE) and Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). The protection of these two freedoms must begin with the recognition that these are not competing interests, but mutually reinforcing pillars of a democratic society, as established under Articles 18 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal...

This article explores how human rights theory meets practical social friction, through a discussion of the intersection of the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and Freedom of Expression (FoE) as analysed in the report, “Navigating Intersecting Rights: Freedom of Religion or Belief and Freedom of Expression in Sri Lanka”, recently launched by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL). When the state prioritises the “purity” of a religion over the liberty of a...

Freedom of Expression (FoE) and Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) are sometimes viewed as competing rights: we are frequently told that to protect the sanctity of faith, we must muzzle the speaker—and to protect the speaker, we must disregard the believer. However, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka’s (NCEASL) recently launched report titled, “Navigating Intersecting Rights: Freedom of Religion or Belief and Freedom of Expression in Sri Lanka”, suggests this is a...