Negative and positive freedom of religion: The ambiguous relation of religion and human rights in Sweden

Abstract

Sweden can be characterized as one of the most secularized countries in the world. This chapter aims to explore the relationship between religion and human rights in Sweden, with a focus on the contemporary situation. The research question is how to understand the relation between religion and human rights in the light of the role of religion in the country. The contentious argumentation around the freedom of religion illustrates the ambiguous role that religion plays in contemporary Swedish social life. Starting out from cases where freedom of speech and freedom of religion have been contested, this chapter explicates that Swedish society often constructs religion as a private matter and uses human rights discourses as a common denominator. Also empirical data on young people's attitudes toward freedom of religion and religious diversity are used, underlining this ambiguous picture. Public discussions on human rights in Sweden follow three tracks: consensus on human rights discourse in general, an awareness of the need for constant refinement regarding the application of human rights, and thirdly a rising awareness of the stigmatization of Muslims which can be seen as a sign of a lack of religious literacy.