Freedom of Religion or Belief in the Context of European and International Law

Freedom of Religion or Belief in the Context of European and International Law This PhD dissertation focuses on selected aspects of freedom of religion or belief in Europe. It aims to introduce the legal framework in which religious freedom has to operate, and to place this essential freedom into a broader cultural, religious and human rights context. The contextualisation emphasised throughout this dissertation is based on an assumption that it is not possible to establish a pure legal notion of religious freedom that would not bear any imprint of the societal, legal, cultural and religious context of its authors; in reality, each person's understanding of religious freedom is rooted in his culture, religion and experience. This should not lead, however, to a complete rejection of the possibility of a common understanding and universal protection of religious freedom. On the contrary, it should motivate each interpreter and law-maker in the area of religious freedom to study the understandings of all persons and entities involved in a particular case or situation. Having thoroughly studied all presented claims rooted in religious freedom and having taken into consideration all other rights, principles and interests involved, it should be possible for the decision-makers to resolve the case in a..