REMI

This project seeks to reflect on the nexus between freedom of religion and legal protection and promotion of religious minority rights in Europe. This focus is based on the consideration that many legal instruments for minority protection have been conceived and traditionally applied mainly for linguistic minorities although these instruments are potentially applicable to religious minorities too. The project aims to bridge academic ´circles`, in particular those linked to religious studies and minority studies, strengthening their potentials. Within the context of diversity governance and integrated societies, our research focuses on five different aspects: First, we provide on a theoretical level a critical assessment of the legal protection and promotion of religious minority rights in Europe, identifying weak and strong points. A special attention will be given to the study of minority rights instruments such as the FCNM and the UN Declaration on Minorities for the protection of religious minorities and the accommodation of religious diversity. Second, we seek to reflect on the nexus of general principles of human and minority rights, European values and the power of religion in promoting common values and synergies to create social cohesion. Third, we analyze whether it is beneficial and meaningful to compare and extend to religious migrant communities policies, institutional accommodations and legal frameworks conceived by and/or for old religious groups. Fourth, we focus on the governance of intra-religious, in particular Islamic diversity within the European context aiming to develop an egalitarian approach to govern intra-religious, in particular Islamic diversity in a liberal-democratic State. And finally, as a fifth component, we analyze the potential of religious normative orders and pluralist constitutional arrangements as a means of accommodating religious diversity and as tool to address claims of religious minorities. In our analyzes we specifically focus on claims of, and the impact of pluralist legal frameworks on the position of vulnerable members of religious communities.