Persecution of Afro-Brazilian traditional religions
In Brazil, followers of traditional Afro-Brazilian religions are facing violent attacks from neo-Pentecostal neighbours and gangs who consider their religion to be demonic and evil.
Case study collection
On this page you can find 4 types of case study:
There are lots of ways to use case studies!
Include them in a presentation, use them to help workshop participants learn about and analyse FORB violations, or use them to challenge stereotypes about perpetrators and victims.
FORB around the world
These brief case studies are designed to enable participants reflect on violations of FORB in different contexts. They are designed for use with the ‘FORB around the world’ exercise but can be used in many other ways. You can find the exercise in the FORB facilitators toolkit and the exercise bank (on the link below).
You can find handouts of the case studies here.
FORB around the world
A group discussion exercise based on case studies, designed to follow a knowledge input on understanding violations of FORB.
Excercise Details for FORB around the world
- 1 h 5 min
- Group exercise
- Case study/scenario
10 cases illustrating a range of FORB issues across the globe
Hindu-nationalism and minorities in India
The Indian government is increasingly promoting and enforcing policies that negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other religious minorities based on an ideological vision of a Hindu state.
Minorities and freethinkers in Algeria
Algerian authorities have sentenced individuals for blasphemy and proselytization, closed dozens of Protestant churches, and charged religious minorities with gathering illegally, despite providing no legal way for them to worship together.
State control and genocide in China
Underground Catholics, house church Protestants, Tibetan Buddhists and Falun Gong adherents have faced harassment, detention, demolition of places of worship and torture. In Xinjiang province, Uighurs have faced genocide.
Targeting of Muslims in the Central African Republic
The Muslim minority has borne the brunt of political and ethnoreligious violence. Attacks on individuals and places of worship, and sexual violence towards women have been widespread.
The Baha’i community in Iran
The government of Iran considers the Baha’i faith to be heretical and has systematically persecuted the Baha’i community since 1979. Adib Vali lost his place in 7th grade when the school discovered he was Baha’i.
Hate crimes in Sweden
Crimes facing religious groups range from verbal abuse, being pushed, a headscarf being pulled to threats, severe forms of violence, vandalism of religious sites and arson.
Religious law in Malaysia
Revathi Massosai was born to converts to Islam but brought up a Hindu by her Hindu grandmother. Revathi was sent to an Islamic re-education centre for six months for marrying a Hindu and refusing to return to Islam.
FORB and gender equality
The following case studies are designed to enable participants reflect on the multiple vulnerabilities that women and girls face based on their gender and their religious identity. They cover a range of topics from employment discrimination to harmful traditional practices to extreme societal or governmental violence, including sexual violence.
The case studies are designed for use with the ‘FORB and gender equality’ exercise which you can find in the FORB facilitators toolkit and the exercise bank (on the link below). Handouts are available for the case studies, and PowerPoint or video resources are available to illustrate some cases. Find all resources here.
FORB and gender equality
A group discussion exercise based on a selected case study.
Excercise Details for FORB and gender equality
- 1 h 45 min
- Group exercise
- Case study/scenario
7 case studies exploring the relationship between women’s rights and FORB
Vasha and Ayesha’s stories – United Kingdom
Muslim women in Britain are three times more likely to be unemployed that women in general. Women who wear the hijab bear the brunt of discrimination.
Sofalta’s story – Nepal
In parts of Nepal, traditional beliefs lead women to be considered bad luck during menstruation. These beliefs are so deeply held that families take extreme risks, isolating menstruating girls and women in cowsheds or menstruation huts in a centuries-old tradition of Chhaupadi.
An 8-year-old nomad girl’s story – India
In 2018, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, gang raped and murdered in a plot to strike fear in her Muslim nomadic tribe, the Bakarwal, and drive them from the rugged Himalayan region where they live as shepherds.
Maira’s story – Forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan
14 year old Maira Shahbaz was abducted at gunpoint and forced to convert to Islam and marry one of her abductors. She escaped and now lives in hiding.
Qelbinur’s story – Forced sterilisation in China
Up to 1.8 million Uyghurs have been forced into to ‘re-education’ camps. The Chinese government has also enforced systematic sterilisation policies on Uyghur women to reduce the birth rate of the minority.
The expert advisors –
In depth FORB and gender case studies
Two more in-depth case studies and scenarios exploring issues of FORB and gender, focusing on the abduction and forced marriage of minority girls in Pakistan and religious personal status laws in Egypt. The scenarios are designed for use with ‘The expert advisors’ exercise which you can find in the FORB trainers toolkit and the Exercise bank (on the link below).
Find handouts of the scenarios here.
The expert advisors
In this role-play exercise, the participants have just been promoted to the role of Technical Experts on FORB for all at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Excercise Details for The expert advisors
- 1 h 40 min
- Group exercise
- Role-play/drama
2 in-depth case study scenarios
Speaking of religion
These case studies from Nigeria, Pakistan and Myanmar are designed to enable participants reflect on the intersections between freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression. They are designed for use with the ‘Speaking of religion’ exercise which you can find in the FORB facilitators toolkit and the exercise bank (on the link below).
You can find handouts of the case studies here.
Speaking of religion
A think-pair-share exercise in which participants reflect on barriers to freely expressing religion or beliefs in their context.
Excercise Details for Speaking of religion
- 1 h 20 min
- Multi-format exercise
- Think-pair-share
3 short cases studies on freedom of expression
Mubarak’s story – Nigeria
Mubarak Bala faces a 24-year prison sentence for Facebook posts questioning whether there is life after death.
COVID-19 : Legitimate limitations?
The seven case studies below are designed to accompany the exercise ‘Covid 19 – Legitimate limitations’, which you can find in the exercise bank and in the FORB facilitators toolkit.
Handouts of the case studies can be downloaded here.
Covid-19 – legitimate limitations
A group discussion exercise based on case studies, designed to follow a knowledge input on legitimate limitations of FORB.
Excercise Details for Covid-19 – legitimate limitations
- 2 h 10 min
- Group exercise
- Case study/scenario
7 case studies looking at FORB restricitons justified on public health grounds
Algeria: Churches remained closed amidst pandemic
Covid restrictions kept in place for churches when mosques opened again.
Azerbaijan: Detentions for attending religious commemorations
A case focusing on proportionality and discrimination in applying punishments for violating public health-based limitations.
France and Germany: Blanket bans on meeting in places of worship
This case revolves around whether complete bans on meeting in places of worship were necessary and proportionate.
Gabon: Strict regulations and police violence
This case focuses on the necessity and proportionality of restrictions and the excessive use of force by police.
Myanmar: COVID-19 restrictions and punishments
This case revolves around proportionality and discrimination in the application of punishments.